How to Choose the Right Floor Coating System for Your Industry
A worn-down or mismatched flooring can:
- Slow operations
- Increase slip-and-fall risk
- Violate health codes
- Result in costly unplanned shutdowns
And in most cases, the root issue is simple: the wrong coating system for the job.
At Top Coat Concrete Coatings, we work with Penntek Industrial Coating Systems because they’re engineered for real-world performance. They're systemised solutions built around polyurea and polyaspartic technologies, that can be tailored to specific environments, use cases, and industries.
Here’s how to think through your flooring needs and select the right system based on what your space demands.
Start with your operational priorities
Every facility has different operational stresses. Some experience thermal shock from equipment. Others face constant movement from forklifts or chemical spills that degrade coatings over time. Before choosing a floor system, clarify what’s most important in your space:
- Impact resistance
- Chemical resistance
- Slip resistance
- Thermal cycling tolerance
- UV stability (if exposed to sunlight)
- Ease of cleaning and maintenance
- Downtime for installation
- Compliance (OSHA, USDA, ADA, etc.)
- Aesthetics and branding
Once you understand your functional requirements, you can map them to a coating system that meets those performance metrics.
Our Industry-Specific Floor Coating Recommendations
Automotive & Service Bays
Operational challenges:
- Daily exposure to oils, brake fluids, solvents, and tire marks
- Abrasive wear from tools and dragging equipment
- High visual standards for customer areas
- Heat transfer from engines and exhaust
We recommend: Penntek Polyurea Base + Polyaspartic Topcoat with Flake or Solid Color Finish
Its technical advantages:
- High chemical resistance to motor oils, fuel, and solvents
- Flexible polyurea base coat prevents cracking from slab movement or temperature swings
- Polyaspartic topcoat provides UV stability, stain resistance, and gloss retention
- Textured flake finish reduces slips in wet or oily conditions
- One-day cure time minimises disruption to service schedules
This system outperforms epoxy in both flexibility and chemical resistance, and its mechanical bond to concrete prevents delamination under thermal stress or vibration.
Healthcare & Life Sciences
Operational challenges:
- Infection control and hygienic standards (OSHPD, CDC guidelines)
- Exposure to disinfectants, bodily fluids, and medical waste
- High foot traffic in corridors and exam rooms
- ADA-compliant slip resistance
We recommend: Penntek Quartz Broadcast System
Its technical advantages:
- Seamless, non-porous surface prevents bacterial growth and meets infection control requirements
- Antimicrobial coatings to inhibit mold, mildew, and pathogens
- Dense quartz aggregate creates durable texture while maintaining easy-clean surfaces
- Highly resistant to harsh cleaning chemicals and disinfectants
- Customised slip resistance for patient safety without reducing cleanability
This system is ideal for clinics, dental practices, surgical centers, and labs where environmental safety and compliance are non-negotiable.
Manufacturing & Warehousing
Operational challenges:
- Forklift traffic and pallet dragging
- Impact and abrasion from machinery
- Spills from lubricants, paints, or raw materials
- Clear demarcation zones for safety and efficiency
- Resistance to thermal cycling in industrial applications
We recommend: Penntek Solid Color Industrial System or Quartz Broadcast System with Line Striping
Its technical advantages:
- Ultra-high abrasion resistance due to dense topcoat and quartz aggregate (if selected)
- Optional line striping integration during topcoat application for aisleways, danger zones, or workflow boundaries
- Penetrating primer and polyurea base coat flex with the slab, preventing long-term substrate cracking
- Optional anti-slip media incorporated into high-traffic areas for added grip
This system is purpose-built for logistics hubs, food packaging plants, and light-to-heavy industrial production floors.
Hospitality & Food Service
Operational challenges:
- Moisture, grease, and acidic spills (vinegar, wine, citrus)
- Quick turnarounds between shifts or service hours
- Visible wear in front-of-house areas
- Slip-and-fall risks in kitchens or food prep areas
- Compliance with health and safety codes (USDA, FDA)
We recommend: Penntek Quartz System for Kitchens / Flake System for Customer Areas
Its technical advantages:
- Quartz provides maximum grip for slippery, moisture-prone environments without trapping dirt
- Flake finish offers a visually appealing, easy-to-clean surface for visible areas
- Systems cure fast and can be installed in off-hours or weekends to avoid service interruptions
- Resists acids, sugars, fats, and alcohol without staining or degrading
These systems are ideal for restaurants, commercial kitchens, bars, cafes, and hotels—places where both form and function matter.
Retail, Education, and Showroom Spaces
Operational challenges:
- High foot traffic
- Exposure to cleaning chemicals, spills, and tracked-in debris
- Desire for branding elements, colour options, and aesthetic finishes
- Need for low-maintenance flooring that looks professional year-round
We recommend: Penntek Flake or Metallic System with Custom Colour Blend
Its technical advantages:
- Flake blends offer design flexibility while masking dirt and daily wear
- Polyaspartic topcoat is UV stable, ensuring the finish won’t fade under large windows or skylights
- Easy to clean with neutral cleaners, no waxing or buffing needed
- Optional logos or custom colours can align with your branding
- Built-in slip resistance options to meet ADA requirements
Ideal for schools, retail stores, automotive showrooms, gyms, and lobbies that demand aesthetic value without compromising on function.
Installation Downtime
Many commercial spaces cannot afford to shut down for multiple days. Traditional epoxy coatings often require up to 5 to 7 days to fully cure, which adds labour costs, delays, and lost revenue.
Penntek systems, on the other hand,
cure in 24 hours or less. The base coat chemically bonds to the substrate, and the polyaspartic topcoat locks in colour and protection almost immediately. This is critical for commercial environments that need to stay operational or resume quickly after renovations.
Not All Coatings Are Created Equal
If you’ve used floor coatings in the past and had issues with peeling, cracking, staining, or downtime, you probably weren’t using the right system, or the right installer.
The strength of a Penntek system isn’t just the chemistry. It’s the complete process:
- Diamond grinding to profile the concrete properly
- Moisture testing to avoid bubbling or delamination
- Crack and joint repair before coating
- Customised additives based on the surface use
- Controlled application by certified professionals
That’s what separates a generic coating job from a long-lasting flooring system built for industry-grade wear.
Let’s Design a System Around Your Operation
Top Coat Concrete Coatings delivers surface solutions that are engineered for how your space works. If you’re managing a commercial property, planning a renovation, or just tired of patching and recoating the same floor every few years, it may be time to upgrade.
Contact our team today for a site evaluation. We’ll walk your facility, assess your surface conditions, and recommend a Penntek system tailored to your industry, budget, and schedule.
The right floor system doesn’t just last. It makes your operations safer, smoother, and more cost-effective. Let’s get you there.
