Fish processing plants use large quantities of water and small quantities inevitably end up on workers’ clothing and floors, hence the need for durable, waterproof floor coatings that will withstand innumerable and rigorous cleaning regimes to prevent the risk of bacteria causing contamination.
This case study concerns a fish plant in Vancouver, BC, where a 2,500 sq. ft. second-level preparation room needed a waterproof coating for its new, sloped plywood floor with center drainage.
Problem
The floor construction in the ‘L’ shaped room required significant design input to get the desired slope that would not only allow adequate drainage but also be a comfortable surface for workers and pallet loaders. The material to be used plywood, while providing adequate strength, needed to be rigid with no deformation. Lightness was critical as this was in an old building on the upper floor and, normally, new production area flooring would have been composed of concrete.
The client wanted minimum downtime and no noxious fumes during application of the protective coatings or afterwards to completely avoid any potential odor contamination of the food which was mostly sushi-grade fish (a ‘ready to eat’ processing area/viewing area for high end client visitors).
Solution
Ecodur is made from natural materials, renewable castor oil and naturally occurring soft rock gypsum. It is VOC-free, BPA-free, non-toxic, and NSF/ANSI-61 rated for contact with human drinking water which makes it an ideal coating for use in proximity with food. It also has exceptional adhesion and waterproofing qualities and molecularly combines with cellulosic materials such as wood, making a perfect bond.
Furthermore, Ecodur is highly resistant to cleaning products and has been proven out in the oil and gas industry where it is inside over a thousand oil and production water tanks, including those used in fracking where harsh chemical ‘cocktails’ are often encountered.
With its retained flexibility, it is highly resistant to foot traffic and any flexing of floors or cracking. It is indefinitely repairable and will bond back onto original Ecodur surfaces.
Application Results
The initial coating of the bare plywood revealed the need for a sealer coat as the applicator experienced some of the castor oil seeping into the bare wood resulting in gypsum being left out of the correct mix ratio and depositing in a rough layer.
