Floor painting
Not every floor needs a full resin system. Where a concrete floor is basically sound but tired, dusty or stained, a hard-wearing floor paint refreshes and protects it at a fraction of the cost and disruption of relaying. A properly specified and prepared coat of floor paint seals the surface, lifts the look of the space and buys a worn floor years more service.
Surface Specialists arranges floor painting for commercial and industrial concrete floors. We assess the slab, recommend the right system and arrange application by experienced specialist contractors, so the paint goes on a properly prepared surface and actually lasts rather than peeling within a year. You deal with one point of contact throughout. This page explains what floor painting involves, the systems available and when paint is the right choice rather than a full resin floor.
What is floor painting?
Floor painting is the application of a durable coating, usually an epoxy or polyurethane floor paint, over a prepared concrete floor to seal, protect and colour it. Concrete floor paint and epoxy floor paint are tougher and more chemical-resistant than ordinary paint, bonding to the surface to give a clean, sealed, easy-clean finish that stands up to traffic.
It sits between leaving a floor as bare concrete and laying a full resin system. A floor paint is a coating rather than a built-up floor, so it is thinner, quicker and cheaper than a resin screed or self-smoothing system, while still dustproofing the slab and giving a hard-wearing, washable surface. Where a floor needs more than that, a full resin system is the better answer, and we cover both.
When is floor paint the right choice?
Floor paint suits a floor that is structurally sound and just needs sealing, protecting or freshening up. It is the practical choice where the concrete is in reasonable condition, where budget or downtime is tight, or where a floor needs a clean, tidy finish without the build-up of a full system.
Where a floor takes heavy forklift traffic, aggressive chemicals, thermal shock or constant wash-down, a thin paint film will wear through and a full resin floor is the right specification instead. The honest answer at survey is sometimes that paint is all a floor needs, and sometimes that it would be a false economy, so we advise which based on how the floor is used. For the heavier-duty options, see our commercial and industrial resin flooring.
Floor paint systems we cover
The right system depends on the traffic, the environment and the finish wanted, confirmed at survey.
Epoxy floor paint
A hard, chemical-resistant epoxy coating that seals and protects concrete and gives a clean, durable, easy-clean finish. It is the workhorse floor paint for workshops, plant rooms and general commercial and industrial floors.
Hard-wearing polyurethane coatings
Where a floor needs extra toughness or has to take more traffic and wear, a polyurethane floor coating gives greater durability and resistance than a standard paint, extending the life of the finish.
Anti-slip and coloured finishes
Floor paint comes in a range of colours for zoning and appearance, and a fine aggregate can be added for slip resistance where a floor gets wet or greasy. For dedicated slip resistance see our anti-slip flooring, and for traffic routes and safety markings see our line painting service.
Where floor painting is used
Floor painting suits any sound concrete floor that needs sealing and smartening up rather than rebuilding. Common settings include:
- Warehouses and storage. Sealing and brightening floors and marking out aisles and zones, where the slab is sound but dusty.
- Factories and workshops. A hard-wearing, chemical-resistant finish over working floors that take moderate traffic.
- Plant rooms and back-of-house. Dustproofing and protecting concrete in service areas where a full system is not needed.
- Commercial and retail units. A clean, tidy painted floor for units, stores and units being refreshed between tenants.
For a home garage rather than a commercial floor, see our epoxy garage floors page.
What to know before you paint a floor
Preparation is what makes it last. Floor paint fails when it is rolled onto a dusty, sealed or contaminated slab, because it has nothing to bond to. The surface is mechanically prepared first, so the paint grips sound concrete. See our sanding and grinding service.
Repairs and moisture. Cracks, spalling and a damp slab all defeat a coating, so any concrete repairs are made good first and moisture is checked, with an epoxy DPM applied where needed.
Expectations. A floor paint is a coating, not a full resin floor, so it refreshes and protects sound concrete rather than rebuilding a failing one. Matched to the right floor it lasts well; asked to do a heavy-duty job it cannot, it will not.
How long does a painted floor last and how is it maintained?
A floor paint laid over a sound, properly prepared slab gives years of service in the right setting, and how long depends on the system and the traffic it takes. A standard epoxy paint suits lighter use, while a polyurethane coating holds up longer where a floor works harder. Day to day it needs no more than regular cleaning, because the sealed surface has nothing for dust and dirt to lodge in and wipes or washes clean.
Over time the busiest routes wear first, and the advantage of a painted floor is that it is straightforward to refresh: the worn areas are cleaned back and recoated rather than the whole floor relaid, which keeps a working floor looking tidy for a low cost. A quick look at the high-traffic zones is usually all it takes to tell whether a recoat is due.
Why choose Surface Specialists?
A floor paint that lasts comes down to the right system on a properly prepared floor, and to honest advice about when paint is enough and when it is not. That is what we arrange, with one point of contact looking after the project from start to finish.
- A specialist focus. We concentrate on resin and surface treatment, so the coating is matched to the floor and the traffic rather than a one-size-fits-all answer.
- Experienced contractors. Application is carried out by established specialist contractors who prepare the floor properly before painting.
- Honest advice. We tell you when a floor paint is the sensible choice and when a full resin floor would be the better spend.
- One point of contact. From survey through to a finished floor, you deal with us.
Floor painting sits alongside our line painting and full resin flooring systems. Learn more about Surface Specialists or talk to us about which approach suits your floor.
Areas we cover
We arrange floor painting through experienced specialist contractors and are steadily extending the areas we cover. See our areas we cover hub for local detail, including resin flooring in Manchester, with more local pages being added.
Get a quote
Tell us about your floor and how it is used 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
What is the difference between floor paint and a resin floor?
Floor paint is a coating rolled or applied over concrete to seal, protect and colour it. A resin floor is a built-up system, often several millimetres thick, that is far more durable. Paint suits sound floors needing a refresh; a resin floor suits heavy traffic, chemicals and wash-down. The right choice depends on how the floor is used.
Can you paint over an existing or old concrete floor?
Yes, provided the floor is sound. The surface is mechanically prepared and any old, failed coating is removed first, because new paint has to bond to sound concrete rather than to a flaking surface. Where the slab is damaged or damp, that is dealt with before painting.
What preparation does floor painting need?
The slab is mechanically ground to remove dust, laitance and old coatings and to give the paint a surface to key into. Cracks and spalling are repaired and moisture is checked. Skipping preparation is the most common reason floor paint peels, so it is the part that makes the finish last.
Is floor paint hard-wearing, and how long does it last?
A properly specified and prepared floor paint is hard-wearing and lasts well in the right setting, with polyurethane coatings tougher than standard epoxy paints. In heavy-duty environments a paint film will wear faster than a full resin floor, which is why the system is matched to the traffic.
Can floor paint be made non-slip?
Yes. A fine aggregate can be added to the coating for slip resistance where a floor gets wet or greasy. Where slip resistance is the main requirement, a dedicated anti-slip system is the better answer, which we cover on our anti-slip flooring page.
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 project.