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Bakery Flooring
In our experience there is no single across the board floor finish for the bakery industry. Differing areas have their own unique flooring requirements that can be summarised as follows:
Bakery Flooring – Oven Areas
Bakery floors under and immediately around ovens have to be resistant to reflective heat. At an applied thickness of 12mm seamless heavy duty polyurethane resin floor screeds are designed to withstand direct contact heat up to 130oC and at 9mm up 120oC. This type of floor finish has either a light texture (Pumadur RT) or medium-heavy texture (Pumadur HF).
If the reflected heat is in excess of 120oC other options such as tiles may have to be considered
Where metal wheeled trolleys are removed from the oven the wheels do require to cool down a little before being left to stand.
Bakery Flooring – Dry Process Areas and Storage Areas
Dry process areas in the bakery industry may require an anti slip floor finish – then again some prefer a smooth floor finish! The choice is not always a simple yes or no. Flour, baking soda, granular sugar, yeast, icing sugar and other powdered dry components can be slippery underfoot.
It can be argued that occasional spillages cleaned up quickly do not present a slip hazard whereas similar spillages on a frequent basis, and therefore less likely to be immediately removed, do present a slip hazard.
A smooth floor is more easily cleaned. A textured anti-slip floor finish can also be cleaned but will require a more robust cleaning regime and it is critical that ‘the peaks and troughs’ of the floor are thoroughly cleaned.
At a thickness of 6mm (2 x £1 coins) seamless heavy duty polyurethane resin floor screeds will perform well in these areas whilst providing either a light texture (Pumadur RT) or medium-heavy texture (Pumadur HF) and are capable of withstanding temperatures of 70-80oC.
At a thickness of 9mm (3 x £1 coins) seamless heavy duty polyurethane resin floor screeds will perform well in these areas whilst providing either a light texture (Pumadur RT) or medium-heavy texture (Pumadur HF) and area capable of withstanding temperatures up to 120oC – ideal if steam or boiling water cleaning is to be employed.
At an thickness of 2-3mm (medium duty) or 4-6mm (heavy duty) self smoothing polyurethane resin floor screeds will peform well in this environment but may prove to be a slip hazard.
Bakery Flooring – Existing Tiled Floors
Issues can arise with existing broken or cracked tiles often exacerbated by breakdown of the grout between the tiles. In the case of the floor tiles, subject to them being solidly bonded, they can be mechanically prepared by captive grit blasting or diamond grinding and overlaid with the appropriate food-grade polyurethane resin screed.
Bakery Flooring – Wet Process Areas
Wet process areas in the bakery industry should have an anti slip floor finish applied. Dry powder components spilled on the floor and subsequently subjected to water spillage are very slippery underfoot as is mixed dough that may have been dropped. For good measure add in the potential for oil, butter or fat droppings and spillages and we have a floor with high slip potential.
Bakery Flooring – Cold Room / Chiller
Cold rooms in the bakery industry generally do not pose a particular slip hazard and as such a smooth floor finish should suffice. At an applied thickness of 2-3mm Pumadur SL (medium duty) or 4-6mm Pumadur MD (heavy duty) self smoothing polyurethane resin floor screeds will peform well in this environment.
Bakery Flooring – Packing Areas
Packing Areas in the bakery industry generally do not pose a particular slip hazard and as such a smooth floor finish should suffice. At an applied thickness of 2-3mm Pumadur SL (medium duty) or 4-6mm Pumadur MD (heavy duty) self smoothing polyurethane resin floor screeds will peform well in this environment.
Bakery Flooring – Existing Tiled Floors
Issues can arise with existing broken or cracked tiles often exacerbated by breakdown of the grout between the tiles. In the case of the floor tiles, subject to them being solidly bonded, they can be mechanically prepared by captive grit blasting or diamond grinding and overlaid with the appropriate food-grade polyurethane resin screed.
Why Polyurethane Resin Flooring for the Bakery Industry?
Polyurethane resin flooring technology was developed and patented by ICI in the 1960’s and is ideally suited for installation into food preparation, production and cooking environments.
They are often referred to as food grade or food safe floor finishes with most of the resin flooring manufacturers having had their systems tested and verfied by independant bodies such as the Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association.