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.

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!

Does your facility or industrial space have epoxy floor coatings? Are you aware of the proper care and maintenance procedures for your particular flooring system? Proper maintenance of epoxy floor systems is crucial. Here are just three reasons why you should not overlook proper maintenance of your floors:

Appearance

If your floor has a custom industrial floor coating or decorative high performance system, the appearance of your floor is very important. From logos, special coatings and finishes, your floors impact your environment. Commercial and retail locations, in particular, count on their floors to always have a pristine appearance.

Safety & Performance

With any commercial or industrial floor, safety is an important factor. If your floor is meant to be slip-resistant, waterproof or offer static control, it’s important that the safety and performance of your floors are not compromised.

Durability & Life

Depending on the level of traffic and usage, most floors will require the occasional touch-up or recoat. However, appropriate care and upkeep will ensure your polymer flooring will last a long time. A simple, quick routine of easy maintenance can keep your no-wax, high performance floor looking showplace-new for years, saving you time and money in the long run. General Tips for Caring for Your Floor Every floor is different and requires adequate care in order to preserve its appearance, performance and life. Your professional polymer flooring installer can offer the correct method and procedures to maintain your particular flooring system. However, here are general tips on caring for your floors:

Sweep Your Floors Daily

Use a soft-bristled broom or mechanized sweeper to sweep your floors daily. This will remove any foreign objects and prevent safety hazards. Additionally, daily sweeping helps extend the life of your floor.

Wash Your Floors Weekly

Generally, weekly mopping of your floors will be sufficient to keep your floors performing and looking great. High-traffic and heavy-duty areas may require additional attention. Use a soft bristled mechanized floor scrubber if needed.

Clean Spills Immediately

Not only do spills present a potential safety hazard, they can be damaging to your floor depending on the substance and nature of the liquid spilled. Depending on the chemical resistance of your flooring, acids, caustics and harsh solvents can damage your floor coating and should be cleaned immediately.

Treat Stains Appropriately

High performance epoxy and other resinous flooring is much less likely to stain than standard floor coverings. However, if your flooring appears be stained, act sooner, rather than later.  Giving a stain time to “set” is never a good idea. The best way to treat stains is to follow instructions from your floor coating manufacturer.

Keep Sharp Objects Away

What’s New

Unique features offer improved convenience and time-savings.  See these fun and useful ways to access important concrete flooring information:

Streamlined flooring selection – simply click on your Industry, System or Requirement to get the product recommendations for your project Product Detail Pages provide all you need to know on any given system – conveniently access a product’s sales brochure, colors/ blends, architectural specs and tech data sheets in one location All new Floor Gallery, with commercial floor coating photos categorized by industry Expanded Detail Drawings collection, downloadable for your use Real life Case Studies discuss concrete flooring challenges and solutions Demonstration & Training Videos let you learn the ropes online

What you see is only the beginning!  We’ll be adding to these regularly – fresh inspiring photos, skill-enhancing videos, enlightening case studies and of course, always the latest concrete flooring product innovations.

What’s the Same, Only Better In Resources, quickly access: Downloadable product brochures Product technical data sheets Architectural specs in multiple formats Selector charts for colors and blends MSDs Indexed by Part Number or MSDs by System The dedicated Architect Center continues to offer: AIA Approved Continuing Education, free to members and non-members alike USGBC LEED information, including point contribution Technical data, detail drawings and more

So take a minute to explore and enjoy. Finding the commercial concrete flooring information you need has never been easier or more fun!

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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?