In the resinous flooring industry there is much confusion about what products to use and what you can achieve with each product. I hope that I can clear up some confusion and give a good, real world argument for the benefits of urethane cements. When I began in this industry, Urethane Cements were in a lab somewhere in Manchester, England. We were installing epoxy trowel flooring systems in Grocery Stores because we did not know any better. We knew that what we had was better than Quarry Tile, but we were oblivious to the discovery of a product that would change how we think about resinous flooring in food production.
I remember a time 20 years ago, when we installed a beautiful floor in a Grocery Store, and planned on a warranty call sometime before the year was out. We did the best job that we could, but we know that the floor would be damaged around the fryers, the kettles, and the dishwashers. We know that epoxies get soft at 160º and that a kitchen exceeds those temperatures on a regular basis. We decided that it was better to patch a floor in the trouble areas and keep using products that were better than their predecessors, but not good enough. The calculated risk helped change the flooring industry in Grocery and Food production, but did not really solve the problem.
Epoxy companies boasted that their products solved the problem of bacteria growing in the grout joints and under the tile; this was true, but it did not solve all of the problems. While a seamless solution was correct for the industry, the porous base coat of many of the epoxy systems and the low temperature resistance created real problems that needed to be solved. Somewhere around the turn of the century the urethane concrete industry entered the US market. Some of you might remember U-Crete and PolySpec (FlowCrete) as some of the first to enter the US Market.
As an florring professional , I followed the progression of materials from Europe through Polyspec and Flowcrete. Many other manufacturers that I have used successfully have mastered the art of Urethane Cements (Verdia, Duraflex, Dex-O-tex, General Polymers, Flowrock). As a product, it is as close to perfect as we have for food production today. It can take over 250º in most cases and expands and contracts at the same rate as concrete; this means that thermal shock does not cause delamination. The technology is actually fascinating.
I will try to simplify this process; if I am off, then please correct me in the comments. This product uses Castor Beans (most manufacturers do) to derive the resin and during the curing process, a by-product of water is produced that is mixed with a very calculated amount of cement in the aggregate component of the mix. It is a genius combination of resin, hardener and aggregate that gives the perfect balance of resinous seamless flooring that will withstand high temperature, low temperature and constant water exposure. This product has virtually the same expansion and contraction as the concrete that it is bonded to; this makes it a perfect fit for kitchens that have dishwashers and kettles that dump hot water on the floor and kitchens that have freezers that require traffic in and out constantly. It also works well for oven proofers, and heavy productions floors. This product bridges the gap between the old epoxy floors that you love and the performance that you have always wanted.
HOLD ON – How does it look?
In the past decade, manufacturers have developed systems that can give you the same look you love about epoxy floors in Urethane Concretes. Flake, Quartz, Solid Textures – you can have it all. There is virtually no difference between the look of traditional epoxy floors and Urethane Cements. There are many manufacturers making these products today, but if you want to be safe look toward the ones that have been doing this for a while.
Moral: You CAN have it ALL – when it comes to the perfect floor for food productions and service. Urethane Cements (Concretes) can save you time and money both during construction and for years after.
Check out a few manufacturers:
Please keep looking at the blog – soon I will be adding a description of a product that uses urethane cements and a UV cured Vinyl Ester to make the PERFECT medical research and operating room floors.
Resin Adviser 
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