How the Right Flooring Can Prevent Environmental Issues

Not only do chemical spills create dangers for worker and product safety, but they wreak havoc on facility equipment and the environment. In order to prevent chemical spills from turning into environmental issues, you need to make sure you have the right flooring and coating.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has strict regulations regarding chemicals that might potentially leak into the ground and contaminate groundwater. These regulations apply to all businesses, even those you may not traditionally associate with polluting.

The best way to adhere to the EPA’s regulations is to install a secondary containment system. These systems create an additional protective barrier to minimize the risk of caustic materials from entering nearby groundwater. Resinous floor coatings are a highly affordable secondary containment flooring/wall system that can prevent contamination from all but the most caustic of substances.

Why Resinous Systems?

Resinous flooring consists of applying a base of resinous material to concrete, creating a smooth, non-porous flooring surface. This flooring is cost-effective, durable and meets a variety of safety and overall performance standards, as well as aesthetic design goals.

Additionally, resinous flooring/wall coatings  are excellent in secondary containment systems because of the following advantages:

1. Resinous coatings last for years – these coatings should last for at least a decade, but they can last even longer with care and frequent cleaning.
2. Resinous coatings resist chemicals – most epoxies are highly resistant to commonplace alkaline or acidic chemicals, but your epoxy blend can also be enhanced for protection against specific chemicals if needed.
3. Resinous coatings are safe – these coatings are available in different textures for a positive anti-slip resistance.
4. Resinous coatings are durable – using a resinous coating ensures your flooring is difficult to damage, even with direct impact, so it is safe to use with large machinery, like forklifts or steamrollers.
5. Resinous coatings are monolithic –  these coatings create a single seamless surface that spans the entire area, so there are no cracks for spilled chemicals to seep into, and they are very easy to clean.

When it comes to resinous flooring, there are a couple of different options to choose from.

• Epoxy – Epoxy is typically made up of two main components—resin and hardener—which, when mixed together, forms a rigid plastic material that is strong and resistant to wear.
• Urethane Concretes – the original polyurethane flooring solution that provides a powerful layer of protection for both new and existing concrete surfaces, troweled down urethane concrete systems require no primer or topcoat for a rapid turnaround time.

Case Studies

Surface Solutions, Inc. has plenty of experience installing chemical-resistant flooring. Facilities that produce and store chemicals require an extremely durable surface coating to protect concrete from damaging acids, alkalis and solvents. These recently completed projects illustrate our quality service delivering durable, long-lasting and aesthetically-pleasing floors.

Indiana Chemical Blending Facility

Over a two-and-a-half-day weekend, our expert installation team removed a thin epoxy coating from the 3,500 square-foot floor of a chemical blending facility. Our team then applied two coats of MasterTop (MT) GP 500 as a clear epoxy coating. MT GP 500 is ideal for use in areas where chemical and abrasion resistance is required, like chemical processing plants, automotive and collision repair centers, and warehouses and storage areas.

Iowa Tank Wash

In one day, our expert installers were able to address our tank wash customer’s three biggest needs:

• Protection for 1,900 square feet of bare concrete tank wash floor, which is constantly attacked by the harsh chemicals of the washing process
• A slip-resistant floor surface to protect his employees working in the always-wet wash bays
• A super-fast turnaround time on the installation

Our team prepared the bare concrete by shot blasting and hand grinding, then trowel-applied our bio-based polyurethane concrete flooring system, SurfaceCrete HF. Our self-branded SurfaceCrete flooring systems represent the next generation of polyurethane concrete technology.

The bio-based products utilize domestically-produced soybean oil and feature environmentally-friendly packaging. This flooring system is extremely tough and withstands thermal shock, impact, abrasion and chemical exposure.

Chicago Tanker Wash

Over one two-day weekend, our expert team of industrial flooring installers prepped the floor of a tanker wash in Chicago, first ridding it of the existing epoxy, then trowelling Ucrete UD200 over the entire 3,500-square-foot space. Ucrete UD200 is a three-part concrete coating treatment and flooring system developed for wash areas because it is slip-, abrasion- and impact-resistant and withstands extreme thermal cycles, water and chemical attack.

If you’re looking for an experienced floor installer who will protect your floors from chemical spills and keep you compliant with EPA regulations, connect with Surface Solutions, Inc. We’ve been a Ucrete Master Contractor since 2012 and are a leading provider of top-quality flooring for the food and beverage industry. From testing to consultation and complete installation services, Surface Solutions is a premier source of non-toxic, safe and environmentally friendly flooring systems, offering turnkey installations using only in-house personnel. Contact Surface Solutions today to learn more about how we can help provide the highest quality industrial flooring solutions for your business.

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