Restaurants · Hotels · Commissaries · Institutional kitchens
A floor built around hot washdowns, busy service and the next reopening.
Priority One installs epoxy quartz and urethane-cement flooring for commercial kitchens across Metro Vancouver. We match the floor build to each cook line, dish pit and prep area, with preparation, cove base, drain details and return-to-use timing included in the scope.
Richmond-based · Serving Vancouver and the Lower Mainland · Itemized project proposals
Commercial kitchen flooring in Vancouver
The floor under a fryer has a different job than the floor in dry storage.
Heat, grease, wash water, detergents, carts and equipment loads determine the right kitchen floor. Priority One reviews those conditions alongside the existing slab, then scopes the preparation, resin build, texture and details for each area. We work with restaurant operators, hotel teams, commissaries, institutional food-service facilities and general contractors.
For hot and wet zones, urethane cement is often the starting point. Quartz-broadcast epoxy can suit selected prep and support spaces. The proposed products, thickness and cleaning conditions are confirmed before the system is selected.
Choose your work area
Open a zone to see the likely system direction and the details we review. These are starting recommendations; the substrate and the selected manufacturer's data govern the final build.
System direction: A urethane-cement / PU-cement build selected for the actual service temperature, chemical exposure and impact.
What we check: Fryer and kettle discharge, wash-water temperature, grease contamination, equipment bases, floor thickness, edge terminations and the available closure.
System direction: Textured PU-cement where hot washdown and repeated wet use justify it, with compatible cove and drain details.
What we check: Ponding, drain rims and connections, wall bases, rolling carts, sanitation chemicals and how the floor will be scrubbed, rinsed and dried.
System direction: Quartz-broadcast epoxy or urethane cement, depending on heat, wet exposure, cleaning and traffic. Dry storage may allow a simpler resin build.
What we check: Chemical compatibility, cart routes, texture, door clearance, adjoining finishes and cleaning access around fixed equipment.
System direction: A resin build suited to the room's service conditions and installation temperature, with a defined threshold and transition detail.
What we check: Defrosting, moisture, insulation or panel condition, adjacent elevations and traffic. For the full refrigerated-room scope, see walk-in cooler and freezer flooring .
Epoxy, quartz & polyurethane cement
“Epoxy flooring” covers many different builds. The useful comparison is the complete installed system: resin chemistry, preparation, thickness, aggregate, coves, terminations and cure conditions.
| System | Likely fit | Why consider it | Confirm before installation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urethane cement / PU-cement | Hot, wet cook lines, dishwashing and demanding washdown zones. | Product-specific thermal-shock, chemical, impact and wear resistance; compatible cove options. | Temperature and chemical limits, required thickness, concrete moisture conditions, anchoring details and texture. |
| Quartz-broadcast epoxy | Selected prep rooms, dry stores and service corridors. | A seamless aggregate finish with adjustable texture, colour and build. | Actual wash temperature, cleaner compatibility, moisture, topcoat and whether severe thermal cycling rules it out. |
| High-build epoxy | Suitable dry support areas with lower thermal and wet exposure. | A durable resin surface where the room does not require a heavier kitchen build. | Traffic, spills, texture, slab condition and separation from hotter or wetter operations. |
Comparing against tile or sheet flooring? Include existing-floor removal, joint and edge maintenance, drain compatibility, repairs and the sanitation routine in the comparison. A thin floor paint is a different scope from a prepared, multi-layer kitchen resin system.
The details carry the performance
A commercial kitchen floor includes every edge water can reach. These photographs show Priority One's urethane-cement workmanship in a separate Yaletown installation, with details relevant to kitchen resin flooring.
Measure the cove height and linear footage, inspect the wall base, and specify the upper termination. Include columns, equipment plinths and other perimeter interruptions.
Inspect drain rims, surrounding concrete and the path of wash water. Local rebuilding may be possible; widespread poor fall or leaking connections require a coordinated repair scope.
Assess cracks and moving joints separately. Detail door clearances, cart impacts, penetrations and changes in floor height before applying the finish.
Traction and cleaning belong together. Choose the aggregate profile around grease, water, footwear and the cleaning equipment. Specify a sample or mock-up where needed. Surface texture, drainage, housekeeping and footwear all contribute to safer use.
