A Guide To Walk-In Cooler And Freezer Flooring

Revised 1-20-25

Your walk-in cooler or freezer is a considerable investment for your business. It provides safe and sanitary storage for foods and other products. So, it’s essential to ensure your walk-in holds up to the long-term demands of your operation. One of the best ways to do that is to choose the correct flooring.

In this guide, we will show you the factors that affect walk-in cooler and freezer flooring choices. We will also discuss the types of floors available and some standard options.

Do you need an insulated floor for your walk-in cooler or freezer?

Whether you need an insulated floor depends largely on a couple of things:

• The walk-in temperature (+32°F or below or +35°F cooler)
• The weight of the traffic going in and out (foot traffic only, rolling carts or hand-operated pallet jacks)

Indoor walk-in coolers installed on a concrete slab won’t require an insulated floor as long as the slab sits directly on the ground with no parking structures or floors underneath the walk-in.

A concrete floor will withstand heavy traffic and product weight for walk-in cooler applications. However, the walk-in’s energy efficiency will improve with a polyurethane foamed-in-place insulated floor.

Floorless walk-in coolers also require U-shaped vinyl screeds or a metal cove base (when the walk-in has female bottom rails). Both sealer types join the walls to the concrete floor and form a barrier against warmer air and moisture.

Indoor coolers often don’t require an insulated floor if installed on a concrete slab sitting directly on the ground with no parking structures or floors beneath.

On the other hand, walk-in freezers always require an insulated floor, no matter the location or traffic. In fact, federal guidelines require a freezer to have an insulated floor with an R-value of at least 28. Without proper insulation, the concrete beneath the freezer will crack and break over time. Ice may also form under and around the slab.

Different types of insulation materials are available, but polyurethane is the most efficient.

Walk-in freezers always require an insulated floor.

Condensation and walk-in cooler flooring

One of the biggest threats to a walk-in cooler’s performance is condensation. Condensation caused by heat transfer from underneath a cooler causes several issues:

• The extra heat causes the walk-in’s refrigeration system to work harder to maintain a consistent cool temperature. This additional workload drives up your energy bill.
• When condensation forms on the floor, it becomes a slip and fall hazard
• The extra moisture from condensation can ruin perishable items like fruits and vegetables

Insulated floors are sometimes necessary to prevent condensation caused by heat transfer from beneath a walk-in cooler. These cases include:

• A walk-in cooler that’s located over a basement, parking lot or on a second floor. If moisture forms under the walk-in, it can cause mold and flooring damage eventually weakening the building’s structural integrity.
• An outside walk-in cooler that’s on an uninsulated concrete slab. The heat from the warmer ground moves upward, and an insulated floor blocks it out.

If you plan new construction, add thermal breaks under the walk-in wall perimeter and slab insulation as you pour the concrete. These protective measures keep condensation from forming inside and on the concrete slab.

What are the types of insulated walk-in flooring?

Different walk-in flooring types suit a wide range of traffic and product weights. Before choosing a floor, consider the weight of the items stored in your walk-in cooler or freezer. Also, consider how you will move products into and out of the walk-in and the traffic the floor will support.

Standard floors typically support 800 pounds per square foot with an evenly distributed stationary load. This flooring is manufactured like other walk-in panels and is best for foot traffic and lighter product storage only.

Standard floors typically support 800 lbs. per square foot with an evenly distributed stationary load.

A heavy-duty floor is a better choice with frequent wheeled traffic, such as hand carts. These floors contain a layer of foamed-in-place plywood to distribute the weight of light-wheeled traffic across a floor. Additionally, the heavy-duty option supports heavy items stored in pan racks and shelving.

Heavy-duty floors offer additional support for hand carts and heavier product storage.

For heavier traffic, there’s the structural floor option. Structural floors can handle heavy heavy-loaded carts or hand pallet jacks but not electric pallet jacks or forklifts. These floors, with polyurethane foamed-in-place structural pillars, support up to 5000 lbs/sq. ft. evenly distributed stationary load. Structural floors are ideal for beer keg storage.

Structural floors support up to 5000 lbs/sq. ft. evenly distributed stationary load, ideal for heavy carts and hand pallet jacks but not electric pallet jacks or forklifts.

To support electric pallet jacks and forklifts, you need an insulated concrete slab with breaker strips (thermal breaks) that come up to the finished floor surface for the wall panels to sit on. Breaker strips are pieces of 2-inch polyurethane foam that prevent heat transfer between the concrete floor’s cold and warm (ambient) sides.

Do you need a ramp for your walk-in floor?

For walk-ins with insulated floors, ramps make getting in and out of your walk-in more convenient. Ramps are also necessary if you roll in items on hand carts, lifts or hand pallet jacks. Standard ramps are only for rolling carts and are available only in widths matching the door. If you use hand pallet jacks, a heavy-duty ramp is an option.

Interior ramps, built into the floor panel of the walk-in, refrain from protruding into walkways and are more suited to lighter traffic.

Exterior ramps can handle heavier traffic than interior ramps but may block walkways. Be sure you have room for one first.

Exterior ramps handle heavier traffic if you have room for them.

Interior ramps are built into the floor panel of the walk-in.

Additional options for walk-in cooler and freezer flooring

In addition to ramps, there are other floor options. For example, a diamond tread finish with ¾” plywood backing instead of the standard smooth aluminum provides additional traction and strength.

Optional diamond tread finish with ¾” plywood backing provides additional traction and strength.

If you have an existing insulated floor and the metal is peeling away from the insulation, a new floor overlay could solve the problem. Usually, several metal finishes are available such as aluminum, stainless steel or diamond tread.

Drop-in floors are the answer if you have extensive floor damage or want to add a floor to a floorless walk-in. Drop-in floors can be field installed in your walk-in. As with overlays, there are typically several finish choices and an additional polyurethane foamed-in-place plywood sheet for extra support.

Choosing the right flooring saves headaches

Choosing the best walk-in floor saves operating costs and prevents service headaches. With careful consideration of walk-in temperature, location, product weight and traffic weight, you can protect your long-term investment and keep your stored items safe.

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