Anti-slip and non-slip resin flooring
A slippery floor is one of the most common causes of injury at work and the most avoidable. Where water, oil, grease or cleaning chemicals reach the floor, a smooth surface becomes a hazard and the duty to manage that risk sits with the site. An anti-slip floor builds traction into the surface itself, so it stays safe underfoot in the conditions that would make an ordinary floor dangerous.
Surface Specialists arranges anti-slip and non-slip resin flooring. We match the area to the right level of slip resistance and arrange installation by experienced specialist contractors, so the floor is prepared properly and finished to specification. You deal with one point of contact from first enquiry through to a completed floor. This page explains what anti-slip flooring is, where it is needed and how the right level of grip is specified.
What is anti-slip flooring?
Anti-slip flooring is a resin floor or coating with a textured surface that gives grip underfoot, usually created by broadcasting a fine aggregate into the resin so the finished floor has a controlled roughness rather than a smooth face. It is also called non-slip flooring or slip-resistant flooring and the same approach can be built into a full resin system or applied as an anti-slip floor coating over sound concrete.
The point of an anti-slip floor is traction in the wet. A smooth sealed floor can be perfectly safe when dry and treacherous once water, oil or grease is on it, so the surface is given enough texture to keep grip in those conditions while still being practical to clean. How much texture is the key decision, because more grip makes a floor safer but harder to clean and the right balance depends entirely on the area.
Where is anti-slip flooring needed?
Anti-slip flooring is specified wherever the floor gets wet, greasy or contaminated, or wherever people move quickly. Common areas include:
- Commercial kitchens and food production. Constant water, grease and wash-down make these among the highest-risk floors and they are usually finished to a high level of slip resistance.
- Wet-process and wash-down areas. Breweries, dairies and processing plants where the floor is wet for much of the day.
- Ramps, slopes and walkways. Any change of level needs extra grip, especially where it is wet or external.
- Entrances and external areas. Where rainwater is walked in, or where an outdoor surface has to stay safe in all weather.
- Industrial and warehouse zones. Areas with oil, coolant or spillage, often alongside our industrial flooring.
If you are not sure how much grip an area needs, that is exactly what the site survey is for.
How does an anti-slip floor work?
Slip resistance comes from texture. During installation a graded aggregate, such as fine silica or aluminium oxide, is broadcast into the wet resin and then sealed in, leaving a surface with a consistent grip rather than a polished finish. The grade and quantity of aggregate set how coarse the floor feels: a light broadcast gives subtle grip that still cleans easily, while a heavy broadcast gives maximum traction for the wettest areas.
The same principle works as part of a full resin floor or as an anti-slip coating applied over existing concrete. Either way the texture is built into the surface, so it does not wear off the way a loose mat or a temporary treatment does and it can be specified zone by zone so a kitchen, a walkway and a store each get the grip they need.
Anti-slip systems we cover
The right system depends on the area and the level of grip it needs, confirmed at survey.
Anti-slip resin flooring
A full epoxy or polyurethane floor with aggregate broadcast through the surface, for kitchens, wet-process areas and industrial zones that need a hard-wearing, hygienic, slip-resistant floor.
Anti-slip floor coatings and paint
A slip-resistant coating or floor paint applied over sound concrete where a full system is not needed, refreshing and protecting the floor while adding grip at a lower cost. See our floor painting service.
Anti-slip treatments for existing floors
Where a floor is otherwise sound but too slippery, a slip-resistant treatment or thin overlay can add traction without relaying the whole surface.
What to know before you specify an anti-slip floor
Grip has to be balanced against cleaning. The more texture a floor has, the more grip it gives and the harder it is to clean, so the level is matched to the area rather than maxed out everywhere. A kitchen and an office need very different finishes.
Preparation still matters. Like any resin floor, an anti-slip system only lasts over a properly prepared substrate. The floor is mechanically prepared and any concrete repairs are carried out first. See our subfloor preparation services.
Cleaning regime. A textured floor needs the right cleaning method to keep the grip working, so the cleaning approach is worth agreeing when the floor is specified rather than afterwards.
How long does an anti-slip floor last and how is it maintained?
A correctly specified anti-slip floor lasts as long as the resin system it is part of, typically 10 to 20 years in a commercial setting with the texture built into the surface rather than sitting on top of it. Day to day it needs regular cleaning with the right method, because letting grease or residue build up in the texture reduces the grip the floor was specified to give.
Over time the highest-traffic lines can smooth slightly and where that happens the surface can usually be refreshed or recoated to restore the grip rather than relaid. A periodic check of the wettest and busiest areas is the simplest way to keep the floor performing and a quick survey will confirm whether a refresh is due.
Why choose Surface Specialists?
Anti-slip flooring is a specialist field and the right result comes down to the right level of grip specified for the area and laid by people who do this work every day. That is what we arrange with one point of contact looking after the project from start to finish.
- A specialist focus. We concentrate on commercial surface treatment, so the floor is matched to the right level of slip resistance rather than a one-size-fits-all answer.
- Experienced contractors. Installation is carried out by established specialist contractors with a track record in anti-slip resin flooring.
- Specified for the area. Grip is balanced against cleaning and matched to each zone, so the floor is safe and practical.
- One point of contact. From survey and specification through to a completed floor, you deal with us.
This is one of our commercial resin flooring services. We also cover industrial flooring, car park deck coatings and bund lining. Learn more about Surface Specialists or explore the full range of resin flooring we cover.
Areas we cover
We arrange anti-slip flooring through experienced specialist contractors and are steadily extending the areas we cover. See our areas we cover hub for local detail, including anti-slip flooring in Manchester, with more local pages being added.
Get a quote
Tell us about your site and we will arrange a free site survey, then provide a written specification and quotation, typically within 48 hours. There is no obligation. Contact us to get started.
GET A FREE SITE SURVEY & QUOTATION
Frequently asked questions
Can you make an existing floor non-slip?
Yes. Where a floor is otherwise sound but too slippery, an anti-slip coating or treatment can be applied over it to add grip without relaying the whole surface. If the floor is worn or failing, a new anti-slip resin system is usually the better long-term answer. We advise which at survey.
How is slip resistance measured?
Slip resistance is assessed with recognised tests, most commonly a pendulum test that gives a slip value and a ramp test that produces the R ratings you may have seen quoted. We do not expect you to know the numbers; we match the finish to how wet and busy the area is and can specify to a required rating where one applies.
Is anti-slip flooring suitable for commercial kitchens?
Yes. Commercial kitchens are one of the most common uses, because constant water and grease make them high-risk. A seamless anti-slip resin floor gives the grip and the hygiene a kitchen needs with the texture set to stay safe underfoot while remaining cleanable.
Does more grip make a floor harder to clean?
Yes, which is why the level is balanced rather than maximised. A heavier texture gives more grip but holds more dirt, so we specify enough slip resistance for the area without making the floor impractical to keep clean.
How long does an anti-slip floor last?
A correctly specified anti-slip floor lasts as long as the resin system it is part of, typically 10 to 20 years in a commercial setting. The texture is built into the surface and high-traffic areas can be refreshed or recoated if the grip wears over time.
Which areas do you cover?
We work through a network of experienced specialist contractors and are extending the areas we cover. Contact us to confirm cover for your site.