When it comes to cannabis cultivation, cleanliness, temperature, and lighting are essential to creating the perfect growing conditions. However, many marijuana growers choose to repurpose older, unused industrial facilities that often come with deep flaws in the floors and walls. Businesses in the cannabis industry turn to industrial epoxy flooring solutions as a high-performance remedy.
But what are some factors to consider to ensure that I pick the right resin flooring solution?
This guides provides guidance on:
- Flooring requirements for cannabis growing facilities
- Resin floor coating options
- Flooring installation best practices
- Evaluating your options
To learn more, download Surface Technology’s Tips on Selecting the Right Flooring System for Cannabis Growing Operations now.
When it comes to cannabis cultivation, cleanliness, temperature, and lighting are essential to creating the perfect growing conditions. However, many marijuana growers choose to repurpose older, unused industrial facilities that often come with deep flaws in the floors and walls. Businesses in the cannabis industry turn to industrial epoxy flooring solutions as a high-performance remedy.
Epoxy and resinous flooring systems can provide the necessary coating needed to protect cannabis cultivation floors and maintain sanitary facility standards. Here are factors to consider to ensure that you pick the right solution for your floor.
Flooring Requirements for Cannabis Growing Facilities
The go-to solution for cannabis production facilities is a seamless wall and flooring system that incorporates these key features:
- Highly reflective surfaces to enhance the available light
- Antimicrobial surfaces to protect plant and human health
- Smooth, seamless surfaces that are easy to clean and maintain
- Chemical and thermal shock resistance to increase the lifespan of your floor
- USDA and FDA compliance
- Moisture resistance
- Slip-resistance to increase safety
- Non-porous and waterproof
The Power of Industrial Resinous Floor Coatings
Resin floor coatings are commonly used in the cannabis industry because they can be cleaned easily, are durable, and can be visually customized to fit your specific space. Different systems can include characteristics such as impact resistance, abrasion resistance, thermal shock resistance, chemical resistance, and slip resistance.
Forgoing an effective flooring solution can cost companies extra money and headaches in the long run. Without protection, moisture and substances can wear down the surfaces at a faster rate – water can lead to mold and spilled substances can corrode the floors.
The water-resistant properties of epoxy flooring systems maintain a clean, sanitary environment that prevents water contamination and mold, as well as keep bugs and pests away. These properties are of the utmost importance for the growth of products designed for human consumption.
Resin Flooring Options for Cannabis Facilities
The materials used for cannabis and other industrial facility flooring varies depending on specific needs but can largely be divided into the following categories:
Epoxy – Epoxy flooring is a type of resin-based, seamless surface coating that can be applied to concrete surfaces. In the application process, the epoxy is left to cure for a minimum of 24 hours. When cured, it produces polymer structures that give the substance great strength and durability. We can achieve an infinite array of color schemes or patterns with this material.
Urethane Cement – Urethane cement is a combination of a polymer binder (urethane) and fillers (cement and aggregate). It can tolerate high moisture, which makes it suitable to be installed directly onto concrete. It also provides wear-resistant, durable, and seamless floor finishes that can be cleaned and sanitized. Urethane cement flooring systems are tailored to the demanding service conditions often found in cannabis production spaces.
Epoxy & Urethane – Epoxy and urethane floors have an added top layer of urethane that acts as a seal and provides a seamless surface that is moisture and heat resistant. Epoxy and urethane floor systems are commonly found in the food and beverage industry.
Polyurea – Polyurea is an organic polymer that is the result of a reaction from mixing an isocyanate and resin blend component. Polyurea has a rubber-like feel, making it not as hard as epoxy but still extremely durable. Polyurea flooring has a high-gloss finish, is highly stain and chemical resistant, and has a high heat tolerance.
Urethane cement, epoxy/urethane, and epoxy floor systems are all great choices for cannabis cultivation and cannabis processing spaces due to their durability, chemical resistance, and longevity.
Installing High-Performance Resin Flooring
Installation is the most critical aspect of your epoxy or resinous flooring solution. If something goes wrong during the install – if the floor isn’t properly prepped, if mixes aren’t correct, or if the coatings are not properly allowed to cure between coats – your floor and its longevity will be compromised. That’s why it’s important to ensure that the people you are working with are highly experienced and respected in the flooring industry.
Be sure to select an epoxy flooring system intended for commercial or industrial use, which is different from epoxy paint. Home DIYers and commercial painters have begun applying what is colloquially known as epoxy paint, but there is a vast difference between epoxy paint and a true industrial-strength epoxy coating.
The main difference is in the quality and durability of the materials as well as the skill required to successfully install the product. Epoxy paint is essentially latex paint with a small amount of added epoxy for increased durability. Common household epoxy paint is good only for light-duty applications and was never intended for industrial use. It is manufactured with a long pot life for easier application. Products like this may perform decently for light residential traffic and personal use but are not strong or durable enough for use in a plant, factory, or grow room.
Industrial epoxy floor coating is a much more technical process that requires the expertise of a flooring professional to properly install. The exact materials used vary depending on the type of flooring system required, but every floor system installation requires careful planning to ensure the essential performance characteristics are achieved with the finished floor. Floor coating systems require the proper preparation of the underlying substrate and subsequent layers to ensure the products bond correctly and the coating is successful.
Finding the Right Epoxy Flooring Contractor
There are many different types of flooring solutions out there, and each one has its benefits and drawbacks. A good flooring contractor will be able to evaluate your situation and provide a recommendation for the best product that will create a customized flooring solution.
The firm must carefully evaluate your existing facility and take the time to discuss your requirements in detail. Their personnel must assess the full range of products available and provide the best recommendations for your flooring needs. After their experts have a complete understanding of your facility and requirements, they should design a custom solution for your cannabis growing facility that takes advantage of the best that the flooring system industry has to offer.
By talking with different flooring specialists, you will be better equipped to understand the differences between their industry experience, installation approach, reputation for client satisfaction, and their ability to design and install custom industrial flooring and coating solutions.
About The Author
Founder and President, Michael E. Greenblatt is an independent, nationally recognized industrial flooring and coatings expert with more than 35 years of industry experience.
As a former executive for leading polymer flooring manufacturers, Michael has been a pioneer of highly effective new applications and installation techniques in building custom industrial flooring, coating, and lining solutions. The Surface Technology, Inc. project engineering team, under Michael’s leadership, collaborates closely with clients to design the ideal solution for each custom set of application requirements.
Surface Technology, Inc. Has Over 35 Years of Flooring Experience
Surface Technology is a licensed, deadline-focused, national epoxy resin flooring contractor, providing industrial flooring, coating, and lining systems. High-profile companies rely on Surface Technology to protect, restore, and enhance their facilities’ most critical workspaces, including:
3 Reasons to Hire Surface Technology For Your Industrial Flooring Needs
Innovative and Complex Resinous Installations
Our experts know the right products and the proper installation techniques for any flooring challenge.
We bring over 35 years of hard work and problem solving into finding a solution for your flooring needs. You can rely on us for superior epoxy flooring, coating, and lining.
We’re Ready When You Are, Where You Are
Whether you want a new epoxy floor installed next year or next week, we’re ready to take on your project anywhere within the United States.
We are dedicated to delivering high-quality flooring, coating, and lining installations to large facilities 24/7/365.
Consistent High-Quality and Efficiency
We have successfully installed over 50 million sq. ft of high-performance flooring since 1988. We get the job done right and on-time, the first time.
All our work is backed by an industry-leading warranty, covering materials and labor, complete with yearly inspections.
