A great beer deserves a great brewing environment—starting from the ground up. Whether you’re designing a new brewery or upgrading an existing floor, there are nine key flooring qualities every brewery needs to ensure safety, durability, cleanliness, and lasting visual appeal.
1. Suitable for both dry and wet conditions
Spills and free-flowing liquid are a common occurrence in breweries, which can lead to bacteria growth if proper flooring not in place.
2. Non-porous, no gaps or cracks
Seamless floor systems prevent any possibility of chemicals or liquids seeping down to the bare concrete or ruining the original floor. Seams, cracks, grout lines, and gaps are also bacterium breeding grounds.
3. Resistance to moisture and chemicals
Chemicals used to clean and manufacture the product/facility pose a potential threat to the floor if not properly finished. Ensure that the chemicals won’t eat away at the floor by using a chemically resistant coating.
4. Antimicrobial
Bacteria can contaminate food and beverage products so choosing a floor that prevents bacteria growth will help your client follow USDA regulations and ensure they have a sanitary facility.
5. Easy to clean and maintain
Floor maintenance and cleaning in a brewery are a daily occurrence. Having a floor that eases the process will make it more efficient for employees.
6. Resistant to temperature change
In a brewery, steam, boiling, and cold water are used in production and cleaning daily, exposing the floors to temperature fluctuations. Urethane will help prevent them from expanding and contracting with temperature change.
7. Durable
Protect the bare concrete by reinforcing it with urethane to make the floor stronger and harder to damage from heavy machinery and equipment.
8. Slip Resistant
Aggregate can be added to our RIOCRETE system to create skid-resistance for those working and moving throughout the brewery. Falls and slips are common injuries in breweries so take precautions to avoid running into a surplus of issues. The texture also helps with high-traffic wear.
9. Relatively low environmental impact
Being conscious of your impact on the environment can have a positive impact on your facility and customers. Using a product that is low VOC will help achieve that.
Something else to keep in mind when installing the floor is making sure your client has a proper drainage system that works with the floor system.
To achieve the qualities mentioned above, we recommend our RIO-CRETE system paired with a polyaspartic topcoat, like our RIO-COAT UPA. Our RIO-CRETE system withstands thermal shock, impact, abrasion, and chemical exposures, and the UPA is a low-VOC, aliphatic, low-odor, fast-curing, two-part floor coating, making these products the perfect solution. On top of providing all the needed qualities, this system gives you the freedom to get creative with your floors and use them as an extension of your client’s brand. Creating an inviting environment with the use of color and design. Providing your client with a floor that looks great and is a minimal amount of maintenance.
