Specify urethane cement flooring for areas with thermal shock from hot wash-down or steam cycles

Steps

1. Specify a cementitious urethane (urethane cement) system, typically installed about 3/16" to 3/8" thick, for areas subject to large thermal swings (hot water/steam wash-down near refrigeration, commercial kitchens, food/beverage processing), since these systems flex with the substrate under thermal stress better than standard thin-film epoxy coatings.
2. Confirm the specific system's rated operating temperature range and thermal-shock differential tolerance from the manufacturer's data sheet — don't assume all urethane cement products perform identically, since formulations vary.
3. Pair the system with an integral cove base for wash-down areas, since seamless floor-to-wall transitions are typically required in the same wet-process spaces where thermal shock is a concern (e.g., USDA/FSIS food plants).
4. Flag standard thin-film epoxy coatings as more prone to cracking/delamination than urethane cement under repeated large temperature swings when the process involves regular hot CIP or steam wash-down cycles.
5. Verify surface prep (target CSP per ICRI 310.2R) and moisture testing are still required before urethane cement installation, just as with any resinous system — the thermal-shock benefit doesn't remove standard substrate-prep requirements.