Table of Contents:
Table of Contents:
08-06-2025
For facility managers in industries like manufacturing, food processing, and pharmaceuticals, choosing the right flooring is more than a matter of aesthetics — it’s about ensuring safety, performance, and long-term durability in challenging environments. Whether you're facing exposure to chemicals, extreme temperatures, or heavy machinery, making an informed flooring choice can make your business more efficient, save money, and reduce downtime.
In this article, we will analyze the demands placed on flooring in heavy industrial facilities, as well as identify critical features to prioritize and offer solutions that can endure even the harshest environments.
Built for the demands of manufacturing plants, Stonclad GS epoxy mortar flooring offers durability, easy maintenance, and chemical and impact resistance to keep operations running smoothly.
Understanding the Challenges of Industrial Environments
Before selecting a floor, it’s important to evaluate the specific challenges faced in your facility. Industrial environments are exposed to numerous stressors that can cause flooring to degrade or fail.
Chemical Exposure
Chemical spills are common in industries like pharmaceuticals, food processing, and manufacturing. Acids, alkalis, solvents and cleaning agents can rapidly wear down conventional flooring if it lacks proper resistance. Facilities like chemical plants or processing units must have floors specifically engineered to withstand prolonged chemical exposure without breaking down or compromising performance.
Temperature Extremes
Fluctuating temperatures can wreak havoc on flooring systems. For example:
- Extreme heat: Found in food processing or manufacturing plants, temperatures from ovens or high-temperature equipment can damage flooring, causing warping or cracking.
- Freezing conditions: Cold storage facilities or freezers may demand flooring that remains functional and safe in sub-zero conditions without becoming brittle.
- Thermal shock/cycling: Rapid changes in temperature, such as transitioning between heating and cooling, can exacerbate flooring stress and lead to material failure.
Designed to withstand thermal cycling, this Stonclad UR polyurethane floor performs under constant cold storage conditions.
Mechanical Impact
Heavy machinery, constant foot traffic, forklifts, and dropped tools contribute to wear and tear. Floors that lack sufficient compressive strength or impact resistance won’t hold up under these conditions, creating hazards and requiring frequent repairs.
Seamless and easy to clean — resinous floors resist impacts and abrasion from heavy machinery.
Moisture & Hygiene
Industries that prioritize cleanliness require flooring that resists moisture penetration, inhibits bacterial growth, and remains easy to clean. Additionally, standing water can damage unsealed or porous flooring, weakening its structure over time.
In this dog treat production facility, Stonclad UT stands up to constant moisture, washdowns, and wet conditions to deliver sanitary performance.
Slip Hazards
Spills and wet conditions increase the risk of slips and falls, which can lead to injuries and downtime. To prevent accidents, flooring must integrate effective slip-resistant properties without compromising other performance features.
Textured epoxy flooring provides critical slip resistance in high-traffic areas like corridors, as seen here in this pharmaceutical facility.
Tips for Choosing the Right Flooring System
With so many materials available, knowing when to select epoxy, polyurethane, or other specialized options is essential.
Epoxy Flooring
Epoxy flooring provides excellent chemical resistance and durability, but their rigidity makes them less resilient under rapid temperature cycling compared to urethane alternatives.[1]
Best for: General manufacturing, warehousing, and environments where chemical spills are frequent.
Key Benefits: Outstanding chemical resistance, seamless finish, high compressive strength, and cost-effectiveness.
Polyurethane Flooring
Urethane flooring excels in environments with thermal shock and moisture.
Best for: Food and beverage facilities, pharmaceutical plants and environments with temperature extremes.
Key Benefits: High flexibility under thermal stress, resistance to Organics, and excellent moisture resistance.
MMA Flooring (Methyl Methacrylate)
Chemical-resistant methyl methacrylate floors are great for low-temperature and rapid installations.
Best for: Facilities that require minimal downtime, such as 24/7 operations, retail spaces, or processing plants with tight scheduling.
Key Benefits: MMA floors can be installed and fully cured in a matter of hours, even at low temperatures. They offer strong durability, excellent chemical and abrasion resistance, and are easy to clean and maintain.
Partnering with Stonhard for Long-Lasting Flooring Solutions
Choosing the right industrial flooring is no small task. Each facility has unique demands, and selecting a flooring system that excels in durability and safety can seem overwhelming. That’s where Stonhard comes in.
With more than a century of experience developing and installing high-performance resin flooring, we specialize in creating customized solutions for industries like manufacturing, food and beverage, pharmaceutical and more. Our team evaluates your facility’s specific needs and environmental challenges to recommend a complete flooring system tailored to your requirements.
Contact a Stonhard representative today to discuss how we can help you with your next flooring system that stands the test of time, no matter how harsh the conditions.
About Stonhard
Stonhard is the unprecedented world leader in manufacturing and installing high-performance polymer floor, wall and lining systems. Stonhard maintains 300 territory managers and 200 application teams worldwide who will work with you on design specification, project management, final walk-through and service after the sale. Stonhard’s single-source warranty covers both products and installation.
About The Author
Stephen Pattison
Industrial Product Manager
Steve Pattison is the Industrial Product Manager for Stonhard and has been with the organization since 2013. He helps manage the Stonhard business in the APAC and Australia regions and works closely with business partners throughout these areas. Steve holds a B.S. in Geology.
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