Resin flooring
Resin flooring produces a hard-wearing 'plastic' surface. Its highly durable finish means that it is a popular design choice for heavy-use environments such as pharmaceutical, chemical, storage and logistics areas, commercial and public areas.
Typically, resin floors comprise a primer which penetrates and reacts with a substrate layer (usually concrete), creating a high-strength bond. A body coat of resin is then applied on top of the primer, and this creates the bulk of the floor thickness, the decorative finish and key performance characteristics such as impact resistance. Typically, 1-3 seal coats will then be used to encapsulate the body coat and provide additional performance characteristics, such as resistance to chemicals and wear.
The main types of resin used are:
- Epoxy.
- Methyl methacrylate (MMA).
- Polyurethane (PU).
Other ingredients can be added, such as; aggregates, decorative chips/flakes, pigments, cement powder, specific chemical resistance additives and so on. This may increase the thickness of the body coat.
As well as being tougher in compression than concrete, resin flooring can have some stress flexibility, which makes it durable under impact and thermal shock. In addition to its greater compressive strength, resin can dissipate loading and increase the base concrete’s weight-bearing limit.
Other advantages of resin flooring include:
- Ease of maintenance.
- An impervious barrier is created enabling the flooring to be easily cleaned and meaning they don’t harbour bacteria.
- Slip-resistant versions can be created by adding graded aggregates within the base layer, creating safer environments.
- Design flexibility is possible due to a huge range of available finishes.
- There do not need to be joints in the surface layer.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
ECA, JIB and JTL back Fabian Society call to invest in skills for a stronger built environment workforce.
Women's Contributions to the Built Environment.
Calls for the delayed Circular Economy Strategy
Over 50 leading businesses, trade associations and professional bodies, including CIAT, and UKGBC sign open letter.
The future workforce: culture change and skill
Under the spotlight at UK Construction Week London.
A landmark moment for postmodern heritage.
A safe energy transition – ECA launches a new Charter
Practical policy actions to speed up low carbon adoption while maintaining installation safety and competency.
Frank Duffy: Researcher and Practitioner
Reflections on achievements and relevance to the wider research and practice communities.
The 2026 Compliance Landscape: Fire doors
Why 'Business as Usual' is a Liability.
Cutting construction carbon footprint by caring for soil
Is construction neglecting one of the planet’s most powerful carbon stores and one of our greatest natural climate allies.
ARCHITECTURE: How's it progressing?
Archiblogger posing questions of a historical and contextual nature.
The roofscape of Hampstead Garden Suburb
Residents, architects and roofers need to understand detailing.
Homes, landlords. tenants and the new housing standards
What will it all mean?
The Architectural Technology podcast: Where it's AT
Catch-up on the latest episodes.
Edmundson Apprentice of the Year award 2026
Entries now open for this Electrical Contractors' Association award.
Traditional blue-grey slate from one of the oldest and largest UK slate quarries down in Cornwall.
There are plenty of sources with the potential to be redeveloped.
Change of use legislation breaths new life into buildings
A run down on Class MA of the General Permitted Development Order.
Solar generation in the historic environment
Success requires understanding each site in detail.