Winery Crush Pad Flooring: Slope, Traction, Acid and Timing

By Pablo Figueroa · October 22, 2026 · 4 min read

The crush pad is where fruit arrives, gets sorted and pressed, and where most of the wet work in a winery starts. It is also the floor with the least room to fail, because the season it works in cannot be paused.

How long does a crush pad have to perform?

California crush timing varies by region, grape variety and year. Wine Institute’s harvest reporting describes August starts in several regions and notes that some harvests typically extend into November. Harvest can start earlier when conditions change. Schedule installation around the winery’s actual operating calendar, allowing for preparation, curing and return to service before the first bin arrives; do not assume the pad is unused outside harvest.

How should a crush pad drain?

Specify falls toward drains so water can flow without relying on a squeegee, and select drains rated for the expected forklift and equipment traffic. Consider solids interception, such as a catch basin, as part of the drainage design. On uncovered pads, any valve arrangement separating rainwater from process wastewater must follow the site’s approved wastewater and stormwater requirements; a three-way valve alone does not establish permission to discharge. State the slope in inches per foot and test it with water before a coating goes on.

Does a crush pad need a coating?

Grape acids and cleaning products can damage bare concrete. UC Davis’s Waterhouse Lab lists typical wine concentrations of 1,000 to 4,000 mg/L tartaric acid and 0 to 8,000 mg/L malic acid. These are wine-composition figures, not a coating resistance rating. UC Davis’s winery chemical guidance also describes peracetic acid, citric acid and caustic cleaners. Caustic cleaners are alkaline, not acids.

A study of Portland cement mortar exposed to organic acids found greater degradation in citric and lactic acids than in acetic and propionic acids at tested concentrations of 5%, 10% and 15% weight/volume. Those laboratory results show a risk to cement-based materials, not a prediction of winery floor service life. Select a coating only after its manufacturer confirms compatibility with the actual products, concentrations, temperatures and contact times in the winery’s cleaning program.

What kind of traction should the pad have?

An aggregate-textured finish can provide traction, but coarser texture is not a guarantee of wet slip resistance and can retain more residue. Choose and evaluate the texture for each area’s footwear, traffic, contaminants and cleaning routine: forklift lanes, sorting areas and wash zones can each need something different.

What about joints and drains?

ASCC’s Concrete Polishing Council Position Statement No. 4 explains that the most significant slab shrinkage occurs in the first year, especially the first 90 days. It cites a minimum 28-day cure recommended by most filler manufacturers and a 90-day cure recommended by ACI 302.1R-15, and advises deferring filling as long as practical. Plan the fill date with the project team and product manufacturer. Drains are where concrete, steel and coating meet, and they take wheel traffic, so the coating’s termination at each drain needs a drawn detail.

Should the pad have a roof?

A roof or cover can help protect the work area against weather and sun. If the pad stays open, ask the coating manufacturer in writing whether the complete system is rated for outdoor exposure, including UV, rain and expected temperature changes.

For the full eight-point checklist, see this week's edition of The Floor Front, our LinkedIn newsletter.

Planning work on your pad? Explore DTI’s winery flooring services and concrete floor and joint repair. Compare epoxy flooring systems against the exposure requirements, and use our zone-by-zone winery floor assessment guide to prepare for the site review.

Drain edges lifting or lanes wearing on your crush pad? Request a free floor-condition assessment or call (209) 879-9674.

Image: AI-generated illustration of a winery crush pad, not a documented DTI project.