Company: Revol Greens
Location: Temple, TX
Renovations: Greenhouse Food-Grade Floor Coating
About the Project
The advent of ice shipping in the early 1900s expanded the lettuce market as the produce was made available in regions unable to support lettuce production. The vegetable was popularized across the country, eventually becoming a staple in the American diet. As of 2021, lettuce salads were only second to potatoes in terms of annual consumption per capita.
According to the USDA, 85% of lettuce available for consumption in the US is produced domestically. However, production of lettuce is still largely dictated by the seasons. As the weather changes, areas of production move and lettuce is shipped across the country to support supply needs. This process hinders price and quality of lettuce as shipping costs increase and freshness decreases the longer produce spends in transport.
The client, a large lettuce-growing facility, seeks to combat dependence on seasonal growing by creating greenhouses across the country to bolster lettuce production even during local off-seasons. The client aims to produce fresher produce with less environmental impact and cost to the consumer by growing lettuce locally, using fewer natural resources and no unnecessary chemicals. Food safety, sustainability, and high product quality remain top priorities in every aspect of construction and production.
Problem
Lifetime Green Coatings was approached regarding the largest of the client’s greenhouses, located in Temple, Texas. Built by construction firm ARCO Murray, this 20-acre facility is the most technologically advanced of all the client’s greenhouses. When the client began looking for a suitable floor coating, ARCO Murray suggested Lifetime Green Coatings having witnessed the strength and durability of the coating over several previous projects.
Any coating used must comply with agricultural regulations, reducing any exposure to VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). Additionally, the client identified that the chosen floor coating must be able to handle aggressive traffic of 12,000+ pound forklifts.
Solution
To comply with agricultural regulations, Lifetime Green Coatings is completely free of toxins, VOCs, and BPA. The patented formula, made of castor oil and gypsum, meets food-safe criteria and is ANSI/NSF-61 rated for contact with potable water.
In addition to meeting food-safe regulations, Lifetime Green Coatings also aligns with the client’s goal of environmentally sustainable production. Castor oil, which comes from castor bean plants, is a renewable resource and eco-friendly. Gypsum is a soft rock that can be found across the United States and can be recycled in its plasticized state. Furthermore, no solvents are used in the application process or cleanup.
Lifetime Green Coatings exhibits two times the adhesion on concrete flooring compared to most other conventional coating solutions, while still retaining flexibility. The coating expands and shrinks through temperature changes alongside the flooring surface underneath, preventing cracking and ensuring minimal maintenance costs for the client. Additionally, due to the presence of plasticized gypsum in the formulation, the coating has the ability to re-bond to surfaces originally coated with Lifetime Green Coatings. This self-bonding property allows for easy repair to the floor coating if needed, unlike alternative floor coatings made from epoxy, polyaspartic, and polyurea.
Lifetime Green Coatings has more than twenty years of proven experience protecting surfaces that face particularly aggressive traffic and harsh conditions, such as ship decks on large C-Class ferries and inside oil and production water tanks. This demonstrable history, along with months-long testing conducted by the client, shows the coating can withstand incredibly adverse conditions with minimal impact.
Key Adhesion Numbers:
| Thickness | 0.050”-0.100” (1.3mm - 2.5mm) |
| Durability | Astm C627 [16,000 Passes Of An Average Sized Car] [No Debonding Or Deterioration Occurred] |
| Tensile Strength | Astm D412 900 Psi (20 mil application) 2000 Psi (35-40 mil application) |
| Elongation | Astm D412 20 - 100% |
| Crack Bridging | 1/16” (1.6mm) |
| Impact Resistance | (Izod) 2 Ft-lbsf/Inch ( Drops Sharply At -20°c ) (11 Kgf-mm/Mm) Hardness - Shore Durometer D 50 +/- 10 |
| Hardness | Shore Durometer D 50 +/- 10 |
| Heat Resistance | Continuous 200°f (93°c) |
| Minimum Temperature | -20 To -40°f (-30 To -40°c ) |
| Maximum Temperature | 200°f (93°c) |
| Water Absorption | Astm D570 0.3 % |
| Rapid Chloride Permeability | Astm C1202 17 (Nil) Coulombs [After 6 Hours] |
Results
The client invited several floor coating companies to lay 4’ by 4’ test pads to measure the strength and durability of each product. Lifetime Green Coatings provided one such test pad, installing a full quartz broadcast that created an incredibly durable finish while using natural elements. A light flake finish was also included for aesthetic value.
After months of testing, Lifetime Green Coatings proved strong enough to withstand the daily rigors of production. The client selected Lifetime Green Coatings above all other options. The project was completed to the client’s specifications, finished on time and within budget.
