Resin flooring brands
The specialist contractors in our network install resin and coating systems from all the leading manufacturers. The right system matters more than the badge on the tin, so the manufacturer is specified to suit your floor rather than tied to a single brand. The guides below explain what each manufacturer makes, how their systems differ and the environments each one is specified for.
The manufacturers explained
- Flowcrete – seamless resin floor systems for industrial, commercial and public environments, including the Flowfast and Deckshield ranges.
- Sika – Sikafloor epoxy and polyurethane systems for warehouses, car parks and clean environments, backed by one of the largest construction chemicals groups in the world.
- Mapei – the Mapefloor range from the Italian building chemicals group better known in the UK for tile adhesives and screeds.
- Resdev – a family-owned Yorkshire manufacturer whose Pumadur, Pumaflor and Deckmaster systems are made in the UK.
- Remmers – epoxy and polyurethane floor coatings with a strong record in industrial and heritage projects.
- KDR – specialist resin and coating systems for demanding industrial floors.
- Triflex – liquid-applied waterproofing and surfacing for car parks, balconies and walkways.
- Uzin – subfloor preparation, screeds and levelling compounds that sit beneath the finished floor.
- Watco – a direct-sell British manufacturer of floor paints and repair mortars, bought by the end user rather than specified through a contractor.
How the brands compare
The useful distinction is not which manufacturer is best. It is what kind of business each one is, because that determines how the product reaches your floor.
| Manufacturer | Type of business | Best known for |
|---|---|---|
| Flowcrete | Flooring specialist | Flowfast and Deckshield. Industrial, commercial and public sector floors |
| Sika | Large group with a deep flooring division | Sikafloor systems across warehousing, car parks and clean environments |
| Mapei | Building chemicals generalist | Mapefloor epoxy, polyurethane cement and topcoats alongside tiling and screeding |
| Resdev | Flooring specialist | UK-manufactured Pumadur polyurethane and epoxy systems |
| Remmers | Coatings specialist | Industrial and heritage coating work |
| KDR | Flooring specialist | Resin systems for heavy-duty industrial floors |
| Triflex | Waterproofing specialist | Liquid-applied car park decks, balconies and walkways |
| Uzin | Subfloor preparation specialist | Screeds, smoothing compounds and primers under the finish |
| Watco | Direct-sell manufacturer | Floor paints and repair mortars sold straight to the end user |
Specialists, generalists and direct sellers
Resin manufacturers fall into three groups and knowing which is which explains most of the differences in price, support and lead time.
Flooring specialists such as Flowcrete, Resdev and KDR do one thing. Their technical support is deeper on flooring questions and their applicator networks are trained and audited around flooring alone. Generalists such as Mapei and to a degree Sika, carry flooring inside a much wider catalogue, which suits a project already sourcing screeds, tiling or waterproofing from the same group under one technical relationship. Direct sellers such as Watco skip the specification route entirely and sell product to whoever owns the floor, which works for maintenance areas but not for a production floor that has to carry a system warranty.
Uzin and Triflex sit slightly outside all three groups because they are specialists in adjacent categories. Uzin prepares the substrate that a resin floor is later laid onto. Triflex waterproofs decks and structures rather than surfacing factory floors.
Does the manufacturer actually matter?
Less than most people expect. Substrate condition, system thickness and quality of installation account for far more of the outcome than the name on the packaging.
Any of the specialist manufacturers above will supply a system that performs, provided it is correctly matched to the temperature, chemistry and traffic on site. The failures that get talked about almost always trace back to inadequate preparation, to a system laid too thin for the loading, or to epoxy being used where polyurethane cement was needed. Choosing the manufacturer first and then finding a system to fit is the wrong order. The conditions come first. Our resin flooring hub sets out how those conditions translate into a specification.
Frequently asked questions
Which resin flooring brand is best?
There is no single best brand. Flowcrete, Sika, Resdev, KDR, Remmers and Mapei all make systems that perform well when correctly specified. What matters is matching the chemistry and thickness to the temperature, chemical exposure and traffic on your floor, then having it installed on a properly prepared substrate.
Is Surface Specialists approved by any of these manufacturers?
No. Surface Specialists holds no manufacturer approvals and has no commercial relationship with any brand listed here. Enquiries are matched to a specialist contractor in our network. That contractor holds their own accreditations, specifies the system and carries out the work.
What is the difference between epoxy and polyurethane systems?
Epoxy is harder and highly chemical resistant but has limited tolerance for heat and thermal movement. Polyurethane, particularly polyurethane cement, expands and contracts closer to the rate of the concrete beneath it, so it survives hot washdown and thermal shock. Most manufacturers on this page offer both. Our epoxy flooring page covers the distinction in more detail.
Can I mix products from different manufacturers?
It is generally avoided. A resin floor is a build-up of primer, body and topcoat designed and tested together and a system warranty normally requires all layers to come from the same manufacturer. Mixing brands across layers usually voids that warranty even when the materials are technically compatible.
Do I choose the manufacturer or does the contractor?
In practice the contractor proposes the system after surveying the floor, because they are the party who has to warrant its performance. If you have a preference, say so at enquiry stage. Preference is easy to accommodate provided the system suits the conditions.
Key takeaways
- The manufacturers split into flooring specialists, building chemicals generalists and direct sellers, which explains most of the differences in support, price and how the product reaches your floor.
- Substrate condition, system thickness and installation quality determine the outcome far more than the brand does.
- Epoxy suits chemical resistance and hardness. Polyurethane cement suits heat, thermal shock and hot washdown.
- Layers within one floor should come from one manufacturer, because system warranties depend on it.
- Conditions on site should decide the system, not the other way around.
Get the right system specified
Tell us the traffic, temperature and chemistry your floor has to handle and your enquiry is matched to a specialist contractor in our network who works with the systems that suit it.