Why High Build Coating?

A high-build coating occupies the sweet spot between thin floor paints and thicker resin flooring systems. It remains at the straightforward, roller-applied end of the range, but provides substantially more build than a conventional paint, dustproofer, sealer or standard floor coating.

This combination makes it one of the most practical and cost-effective resin flooring options for light- and medium-duty environments.

More build without a more complex installation

High-build coatings are generally classified as FeRFA Type 3 systems. They create a thicker and more durable protective layer than conventional coatings while retaining a relatively simple application method.

Unlike self-smoothing floors and resin screeds, a high-build coating does not require the same depth of material or specialist application process. It can normally be applied by roller, reducing material, installation and labour costs.

Comparable surface performance

When a high-build coating and a thicker floor use the same resin chemistry and a comparable formulation, many of their inherent surface properties can be very similar.

These may include:

• Surface hardness

• Abrasion rate

• Chemical resistance

• Ease of cleaning

• Resistance to oils and common industrial contaminants

For example, a high-build epoxy coating can have a similar abrasion rate to a 3 mm epoxy floor. The thicker floor does not necessarily wear more slowly; it contains more material and therefore has a greater wear reserve.

The 3 mm floor should consequently last longer under the same conditions, but the high-build coating can deliver much of the same day-to-day surface performance at a significantly lower initial cost.

Where thicker systems perform better

Thickness still matters. Self-smoothing floors, multi-layer systems and screeds are better able to accommodate severe impact, concentrated loads, substrate irregularities and sustained heavy traffic.

A high-build coating should therefore not be presented as a direct replacement for a thicker system in every environment. Its strength lies in providing an excellent balance of performance, simplicity and cost where heavy-duty construction is not required.

Easy to renew

The lower initial cost of a high-build coating helps offset its shorter potential service life. When the surface eventually becomes worn, it can normally be prepared and renewed with another coat more easily and economically than replacing a complete thick-floor system.

This creates a practical maintenance cycle:

Apply → use → prepare → recoat

For many facilities, periodically renewing a high-build coating is more economical than paying upfront for a thicker floor whose full mechanical capacity may never be required.

The best of both worlds

A high-build coating combines:

• The straightforward roller application of a coating

• More build than paints, sealers and conventional coatings

• Many of the same inherent surface properties as thicker resin systems

• A significantly lower initial cost

• Simple and economical future refurbishment

It is not the thickest resin floor available, but for many light- and medium-duty applications, it provides the best balance of performance, affordability and maintainability.