ASSET OWNER Little Sky Gelato
CONTRACTOR Ascoat Commercial & Industrial Flooring
SECTOR Food and beverage
Products
- Nitoflor PU600
- Nitoflor PU200
The Project
Little Sky Gelato in Cheltenham, Victoria, recently expanded its operations with the addition of a dedicated cold room for gelato production and storage. The project presented an opportunity to showcase the performance of the Nitoflor PU600/200 polyurethane cement flooring system within a chilled food-production environment. Hygiene, durability and long-term flooring performance were critical on this project.
Hygienic cold-room flooring solution for premium food production
Operating within HACCP-sensitive conditions, the Little Sky Gelato cold room required a flooring solution capable of delivering excellent cleanability, slip resistance and durability.
Fosroc ANZ's VIC Account Manager, Flooring & Protective Coatings, Brett Ryan, worked closely with applicator Ascoat Commercial & Industrial Flooring throughout specification, installation planning, and onsite application to help ensure a high-quality outcome across the project.
Cold-room environment presents installation challenges
Installing flooring for a cold-room environment created several technical challenges. The coating needed to cure to a quality finish while maintaining consistent workability and control during application.
As the space was being used for gelato production, minimising odours and ensuring a hygienic, HACCP-certified outcome was also an important consideration for the client.
Nitoflor PU600/PU200 system the perfect solution
The Nitoflor PU600/PU200 system was specified because of its:
- ability to deliver a consistent, high-quality finish
- HACCP-certification, making it ideal for food production environments
- efficiency, minimising downtime within the cold room
- long term solution to minimise future down time for the client
The system was applied in two steps:
- Step 1: Nitoflor PU600 was installed as the base system. A polyurethane cement floor topping, Nitoflor PU600 is designed to stand up to mechanical stress, chemical attack and extreme temperatures. It's ideal for circumstances where a fast turnaround is important. Nitoflor PU600 must be used with Nitoflor PU200.
- Step 2: Nitoflor PU200 was applied to deliver a durable polyurethane flooring solution. Nitoflor PU200 is the ideal sealer coat for Nitoflor PU600. For additional slip resistance, aggregates were added.
Bulk packs make an impact
Just prior to this project commencing, Fosroc ANZ introduced a new bulk pack option for the Nitoflor PU600/200 system. By reducing the number of mixes required, the bulk packs improve onsite productivity and simplify installation on larger projects.
According to Ascoat Commercial & Industrial Flooring Director Michael Bell, the bulk packs improved product handling and installation efficiency onsite.
“The system performed well,” he said. “The bulk packaging seemed to provide a better end result from an application point of view.”
Michael said the product’s flowability and consistency were particularly beneficial.
“It was easy to apply and had the correct flowability to level out without leaving imperfections,” he explained. “The overall appearance was as per the client's expectations.”
Technical support and installation
Brett and the Fosroc ANZ team provided technical support throughout product selection, specification and installation planning to ensure the Nitoflor PU600/PU200 system was suited to the project and applied correctly. This included advice around mix ratios, application thicknesses, sequencing and installation methodology using the new bulk packs.
“The support from Fosroc was excellent,” Michael adds. “Materials were supplied on time, the installation process went smoothly from our side, and their follow-up throughout the project was great. It was a very well executed job from start to finish.”
The successful outcome has since led Ascoat to specify the same Nitoflor PU600/200 system on additional projects.
“Off the back of the Little Sky project, we’re now tendering another commercial kitchen project using the same Nitoflor PU600/PU200 system, purely because of the way it performed,” Michael said.
A durable long-term outcome for happy asset owner
This completed cool room flooring system has delivered a durable, hygienic and easy-to-maintain finish tailored to the operational needs of the refrigerated gelato production environment.
Little Sky Gelato owner Max Shatkin said the final result exceeded expectations in both appearance and functionality.
“The new flooring finish was completed to a very high standard,” Max said. “The colour and appearance are very consistent across the entire surface, which makes it much easier to see dirt and spillages.”
“The floor is also very easy to clean and definitely non-slip. We selected a slip resistance rating that suited our cleaning requirements while still maintaining operator safety.”
Max also highlighted the hygiene benefits of the new flooring and coving system.
“With the new coving installed using the same product, the entire area is very easy to keep clean, and there was very little smell after installation was completed,” he said.
Find out more
- Read the news story about Nitoflor PU600/PU200's new bulk packs
- Read the Nitoflor PU600/PU200 product spotlight
- Download the Food and Beverage Industry Solutions brochure
- Contact your local Fosroc ANZ specialist using the form at the bottom of this page.
