The Project
The Gates MOT centre in Braintree needed a floor that could handle the realities of vehicle testing – oil drips, brake fluid, and heavy traffic from cars and vans rolling across the bays day in, day out. The existing concrete was past its best and the facility needed a proper resin system, not another coat of floor paint.
Anglia Decor carried out the full installation from start to finish: substrate preparation, resin application, and line marking to DVSA standards. The floor had to be level, non-slip, and clearly marked to identify testing positions, wheel-free areas, and pedestrian routes.
Diamond Grinding and Surface Preparation
Everything started with diamond grinding the existing concrete to get a clean, properly profiled surface. Mechanical grinding strips out laitance, old coatings, and surface contaminants, leaving bare concrete with enough tooth for the resin to key into properly.
This is the stage that makes or breaks a resin floor. Skip the prep or cut corners and you get delamination – the coating lifts off the concrete, particularly in environments where oils and chemicals sit on the surface. The team ran full dust extraction throughout the grinding process to keep the working area clean and the substrate free of loose material.
Resin Coating Application
A high-build resin coating went down across the full floor area. This gives a seamless, non-porous finish that stands up to chemical spills and is straightforward to clean – two things any MOT centre needs from its floor.
The high-build spec means a much thicker dry film than you get from standard floor paints, which translates to better abrasion resistance and a significantly longer service life. In an automotive setting, a properly installed high-build resin floor typically lasts 8 to 15 years. Compare that to standard floor paints that tend to need redoing every 2 to 3 years, and the value speaks for itself.
Line Marking to MOT Standards
Once the resin had cured, the team laid down cross-hatch line markings in yellow and white to mark out the MOT testing bays and safety zones. Cross-hatching is the diagonal line marking used to define bay positions, pit edges, and restricted areas – done in contrasting colours in line with DVSA testing station layout guidance.
With the resin down and the markings in place, the facility has a floor that handles heavy daily use and ticks every box for MOT compliance.
The Team
Alan and Will got this one done to a high standard – a floor that looks the part and is built to last. The high-build system means the client won't be ringing up for a repaint any time soon.
MOT Centre Resin Flooring at Gates, Braintree|Braintree, Essex
