High Friction & Anti Skid Surfacing
Anti-Skid Surfacing You Can Trust
Anti-Skid High Friction Surfacing
Northern Marking Ltd provides professional anti-skid high friction surfacing across Manchester and Northern England. With over 20 years of experience and Sector 7 scheme approval, we deliver durable surfacing solutions that reduce braking distances, improve vehicle traction, support traffic calming measures, and enhance road safety.
Hot and Cold Anti-Skid Surfacing Solutions
We offer hot and cold applied high friction surfacing, allowing us to match the right product to your site’s requirements.
✓ Hot Applied – Hitex Type 1
Hitex Type 1 is an effective option for sites with a high risk of skidding or collision. This hot-applied thermoplastic resin system provides excellent bond strength to the road surface, is highly durable under heavy traffic, and offers a faster curing time. This minimises disruption and allows roads to reopen quickly.
Ideal for: sharp bends, motorway slip roads, junction approaches, and high-stress trafficked areas.
✓ Cold Applied – EcoGrip Type 1
EcoGrip Type 1 uses an odourless, low-toxicity binder to increase surface friction. This cold-applied epoxy resin system requires no heavy-duty heating equipment, offers a cleaner application process, and is equally effective in high-traffic environments.
Ideal for: pedestrian crossings, cycle lanes, bus lanes, car parks, and areas where a safer application process is required.
A range of coloured surfacing is available to visually reinforce messages of conventional road markings and support traffic calming strategies.
What Is Anti-Skid High Friction Surfacing?
Anti-skid high friction surfacing, sometimes shortened to HFS, is a specialist road treatment that increases skid resistance between vehicle tyres and the road surface. High friction surfacing combines a high-performance resin binder — typically epoxy (cold-applied) or thermoplastic (hot-applied) — with calcined bauxite aggregate, creating numerous high-contact pressure points that improve tyre grip.
It’s most commonly applied in high-risk areas where vehicles need to brake sharply or navigate tight conditions.
Examples of High Friction Surfacing Applications
Common locations for high friction surfacing include:
- Junction approaches – where vehicles frequently brake and accelerate, HFS reduces the risk of rear-end and side collisions
- Pedestrian crossings – help vehicles stop in time to protect pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.
- Sharp bends and slip roads – high-speed areas with tight geometry demand maximum tyre grip.
- Cycle lanes and bus lanes – coloured surfaces delineate cycle and bus lanes while improving safety for cyclists and passengers.
- Pedestrian walkways, ramps, and car parks – anti-skid surfacing prevents slips and falls, particularly during adverse weather.
- Traffic calming schemes – high friction surfacing is often installed at accident-prone locations to reinforce speed reduction measures and improve driver awareness.
The Benefits of Anti-Skid High Friction Surfacing
The key advantages of anti-skid high-friction surfacing are:
- Reduced braking distances
- Lower risk of skidding in wet or adverse weather conditions
- Proven accident reduction
- Supports traffic calming measures and hazard awareness
- Available in a range of colours for hazard identification and lane delineation
- Compatible with existing road markings and line marking schemes
- Applicable to tarmac, concrete, and metal surfaces
- Durable performance under heavy traffic
Experienced High Friction Surfacing Contractors
Get a Custom Quote
Based in Manchester, we deliver anti-skid high friction surfacing across various locations in Northern England. Whether you need assistance with surfacing for a road, highway, car park, or pedestrian area, our team is ready to help. Contact us today.
FAQs: Anti-Skid Surfacing
What is the difference between hot and cold-applied high friction surfacing?
Hot-applied systems like Hitex Type 1 use a heated thermoplastic binder mixed with calcined bauxite aggregate. They cure quickly and are suited to high-stress, heavily trafficked areas.
Cold-applied systems like EcoGrip Type 1 use an epoxy or resin binder applied without heat. They’re more flexible to install, and well-suited to pedestrian and cyclist environments.
How long does anti-skid surfacing last?
Longevity depends on traffic volume, surface condition, and the system used. Our products are designed for long-term performance in high-traffic environments. We’ll provide realistic expectations during your site survey.
Do you carry out a site survey before work begins?
Yes. Projects start with a site assessment to understand your requirements, surface condition, and the most appropriate product and application method.