Urethane Cement Flooring — Built for Thermal Shock and Washdown
Urethane cement flooring — also called cementitious urethane or urethane mortar — is a resinous floor system that combines urethane resin with cement and graded aggregate into a troweled or self-leveling body, typically 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Because its coefficient of thermal expansion is close to concrete's, it withstands hot washdown, steam cleaning, and thermal cycling that delaminate conventional epoxy floors.
Where Urethane Cement Wins — and Where Epoxy Still Makes Sense
The floor that takes 180°F caustic washdown at midnight and a forklift at 6 a.m. has one enemy: thermal shock. When hot water hits a resin floor, the coating and the concrete want to expand at different rates — and a conventional epoxy shears off the slab. MavCrete urethane cement moves thermally with the concrete, shrugs off the lactic, citric, and acetic acids of dairy, brewing, and food processing, and is rated for thermal shock through 250°F washdown at full 1/4″ thickness.
Epoxy still earns its place — MavCoat epoxy systems carry dry-service manufacturing, chemical exposure without heat, and decorative duty at a lower build. The honest engineering answer is exposure-driven: if the floor sees hot washdown, steam, or blast-freezer cycling, specify urethane cement.
Urethane Cement vs. Epoxy at a Glance
| Exposure | MavCrete Urethane Cement | Epoxy Systems |
|---|---|---|
| Thermal shock service | Through 250°F washdown at 1/4″; withstands 180°F washdown / steam cleaning | Not rated for thermal shock service |
| Thermal movement | Coefficient of thermal expansion close to concrete's | Expands faster than the slab under heat — disbonding risk in washdown |
| High-moisture / green concrete | Installs directly — moisture tolerant | Requires moisture mitigation first |
| Organic acids (lactic, citric, acetic) | Resistant — matrix does not soften | Varies by formulation — see chemical resistance chart in each PDS |
| Return to foot traffic | 8–12 hours | 12–16 hours |
One Chemistry, Four Duty Levels
Maverick manufactures the MavCrete urethane cement family and installs it with our own crews — the system is engineered, batched, placed, and warranted by one accountable party.
MavCrete UM
The backbone: 1/4″ troweled urethane cement mortar, thermal shock rated and organic acid resistant. Fills integral coves and key chases, finished with a pigmented topcoat.
View the SystemMavCrete USL
Self-leveling urethane cement placed at 1/8″–1/4″ — the smooth-finish answer where thermal shock meets a flatness spec.
View the SystemMavCrete UF-HD
Heavy-duty flake variant: UM mortar body with decorative flake broadcast to rejection under a clear urethane sealer — grip, texture, and a finished look in one build.
View the SystemMavCrete UQ-HD
Heavy-duty quartz variant: the matrix filled with angular quartz for maximum chemical and mechanical resistance in the harshest wet-process environments.
View the SystemEvery washdown floor terminates the right way: an integral cove base troweled from the same mortar as the floor, so the wall-to-floor junction is monolithic and cleanable. The standard condition is published as detail MAV-CU-CV-01 in the Architect Center detail library, alongside the full MAV-CU series of drain transitions, terminations, and curb wraps. Slope-to-drain rebuilds are handled beneath the system with MavGrout USP urethane slope grout at 1/2″–3″.
Placed Around Production, Not Instead of It
Food plants and kitchens don't close so a floor crew can work. Maverick plans MavCrete installations the way processors run sanitation: in windows. We take a line or a zone overnight or over a weekend, contain it, rebuild it — demo, prep, slope correction, mortar, cove, topcoat — and hand it back before the next shift needs it.
- Overnight and weekend phasing — line-by-line scheduling around production, with containment at every stage.
- Low odor installation — MavCrete can be installed adjacent to active production and food storage areas.
- Foot traffic in 8–12 hours — many areas are back in production the next shift.
- Moisture tolerant — installs over high-moisture and green concrete where epoxies require costly mitigation.
- Sanitation-driven detailing — integral cove, positive slope to drain, and joints sealed with washdown-rated MavJoint JF.
The Industries That Specify Urethane Cement
Seamless, non-porous surfaces that support your HACCP sanitation plan — engineered to support USDA/FSIS sanitation requirements in inspected facilities.
Food & Beverage Processing
Wet process, hot caustic washdown, organic acids, and audit-driven sanitation — the environment urethane cement was made for.
Food & Beverage FlooringBreweries & Distilleries
Hot wort, caustic CIP cycles, and a packaging hall full of glass and forklifts — from brewhouse to taproom on one chemistry.
Brewery FlooringCommercial Kitchens
Seamless replacement for failing quarry tile — coved, sloped to drain, and installed in overnight windows.
Commercial Kitchen FlooringTypical System Properties
| Property | Test Method | Typical Value |
|---|---|---|
| Compressive strength | ASTM C579 | > 7,500 psi |
| Tensile strength | ASTM C307 | 975 psi |
| Flexural strength | ASTM C580 | 2,100 psi |
| Bond strength to concrete | ASTM D4541 | 100% concrete failure |
| Impact resistance | ASTM D2794 | > 160 in·lb |
| Water absorption | ASTM C413 | < 0.1% |
| Thermal shock service | — | Through 250°F washdown at 1/4 in. |
| Coefficient of friction, wet (broadcast finish) | ASTM D2047 | > 0.6 |
| Return to service, foot traffic | — | 8–12 hours |
Urethane Cement Flooring Questions, Answered
What is the difference between urethane cement and epoxy flooring?
Urethane cement's coefficient of thermal expansion is close to concrete's, so it withstands 180°F+ washdown, steam cleaning, and thermal cycling — rated through 250°F washdown at 1/4″ — where conventional epoxy floors delaminate. Epoxy remains the right call for dry-service manufacturing, chemical exposure without heat, and decorative finishes; epoxy mortar handles heavy-duty traffic, but without thermal shock service. If the floor sees hot washdown or steam, specify urethane cement.
How fast can a urethane cement floor go back into service?
MavCrete accepts foot traffic in 8–12 hours at standard conditions, and many areas are back in production the next shift. Because we phase the work line-by-line around sanitation windows, most projects are completed in overnight or weekend windows without a full plant shutdown. Request the TDS for project-specific cure-to-service values.
Does a urethane cement floor need a cove base?
In washdown environments, yes. The floor-to-wall junction is where sanitation findings start. Every MavCrete installation is detailed with an integral cove base troweled from the same mortar as the floor — one monolithic, cleanable surface with nowhere for bacteria to harbor. The standard condition is detail MAV-CU-CV-01 in the Architect Center.
What thickness does a brewery floor need?
Brewhouse and kettle areas seeing hot wort and 180°F+ CIP cycles call for MavCrete UM at 1/4″ — full-thickness thermal shock resistance that moves with the slab instead of shearing off it. Where a flatness spec governs, MavCrete USL self-levels at 1/8″–1/4″; UF-HD flake and UQ-HD quartz variants add texture and chemical resistance in cellars and packaging halls.
Can it be installed next to active production?
Yes. MavCrete is a low-odor installation that can go in adjacent to active production and food storage areas. We sequence the work with containment, scheduled around your sanitation windows, so the rest of the facility keeps running.
Can urethane cement go over damp or new concrete?
Yes — it's moisture tolerant. MavCrete installs over high-moisture and green concrete where epoxy systems would first require costly moisture mitigation, which makes it a strong fit for wet-process facilities and fast-track construction schedules.
Plan Around Your Production Schedule
Send us your sanitation windows, line layout, and exposure conditions. We'll return a phased installation plan and budget range — our promise is a response within 48 hours.