Brewery Flooring Solutions: The Ultimate Guide

Craft beer brewing is rooted in passion, patience, and a versatile floor-coating solution that supports the entire process. From preparing the brewing equipment for its first batch to bottling the brewed results, the underlying floor coating must remain hygienic, safe, and durable. Like a tried and true recipe, the best brewery flooring solutions can be enjoyed by many for years to come. 

The following comprehensive guide highlights the best brewery flooring solutions, including features and materials to consider, as well as critical aspects of installation and maintenance. Selecting the best brewery flooring solution for your application — whether it’s just the brewing area or the front and back of house sections — requires careful thought and planning. Consult with a Westcoat floor coating expert to learn more about innovative flooring solutions and discover how premium brewery flooring can elevate your final product.

Top Considerations When Selecting Brewery Flooring

Exemplary brewery flooring delivers peerless performance only matched by its professional appearance. Brewery floor coatings must also comply with sanitation, worker safety, and waste drainage regulations while reflecting the brewery brand’s image.

Performance

Brewery floor coatings must endure near-constant daily foot traffic as employees engage in various steps of the brewing process. In addition to impact resistance, superior brewery flooring also bears the unequally distributed weight of fermenting tanks, kegs, bottling machinery, and other heavy equipment. The ability to resist acidic beer, brewing chemicals, and harsh cleaning chemicals remains central to a long-lasting brewery flooring solution. 

Aesthetics

A durable and appealing brewery flooring exemplifies professionalism and a sense of character that aligns with the brewery’s brand. It’s common to select distinct brewery floor coatings for the brewing area and the taproom. Breweries that offer tours before allowing customers to sample from beer flights may prioritize aesthetics more than those closed to the public.

Sanitation

Per food and beverage sanitary regulations, breweries must comply with stringent sanitation requirements to remain functional. Cleaning protocols may require the use of harsh cleaning chemicals that can erode porous substrates. Unsealed concrete can breed bacteria and foul odors from spilled mash or beer.

Safety

Several operational safety hazards exist within a brewery, from the heavy brewing equipment to the hot, humid fermenting conditions that help the beer achieve its flavor. Anti-slip and non-skid brewery flooring solutions keep employees safe from injury. Seamless brewery floor coatings also minimize the potential for cracks that can act as tripping hazards and allow mold or mildew growth. 

Drainage

Breweries typically perform routine cleaning procedures between beer batches, which can result in large amounts of flushed contaminants and wastewater. Adequate drainage allows for the safe, sanitary, and timely removal of this liquid waste to prevent slip hazards and unsanitary conditions. Stainless steel drainage systems are standard among breweries, as stainless steel promotes a hygienic environment.

Top Materials for Brewery Flooring

Epoxy, polyurethane, urethane, cementitious, vinyl composition tile, and rubber coatings comprise a wide range of brewery flooring solutions. Explore your options below, or call Westcoat at 1-800-250-4519 to speak with a knowledgeable representative.

Epoxy Coatings

Resistant to chemicals, abrasions, stains, impacts, and high temperatures, epoxy floor coatings are a popular and cost-effective option. Due to its simple and seamless application, epoxy flooring requires minimal cleaning and maintenance throughout its lifespan. The non-porous, monolithic surface repels microorganisms and can be customized for a non-slip texture or aesthetic appeal. 

The Double Broadcast Epoxy System (Dubro) from Westcoat is a USDA-compliant, 100% solids medium to heavy-duty epoxy coating that offers a quick return to service. This seamless, high-build flooring solution resists chemical spills and scratches. Available in a wide range of decorative colors and customizable textures, Dubro features silica sand broadcasted into a pigmented base coat or quartz sand broadcasted into a clear base coat with our Dubro Quartz system.

Polyurethane Topcoats

Although slightly more expensive than epoxy coatings, polyurethane topcoats are ideal for environments like those found at breweries. Polyurethane floor coatings resist chemicals, staining, UV rays, and wear while protecting the underlying substrate from mildew. Available in matte to glossy finishes, polyurethane topcoats offer a quick return to service and minimal maintenance. 

Westcoat’s EC-95G  Gloss Polyurethane Topcoat is a solvenated, high-solids gloss polyurethane topcoat that seals concrete against moisture. This low-maintenance polyurethane floor coating is USDA- and FDA-compliant and resists chemical spills, UV rays, and marring. Available in clear and pigmented gloss, EC-95G has a six-hour dry time for a speedy return to service. 

