Floors in commercial kitchens undergo some of the harshest treatment.  When installed in commercial kitchens, flooring is exposed to thermal shock from high temperatures and damage from corrosive chemicals.

Frequent washing, constant exposure to hot oil, grease and moisture make kitchen floors extremely vulnerable to degradation and cracks.

How do you select the best flooring system for your commercial kitchen? It’s important to first understand this unique environment’s considerations.

Environmental Considerations

Understanding the needs and environment of commercial kitchens is important to selecting the best flooring system that will withstand day-to-day operations. Keep the following in mind when considering a concrete epoxy flooring system for a commercial kitchen.

Sanitation

An appropriate flooring system for a commercial kitchen must ensure maximum sanitation. More than being food-grade flooring, the best flooring system should be seamless to avoid mold, germs and bacteria from growing in cracks and seams.

Moisture Resistance

Commercial kitchens operate long hours and are often spray washed or power-washed on a daily basis. An anti-microbial moisture-resistant floor coating is necessary to prevent mold, and dangerous microbes from building up.

Slip & Skid-Resistance

Grease, oil and water pose a constant slip hazard in commercial kitchens. A flooring system that offers customizable slip-resistance is important for the safety of your employees.

High Temperatures

Ovens, fryers, broilers and the like require floors to withstand high temperatures.  Floors not designed to withstand high temperatures often disintegrate easily and require frequent replacement.

Thermal Shock

Kitchens with coolers, sub-freezers and meat lockers require floors that can withstand thermal shock from regular steam cleaning. Otherwise, these extreme conditions can easily destroy typical floors.

Our Best Options for Commercial Kitchen Flooring

A commercial kitchen environment is one of the harshest any floor can meet.  The best flooring system must be seamless, sanitary and antimicrobial, USDA approved, moisture resistant, skid-resistant, and be able to withstand chemicals, high temperatures and thermal shock.

Dramatic commercial kitchen floor renovation by Industrial Applications, Inc., of TN.

Though the term “epoxy flooring” is often used to generically describe all types of seamless, resinous, flooring systems, in fact, fluid-applied flooring systems comprised of epoxy resins are not appropriate for commercial kitchens.  They cannot withstand the extreme environment over time.

Urethane Mortar Flooring

In contrast, urethane mortar (cementitious urethane) flooring is the ideal flooring for commercial kitchens, as it can stand up to the harsh environment of a commercial kitchen.

FloroCrete SLX Urethane Mortar Flooring FloroCrete RT Urethane Mortar Flooring Florock Hybrid Floors – FloroCrete with decorative topping

Not sure which one is best for you? Talk to us and we can help you find the best floor for your kitchen!

FloroCrete Cementitious Urethane is a family of high performance systems with multiple applications.  The products are installed in food and beverage processing plants, commercial kitchens and heavy-duty manufacturing facilities.

These versatile concrete coatings are also employed as part of the FloroProof moisture mitigation system.  Needless to say, FloroCrete is one very popular series of concrete coatings!

Tips & Tricks

Let’s review how FloroCrete’s 3 basic components interact with one another during the mixing process, how to blend them correctly, and what to avoid.

When mixing FloroCrete, the tech data sheets instruct to first blend Components A & C.   As you mix these 2 components with your double auger drill, single auger drill or mud mixer, the water in Component A gets extracted and incorporated by the Portland Cement content of Component C.  The goal is to get all the water “used up”.  This can take from 30 – 180 seconds, depending upon your batch size and your mixing tool. 

Mixing FloroCrete SLX vs. FloroCrete RT & HD:

Of the different FloroCrete products, SLX can take the longest time to blend properly. As a spreadable slurry, SLX’s Component C possesses proportionately more fine powders and less of the larger, inert aggregate, as seen in the stiffer FloroCrete RT and HD formulations.   The larger aggregate in FloroCrete RT and HD acts almost like a sand mill during the mixing process – it assists in achieving a thoroughly uniform blend. Without the help of the larger aggregate, proper blending of the fine powders in FloroCrete SLX can require a bit more mixing time and attention to detail. It’s Ready When . . . You know you’ve properly mixed FloroCrete Components A & C only when you see a completely homogeneous mix.   For FloroCrete RT & HD, the Component A & C mix should have a uniform appearance throughout the container.   For FloroCrete SLX, the Component A & C mix should look consistently smooth and creamy throughout. Haste Makes Waste

What happens if you rush the mixing process of FloroCrete Industrial Coatings?

