There are many options when it comes to choosing what flooring would be best for a brewery, but not all of them are good ones. It might be easy to choose a material that looks nice, but it turns out to be a mistake in the long run. This is why you can’t make a choice based on personal preference or what you think would look nice. There are many other factors that need to be considered to ensure your flooring choice is not only suitable for brewing but also sustainable for the long term. In this article, you will learn about the factors that must be considered when selecting a flooring material for your brewery.
Durability
As a brewer, you will want to ensure your floor can withstand the weight of the heavy machinery that is moved around all day. For example, brewers often use forklifts, pallet jacks, and loaders in their breweries, along with much smaller industrial equipment. This type of equipment has high weight capacities but often has metal or metal-clad tires that can easily damage floors such as fake wood or linoleum. In addition to heavy machinery, you will also need to consider heavy foot traffic as it can cause significant damage over time, spills from the liquids you’re working with, and the occasional slip or fall of people or objects that could cause damage.
Slip-resistance
A slip-resistant floor is more resistant to damage from heavy equipment because it has a rough finish that prevents slipping. This type of flooring also has a low friction coefficient, meaning the floor will be less likely to be slippery when wet. This can be incredibly beneficial in wet areas of your brewery, such as grain storage or bottling. A dairy brick manufacturer, someone like Archway Brick and Tile, might recommend using low-friction flooring in these areas but also notes that there are instances where a high-friction floor is needed.
Easy Cleaning
An easy-to-clean floor not only makes cleaning the floor easier but also reduces the amount of time you spend cleaning your shoes. It is because an easy-to-clean floor has a low sheen finish, so you can easily wipe it down with a wet mop or rag. Easy-to-clean floors are also suitable for areas where you will store wet grain, such as the grain storage area. In any brewery, cleanliness is essential for preventing beer contamination and any unwanted particles that may cause problems. The ideal material for floors in a brewery is one that you can easily clean with water and a mop or squeegee.
Hygienic environment
Since you will be working in the brewery throughout the day, and sometimes even at night, your floor needs to be hygienic. Because you will be walking and standing on it all day, it needs to be easily sanitized. It would help if you also considered that bacteria could not grow on a material without fibers or mats. For an ideal hygienic flooring for brewing, consider a material with a high density of open pores that allow water to pass through them quickly. Open pores also allow air to flow through the material quickly, which keeps out bacteria.
When picking a flooring material for your brewery, you should carefully consider the factors that ensure it is suitable for brewing and sustainable. A flooring material must withstand heavy machinery and foot traffic without damage or performance issues.