Resin and epoxy flooring
Resin flooring is one of the most hard-wearing surfaces you can put down and one of the most unforgiving to get wrong. The system has to be matched to how the floor is used and the substrate underneath has to be prepared properly, or even the best resin can fail early. Getting both right is the difference between a floor that lasts twenty years and one that needs relaying inside two.
Surface Specialists helps businesses and homeowners get the right resin floor. We match your project to the right system and arrange installation by experienced specialist contractors, so the substrate is prepared properly and the floor is laid to specification. You deal with one specialist contractor from survey through to a completed floor. This page sets out the systems available and the services we cover.
What is resin flooring?
Resin flooring is a seamless floor finish made by applying liquid epoxy, polyurethane or methyl methacrylate resin over a prepared substrate, usually concrete but also screeds, asphalt or steel decks depending on the system, where it cures into a hard continuous surface. It is joint-free, chemical-resistant, easy to clean and far more durable than paint or tiles, which is why it is the standard choice for warehouses, factories, food production sites and car parks. At home the same family covers epoxy garage floors, while resin-bound driveways are a related aggregate surfacing system with their own build-up.
Resin and epoxy flooring are often used to mean the same thing. Epoxy is one type of resin system, alongside polyurethane and MMA and the right one depends on the loads, chemicals and temperatures the floor has to handle. The build-up can range from a thin-film coating a few hundred microns thick to a heavy-duty screed several millimetres deep, specified to suit the job rather than fitted as a one-size-fits-all.
What sets a resin floor apart is that it is laid as a liquid and cures into a single continuous surface with no joints, grout lines or seams for dirt, water or bacteria to collect in. That makes it quick to clean, resistant to spills and to the chemicals its resin type is specified for and able to take heavy traffic year after year when correctly specified and maintained. Finishes range from a plain hard-wearing coating to decorative flake, coloured zones for traffic management and anti-slip textures, so the floor can be specified to look the part as well as perform.
The trade-off is that a resin floor is only ever as good as the surface it is laid on and the system chosen for the job. A coating that was never suited to the loads, or laid over a substrate that was not properly prepared, will lift, crack or wear through early. That is why every project starts with a survey of the substrate and a clear specification, rather than a standard product applied to every floor.
For a fuller explanation of the different systems, how they are installed and what drives the cost, see our complete guide to what resin flooring is.
Our resin flooring services
We cover the full range of resin flooring work, from heavy-duty commercial coatings to driveways and garage floors at home, plus the preparation and repairs that make every floor last. Explore the area that matches your project.
Commercial resin flooring
Hard-wearing epoxy and polyurethane systems for every commercial environment, each specified to the loads, chemicals and compliance demands of the site.
- Industrial flooring. Heavy-duty epoxy and polyurethane systems for factories, distribution centres and vehicle workshops, built for forklift traffic, point loads and abrasion, plus dedicated warehouse flooring.
- Car park deck surfacing. Waterproof deck coatings for multi-storey and surface car parks that protect the structure from water ingress and add slip resistance and bay marking.
- Anti-static and ESD flooring. Conductive and static-dissipative floors for electronics manufacturing, server rooms and pharmaceutical areas where charge has to be controlled.
- Anti-slip flooring. Slip-resistant finishes for wet-process areas, ramps, walkways and external decks. The level of traction is matched to the environment.
- Bund lining. Chemical-resistant lining for containment bunds, tank farms and spill areas, sealing the structure against the substances it has to hold.
Residential resin flooring
Resin driveways and epoxy garage floors for homeowners, hard-wearing, low-maintenance and available in a range of finishes. Go straight to resin driveways and epoxy garage floors.
Subfloor preparation
Floor screeding, epoxy damp-proof membranes and diamond grinding. The groundwork that the finished floor depends on. See our subfloor preparation services.
Concrete repairs
Crack injection, patch repairs and joint repairs to restore a sound base before any coating goes on top. See our concrete repairs page.
Line painting
Warehouse, factory and car park line marking for traffic management, safety zoning and compliance. See our line painting page.
