Choosing the right grout can be a challenge. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to help you make the right decision based on your project, application, and needs. Refer to the table below to determine which grout is right for you.

Voids between baseplate and grout may be discovered after grouting. These voids may be the result of obstructions, trapped air, or varying grout levels during placement.

There are basic steps to addressing these voids that are meant to ensure maximum contact between base and grout so unused forces are properly transferred to the foundation.

Step 1: Identify the Void

The most common method is sounding. Tap the plate and listen for hollow areas. Mark those areas to define the void.

Step 2: Determine Injection Holes

The hole needs to be near the center of the void or the part of a larger void to ensure travel to edges of void. Remember, tighter voids require the holes to be closer together than larger voids. Drill.

Step 3: Locate Holes for Air Relief

These holes need to be close to the edges of the void. They will allow for the air to escape, so the total area of these holes needs to exceed the area of the fill hole. Drill.

Step 4: Prepare Holes for Injection

When choosing the best slip resistant flooring system, there are several things a maintenance professional must take into consideration. You want to choose the correct system, because after all, you’re spending money, time, and effort to ensure safety to the employees that will be on it. Also, you want to make sure the system you put down will be durable enough to take the abuse.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself when choosing the right flooring system for your facility:

1. What is the existing surface that is in place?
   • The most popular floor surfaces in food and beverage facilities are urethane cement, an epoxy system, or maybe you have metal plates. The current surface dictates the type of flooring you will choose. If an epoxy system is in place, you will want to select a process that involves an epoxy sealer.
2. Will there be high temperature shocks present in this area?
   • accidental (hot grease) or not (washdowns)

As you know, industrial environments can be filled with hazards just waiting for someone not paying attention. And your Food and Beverage plant even has some unique challenges of its own.

On a daily basis, your floor is exposed to hot oils, blood, sugars, food acids, animal fats and the ever-present hot water washdown. One of your most common problems maintaining a floor that is slip resistant in the mist of all those slick substances.  Production areas, coolers, locker rooms, etc., there is always the possibility of an employee slipping or falling and getting injured. Not having a slick resistant floor can cause real safety concerns for everyone involved. The 3 biggest issues that are most often with creating a slip resistant surface is labor restrictions, time, and cost. Let’s cover some common myths about applying the appropriate slip proof flooring:

Myth 1: “I don’t have the manpower to put down a flooring system”

Implementing

Let’s face it, everyone would like to resurface or coat their worn-out processing equipment but most people don’t think they can do it. But, having a contractor come in and do the work is going to be too expensive. And you’ll have to work around their schedule. Most maintenance professionals just don’t know how easy it is.

Myth 1: “Applying a coating is too difficult. Besides, I don’t have the equipment.”

But it’s a lot easier than you ever imagined. For touch-ups, it could be as easy as using an aerosol. Larger areas can be brushed. Spraying is an option but only if you can move the equipment outside since the overspray will be airborne.

Myth 2: “Paints and coatings aren’t USDA approved for my application.”

Steel-it coating systems meet and exceed the standards that are set by the USDA. Not only are they nontoxic and low VOC, they are approved for both direct and incidental contact. These resurfacing materials will not

One thing you can count on in any Food and Beverage plant is that your processing equipment is constantly in use. With the everyday wear and tear and constant cleaning, your equipment can take a real beating. Maintaining your processing equipment is key to your company’s income. Having to replace equipment and losing production time could cost a lot of money.

Much of the equipment in a food processing plant or beverage manufacturing facility is mounted on fabricated steel frames. Hot water, detergents and even food acids/sugars that come in contact with your processing equipment can fuel a rapid increase in corrosion. This accelerated corrosion process will definitely shorten your equipment’s lifespan.

Harmful to your Processing Equipment

• Fatty Food Acids
• Sugars
• Heavy Washdowns
• Cleaning detergents
• Cleaning materials
• Every day wear and tear

So, you’ve decided that maintaining your equipment is important.

But what should

Walk in coolers, freezers, and cold storage areas are integral parts to your facility’s productivity. Just like the processing area, these areas of sub-freezing temperatures are also subject to floor damage from normal wear and tear. If these cracks, spalls, or chipped floors go unfixed, it could lead to delays in production or even create a tripping hazard. Most repair materials cannot be applied in ambient temperatures and tend to lose their shore hardness. Selecting the correct application is just as important as the actual repair. Below are a few simple rules to follow when selecting a cold storage repair material:

4 Things to Consider When Selecting the Correct Materials for Repairing Floor Joints in Cold Storage Areas

1. Materials that can be applied in ambient temperatures causing them to become brittle and lose hardness.
2. Let’s face it, taking an entire cooler or freezer area down to repair a crack is just not practical. The reality

Let’s face it, nearly every installation of process equipment is time sensitive these days. Ultra-competitive markets and slim profit margins force most companies to limit even planned down-time to the bare minimum. Saving the cure time for conventional grouts could mean getting back 8, 12 even 24 hours of production time. Cement and epoxy chemistry have made great strides in the ability to get fast strength gains while still providing the properties needed for most industrial applications. 

But it’s important that you choose the right material for your application. You’ll want to consider some key factors before you decide.

What properties do you need for the installation?

Not, what material has the highest strengths in every category. If you need fast turn-around, you will have to sacrifice some of those characteristics. Many of which were overkill anyway. 

What is your target start-up time?

Be realistic. What do you need

Concrete is a widely available, customizable, and affordable material. These traits make it ideal for various applications, including equipment foundations and process skids. It is also the most commonly used method for adding mass to critical pieces of equipment. However, despite its advantages, traditional concrete has some limitations that may hinder progress on fast-paced projects. Fast-setting concrete allows for faster start-up times.

Fortunately, there are alternatives to conventional concrete. These fast-setting products and additives retain most of concrete's desirable traits while addressing its shortcomings. In this article, we'll talk about five unique benefits of fast-setting concrete and how it can revolutionize your project timeline.

1. Set Time

Fast-setting concrete allows for a faster start-up time. With specialized additives and formulations, these materials can set in as little as a few minutes to an hour, depending on

Grouts are just like any other type of product on the open market. There is an endless variety of them. If you look hard enough, you’ll find that virtually every company has products they present as “grouts”. Of course, just like every other product, there is a wide range of what qualifies for “grout”. The properties only have to meet a minimum requirement to be “equal”. However, the actual results may be far from equal. 

The most important thing is that you have a way to choose the material that will exceed your requirements without breaking the bank or exceed your estimate when it comes to the installed cost. One good way to do that is to apply a consistent and basic series of questions and look for the materials that give you the right answers. Here are some questions that should lead you to the right grout for your and your client’s specific needs.

1. Is it likely that the installed equipment will cause or exhibit