Chemical Resistant Floors

Matching the right chemical proof floor system to your requirements provides the lowest life-cycle costs. The most cost-effective floor coating system can be determined after understanding the chemistry, frequency of chemical contact with the floor, layout of the equipment, expected traffic, frequency and aggressiveness of the cleaning requirements, and design life of the system. Different floor coating solution options are summarized below:

Floor Type: Acid Brick

Best Suited For:

  • Extremely harsh chemical environments
  • Multiple chemicals, high concentrations
  • Continuously wet service conditions
  • Heavy forklift traffic

Benefits:

  • Aggressive cleaning requirements (e.g. FDA)
  • Long life (20+ years)
  • Superior concrete protection
  • Low annual maintenance costs
  • Lowest life-cycle cost when long floor life is required or heavy forklift traffic is expected

Floor Type: Monolithic Topping

Best Suited For:

  • Moderate chemical environments
  • Fewer chemicals, lower concentrations
  • “Splash & spill” service
  • Light forklift traffic

Benefits:

  • Aggressive cleaning requirements (e.g. FDA)
  • Life expectancy 5-10 years if properly installed and maintained
  • Lower initial capital cost than acid brick (but annual maintenance costs and replacement frequency will be higher)
  • Excellent concrete protection
  • Lowest life-cycle cost for less harsh chemical environments with light traffic

Floor Type: Polymer Coating

Best Suited For:

  • Mild chemical environment
  • Few chemicals, low concentrations
  • “Splash & spill” service
  • Primarily foot traffic

Benefits:

  • Normal commercial cleaning (e.g. detergent & water, solvent wipe)
  • Life expectancy 3-7 years if properly installed and maintained
  • Lower initial capital cost than other floor coating solutions (but annual maintenance costs and replacement frequency will be higher)
  • Good concrete protection
  • Lowest life-cycle cost for gentle chemical environments

In addition to industrial floors, other floor coatings in manufacturing areas that require chemical proof protection of concrete substrates include secondary containment systems, trenches, sumps, pits, and manholes. In addition to the traditional floor coating solutions described above, these areas also utilize elastomeric and polymeric membrane lining systems as well as fabricated plastic linings.

Electro Chemical has strong expertise with these lining systems, and can install or refurbish them as stand-alone projects or as part of a larger construction project.

Please contact us for any of your floor coating solution needs.