The UK’s leading resin flooring specialist

What is Resin Flooring

If you’re wondering, “what is resin flooring?” it’s a hardwearing plastic surface created by mixing a selection of ingredients to create a highly durable finish, ideal for environments with heavy use.

Resin flooring utilises a mixture of materials applied to a pre-prepared floor surface in its liquid form. Once hardened, the resulting resin floor is exceptionally hardwearing and ideal for properties that experience high volumes of vehicle and foot traffic.

Resin flooring is a popular choice for a range of commercial and industrial buildings. You will find resin flooring laid in various sectors, including restaurants and industrial kitchens, automotive factories and warehouses, and different manufacturing plants.

Three Main Types of Resin Flooring:

The three main types of resin flooring are PMMA, polyurethane, and epoxy, and we introduce each of them in a little more detail below:

PMMA

PMMA is an acronym that stands for polymethyl methacrylate, which is a type of synthetic resin. It’s a highly customisable resin flooring that can be laid to precise industrial needs and is chemical resistant. PMMA is favoured thanks to its rapid laying and curing time, and while it’s the most expensive type of resin flooring, it’s also the most durable.

Polyurethane (PU)

The most significant advantage of polyurethane flooring is that it withstands high temperatures, which makes it ideal for commercial settings where ovens or cookers are used for whatever purpose. As a thermoset resin, polyurethane floors take longer to cure than PMMA floors, which means increased downtime during installation and any subsequent repairs.

Epoxy

Epoxy is perhaps the most widely used type of industrial resin flooring and is another thermoset material that ensures a floor surface of exceptional durability. Used in factories, commercial kitchens, and even in some residential properties, epoxy flooring is cost-effective, easy to maintain, and an excellent choice for commercial and industrial properties that experience high foot and vehicle traffic.

Resin Flooring solutions are extremely tough and durable. This is due to them having a higher compressive strength than concrete, meaning they can endure much more weight and impact damage than tiles and vinyl without cracking or moving.

This type of flooring has a unique sealer that protects them from water and moisture damage, making them ideal for areas that need a hygienic floor surface as the resin stops dirt from being trapped, allowing for easy cleaning.

How Thick is Resin Flooring?

The thickness of resin flooring largely depends on its intended usage. In some instances, certain resin floorings can be just 2mm thick, but they can often be laid at a thickness of up to or in excess of 5mm, depending on the requirements of the commercial or industrial property in which it is applied.

So Why Should you Choose a Resin Floor for Your Next Project?

  • They protect your floor from lasting damage
  • They offer higher hygiene
  • They are easier to maintain than other surfaces
  • They create safer working environments
  • They offer design flexibility
  • They are strong
  • They are chemical resistant
  • They are impact and abrasion resistant

What are the Advantages of Resin Flooring?

Incorporating resin flooring into your business has a range of practical and visual benefits that you will notice in both the short and long term. Here are some of the main advantages of installing resin flooring:

1. Durability

One of the main advantages of installing a resin flooring system is that they are more durable than many other flooring solutions. The reason for this is that resin floors are not only stronger and better able to withstand force damage that comes in the form of cracks, chips and cuts, but they’re also mixed with a unique sealant component that protects them against water and other types of moisture damage. This means that you can use your floor and spill various substances, all without having any concern for whether the floor will show signs of damage.

Resin floors have a much longer life than most types of floor material. Therefore, you’ll be able to maintain the resin flooring easier and for a longer period of time without having to worry about replacing it. While the initial cost of resin flooring is higher than that of many other materials, this benefit is one that makes it more convenient than other materials for many months and years to come.

2. Appearance and Safety

A huge range of finishes is possible using resin-based systems, from colour choice to the addition of coloured quartz and decorative flake systems, including natural and dyed aggregates.

An anti-slip surface can be achieved by adding graded aggregates within the base layer. The size and/or coverage rates can produce different properties, ensuring the best choice for wet or greasy floors can be achieved. In addition, colours can be added to the resin to result in flooring that can coordinate with your paint scheme. Industrial resin flooring is suitable for schools, food production areas, hospitals, warehouses and pharmaceutical production.

3. Low Maintenance

Resin floors can be washed, disinfected or even steam-cleaned to ensure sanitation without losing its robust properties. These floors can also withstand acids, alkalis, solvents and petrol without damage. Read our blog on how to care for resin flooring to find out how you can care for your floor.

How to Choose the Right Type of Resin Flooring

You must consider more than just cost when deciding which type of resin flooring to lay at your commercial or industrial property. For instance, PMMA flooring cures in just one hour, whereas polyurethane and epoxy take five and seven days, respectively. In addition, PMMA can be easily repaired and upgraded, whereas polyurethane and epoxy flooring would need to be removed and replaced if a small section of the floor is damaged.

Thanks to the fact that it’s fully customisable, rapid to lay and cure, and suited to the most hazardous industrial or commercial settings, PMMA is the standout choice for those looking for an extremely hard-wearing and durable floor surface.

To find out how you can install a resin flooring system for your next project, get in touch with Impact Flooring today.

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