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Flooring for Food Establishments
When installing a new floor or replacing an existing floor, contact
Sonoma County Environmental Health to assure the floor and base meet
the current requirements.
The California Uniform Retail Food Facility Law (CURFFL) Section 114150
(a) states the following:
Except in sales areas of retail food establishments and as otherwise
provided in subdivision (d), the floor surfaces in all areas in which
food is prepared, packaged, or stored, where any utensil is washed,
where refuse or garbage is stored, where janitorial facilities are
located, and, except with respect to areas relating to guestroom
accommodations and the private accommodations of owners and operators
in restricted food service transient occupancy establishments, as
defined in Section 113870, in all toilet and handwashing areas, and
in employee change and storage areas shall be smooth and of durable
construction and nonabsorbent material that is easily cleaned. These
floor surfaces shall be coved at the juncture of the floor and wall
with a 10 millimeter (3/8 inch) minimum radius coving and shall extend
up the wall at least 10 centimeters (4 inches) except in areas where
food is stored only in unopened bottles, cans, cartons, sacks, or
other original shipping containers.
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The following floor types will meet the above CURFFL requirements:
Full kitchens (containing cooking
equipment), sculleries, meat or fish preparation areas, bars, bakeries,
and any areas with a power wash down:
- Quarry tile with a 4" quarry tile coved base. Epoxy grout is
recommended.
- Troweled on epoxy floor (not paint) with a 4" self-coved base.
- 100% homogenous vinyl flooring recommended by the manufacturer for
use in commercial kitchens, such as Altro? 25. The floor must have
heat-welded seams and a 4" self-coved base.
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Limited food preparation areas, service
areas and restrooms such as delicatessens, sandwich shops, espresso
shops, areas behind service counters, employee change areas and janitorial
rooms:
- Those floors listed above for full kitchens.
- The minimum flooring required is a commercial grade sheet vinyl,
such as Congoleum Marathon or Armstrong Corlon, containing a composition
backing (felt backing) having chemically-welded seams with a 4" self-coved
base.
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Dry storage areas (all prepackaged,
no open food containers, no food preparation, no sinks, no refrigerators
and no ice machines):
- Those floors listed for full service kitchens and limited food preparation
areas.
- The minimum flooring required is vinyl composition tile with a 4" vinyl
top set coved base.
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Walk-in refrigerators and freezers:
- Metal floor and coved base installed as part of the NSF or equivalent
walk-in.
- Quarry tile with a coved base supplied by the walk-in manufacture.
Epoxy grout is recommended. The coved base supplied by the walk in
manufacture should be used on the outside of the walk-in if the walk
in is located within the kitchen.
- Seamless trowled on epoxy (not paint) with a coved base supplied
by the walk-in manufacturer.
- Smooth, sealed concrete with 4" coved concrete base or a coved
base supplied by the walk-in manufacturer.
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Floor Drains
Upon new construction or extensive remodeling, floor drains shall be
installed as follows:
- In floors that are water-flushed for cleaning.
- In areas where pressure spray methods for cleaning equipment are
used.
In rest rooms, floor drains are recommended, but not required.
If you have further questions, contact Jim Tyler, Environmental Health
Specialist III, at (707) 565-6544, FAX (707) 565-6525, or e-mail jtyler@sonoma-county.org.
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