Concrete grinding & surface preparation
The step that decides whether a coating lasts ten years or peels in two — offered on its own.
What it is
What grinding & surface prep actually is.
Diamond grinding or shot blasting to a measured concrete surface profile, with failed coatings, adhesive and contamination removed. Every system on this site depends on it, and nearly every failure we are called in to replace skipped it. We also do it as standalone work for other trades.
Where we are the right call
- Slabs being prepared for any coating or polished finish
- Removal of failed coatings, adhesive or mastic
- Other trades who need a substrate prepared properly
- Occupied buildings needing dust-controlled preparation
Where we will tell you something else
- Slabs needing structural repair, which comes before any grinding
- Floors where the tile may contain asbestos — abatement by others first
Specification
What it is rated for.
| Profile | CSP 2–5 depending on the system going over it. Measured, not estimated |
|---|---|
| Method | Diamond grinding or shot blasting. Never acid etching — it does not produce a mechanical profile |
| Dust control | HEPA extraction on every machine, with containment and negative air in occupied buildings |
| Coating removal | Failed epoxy, urethane, paint, tile adhesive and mastic taken back to sound concrete |
| Moisture testing | Slab tested and recorded as part of preparation, before anything is specified |
| Warranty | Written workmanship warranty, terms by system |
How a commercial job runs
Four stages, and you know when you get the space back.
Stage 01
Site assessment
We walk the building, test the slab for moisture and dew point, review chemical exposure and agree the shutdown window. You get a written scope, not a number on a card.
On site, no obligationStage 02
Preparation
Diamond grinding or shot blasting to profile, crack and joint repair, and HEPA extraction so the rest of the building stays open.
Dust contained · CSP 2–3Stage 03
Installation
Base coat, broadcast and topcoat, phased by bay or zone. Overnight and weekend work where production cannot stop.
Phased by zoneStage 04
Return to service
Foot traffic the following morning, vehicles and racking the day after. Cold slabs cure slower and we tell you the real number.
10–14 hrs foot · 24–48 hrs loadOther sectors
SectorWarehouse & manufacturingForklift traffic, pallet impact, oil and coolant. Coated in phases so racking and production keep moving.SectorSchools & institutionalCorridors, cafeterias, locker rooms and entries, installed over holidays and low-odour by specification.SectorMunicipal & fire stationsApparatus bays, DPW garages and public buildings. Weight, salt and constant washdown, on a public schedule.
Common questions
What people ask about this system.
Why not acid etching?
Because it does not do the job. Acid etching opens the surface chemically but does not create the mechanical profile a coating needs to key into, and it leaves residue behind that has to be neutralised and rinsed — usually incompletely. It is faster and cheaper, and it is behind a large share of the failed floors we are called to replace.
Will it make a mess of the building?
Not with HEPA extraction on the machines and containment where the building is occupied. That is standard on our commercial work rather than an upgrade, because a plant that has to stop while we grind is a plant that will not book us again.
How much of my building has to stop?
As little as we can engineer. Almost all of our commercial work is phased — one bay, one zone or one room at a time — so the whole facility is never down at once. We agree the sequence and the hand-back times at the walk-through and put them in the proposal, which means you can plan around a number rather than a promise.
How quickly can we use the floor again?
Foot traffic roughly 10 to 14 hours after the last coat, vehicles, racking and equipment after 24 to 48 hours, both at 70°F. A cold slab is slower and we will tell you the real figure for your building rather than the data-sheet one.
Do you work nights, weekends and shutdowns?
Yes, and on most commercial jobs that is how we prefer to run it. Off-shift work is normal scheduling for us rather than an exception we charge extra to accommodate. Holiday and summer shutdown windows are the easiest of all to plan against.
Can you install in winter?
In a heated interior, year-round — and winter is often the best time to book institutional and municipal work, because the building is quiet and our calendar is not competing with the summer rush. Polyaspartic systems install down to about 30°F with the slab 5°F above dew point. You may see −40°F claimed elsewhere in this industry; it is not supported by any manufacturer data sheet we work from.
The last coating failed. Why would this be different?
Nearly every failure we are called in to replace comes down to one of three things: the slab was acid etched or not prepared at all, nobody tested it for moisture, or the joints were coated over instead of being repaired. We grind or shot blast to a measured profile, we test and record moisture and dew point before anything goes down, and we treat joints as a separate detail.
What does a site assessment involve?
About an hour on site. We test the slab for moisture, look at the joints, the drains and the thresholds, ask what gets spilled on the floor and what cleans it, and talk through when the space can realistically be released. You get a written scope with a system recommendation and a phasing plan. There is no obligation and no pressure to decide on the spot.
Next step
Book a site assessment.
We walk the building, test the slab, and put a written scope and a realistic shutdown plan in front of you. No obligation, and if the timing or the system is wrong for your space we will say so.