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September 20, 2020 4 min read
Legalization of marijuana has been a hot topic in the US in recent years but when it comes to creating perfect growing conditions for indoor facilities you cannot beat including epoxy resin coatings in the mix. Twenty-one states have legalized medical cannabis thus far with the latest addition of Mississippi at the beginning of this year. As the indoor plant cultivation industry grows, more entrepreneurs have been looking into setting up their own indoor farming facilities.
Depending on the specifics of each crop’s individual needs, a completely controlled environment can bring unique benefits such as multiple harvests a year, lowering risks for pest susceptibility or even more in terms of predictability of revenues on the business side. The benefit of using epoxy resin flooring in growth facilities has been in the works since the early days of indoor growing industry and landed a place as part of the best practices since its inception. As new businesses set up shop in warehouses and commercial spaces or new facilities are built, floors become the next big step in creating a successful environment and a long lasting investment. Greenhouses and indoor farms or other cultivation facilities have been coating their porous concrete with epoxy resin products rather than any other type of coatings. Why? The answers are logical:
To stay competitive, to eliminate down time and to protect the investments.
In most facilities, old or new, concrete is the most commonly used surface. It is the most cost effective solution and even if leaving it untreated seems the most tempting and cheapest option, the benefits of using adhesive sealants to seamlessly encapsulate the floor in a cultivation facility are second to none. We have published an article on why leaving concrete slab bare is not a good idea.
Operating a successful commercial marijuana grow operation is an expensive process. Indoor growers can maintain a high level of control over humidity, light cycles and pests but growers need to stay as efficient as possible.
Concrete flooring as the material of choice with its many winning characteristics needs a bit of help from the epoxy resins to provide long lasting serviceability and keeping this critical surface in working order in the cannabis cultivation field.
1.Exposure to water run-off, persistent moisture, organic solutions, cleaning chemicals or fertilizers which are never completely removed from a porous, absorbent concrete result in a flooring surface that is impossible to clean completely.
2.High moisture levels promote proliferation of various pathogens that can jeopardize health of the plants. Pathogens such as fungi or even various microbes can persist in the environment affecting health of the plants, or even the quality of the final product if floors are not protectively sealed.
3.High humidity levels in which plants thrive contribute to gradual deterioration of concrete even if you start with a brand new slab. Ground level moisture can promote deterioration of concrete if it lacks a vapor barrier and moisture traveling through the concrete will cause damage over time.
4.Air quality is of paramount importance in indoor growth facilities. Assuring no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or volatile organic hazardous air pollutants (VOHAP) are released over time to the cultivation facility is part of the air quality plan. Traditional sealers, primers, or fresh paint will introduce VOCs to the air system.
5.Need for maintenance results in downtime. Planning for eliminating interruptions to the growing cycle benefits the business in the long run leading to consistency in production. Set backs and interruptions should not come from the flooring system. Keep the focus on the bud.
Resinous flooring is a solution for a spectacularly seamless encapsulation of the cement medium. No grout lines, crevices, or porous surface pits that make home to undesirable debris.
No doubt epoxy resins smooth finish plus water and chemical resistance lends itself to the easiest cleanup. Whether it is water or cleaning agents that are used, they will not damage the epoxy coating. No molds or unsanitary residues linger after a good cleaning.
Antimicrobial quality of the epoxy resin is inherent to the product. Microbes do not thrive in epoxy. It is a number one cost effective flooring solution for clean rooms requiring highly sensitive environments in medical or pharmaceutical industries. Plants love it.
The reflectance of the surface of the material is its ability to reflect radiant energy. Light is the source of life for plants in the indoor growing facility and utilizing the light reflected from the floor surface can add to the health of plants and robustness of indoor crops. White epoxy flooring contributes additional reflective qualities. Ambient reflected light adds the extra competitive edge benefiting the grower.
Properly installed epoxy resin coatings will endure 20 years of functional use, easily.
Here at Colored Epoxies, we have formulated epoxy resins that are VOCs free and VOHAPs free in addition to being odor free after curing. Our 100% solids Cycloaliphatic epoxy resins are industry leaders in specialized flooring applications.
Once the installation process is over, proper curing can be achieved within several days.
No-one can’t deny high aesthetic qualities of epoxy resin flooring.
Worried about the floor becoming slippery? For a small additional cost the risk/disadvantage of the floor becoming slippery can be eliminated by adding a non-skid product such as OMNI NON SKID OXIDE. Aggregates such as aluminum oxide can be added to the epoxy or silica sand can be added to the finish.
Let us know if you have any product questions or how we can help with making your growing facility a success with an industry standard epoxy resin flooring solution.
