Grass Root Dairy Cheese Plant Renovation
INstalled in 2024
Project Date: Completed in 2024
This was one of our favorite projects completed in a live plant! The lovely Grass Roots Dairy required a permanent anti-slip flooring solution in their cheese production facility. We installed Silikal R61 MMA flooring and high impact resistance wall panels to mitigate further water damage and hard hits with carts.
Grass Root Dairy is a VERY busy farm-based cheese production facility in Salmon Arm, BC. (Formerly named Gort's Cheese). Grass Root Dairy manufactures cheese using milk from its own dairy farm. A true farm to fork operation.
Grass Root Dairy cheese plant needed to make a decision on two alteratives: HYGIENIC RENOVATION or BUILD NEW plant facility. The tile and grout were failing. If they chose to renovate, the Wikkerinks wanted a better, long life cycle solution that eliminated tile, improved anti slip, and eliminated grout going forward. The Wikkerink's brought in Walt Curilla, P.Eng. President of SureBond to propose a solution.
Grass Root Dairy decided to renovate rather than build new, and follow SureBond's recommendations. The cost of a SureBond floor cove and wall renovation was determined to be a fraction of a new facility build. But, how could this renovation occur AND not interrupt cheese manufacturing AND not impact the dairy farm milk production? The time window available was very tight.
AND with these constraints, could SureBond produce a life-cycle, quality, no maintenance result that would perform for years or even a decade or two? Walt was very confident that SureBond coudl meet all of the challenges.
The Wikkerinks had a plan, and could move all of the equipment so that we could do the work. The game commenced!
All tile was demolished. Drains were replaced, and set using Silikal R17 plastic concrete, fully cured in 2 hours, and never to have a leak or failure again.
Both floor and wall tile were removed: SAFELY. The aggressive concrete profile you see ensures that the Silikal(r) resin system will never fail going forward. All work was done silica dust-free with an Exposure Control Plan that used best-in-class prep equipment, and HEPA vacuums attached to all surface prep equipment.
Tile grout fails on both floors and walls. We de-contaminated the concrete wall substrate.
Caulking fails: SureBond with Silikal resins do not fail. SureBond cladded / sealed the walls permanently. This wall cladding process works on ALL porous substrates, and has excellent impact protection. All joints are sealed with Silikal(r) resin: we eliminated ALL caulking with this solution.
SureBond installed the floor after the wall work was complete.
Lastly, we coved all walls. Our SureBond Silikal HK31 coving material has never failed SureBond or our customers.
Coving floor to wall is a permanent seal. ZERO water will ever travel under the floor-wall joint.
Non slip floor is now in-service. Zero call backs thus far, and none anticipated for many years.
The floor was done in 2 stages, as large equipment could not be removed from the plant.
SureBond finished all work 24 hours earlier than the schedule. Cheese production began a day early.
No alternate plans had to be made with the dairy milk production. On-time.
Slight budget increase due to wall work surprises. SureBond responded to the change quickly to the additional work, and we still finished a day early!
Floor is non-slip, even in a wet environment.
This equipment will not shake loose our resin on this pedestal. But, if it did, our Silikal(r) is repairable forever.
All work done with no dust, and plant ventilated. The farm store remained open the entire time with no odour inconvenience due to the Exposure Control Plan for silica dust and MMA odour control.