Adding Component B to an inadequately blended mix of Components A & C will get trouble a-brewin’ –  literally. The isocyanate in the Component B polyol will react with the remaining “unused water” in the mix.  Yup, you’ll have yourself an accelerated chemical reaction! The material in your container will start to kick over, thicken and even bubble. Proper installation of the material at this point will be nearly impossible. Smooth Sailing

The quick tip?  Time is on your side when blending Components A & C.  So, if in doubt, keep the mixing tool running!

Remember, only when blended FloroCrete Components A & C demonstrate a uniform appearance throughout the mixing container, should Component B be added.

Questions or Comments?

 

 

Come winter, we Michiganders like to make our homes a little cozier, comfier, and warmer. We want our home to embrace us and match that feeling we get when lounging in our favorite robe and slippers.

With the right planning and winter decor, you can transform your home from a cold tundra to a warm and comfortable sanctuary.

To provide you with the best winter home improvement and design ideas, we sought out the expertise of Leen Zabalawi from Leen Designs. To properly dress your home for the winter, these are the things you need:

Faux Fur – Whether you use faux fur as a blanket, bed set or sofa piece, it is sure to keep you warm and cozy throughout the winter. Not only that, but it looks great as a rug or a pillow case and adds a wonderful sense of sophistication to any contemporary or rustic setting. Candle Holders – Using a combination of beautiful candle holders will bring out the ambiance and warmth of any room in the home. Use your favorite scented candles and place them on top of the fireplace mantel or shelves. Lampshades – Even though gray is the fashion neutral that many enjoy, try mixing up your lampshade colors with something seasonal. Blue, green, yellow and red are wonderful for the chilly season and add a little greenery to the interior. Look for some silver or gold lampshades for the holiday season. Recliner – Today’s recliners come in all shape and sizes, and their popularity is steadily on the rise. Formerly known as “the dad chair”, they can now work for any age group. Set it up by the fireplace and prepare for a warm winter.

In the word of Pietro Aretino, “Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius.” Let your intelligence in winter home improvement and design blossom this season.

Some Extras to Remember

Nature’s influence on design is very popular in the market, so add some faux bois candleholders in a gold leaf finish to add some sparkle and character to your seasonal display. A glass bowl with some pinecones and evergreen sprigs fits the trend perfectly.

When the holidays are over, you don’t have to get rid of the lampshades you used for that time. Just use them for your next design endeavor.

Warm Up with New Carpet

Our Job Collaboration with Leen Designs

Looking to transform your entire living space with a warm and comfortable renovation? New carpet is guaranteed to make your home snug for the winter season.

A new floor polymer floor offers commercial, retail, industrial and institutional environments a variety of benefits including a beautiful appearance, high-performance and durability. Are you looking to paint or refinish your industrial or commercial floors? Not sure what the best method is to install a resinous floor? Professional polymer floor installers use a variety of methods. Today we’ll discuss four different installation methods.

Photo courtesy of Epoxy, Inc. of Florida

Trowel Applied Flooring

This method uses hand-troweling (using a flat bladed trowel) or power-troweling to install aggregate-filled polymer mortars. The aggregate is applied as a single mortar blend. Typical application is 3/16ths to 4/16ths of an inch in thickness.

General steps for trowelled application:

Prime Screed Apply material with trowel Apply topcoats as necessary Broadcast Applied Flooring

Similar to troweling, broadcast applications use a liquid resin and aggregate component. However, unlike troweling, the two are applied separately in alternating layers. Examples of aggregate components include Colored Quartz or Colored Chips.  Typical application of each layer is 1/16th of an inch in thickness.

