What is food grade flooring?

Food grade flooring can be found in any place where food is handled. Food preparation spaces such as butchers, delis, meatworks, and abattoirs, as well as food storage such as chillers, freezers, or produce departments in a supermarket.

Every day, trolleys, high foot traffic, forklifts, hot oil spills, acids, and fats wreak havoc on food grade flooring. Special epoxy and urethane cement flooring meet these requirements by being impermeable to liquid and unable to grow microorganisms. When it comes to food safety, urethane cement is by far one of the most advanced flooring solutions.

Urethane Mortar Also Known As Polyurethane cement

When it comes to food grade flooring, urethane cement flooring has mostly replaced food grade epoxy flooring systems in food and beverage establishments. Water-based urethanes are utilized in these systems, and the water hydrates the cement, resulting in a polymer-modified concrete with a chemically resistant urethane binder.

Polyurethane Cement food grade flooring systems are great for bakery's and other kitchens where a hot oven or hot high pressure cleaning is used. The reason is urethane cement floors can handle up to 3x the heat as epoxy floor coatings.

Epoxy Coving For Food Safety

What exactly is coving? The half-round that runs around the perimeter of the floor-to-wall juncture is known as coving. Normally, the distance between the wall and the floor is 100mm. Epoxy coving is used around the perimeter to make cleaning easier and prevent fluids from collecting in the corners, where bacteria can thrive.

In most cases, you have two choices. Epoxy coving or aluminum prefabricated coving are both options. The reason we recommend epoxy coving is that it is produced on the spot and hardens up to the wall/floor junction meaning its solid and wont allow liquid to get in behind. When aluminum coving is bonded on after the floor has been laid, there is a gap in between the aluminum coving and the floor to wall junction. This space will trap water and other dirty liquids over time, causing bacteria to proliferate and a stench to develop.