Floor Painter

Painting wooden floors:
There are a variety of floor paints suitable for wood, oil water and resin based.
If the wood is new, make sure to apply knotting solution to any resinous areas, this makes sure it seals the knots and stops discolouration over time.

Painting concrete floors:
If your floor is new it may need a water permeable coating to let the moisture escape. New concrete drys at 1mm per day, this can take several weeks.
Does your floor have any areas of self leveling screed? Weak powdery screeds can be problem surfaces to paint, the coating can de-bond from the surface and need frequent touching up. A better solution is to remove the screed and get to a solid base that the coating can adhere to.
Power floated smooth concrete will need preparation before painting, see below.

Painting tiled floors
Some tiles are glazed and shiny, more difficult for a coating to adhere to. Porous tiles require less preparation, just ensure the surface is clean and free of grease.

Surface preparation

If your floor is already painted and in good condition (not flaking) it will need rubbing down and cleaning.

If you have a bare wood floor, first step is to abrade the surface and ensure it is clean. A great product for preparation of wood floors prior to painting is Net-Trol wood cleaner. Wood floors can be primed with aluminium wood primer, once primed solvent based top coats can be applied to finish.
If your floor is concrete or tiled it will need diamond grinding or vacu-blasting to provide a textured profile that the coating can adhere to.

Floor painter video showing second coat to lab floor at EBM Papst, Chelmsford. The floor was cut in and video shows rolling to main areas.

Types of floor coatings

Water based floor paints are easy to apply and also come in epoxy versions. Epocoat WD is a water based epoxy, comes in all colours and gives a dry film thickness (DFT) of 100 microns per coat. It will need 2 coats to look uniform and has low odour.

Oil based floor paints such as Dulux Floorshield are popular options for diy projects. They give a DFT of around 30 microns per coat and are suitable for low-mid traffic areas such as shops.

There are also polyurethane based coatings.  These are UV stable and give a DFT of 100-250 microns per coat. Can also be laid 2-4mm thick mixed with aggregate, ideal for kitchen flooring.

High build solvent free resin coatings have a DFT of 200 microns per coat and can be laid 4mm thick. Resin floors are the most durable and a typical 2 coat 400 micron system will give outstanding durability. High build coatings are available in all colours and give a gloss finish. This system is suitable for industrial usage and should last 5 years before looking tired.

Should I use an anti slip coating?

If your floor gets wet it could pose a slip hazard, fine aggregates can be added to all coating types to overcome this issue. Anti slip coatings are slightly harder to clean as the dirt sticks to the aggregate. A scrubber dryer is a good solution to cleaning anti slip floors.

How long will it last?

The main factors in the lifespan of your floor are; preparation, dry film thickness and volume of traffic. Lifespan is largely dependent on usage, assuming good preparation and medium duty usage here’s a rough guide;
Single pack solvent based- 1-2 year lifespan for foot traffic.
Water based epoxy- 2 to 4 year lifespan.
High build resin coating- 4 to 5 year lifespan.
Resin screed system- 5-10 year lifespan

Some areas of your floor will wear quicker, especially doorways with heavy foot fall. Industrial floors with fork lift traffic will wear at corners where friction is greatest. It may be an idea to have a maintenance schedule to re-coat the hardest wearing areas more frequently. Or the concrete floor painters can apply extra coats to these problem areas to combat the problem.

DIY or employ a professional floor painter?

Small domestic floors are easy to carry out ‘in house’, having the right tools will make it easier.
For large industrial floors getting the preparation right is a big factor for how long it will last. Floor grinders and industrial vacuums  can be hired, just make sure not to inhale any concrete dust as there is a risk of silicosis. We are able to prepare your industrial floor and supply the coatings for self application, this will reduce the cost of your industrial floor project and give maximum lifespan.
What does it cost?

The price for floor painting projects varies greatly depending on size, location, amount of surface preparation required and coating needed.

To get a quick quote please send an email with the above details or call to discuss your project in more detail.
Where to buy?
We supply Floor ProTect, a high build solvent free resin coating ideal for garage and industrial floors.