Relevant local experience
Two unnamed examples from Priority One's kitchen and food-service experience show how exposure and the underlying assembly affect a recommendation.
Completed application · Vancouver
The installation was confined to the harder-use bakery proofer/oven zone. It demonstrates the same approach used in a kitchen: specify the build for the exposure in that area.
Site assessment · Burnaby
The assessment identified issues that a coating alone could not resolve. Drainage and the underlying assembly needed attention before a finish could be responsibly specified.
From the last service to the first washdown
The shutdown window includes clearance, removal, preparation, repairs, installation and curing. Where the layout and selected system allow, work can be phased around operations. The kitchen team and flooring crew agree on access and boundaries first.
Map heat, cleaning, chemicals, drains and traffic. Assess the existing floor and agree on products, details, responsibilities and closure dates.
Coordinate equipment movement and protection of food and adjacent operations. Remove unsuitable finishes and mechanically prepare sound concrete.
Complete agreed repairs and edge details, then install the specified primer, resin build, aggregate and finish within the manufacturer's conditions.
Review the completed details. Confirm access, equipment loading, cleaning and chemical-exposure times, with care guidance for the installed finish.
Foot traffic is only one reopening milestone. Equipment, carts, hot-water cleaning and chemical exposure may require longer cure periods. The written schedule follows the selected product and site conditions.
Support the sanitation plan
Priority One can provide product data, the proposed floor build, cove and drain details, finish information and cleaning guidance for the flooring portion of your project review.
BC's Food Premises Regulation requires suitable, durable and easily cleaned construction materials. Proposed construction or alterations must follow the applicable plans-and-specifications approval process. Confirm your scope with the environmental health officer before work begins.
The operator coordinates health approval and operating permits with the relevant authority. Acceptance concerns the premises and its operation as a whole; the flooring specification is one part of that review.
Commercial kitchen flooring cost
Square footage starts the conversation. Removal, repairs, drain edges, coves and shutdown logistics can account for much of a kitchen project's work. An itemized proposal makes those differences visible before you compare prices.
A small kitchen can have a higher cost per square foot because mobilization and detail work remain substantial. The site review establishes what is included and which work belongs to other trades.
Richmond-based · Metro Vancouver
We review commercial kitchen projects in Vancouver, Richmond, Burnaby, Surrey, Delta, New Westminster, Coquitlam and the North Shore. Kitchens in restaurants, hotels, campuses, care facilities and shared food-service spaces each need a scope built around their operations. Other Lower Mainland and BC projects can be reviewed by size, access and schedule.
Answers before the site visit
Yes, when the zone and floor build are suitable. Quartz-broadcast epoxy can work in selected prep, storage and corridor areas. Hot washdowns, steam and thermal cycling can require a urethane-cement system. We check the actual product, thickness and exposure before recommending either.
PU-cement, polyurethane cement and urethane cement are commonly used names for the same broad resin-and-cement flooring family. Individual systems still differ in thickness, finish, service-temperature limits, chemical resistance and installation requirements.
That depends on the tile's bond, grout, contamination, moisture and elevations. Loose or unsuitable material should be removed. The assessment determines whether an approved overlay is feasible or removal is needed to reach a suitable substrate.
The assembly needs investigation before a resin finish is selected. Wet or moving wood, leaking plumbing, failed drain connections and waterproofing defects can require work by other trades or a designed replacement assembly. A surface coating alone does not correct those causes.
The floor finish follows the surface beneath it. Limited low spots may be corrected within an agreed repair scope. Widespread poor fall, unsuitable drain elevations or leaking connections can require a separate sloped assembly or plumbing work before the resin is installed.
Aggregate can improve traction for the expected wet or greasy conditions. The selected texture also needs to remain practical to clean. Drainage, contamination, footwear and housekeeping affect the result, so no floor should be treated as slip-proof.
Some projects allow night work or phased installation. Feasibility depends on access, equipment, food protection, preparation, repairs and the selected system's cure requirements. We confirm the complete closure and reopening plan after assessment, including equipment and cleaning access.
The price depends on preparation, removal, concrete condition, system thickness, coves, drains and the work schedule. Send the area, photos and operating conditions for an initial review. A site-specific, itemized proposal defines the actual scope and exclusions.
Start with your kitchen
Send your floor area, operating conditions, photos and available closure window. Priority One will review the preparation, system and detailing needed for your project.
