A Star DecoratorsCall
High-bay warehouse interior being coated around live racking. A Star Decorators

Industrial coatings · UK warehouses, DCs & factories

Industrial coatings that go on while the warehouse keeps running.

Live trading, late variations, overnight handovers. We absorb the moves your programme throws at us. Walls, steelwork, high bays, one zone at a time. Intumescent protection on structural steel where the fire rating needs it.

Live site

Operations keep running

CHAS

£10m employer's liability

48h

Typical survey window

Intumescent

Manufacturer-certified systems

Working with

Uplands RetailR.G. CarterMorris & Spottiswood

In environments

PrimarkTescoM&SMorrisons

What you get

H&S compliance firstPhoto handoverNo-snag policyDirector-led

Quick answers

Straight answers, before you enquire.

Can warehouse coatings be applied while the warehouse operates?
Yes. Zonal application around live shifts is standard practice, and A Star phases by aisle, racking block or floor section, reopening each zone before the next begins. Use the downtime estimator at /tools/downtime-estimator to see the cost of shutting the operation instead.
What dry film thickness does intumescent coating need for 60 minutes of fire resistance?
There is no single figure: the required thickness comes from the manufacturer's loading table for the specific steel section, primer and system. We read it off the certified system data for your section factor rather than a rule of thumb. A Star applies certified intumescent systems and ships the certificate with handover, and substrate factor and primer compatibility are checked at survey.
What is the most common warehouse coating failure?
Abrasion from forklift traffic and racking contact, plus uncontrolled condensation on steel. Both signal a system specified to the wrong loading or the wrong substrate. We specify to the failure mode, not the catalogue, with real traffic data and moisture readings driving the system choice.
How long do warehouse floor coatings last?
A correctly specified epoxy or polyurethane floor system lasts for years before it needs a recoat, but the service life depends on traffic class, cleaning regime and the original substrate prep. We put the expected service life in the quote in writing once we have seen the floor. There is no honest single number before survey.
What does a single closed aisle actually cost the operation?
Every hour an aisle is out of action costs pick rate and dispatch slots, and on a tight programme it costs the next phase too. Most coating contractors ask you to shut the zone and hope. We phase by aisle and reopen before moving on, so the only cost is the work itself. If you need a number for the internal argument, the downtime estimator at astardecorators.com/tools/downtime-estimator puts a conservative figure on what closure costs you. Compare that to a zonal quote.

01 / service

When the site can't stop, and a coating contractor is the one who has to make it work.

  • Operations run 24/7 and a full shutdown isn't an option.
  • Structural steel needs an intumescent rating to pass the next inspection.
  • Access means high bays, racking aisles and overhead conveyors.
  • The FM team needs a zonal programme to plan shifts around, not a site closure.

02 / why it matters

What fails first in a working warehouse.

Every closed aisle is lost throughput. A coating programme that shuts zones rather than phasing through them burns money before a litre of paint leaves the tin. We specify to the failure mode and the shift pattern, so the system matches how the building is actually used.

01

Abrasion & traffic

Forklift movement and racking contact wear surfaces back to substrate faster than most applicators plan for. The system has to match the actual traffic load.

02

Corrosion on steel

Condensation, washdown and humidity attack structural and cladding steel. Left untreated it spreads behind the finish and becomes expensive.

03

Fire-protection gaps

Exposed structural steel often needs an intumescent rating. Degraded or missing protection is a compliance failure at the next inspection.

04

Dust & hygiene

Food, pharma and cold-storage operations need sealed, cleanable surfaces. A failing finish is a hygiene problem before it is an aesthetic one.

03 / process

Planned by zone. Handed over by zone.

01

Survey

Live site walk, agree zones and shift plan, capture steel condition and access constraints.

02

Specification

Specify the system per zone. Intumescent rating where structural steel requires it. Confirmed in writing.

03

RAMS

RAMS per zone, including racking interaction, traffic management and the emergency plan.

04

Delivery

Phase by zone. Reopen each zone before moving on, so the operation never stops.

05

Handover

Photo record per zone, no-snag handover, intumescent certificate ships with handover where an approved system is applied.

04 / sectors

The buildings logistics and manufacturing actually run in.

Logistics & distribution centres

High-bay walls, structural steel and circulation areas coated around pick-and-pack operations. Racking stays. We work around it.

Manufacturing & factories

Production halls, plant rooms and process areas. ATEX zones handled with the appropriate kit and method, flagged and planned at survey.

Cold storage & food

Sealed, cleanable systems for hygiene-sensitive environments. Dust control and washdown resistance built into the spec from the start.

Retail & estate DCs

Coating programmes across multi-site estates, planned to a rollout schedule the FM and commercial teams can budget.

05 / systems

Specified to the building. Combined where it saves mobilising twice.

Most industrial programmes pull in more than one trade. We scope the whole envelope at survey so you mobilise once.

Systems we apply

  • Intumescent systems on structural steel
  • High-build wall and cladding coatings
  • Anti-corrosion systems on exposed steel
  • Hygienic, washable wall finishes

Often combined with

  • Warehouse and industrial floor coatings
  • Roof, wall and cladding coatings
  • On-site spraying of plant and lines
  • DOFF and chemical cleaning as preparation

Scope · included

  • Live site phased delivery, zone by zone
  • Intumescent system application to spec
  • MEWP and scaffold access planning
  • Operational planning agreed with the FM team
  • Handover record and certification for each zone

Scope · not included

  • Racking decommission (movement is the customer's call)
  • Sprinkler system works
  • Structural steel repair
Warehouse wall and floor coating package in progress

Recent work

Warehouse wall & floor coating package

A combined wall and floor coating programme delivered across a working warehouse. Phased by zone so picking and dispatch continued around the works, with each area reopened before the next began.

Frequently asked

Answers before the survey, not after the quote.

Can the warehouse keep operating?
Yes. We phase by zone and reopen each area before moving to the next. Picking, dispatch and racking all continue around us.
Can you certify intumescent coatings?
We apply approved, third-party-certified systems; the manufacturer's certificate ships with handover.
Do you work in ATEX zones?
Yes. We work in ATEX with appropriate kit and method, flagged and planned at survey.
How do you handle racking?
Racking stays. We work around or over it. Moving racking is the customer's call and adds cost.
What about forklift traffic during application?
Managed zonally with the FM team. We don't share aisles with forklifts mid-coat.

“RAMS in our hands 48 hours before mobilisation, supervisor on site every morning, and the snag list closed within a working week. That's the loop we expect from a tier-1 and rarely get from a decorator at this scale.”

Estate Manager · Multi-store retail estate · Active framework

Request a site survey

Tell us about the building.

Location, what needs coating, any intumescent requirement and your shift pattern. We typically reply within one working day with a survey window.

Not ready for a survey? The seven questions every FM should ask before coating works start, in a two-page PDF. Download the checklist

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