Why is urethane cement rough compared to epoxy in Ontario kitchens?

How rough a urethane cement floor feels depends on the product and how it is finished, and the data sheet for the specific product sets what finish is achievable.

One installer page lists both self-levelling and trowel-applied urethane cement. Ask the contractor which they propose, what texture it will have, and why that suits your kitchen.

What Ontario rules actually say about kitchen floors

O. Reg. 493/17 (Food Premises), s.7(1)(c), requires that floors in food preparation, service and related rooms be "tight, smooth and non-absorbent." The regulation does not name any coating system, and it does not set a texture measurement. A seamless resinous floor is one way to meet "tight, smooth and non-absorbent" and to allow easy cleaning; it is not the only way, and the regulation does not require it.

R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 851 (Industrial Establishments), s.11(b), says a floor used by any worker shall not have "any finish or protective material used on it that is likely to make the surface slippery." That applies in a commercial kitchen where workers are present. No slip-resistance number is set in Reg. 851 or in the 2024 Ontario Building Code. A test value in a contractor's quote is a product claim to compare, not a legal threshold.

One coatings maker's article notes that epoxy is hard and chemical-resistant but "does not perform as well as other materials when exposed to thermal shock," and recommends cementitious urethane for commercial kitchens. That is one manufacturer's position, not a settled rule, and it does not address surface finish.

Before booking a kitchen re-floor, Ottawa Public Health asks to be notified when a food premises is being significantly renovated. We found nothing that says whether re-coating an existing kitchen floor counts as a significant renovation: ask OPH before booking the work.

When reviewing quotes, ask each contractor to provide the product data sheet and the safety data sheet (SDS) for every product they plan to use. Section 2 of the SDS covers hazards; Section 9 covers flash point, which matters if any solvent-based primer is involved. Ask what surface profile they will achieve, what the data sheet requires for that profile, and how the finished surface will meet the "tight, smooth and non-absorbent" standard in O. Reg. 493/17.

Before you sign, ask the contractor to show you a finished floor they have installed in a commercial kitchen in Ottawa and to explain how the surface texture on that floor meets both the Food Premises regulation and Reg. 851.