MMA quartz floors provide durable finishes within a very short turn-around
cure in a matter of hours, regardless of onsite conditions and ambient temperatures. Thanks to the way that it fuses to the substrate it is also very useful for refurbishments, as it can be applied directly on top of the existing coating and therefore avoids the cost and time required to take up the old floor.
PUs have historically been less versatile when it comes to being applied in extreme temperatures, in wet locations or within tight turnarounds. Recent advances in PU technology though has closed this gap, with systems such as Flowfresh HF LT being much easier to apply than traditional PU products in cold and wet settings.
The main downside to how an MMA cures is that it releases a powerful odour that can taint nearby food produce. This problem can be avoided with proper ventilation, as MMA particles are heavier than air and so can be drawn out of the environment. Dealing with the odour is therefore possible but does incur extra time, expense and effort.
DON’T SLIP UP ON SPECIFICATION Both formulations have a textured finish, which enhances traction underfoot and helps to cut down on slips and trips in working environments that are often prone to wet conditions, spillages and frequent washes. It’s important to bear in mind that the more heavily textured a surface is, the more
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difficult it becomes to clean. The size and type of aggregates incorporated into a PU or MMA floor are often tailored to meet the required cleanability/slip resistance balance.
This was the case at McVitie’s production facility in Glasgow, which used the solvent-free, heavy duty polyurethane system Flowfresh RT in two different textures. A rougher finish was applied throughout the majority of the building where staff would be walking and a smoother version was installed beneath the production lines in order to make these hard-to- reach spots easier to clean.
This project highlights the versatility of polyurethane in general, as it is very easy to change factors such as the floor’s thickness, texture and colour to suit the business’ needs. It is also easy to incorporate additional flooring elements such as coving and stainless-steel drainage and to apply the floor around equipment, pillars or pipes that contact the floor.
From this we can see that the ideal choice of floor, whether it’s PU or MMA quartz, relies on the specific requirements of each F&B plant and can even change quite drastically from one part of a room to another. To understand if a flooring material is the right one, it is important to discuss in detail the demands that it will face as well as the suitability of the system in question with the flooring manufacturer and contractor.
www.flowcrete.co.uk COMMERCIAL KITCHENS & FOOD PREPARATION | 37
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