Floor painting
Durable floor coatings to refresh and protect tired commercial concrete. See our floor painting page.
Which resin system is right for your project?
The right system depends on what the floor has to withstand and it is confirmed at a site survey.
Epoxy resin systems
A hard, chemical-resistant finish that suits warehouses, workshops, showrooms, garages and general use. Epoxy gives an excellent balance of durability, chemical resistance and cost and accepts decorative flake or coloured finishes. It is the most widely specified resin floor and the right default for dry, heavy-traffic environments where appearance and easy cleaning matter alongside durability. See our dedicated epoxy flooring page for systems, finishes and where each one fits.
Polyurethane and PU screed systems
Built to take thermal shock, steam cleaning and aggressive wash-down, which makes polyurethane screed the standard for food production, commercial kitchens and cold stores. It tolerates the rapid temperature change that would crack a standard epoxy and laid as a heavy-duty screed it stands up to the most demanding wet-process areas.
MMA fast-cure systems
Methyl methacrylate cures in around an hour even at low temperatures, so a floor can be back in service the same day. MMA suits cold stores, freezers and any site that cannot afford extended downtime, where the speed of installation matters as much as the finish itself.
For homeowners the same principles apply on a smaller scale. Resin driveways use a permeable resin-bound aggregate that drains freely and resists weeds and cracking, while epoxy and flake systems turn a tired garage into a clean, hard-wearing space. We confirm the right choice for your project at the survey stage and set it out clearly in the quotation.
What does resin flooring cost?
Most resin flooring in the UK costs between £25 and £70 per m2 supplied and installed. A basic epoxy coating sits at the lower end while polyurethane, MMA and decorative systems sit higher. Specialist high-performance systems can exceed £100 per m2.
| System | Indicative cost per m2 | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Epoxy coating | £25 to £60 | Warehouses, garages, light to medium industrial floors |
| Decorative flake or self-smoothing | £40 to £80 | Showrooms, retail, smart garages, light commercial |
| Polyurethane or PU screed | £40 to £90 | Food production, wet areas, thermal-shock and heavy-duty floors |
| MMA fast-cure | £50 to £100 | Cold stores and jobs that need to reopen within hours |
Three things move the figure more than anything else. Area is the first: the rate falls as the floor grows, from around £45 to £90 per m2 on a small room down to £15 to £30 per m2 across a large industrial slab, because fixed setup costs spread further. The condition of the existing slab is the second: grinding, crack repairs and a damp-proof membrane can add £10 to £30 per m2 where the concrete needs work. The system is the third. It is set by what the floor has to withstand rather than by budget alone, which is why the cheapest specification is rarely the one that lasts.
These are planning ranges rather than a quotation. Every floor is priced on its own area, condition and specification, so we arrange a free site survey and the contractor provides a written quotation from there. For a full breakdown by system, floor area and sector, see our complete guide to resin flooring costs.
Commercial resin flooring for every sector
Commercial resin flooring suits every environment that depends on a durable, easy-clean floor. Each sector places different demands on the surface and the system is specified accordingly. For homeowners we arrange resin driveways and epoxy garage floors to the same standard of preparation and finish.
Retail and hospitality
Shops, showrooms, restaurants and leisure venues where the floor has to look the part as well as last. Decorative flake and coloured epoxy finishes give a clean seamless surface that handles constant footfall and trolley traffic and wipes clean at the end of the day.
Food production and pharmaceutical
Wash-down areas, breweries and clean environments where hygiene drives the specification. A polyurethane screed handles thermal shock and aggressive cleaning and the seamless finish leaves no joints for bacteria to gather in, which suits HACCP and GMP environments. Antimicrobial additives are an optional extra rather than the source of the hygiene.
Offices and commercial workspace
Plant rooms, server rooms, basements and back-of-house areas where durability and easy maintenance matter, alongside front-of-house spaces that call for a clean modern finish. Dust-free, easy-clean systems are specified to keep a working building tidy.
