Approved painted systems and the tests they must pass

Under MVK, a "painted wet-room system" isn't a single product — it's the whole approved system working together: a reinforcing cloth (väv), a primer/adhesive, and topcoats, tested and certified as one. That's why a random tin of "bathroom paint" doesn't qualify.

What the system must pass

Approval requires testing by an accredited institute against defined criteria. For a watertight (VT) system:

• Watertightness — max weight gain 200 g/m² over 1,500 cycles.
• Tightness after substrate movement — both specimens stay tight after 1 mm tension and 2 mm shear, so small building movements don't crack the seal.
• Cleanability — at least grade 5.
• Water-vapour resistance — in the range 10,000–200,000 s/m.
• Alkali resistance — certified in writing by the paint supplier.

A water-repellent (VA) system must pass watertightness (200 g/m²) and cleanability (grade 5). The reinforcing cloth should differ in colour from ordinary cloth, so full coverage can be verified.

Kept approved over time

The manufacturer must attest annually that nothing has changed, and re-test after 10 years — watertightness plus the movement tests for VT, watertightness for VA. Only systems on MVK's current list may be used.

Moisture-safety design

For a VT system, the building owner runs a moisture-safety design to confirm the system's vapour resistance suits the specific wall (calculated at both 10,000 and 200,000 s/m, the approval limits), so moisture can't accumulate in the wall.

What M5 brings to Dubai

We use only current MVK-approved systems, installed complete, so your painted walls are backed by lab-verified watertightness and movement resistance — not a coat that looked fine on day one.

Official source: this is M5's plain-language summary, not the official text. For the full rules see MVK — vatrumsmalning.se.