What To Look For When Choosing Industrial Food Processing Flooring
A food processing plant has special needs when it comes to flooring. The environment can be harsh at times, yet the flooring needs to be sanitary. Flooring for these plants isn't chosen on looks alone. It's more important for the flooring to be easy to clean and keep sanitary. Here are features to look for and compare when choosing industrial food processing flooring.
Seamless And Nonporous
Flooring is more sanitary when it's nonporous since the floor won't soak up liquids that could contain bacteria. Seamless is also a nice feature so bacteria won't get caught in the seams.
Dairy brick and tile have been popular in the past for food processing plants, but a different option to consider is concrete flooring topped with a food-grade coating. The main advantage to this type of flooring is that it has no seams and it is nonporous.
Coating Properties
A few types of coatings can be used for industrial food processing flooring. Food-grade epoxy flooring is a good choice. Food-grade epoxy can be made with additives that give the floor texture, color, and flecks. These additives keep the floor from being slippery and give it a more attractive appearance.
There are other coatings you can consider since each has its own properties. For instance, the curing time varies, and this is important if you can't interrupt your operations for very long to put in new flooring. An MMA coating can cure in just a couple of hours. Polyurea coatings are also quick to cure, and they have a flexible quality that makes them impact-resistant and able to withstand extreme temperatures. Urethane flooring is one of the more expensive options, but it's durable and lasts a long time.
Maintenance
When choosing industrial food processing flooring, be sure to compare maintenance procedures, especially cleaning and sanitizing the floor. Choose flooring that can tolerate the use of chemicals without damage. You may need to use strong chemicals to sanitize the floor regularly.
You'll want flooring that's easy to clean and keep sanitary when you're working in a food environment. In addition to being nonporous, the flooring should resist damage from the type of chemicals you use in your daily operations, if any. If the flooring is damaged by impacts or chemicals, bacteria could get in the chip or crack and be a source of contamination in your building until repairs are done.
Also, consider your building may have different flooring needs in different areas of production. Some areas may use machinery and require tough flooring. Other areas may only see foot traffic and are more concerned with controlling bacteria than durability.
Contact a local flooring service to learn more about industrial food processing flooring.