Urethane Cement Systems 

Urethane floor systems have long been favored as highly hygienic, skid-resistant flooring solutions that resist humidity, abrasions, impacts, chemical spills, thermal shock, and wear from heavy foot traffic. Despite a higher price point, urethane cement flooring integrates antimicrobial additives for extra insurance against bacteria. This type of durable floor coating also comes in various colors and aesthetics. 

Westcoat’s Temper-Crete Self-Leveling (SL) and Rake Trowel (RT) Systems are the premier flooring choice for food and beverage production. Both high-build, seamless urethane systems offer high compressive strength and resistance to impact, thermal shock, chemicals, and heat. The Temper-Crete RT System features several decorative options — including silica or quartz sand and color chips — and is specifically formulated to resist steam, a critical feature for any brewery.

Cementitious Systems (Concrete Flooring)

Similar to polyurethane floor coatings, cement thrives in humid environments. The integrated breathability allows moisture to evaporate without sacrificing the flooring’s ability to resist weathering, abrasion, impacts, and chemical exposure. Cementitious coatings offer easy installation with smooth or textured finishes and can also be painted over for a custom effect. 

Westcoat’s Grind and Seal surface coat applies directly to the concrete substrate for a rustic and organic aesthetic alternative to polished concrete. This water- or solvent-based surface coat is USDA- and FDA-compliant and recommended for use in heavy-traffic areas. Grind and Seal resists chemical spills and offers a 24 to 48-hour return to service for normal traffic or 72 hours for heavy traffic and use.

Vinyl Composition Tile (VCT)

What VCT gains as a cost-effective flooring solution, it loses as a high-maintenance, porous material that requires periodic recoating. VCT is both stain- and temperature-sensitive and requires an immaculate substrate prior to installation. A lack of sealed edges leaves this type of flooring susceptible to bacteria growth.

Rubber Flooring

Although rubber flooring offers a viable solution in certain applications, it’s not necessarily suited to breweries. Covering a larger surface area with rubber flooring can cost a pretty penny, and the result is not necessarily visually appealing. Rubber struggles to resist stains, chemical spills, and tears and often retains a distinctive, lingering odor. 

Brewery Flooring Installation and Maintenance

Before your new brewery flooring can be installed, installation experts must assess the substrate and surrounding environment to adequately prepare the site. The assessment will reveal which materials and systems meet the space’s demands and the corresponding best practices to ensure first-class results. With expert installation, the best brewery flooring solutions require minimal upkeep while delivering superior performance and longevity.

Site Preparation and Assessment

In the first steps of the brewery flooring coating process, installation experts assess and prepare the intended site by identifying the job parameters. By addressing any structural issues beforehand, experts can minimize any concerns that could threaten the floor coating’s integrity. 

Material Selection and Compatibility

Selecting a compatible flooring solution is vital to the performance and longevity of your chosen brewery flooring. From single-room operations to front- and back-of-house brewery floor plans, Westcoat’s knowledgeable staff helps you eliminate the guesswork, matching the demands of your project to the best solutions available. 

Installation Techniques and Best Practices

Without the proper installation techniques, even the most compatible and durable brewery flooring solution will prematurely fail. Westcoat’s Qualified Contractor Applicators are licensed contractors who have worked with and received training on our products to ensure a seamless installation process from start to finish — and the benefit of an installation warranty. 

Ongoing Maintenance Requirements

Properly maintaining your new brewery floor coating safeguards its longevity and durability. Westcoat QCAs can help guide you in routine maintenance protocols that keep your brewery flooring compliant with health and safety standards while requiring minimal effort and downtime.

A polyaspartic industrial floor coating resembles polyurethane coatings but is considered a hybrid material that’s ideal for maximum corrosion resistance. Formulated as a flooring system and topcoat, polyaspartic coatings take less time and labor to apply and benefit from low VOCs. 

In the competitive polyaspartic industrial floor coating market, Westcoat’s EC-102 Polyaspartic Topcoat minimizes downtime while offering numerous benefits during its service life. EC-102 is chemical, tire stain (plasticizer migration) resistant, UV-resistant, and complies with USDA and FDA regulations. Offered in fast cure, standard cure, and slow cure options EC-102 offers maximum project flexibility including fast-tracking projects when a quick return to service is critical. Economical in price, it can easily be paired with many Westcoat epoxies and urethane cement systems to create a high-sheen finish.

Elevate Your Brewery with Westcoat’s Durable Flooring Solutions

Westcoat proudly offers high-quality flooring solutions across multiple industries to numerous businesses, including breweries. With this comprehensive guide to brewery flooring solutions and the help of one of our QCAs, you can effortlessly select and install a lasting premium floor coating that maximizes your return on investment. Explore how Westcoat elevated a San Diego brewery, or contact us to discuss your project with a friendly and knowledgeable staff member.