Guides
Choosing an industrial floor coating for your site
Every guide on this site, gathered in one place. Read about choosing a resin system, preparing concrete, estimating costs, dealing with damp slabs and keeping a coated floor intact under daily use.
Choosing and specifying a resin floor
The type of resin matters more than the colour. Epoxy suits most indoor spaces where chemical spills are light and traffic is steady. Polyurethane handles temperature changes better, so it appears in cold stores or areas near exterior doors. A separate guide compares the two resins directly and explains where each one fails.
Thickness determines how long a floor lasts before wear shows through. A thin coating might survive foot traffic in a small workshop but will chip under pallet truck wheels within months. Another page sets out typical thickness ranges for different loads, from a domestic garage to a distribution centre running three shifts.
Cost depends on preparation as much as the resin itself. Grinding, repairing cracks and applying primer all add to the square metre price. The pricing guide breaks down what affects the final figure, so you can see why two quotes for the same area sometimes differ by half.
Preparing the concrete slab
Resin bonds to clean, sound concrete. Paint, oil, laitance or dust left on the surface will cause the coating to lift later. Two guides cover the main preparation methods: diamond grinding and shot blasting. One explains when each method works best; the other goes deeper into the machinery and the profile it leaves behind.
Moisture is the other common reason coatings fail. Epoxy does not stick to wet concrete. A dedicated page describes the tests a specialist uses to measure moisture vapour emission before any resin goes down, and what happens if those readings are ignored.
Sometimes the existing floor already has paint or an old coating. Removing it entirely is expensive, so another guide explains how to check whether a new layer can go over the old one safely, and which signs mean the original finish must come off first.
Applying the coating and returning to use
Epoxy cures in stages. Foot traffic might be possible after twelve hours, but forklifts need longer. The curing guide sets out realistic timelines for light use, heavy use and full chemical resistance, because rushing back onto the floor causes marks that cannot be removed.
Warehouses rarely shut down completely for floor work. A separate guide looks at phasing the job so part of the unit stays operational while the rest cures. It covers ventilation, dust control and the sequence contractors follow to keep goods moving.
Peeling usually points back to preparation or moisture, but temperature during application plays a role too. The troubleshooting page lists the common causes and the checks a specialist runs before deciding whether to patch the affected area or strip it back to bare concrete.
Daily use, wear and maintenance
Forklifts do more damage than people expect. Solid tyres transmit shock straight into the resin, and turning on the spot grinds the surface down faster than driving in straight lines. Two guides examine how tyre choice, joint placement and traffic routes affect the lifespan of an industrial floor.
Cleaning keeps the surface safe but the wrong chemicals strip the gloss or soften the resin. The maintenance guide explains which detergents suit epoxy, how often to sweep and why pressure washing at close range damages the edges of expansion joints.
Spills happen in every unit. Oils, solvents and acids sit differently on resin depending on the formulation. A dedicated page covers chemical resistance ratings and how to read them, so you know whether a specific spill needs immediate cleanup or can wait until the end of a shift without staining the floor.
Specific floor types and finishes
Garages, warehouses and food factories have different requirements. The garage guide focuses on durability against car tyres and hot pick-up, where rubber leaves black marks on cheaper coatings. The warehouse page adds line marking and bay layouts to the discussion.
Anti-slip additives matter on ramps, in wash bays and anywhere water collects. That guide explains how grit size changes both traction and cleanability, since a heavily textured floor traps dirt that a smooth one would not.
Screeding levels an uneven slab before the final coating goes on. The screed guide covers depth limits, drying times and the difference between bonded and unbonded applications. Line marking gets its own page too, detailing paint types, widths and the regulations around aisle markings in storage buildings. Finally, the repair guide addresses chips, cracks and worn patches, explaining when a local fix holds and when the whole section needs redoing.
Ask about your concrete floor
Send details of the space and the problem you want solved. A specialist firm will review the information and reply with advice. There is no obligation to book any work.
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- Advice across the UK
Choosing a coating
- Floor thickness
How thick a resin floor should be depends on traffic, wear and the concrete below, with depths from thin coatings under 1mm to screeds of 6mm to 9mm.
- Cost per m²
What drives resin flooring cost per square metre: floor area, the state of the concrete, system thickness, preparation work and anti slip finishes.
- Epoxy or polyurethane
Epoxy or polyurethane flooring: epoxy gives hardness and build, while polyurethane handles heat, chemicals and movement better. See which suits your floor.
- Drying time
Epoxy floor drying time depends on temperature, thickness and product. See typical waits before foot traffic and forklifts, and what slows a cure down.
- Peeling floors
Peeling epoxy floors usually point to damp concrete, thin preparation or a weak bond. Learn what to look for and how a failed coating can be put right.
- Damp concrete
Laying epoxy on damp concrete risks blistering and lost bond. Find out how slab moisture is measured and when a damp proof primer helps.
- Advice
Industrial flooring advice on resin systems, surface preparation, moisture, grip and line marking, with guides covering common problems on UK floors.