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Freezer Floor Warming Construction System

A key component in the success of long term success of a large cold storage construction is the installation of a quality freezer floor warming systems.  Large freezer facilities are typically maintained between +20° F and – 40° F.  The floor and subfloor design includes multiple layers of dirt, insulation and concrete.  The substrate, the soil below the freezer floor, is normally around 50 degrees F and contains moisture.  Without a floor heating system, the soil temperature below the concrete would fall below freezing and the moisture in the soil will begin to freeze, expand, and eventually cause the floor to heave or buckle.

Installing a new freezer floor with a floor-warming system or replacing an existing floor requires highly specialized technology and experience because of its critical requirements.

Unified employs proven in-floor radiant heat technology by placing a continuous run of tubing below thick layers of insulation and concrete with no buried fittings. Controls for either warm air or glycol systems are very accessible. This ensures a frost-free under-slab environment with minimal BTUH load.

Unified Building Systems, Inc. has years of experience in the design and installation of floor-warming systems. Our under-floor systems work efficiently to ensure the integrity of the freezer floor.   A Unified installed floor system will ensure a frost free under-slab and freezer floor that will provide years of reliable service.

Freezer Floor Repairs

Repairs to floors showing signs of frost heave must be made immediately. Often, owners ignore the signs and wait too long to make repairs. As the flooring condition continues to worsen, impacts are seen throughout the facility. For example, columns and roof members can bend to the point of failure, creating a dangerous and catastrophic condition that is not economically feasible to repair. If a facility reaches this point, often it must be demolished and replaced with a new structure.

Frost heave warning signs:

• Cracks begin forming in your freezer floor
• Your freezer floor’s grade is noticeably uneven
• Racking or pallet positions are shifted, tilted or out of alignment
• Forklift trucks have difficulty maneuvering over the freezer floor

If frost heave is detected before the facility’s structural integrity is compromised, the standard repair procedure is to replace the entire floor and repair the under-floor heating system. Depending on existing conditions, it may not always be necessary to take the freezer completely out of service for repairs. On a number of occasions Unified has been able to correct the under-floor heating deficiencies and replace freezer floor slabs without disrupting existing operations for many clients. Unified’s flooring-repair solution involves thawing and corrective conditioning of the frozen soil, which is absolutely essential in guaranteeing the long-term success of any freezer floor repair work.