Don't slip up: be careful to choose the right kitchen floor

Nation's Restaurant News, April 29, 1996 by Foster Frable, Jr.

When asked what the most important items to consider in the design of a kitchen are, I always include the floor high on my list. A floor usually outlasts almost any piece of equipment in the kitchen and affects employee safety, cleanliness, appearance and compliance with health department approvals. If the wrong floor is selected and must be replaced, the error can disrupt or close an operation, since equipment needs to be removed to install the new floor under it. The procedure also requires disconnecting and reconnecting utility services, which can be quite expensive.

Owners and operators need to evaluate flooring options carefully to avoid problems often unique to commercial foodservice facilities. The initial cost of the floor is a very small percentage of the life-cycle cost when you considering issues like the following:

* Avoidance of slip hazards from slippery, greasy floors.

* Cleanability and sanitation.

* Durability in an environment of heavy cart traffic and freestanding water.

* Capability to reduce noise and staff fatigue.

* Reduction of breakage or damage to fallen service pieces.

* Ease of repair in case of wear and damage.

* Power to provide a watertight seal to prevent leaking in spaces below.

This article will address those issues and others, mostly related to new-floor installation. Selecting a replacement floor in an existing facility has its own unique problems and concerns that will be addressed in a subsequent article.

There are six basic types of flooring commonly used in foodservice operations. The brand names are listed as representative of that type of flooring and are by no means the only choices available in that category.

Sealed Concrete -- The most basic floor usually only applicable for receiving areas, hallways and storerooms. This floor is very slippery when wet and may pit and scar when subjected to food acids. Sealed concrete has no "nonslip" properties. Once a concrete floor has absorbed kitchen grease and dirt, it is very difficult for an applied finish like paint or troweled-on surface to adhere in the future. Therefore, concrete floors should not be viewed as a temporary condition that will receive another finish in the future. Sealed concrete is often not an accepted finish for most health departments.

Polymer-based, troweled-on floor (Stone-hard, Dexotex, Hubbellite) -- Often referred to as an epoxy floor, this floor is relatively low cost and relatively easy to install. However, the surface may crack or wear off at high-traffic or greasy areas. Damage also can occur in sections of the kitchen subject to heat or cold temperatures caused by settling, expansion and contraction, particularly around floor troughs and drain hubs. Thicker applications are subject to impact damage from heavy items dropped on the floor. If the sub or base floor cracks, the cement and resin floor usually will crack. While the surface is easily repaired, it is sometimes difficult to match the color of the patch with the old floor.

Acrylic-resin-based, troweled-on floor (Silikal, Degussa, Cegadur) -- Applied from a mix similar to the epoxy floors, the bonding material is a more flexible, acrylic-based product. While more expensive than some epoxy floors, some acrylic resin floors will flex and bend with impact damage and expansion and contraction. The material is similar to the material used for office chair mats. Cracking is less likely than with epoxy floors unless the base floor develops a wide crack or fissure. That makes acrylic floors more waterproof, therefore making them a better choice than cement epoxy for kitchens above grade level. The acrylic floors are easy to repair since the resin dissolves and mixes with the old floor surrounding the patch. A drawback of acrylic floors is the fumes that are created during installation and render the kitchen unusable for up to 24 hours.

That affects renovations the most but also hinders new installations since other trades can't access the kitchen to work during the curing process. The quality of the installation is critical to the longevity of the installation. Some installers try to cut costs by using less resin and more filler, there-by reducing the long-term performance of the floor.

Commercial vinyl or rubber tile floor (Armstrong, Pirelli-style) -- Heavy-duty versions of the more common vinyl composition floors used in offices and retail stores, these modular floors are usable in areas without standing water or heat from cooking equipment that can cause the corners to curl, or delaminate from the floor. The Armstrong Step Master product is quite slip resistant but difficult to maintain in a clean appearance. The Pirelli-style rubber floors with raised disks, often seen in elevators and train cars, collect moisture in the space between the disks, rather than the walking surface.

That makes them somewhat slip resistant, provided that the water doesn't rise to the top of the disks. Unfortunately, the same void area that collects moisture can also collect grease and dirt, making this floor difficult to keep looking clean.