Patchy Floors Required Black Bear to Transform GF Solutions’ Commercial Warehouse into a USDA Approved Food Processing Plant

The Process

  • STEP 1 – Moisture testing of entire space
  • STEP 2 – Diamond grind and shot blast existing floors
  • STEP 3 – Pitch the floors to accommodate the drains
  • STEP 4 – Dur-a-Guard 50/50 (12ml DFT)
  • STEP 5 – Add 56 Grip Aluminum Oxide for slip resistance
  • STEP 6 – Apply Armor Top Satin at 2 or 4 inches

Project Overview
GF Solutions reached out to Black Bear Coatings &Concrete to value engineer a solution that would salvage the existing sorting areas’ flooring and to bring it up to code when the original contractor could not deliver the desired results. Black Bear’s experience providing timely solutions for food and beverage manufacturing spaces were better suited to provide the preferred end product. The Black Bear team assessed the space, repaired the existing substrate, and provided a slip-resistant, durable floor that was easier to maintain and would support the production facility.

Project Details

  • Project Name – GF Solutions: Sorting Areas
  • Type of Business – Food and Beverage Manufacturing
  • Location – Methuen, Massachusetts
  • Size – 11,000 square feet
  • Products – Dur-a-Guard 50/50 with 56 grip aluminum oxide, Armor Top Satin

Challenges
As a new food manufacturing plant, getting the flooring up to code was a priority to ensure that safety regulations were met and the required licenses would be issued. However, the existing slabs were uneven and showed signs of 12 inch over 8 inch slabs . This made stabilization of the large space a challenge in an already tight timeframe. The amount of trenching involved needed to accommodate the floor drains meant that the crew needed to work on multiple phases of the project simultaneously to ensure the deadline was met and to keep the plant’s opening on schedule.

Black Bear Solution
Experienced in installing new and repairing existing floors in food and beverage manufacturing plants, Black Bear suggested a mitigation system for the entire production space to keep moisture at a minimum. Black Bear pitched the floors to the drain to meet board of health and USDA compliance. A cementitious urethane was installed to blend with existing slabs, and aluminum oxide for slip resistance was added to provide greater protection. Black Bear used HEPA filtered equipment and no VOC materials to reduce contamination in preparation for the newly designed food processing facility.

About the Client – GF Solutions
GF Solutions is a production partner of gluten-free foods. In an emerging market, GF Solutions is dedicated to gluten-free manufacturing and operations. They offer supply chain management and processes to customers looking to streamline their businesses. The GF Solutions warehouse also offers formulation and product development – from baked goods to frozen foods.

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