Antimicrobial Urethane Flooring Shimmers in the Sunshine State for Florida Beer Company

With the demand for craft brewed and artisan beer soaring across the US, PPI Epoxy Coatings, in partnership with Flowcrete Americas, has played a critical role in the delivery of a state-of-the-art brewhouse for Florida Beer Company located in America’s spaceport Cape Canaveral, FL.

The new brewery sits at the former Florida site of Chrysler Corporation Ballistic Missile and Space Activities and is situated next to a highway that brings around three million people each year from Orlando to the beaches on the Atlantic coast. Another three million people board cruise liners every year in nearby Port Canaveral – making it the ideal home for a showcase brewery and tasting lounge.

The 60,000 sq. ft. facility features efficient brewing equipment and technologies, including a CombiCube B brewhouse that offers a capacity of well over 90,000 barrels – tripling the number of brews per day compared to Florida Beer Company’s previous operations.

Looking for a suitable flooring material that would stand up to the daily demands of the new brewhouse, Jim Massoni, who had been unhappy with earlier proposals, approached Flowcrete Americas, who together with PPI Epoxy Coatings prepared a specification calling for the use of various specialist resin flooring systems throughout the building.

12,000 sq. ft. of a slurry broadcast cementitious urethane concrete system, Flowfresh SRQ, was proposed – in a custom red color blend – for Florida Beer Company’s central production hall and bottling plant. Flowfresh SRQ contains colored quartz granules that create a positively textured profile to assist with preventing slip risks underfoot.

The phthalate-free material also contains a powerful silver ion-based antimicrobial additive, Polygiene, which limits the spread of bacteria and other harmful pathogens. The material is also designed to withstand temperature swings and thermal shock up to 180°F and is highly resistant in the face of chemical and solvent spillage.

20,000 sq. ft. of a second system, Flowcoat SF41 HCS, was recommended for use in both storage and packing halls and a further 7,000 sq ft – in a safety yellow shade – was proposed for use in the brewery’s tank fermentation area.

Originally designed for the aviation industry, Flowcoat SF41 HCS is a non-porous, highly chemical resistant epoxy floor coating system that has a proven international track record within the industrial manufacturing and food and beverage production sectors.

Texas-based Flowcrete Americas, part of the RPM Performance Coatings Group, is a manufacturer of seamless resin flooring materials, including epoxies, urethanes, and MMAs, which have been designed to meet the specialist needs of heavy industry, manufacturing plants and other processing facilities.

PPI Epoxy Coatings, based in Orlando, FL, specializes in the installation, repair, maintenance and protection of floor surfaces. The applicator has over 20 years experience in the industry and offers a range of specialist coating systems with a host of performance benefits and advantages including urethanes, epoxy terrazzo and anti-corrosion coatings amongst others.

PPI Epoxy coatings came up against various challenges throughout the installation process. Aside from there being no utilities on site, there were also no windows for the duration of the project. Plumbing contractors were also installing trenches during the substrate preparation phase, which had to be carefully worked around. The substrate itself was heavily contaminated by oil due to the nature of Chrysler’s previous activities at the site. Multiple methods of surface prep were utilized, including shot blasting with Blastrac equipment, HTC planetary grinders, hand grinders, and saw cuts around the walls and drains to create a key way to anchor the floor.

James Cook, President for PPI said, “The entire project from substrate preparation to the installation of the final finishes took three weeks to complete, ensuring the site was returned in time for the relocation of FBC’s operations. The client is delighted with the end result. Not only providing a wear resistant, easy to maintain surface that is likely to last up to 15 years, the colorful finish provides a great platform from which to showcase the brewery to visitors.”

The privately owned microbrewery has an interesting history. Originally known as the Indian River Brewing Company, it was based in Melbourne, Florida, until 2003. Under the watch of new President Jim Massoni the company changed its name to Florida Beer Company and is now the largest craft brewer in the state of Florida.