F A C T O R Y Flooring is one of the most critical elements in food and beverage facility design, but can often be overlooked until it’s too late or ignored altogether. Selecting a flooring system is critical before building requirements are specified, particularly before designers start the bidding phases. It’s also important to understand the five overarching functions of your food or beverage plant’s flooring system. These are to protect the facility’s concrete surface (including from moisture which can result in harboured bacteria), maintain the floor’s structural integrity, withstand heavy equipment usage, provide a sanitary environment for washdowns and form a chemical-resistant barrier. Before you start, answer these five questions: Do you know much about flooring, materials and manufacturers? If you’ve got experience, learn from it…successes and mistakes alike. Consider the service you’ve enjoyed from suppliers, and if this is your first time, ask other manufacturers what they’d recommend. Nuplex are now called Allnex—same places, people and licenced contactors Formwall rigid wall system meets Floor Toppings—Sureshield & Nuthane® . DURABLE, SEAMLESS, SAFE and HYGENIC INDUSTRIAL FLOORING. Hygienic and durable wall, ceiling & flooring solutions for commercial kitchen and food factory processing facilities 22 NOVEMBER 2016 THE SOURCE FOR FOODTECHNOLOGY INFORMATION FIVE QUESTIONS FOR FLOORING SYSTEMS Allnex have supplied 8mm thick, trowel applied SURESHIELD floor toppings (and NUTHANE SB Polyurethane) into factories, hotel & restaurant kitchens, laundries, sporting and ablution areas for over 30 years. Sureshield offers wet area washdown floors with a long life. Resin floor toppings will protect floors, coves, upstands & drains and provide hygiene and ease of cleaning. Fully bonded to the substrate, Sureshield prevents moisture ingress which causes hygiene issues. FORMWALL is an integrated wall & ceiling lining system to the flooring cove. It is fully bonded to the substrate offering full impact resistance, welded joints, cleanability and an attractive, bright finish. It may be thermoformed to create internals & externals and clean curved surfaces. Available through Allnex licenced contractors who can offer a combined installation of your floor, ceiling & walling system. For all information: Freephone: 0508-882288. ncpsales@nuplex.com www.nuplexconstruction.com and select Industrial flooring or Protective finishes. FT196 What specific uses will each part of your plant require? Flooring needs can differ from room to room, so consider what kinds of impacts selection will have. Chemical washdowns, temperature fluctuations, heavy equipment, thermal shock… all of these require different flooring variations. What exactly are your washdown procedures? Ensure your design team communicates with your flooring manufacturers so everyone knows the right floor able to handle chemicals types and strengths is chosen. Remember that floors also need to protect the original concrete surfaces, such as slabs and walls, from heavy washdowns, and should also address vapour transmission from substrate. Will your floor need regular maintenance? Your floors must be checked regularly for gouges, chips, flaking and cracks, as they are considered a breach and will require immediate repair. Pay attention to flooring system warranty options as well. Foot traffic and employee safety issues… are you aware? Preventing slips is critical, but an aggregate layer applied to flooring could impact the ease of sanitation. Keep your staff and customers top-of-mind when selecting flooring systems. Most importantly, do your homework. Your plant’s floor is, in many ways, the most important surface to consider…for your customers, your staff and your bank balance.
FT-Nov16
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