Steps for broadcasting application:

Prepare substrate (Note – any floor imperfections must be properly corrected or they will be visible through broadcast floor) Apply primer Apply basecoat and broadcast aggregate Sweep off loose aggregate after basecoat has cured Apply a second basecoat and broadcast aggregate Sweep off loose aggregate after final broadcast is cured Apply grout coat to seal aggregate Slurry Applied Flooring

Slurry is another common technique for installing resinous flooring. It is economical and a great way to add strength and wear into any floor. In this case, liquid resin is combined with powders and/or aggregates and applied as a fluid mixture. Typical application ranges from 1/8th to 3/16ths of an inch in thickness.

Basic steps for a slurry-applied floor include:

Prepare substrate (including any crack repairs) Prime Apply slurry mix with notched squeegee Apply optional topcoats

For floors that require additional thickness, a broadcast floor may be installed on top of the slurry.

Resin Only Flooring Application

Unlike slurry or broadcast floors, resin only floors do not contain fillers, resulting in a thinner cured finish. Final thickness ranges from 13 mils to up to 32 mils.

Installation of resin only floors requires:

Prepare (including crack repair) Apply primer Apply topcoats as needed

Choosing the right application method for installing your resinous floor depends largely on the desired result and overall environment of your floor. Consult with a knowledgeable polymer flooring specialist to provide you with the best method for your particular flooring needs.

Epoxy floor coatings can transform a space, both in terms of design and functionality. Epoxy can extend the life of a concrete slab and offers one of the best flooring lifecycle values on the market. Without the proper substrate preparation, installation and primers, however, epoxy floors can fail.

Here are some of the steps professional installers take to ensure that epoxy floors look and perform as designed:

BEFORE

AFTER: Gorgeous professional flooring installation by CIC of GA

                          Proper Surface Preparation and Cleaning

Professional floor installers need to apply epoxy floor coating to a clean, dry and correctly profiled surface. Experienced installers will know the best way to prepare a concrete surface for the floor system being installed.  Mechanical preparation is now the industry standard, with vacuum-assisted shot-blasting or diamond grinding being the typical methods.

All floors, new and existing, must be properly prepared and abraded.  Curing compounds and laitance must be removed from new concrete; old coatings, dirt and contaminants must be removed from existing slabs.

When older concrete is saturated with oil or chemicals, installers may need to degrease floors to help ensure proper adhesion of the coating system. In such cases, water recovery with a wet-vac is imperative and all hazardous residue should be disposed of in accordance with local regulations.

Moisture Conditions

Moisture vapor transmission (MVT) that originates under the concrete can move upward through the slab, creating havoc for epoxy flooring or nearly any other type of floor covering. If left undetected and untreated, the presence of MVT can produce blistering in the floor after installation.

The Right Substrate

Epoxy floor coatings are, in themselves, incredibly strong. However, when the epoxy coating is stronger than its substrate, as in the case of weak cement or improperly mixed concrete, problems can arise. A coating system is only as good as what’s underneath.  An unstable sub-surface results in a malfunctioning floor topping.

For example, flexible, expansive wood makes a poor substrate for rigid epoxy floor coating systems, which can crack as the wood moves.  Sub-floors made of composite board are also not recommended.  An ideal epoxy floor coating substrate is a structurally sound, clean and uncontaminated concrete slab.

Applying the Correct Primer

Seasoned professionals know that one primer doesn’t fit all epoxy flooring systems – and that foregoing a primer when the manufacturer recommends it is a recipe for disaster. Installation of the epoxy primer that’s specifically designed for a given floor system is one way to help ensure that a floor remains well-bonded and has a long usable life.

Proper Resin and Hardener Mix

Beautiful high performance epoxy flooring is the result of a chemical reaction between at least two liquid components, the resin and hardener, which must be combined in proper proportions.  The timing and technique of blending, as well as the choice of mixing equipment, all play a role in the success of the final product.