If your café floor in Tauranga is doing a better job surfing than your customers, we need to talk. Between sea spray, fine Papamoa sand, and a steady flow of jandals, hospitality floors work harder here than a barista at 7:30am. At NZ Grinders, we design non-slip concrete finishes that look beautiful, clean easily, and—most importantly—help keep guests on their feet. Here’s our practical guide to finishes, pendulum slip ratings, and the cleaning routines that actually hold up once the doors open.

Why Slip Resistance Matters More by the Coast

Coastal hospitality spaces fight three enemies: moisture, contamination, and abrasion. Salt air and mist make surfaces damp. Cooking oils and latte art mishaps add a thin film. Then sand arrives like glitter—everywhere—scratching sealers and polishing high-traffic paths. Because of this, Tauranga venues need finishes that balance texture (for grip), density (for durability), and maintainability (for sanity).

Your Finish Options (and Where They Shine)

1) Honed Concrete (Exterior paths, patios, pool surrounds)

We mechanically grind to expose fine aggregate, then hone to a uniform microtexture. Add a penetrating sealer with a grit-boost where needed, and you get a chic, matte look that resists slips even when a sea breeze turns to sea drizzle. Great around entrances and outdoor seating.

2) Grind & Seal (Front-of-house floors with heavy traffic)

We grind, refine, then seal with a commercial-grade coating. For hospitality, we favour low-sheen, slip-rated topcoats that resist oils and are easy to clean. The trick is specifying the right texture additive so it grips without feeling like sandpaper underfoot. Reseal cycles keep performance consistent.

3) Mechanically Polished Concrete (Back-of-house corridors & dry service zones)

Polished concrete is dense and tough. In very wet or oily zones it’s not the first choice unless we introduce micro-etching or an anti-slip guard system. In drier zones, a polish with the correct finish profile gives durability and fast clean-downs.

4) Exposed Aggregate with Post-Hone (Outdoor queues & coastal forecourts)

For beachfront spots that cop wind-driven spray, a shallow expose plus a tight hone delivers traction without chewing through mop heads. Seal with UV-stable products designed for salt-laden air.

Pro tip: We tailor the finish by zone. Entrances need more texture than dining aisles. Kitchens need different chemistry than patios. NZ Grinders can mix-and-match across your plan so each area is purpose-built.

Pendulum Testing: What It Is and How to Use It

The pendulum test measures how slippery a surface is by swinging a rubber slider across the floor and reading the resistance. Higher readings indicate more grip. In practice:

• Wet areas (entries open to rain, patios) should target higher slip performance than dry interior zones.
• Oil-prone areas (kitchens, coffee service) benefit from finishes that hold their rating under contamination.
• Audits are your friend: test after installation and re-check annually or after reseals.

We help you choose finishes that achieve appropriate ratings for your risk profile, tenancy, and insurer expectations. If your venue has compliance paperwork, keep test certificates with your maintenance log.

The Cleaning Schedule Tauranga Floors Actually Need

Daily (open & close)

• Dry soil first: Put mats at entries and vacuum/grit-sweep before mopping. Don’t skip this—sand is liquid sandpaper.
• Neutral cleaner, warm water: Use an auto-scrubber or microfiber mop with a food-safe, neutral pH detergent.
• Change the water often: Dirty water is a slip film in disguise.
• Spot degrease: Treat coffee/oil drips quickly with a manufacturer-approved degreaser.

Weekly

• De-film wash: Use a maintenance cleaner that breaks down detergent residue and body oils without attacking the sealer.
• Detail edges & grout lines: Grease and grit love perimeters.

Monthly/Quarterly

• Deep clean + inspection: Rotary scrub with appropriate pads (no black pads on honed finishes). Check traffic lanes for wear.
• Friction check: If staff notice “it feels slick,” call us for a pendulum re-test or micro-etch service.

Annually (typical; traffic may demand sooner)

• Reseal or recoat high-wear zones: Grind & seal systems keep their slip numbers when recoated on schedule. Outdoor honed concrete may need top-ups depending on UV and footfall.

Avoid: Steam mops on sealed floors, citrus solvents that soften coatings, and over-dosing detergent (hello, invisible skating rink).

Real-World Wear: Designing for Chairs, Sand, and Spills

• Chair glides: Fit rubber or felt feet; metal caps chew through sealers and invite slips.
• Walk-off zones: Use quality mats long enough for three steps; shake them out daily.
• Texture that cleans: We aim for microtexture you can mop, not deep grooves that trap pastry flakes.
• Zonal strategy: Higher texture at doors and coffee pass; smoother (but still compliant) in dining aisles for easy chair movement.
• Service routes: Expect “polished paths.” We specify harder guard coats or densified surfaces along those lines to keep friction consistent.

Specification Cheatsheet (Architects & Fit-Out Teams)

• Finish by zone: Entry (higher slip resistance), dining (balanced), kitchen pass (contamination-tolerant), patio (UV/salt rated).
• Sealer system: UV-stable outdoors; low-sheen, food-safe, slip-rated indoors with approved anti-slip additive.
• Testing: Pendulum test on completion; keep rating on record.
• Maintenance plan: Attach the daily/weekly schedule to staff onboarding.
• Lifecycle: Plan for periodic micro-etch or reseal rather than waiting for a slip incident to force the issue.

When to Choose NZ Grinders

We live and work in these conditions, so we know what Tauranga’s coast throws at a floor. NZ Grinders designs, installs, tests, and maintains non-slip concrete systems that survive salt air, sand, coffee, cocktails—and the occasional exuberant golden retriever. We’ll map the zones, hit the right slip targets, and give you a cleaning plan your team will actually follow.

Ready to make your venue safer without sacrificing style? Let’s plan the right finish by zone and lock in the maintenance schedule. Call Glen (North Island) on 021 434 199, Mike (South Island) on 027 755 6672, or email Ian (Sales Manager) via our contact page. NZ Grinders has Tauranga floors sorted—rain, sand, and flat whites included.