Heritage and listed buildings
Museums, galleries, visitor attractions and restored mills where a floor has to be hard-wearing yet sympathetic to the building. Discreet, durable finishes are specified to carry visitor numbers without drawing attention away from the space. Careful working practices apply where a building is listed.
What to know before you specify a commercial floor
Preparation determines the outcome. The single biggest factor in how long a resin floor lasts is the preparation underneath it. The substrate is mechanically prepared by diamond grinding or shot blasting and any concrete repairs are carried out before coating, so the system bonds to a sound base. See our subfloor preparation services.
Moisture has to be managed. A concrete slab that still holds moisture will lift a standard coating. Where readings are high or a slab is new, an epoxy damp-proof membrane can often be applied, subject to the moisture limits the membrane manufacturer sets, so installation can go ahead without waiting weeks for the slab to dry.
Downtime and curing. Different systems return to service at different speeds. A standard epoxy needs time to cure before traffic, while an MMA system can be back in use the same day. The works are planned around your operation and the timescale is set out clearly in the contractor’s quotation, including any phasing to keep the site running.
Slip resistance and compliance. The level of slip resistance is specified to match the environment. Aggregate is added where a wet or external area calls for it and the standards your sector expects are built into the specification.
Brands we work with
The specialist contractors we work with install systems from the leading resin and coatings manufacturers, including Mapei, Sika, Resdev, Flowcrete, Watco and Uzin. The right manufacturer and system are specified to suit your floor, rather than tied to a single brand.
Our resin flooring brands hub compares nine manufacturers side by side, including KDR, Remmers and Triflex, so you can see how the ranges differ before a contractor specifies a system for your floor.
Areas we cover
We arrange resin flooring 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.
Why choose Surface Specialists?
Resin flooring is a specialist field and the right floor comes down to the right system specified for your project and installed by a specialist contractor in our network. That is what we arrange and the right specialist contractor looks after the job from start to finish.
- A specialist focus. We concentrate on surface treatment, so your enquiry is matched to the right system rather than a one-size-fits-all answer.
- Experienced contractors. Installation is carried out by established specialist contractors with a track record in resin and coatings.
- Right system, first time. We match the system to how the floor is used so it is specified correctly from the start.
- One point of contact. From survey and specification through to a completed floor, you deal with one specialist contractor.
Learn more about Surface Specialists or browse our help and advice guides.
Get a quote
Tell us about your project and we will arrange a free site survey and the contractor provides 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 resin and epoxy flooring?
Epoxy is one type of resin flooring, alongside polyurethane and MMA systems. Resin flooring is the umbrella term for seamless resin floors, most often laid over concrete. Epoxy suits general commercial and domestic use, polyurethane suits thermal shock and wash-down areas and the right one is recommended at survey.
How long does resin flooring last?
A correctly specified and properly installed resin floor typically lasts 10 to 20 years or more, depending on the system and the traffic it carries. The biggest factors are the quality of the substrate preparation and whether the system was matched to how the floor is used.
Can resin flooring be installed over existing concrete?
Yes, in most cases resin flooring is installed directly over an existing concrete slab once it has been mechanically prepared and any repairs are complete. The slab is tested for moisture at survey and an epoxy damp-proof membrane can be applied where readings are high or the slab is new, subject to the moisture limits of the system.
Do you cover both commercial and domestic work?
Yes. We arrange commercial and industrial resin flooring as well as resin driveways and epoxy garage floors for homeowners, all to the same standard of preparation and finish.
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.
How do I get a quote?
Contact us to arrange a free site survey. The contractor assesses the substrate and how the floor will be used, then provides a written specification and quotation, typically within 48 hours with no obligation.
Can a commercial floor be installed without closing the whole site?
Usually, yes. The works can be phased so areas are returned to use in turn and fast-cure systems can be specified where downtime has to be kept to a minimum. The programme is planned around your operation at the survey stage.
Will the work meet our compliance requirements?
Yes. The slip resistance, hygiene and durability standards your sector requires are built into the specification and installation is carried out by experienced commercial contractors. Share your requirements at survey and they will be reflected in the contractor’s quotation.