February 26, 2020
Current USDA guidelines state that floors for food & beverage processing plants should be “built of durable materials impervious to moisture and be cleaned and sanitized as necessary to prevent adulteration of product.”
Based on this criteria, there are many options for floors that meet USDA compliancy, but there are additional critical factors to consider when choosing the right floor for your facility.
USDA Compliant:
- Easily Cleanable
- Moisture Resistant
- Durable
These standards alone can leave your facility susceptible to additional risks and failures.
Some additional operational considerations include:
- Thermal Shock Resistance
- Chemical Resistance
- Slip Resistance
- Reduced Bacterial Growth
- Durability & Low Maintenance
Why we say, “no to grout.” These floors may have been USDA compliant when new, but the grout is now failing, saturated with bacteria, and is a risk for failed inspections.
Seamless floors have become the preferred specification for sanitized environments. They eliminate seams and crevices which can collect moisture and promote bacterial growth. The combination of moisture and bacteria produces organic acids, which can break down grout lines, including epoxy grout. Seamless floors reduce the bacterial growth, safety hazards, and keep you operational longer — no shutting down for re-grouting and repairs seen with tile flooring failures.
Not all floors are created equally.
While all seamless floors will eliminate bacteria-harboring seams — not all seamless floors are suited for every environment. Your unique operational conditions will dictate what long-term flooring systems you should choose to minimize downtime.
Which Seamless Floor is right for your facility?
Cementitious Urethane flooring systems are recommended for applications where wet processing, chemical contamination, and frequent high-temperature cleaning are regular occurrences. These systems meet strict safety guidelines in the food and beverage industry and address the most critical needs.
Thermal Shock Resistant: Built to withstand cycling between hot and cold temperatures without delaminating, cracking, or peeling
Chemical Resistant: Durable topcoat options are available to stand up to daily cleaning using solvents, alkaline cleansers, and sanitizers
Safety: Available in a variety of textures to protect against slip and fall hazards in production and cleaning operations
Sanitation: Non-porous surfaces further reduce the places for bacteria to collect and ease the cleaning and sanitization process. Designed for Clean-in- Place procedures, these systems are seamless from the wall to the drain
Durable: Stands up to the demanding conditions found in food processing
Low Maintenance: Easy to clean and keep clean. Long-lasting seamless flooring solutions assist in passing inspections
Products that are built to perform.
Dur-A-Flex offers a versatile family of cementitious urethane flooring systems with multiple topcoat options for added chemical and abrasion resistance.
- POLY-CRETE HF Heavy Duty Floor System A nominal 1/4” – 3/8” trowel applied seamless cementitious urethane heavy duty flooring system designed to stand up to impact and extreme thermal cycling in facilities with constant vehicle traffic or heavy equipment in use.
- POLY-CRETE MDB Medium Duty Broadcast Floor System
A nominal 1/4” rake or trowel applied seamless cementitious urethane flooring system with excellent wear and thermal shock resistance for years of service in wet and constantly cleaned and sanitized environments. - POLY-CRETE SLB Self-Leveling Broadcast Floor System
A nominal 3/16” self-leveling seamless cementitious urethane flooring system with excellent bonding properties and ease of installation for a wide range of food processing environments. - POLY-CRETE WR & TF COVE
Wall and cove applications for use with all Poly-Crete flooring systems. Creates a seamless transition between the floor and wall.
Start with the right floor, not just any floor.
Unique flooring needs require unique flooring solutions. Dur-A-Flex will help you understand your facility’s flooring needs before recommending a system to protect it. To determine which floor is right for your facility, it is best practice to have an onsite evaluation performed.
For more information or to schedule an onsite evaluation please send a request to contact_us@dur-a-flex.com or call 877.251.5418.
Author: Jes Grant
Jes Grant is the content development manager for Dur-A-Flex. She has over 15 years of experience creating content for various technical industries, and has been featured in several publications for her writing and design work.