Commercial kitchen flooring
Food law asks for a kitchen floor that's sound, easy to clean and disinfect, and made of impervious, non-absorbent, washable, non-toxic material. Near fryers, ovens, steam cleaning and boiling water, a polyurethane cement floor about 9 mm thick is the usual choice; epoxy suits dry stores and cooler prep rooms.
Free, no obligation. One local installer prices it, not five.
What the law asks of the floor
Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on food hygiene, which applies to every food business in Ireland, says floors must be kept sound, easy to clean and, where necessary, to disinfect. That means impervious, non-absorbent, washable and non-toxic materials, with drainage where it's needed. Your environmental health officer checks it.
Epoxy or polyurethane cement
| Compared | Epoxy | Polyurethane cement |
|---|---|---|
| Hot water and steam | Softens with heat | Takes steam cleaning and boiling water |
| Cold rooms | Can crack with thermal shock | Stays sound down to about -40°C |
| Thickness | Usually 0.3 to 3 mm | About 6 to 9 mm |
| Where | Dry stores, cool prep, front of house | Cook lines, wash-up, food production |
Coving, drains and falls
- Coving. The resin turns up the wall in a curve, so there's no corner for dirt.
- Drains. The floor laid to falls towards gullies and channels, and sealed to them.
- Slip. Grit in the finish for wet, greasy floors: specify a wet pendulum value of 36 or more, as the Health and Safety Authority advises.
- Downtime. Plan it over a closure. Fast-cure systems can be back in use in a day or two.
What to tell the installer
- The kitchen plan, drains, and where the hot equipment sits.
- How it's cleaned: hose, steam, chemicals.
- Cold rooms and freezers.
- How long you can close.
Your floor, coated
Take a photo of the garage or the room, pick a finish and a colour, and see it before anyone quotes. Free, in under a minute.
- Upload a photo, or answer four quick questions.
- We pass it to one installer that covers your county.
- They ring you with a written price.
Preview of your photo, not a guarantee. Your photo goes to Google's Gemini service to make the picture.
A photo that works
- Daylight, or every light on.
- From the doorway, so most of the floor is in the shot.
- Cars, bikes and boxes can stay where they are.
- Hold the phone at chest height, level, not pointed at your feet.
Questions people ask
What flooring is required in a commercial kitchen in Ireland?
A floor that's sound, easy to clean and disinfect, and impervious, non-absorbent, washable and non-toxic (Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, Annex II).
Is epoxy good for a commercial kitchen?
In dry stores and cool prep rooms, yes. Near hot water, steam and fryers, polyurethane cement lasts longer.
How thick is a kitchen resin floor?
Polyurethane cement is usually about 6 to 9 mm.
Does it need coving?
Coved resin up the walls makes the floor easier to clean, and most food floors have it.
Get a price for your floor
Four taps and your number. It goes to one vetted epoxy flooring installer that covers your county, and they ring you back to look at the floor and give you a written price.
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