The fourth edition of this well established text brings the subject up-to-date with environmental legislation and provides a thorough understanding of the surface technologies of all materials used for finishes. It also aims to minimise the use of finishes which have shorter lives and hence need renewing more frequently. As the variety of materials used for finishes is so large, they have been grouped into their engineering categories of ceramics, polymers, metals and composites to aid understanding of their structure, behaviour and ability to resist degradation. Finishes is an essential textbook for Materials units on building, architecture, surveying and related degree and postgraduate courses, and for students of BTEC HNC/D building and surveying.