In food processing facilities, floors and stairs take a lot of abuse from heavy footwear, sanitation chemicals, and food byproducts (in this case fats, oils, sugars, and syrups). Floors are probably the number #1 building maintenance issue from a construction standpoint.
In the case above, the set of stairs leads directly from the process floor to the production workers’ locker rooms. This means that the stairs essentially become another production floor, due to the amount of chemicals and byproducts that are tracked up and down them by the heavy-soled footwear worn by hundreds of workers.
These stairs have been a continual problem area. Over the years, paint had been used; however, paint cannot withstand the abuse inflicted upon it. Vinyl stair tread covers were tried – they lasted longer than paint, but still succumbed to the abusive environment. We were concerned that epoxy would not have enough time to cure, given the limited timeframe we had to work with. So, we decided to use slip-resistant porcelain tile.
We stripped off 8 or 9 coats of paint, before encountering a layer of epoxy or concrete hardener. Once the preparation work was complete, we were able to begin installing the new tile for an extremely durable and long-lasting set of stairs. Epoxy based grout was used (same as is used on a production floor) to ensure durability for a long time to come.
This is another example of our knowledge (of FSMA, SQF, and HACCP), devoted field personnel, and a loyal client all coming together to find solutions. Does your contractor or building maintenance provider have the knowledge, manpower, and tools to make this all come together?
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