Mechanical concrete surface preparation — diamond grinding, shot blasting, scarifying, crack repair, and slab profiling. Standalone or as part of a complete floor system. The step that determines whether any coating lasts or fails.
The majority of floor coating failures are not product failures — they are surface preparation failures. Coatings applied to contaminated, sealed, or inadequately profiled concrete will delaminate regardless of the quality of the material applied on top. Every system we install starts with proper mechanical preparation.
We offer surface preparation as a standalone service for GCs, flooring contractors, and property managers who need the concrete ready for another trade — tile setters, flooring installers, or coating applicators. We prepare the slab to the profile and specification required by the finish system going on top.
Diamond grinding uses segmented diamond tooling to mechanically abrade the concrete surface to the required CSP (Concrete Surface Profile). Opens the pore structure for maximum coating adhesion, removes surface laitance and contamination, and can be used to level minor high spots and ridges. The standard preparation method for most commercial and industrial coating projects.
Shot blasting propels steel shot at high velocity across the concrete surface using a self-contained, vacuum-equipped blast machine. Highly efficient for large warehouse and industrial floor areas. Creates a consistent CSP across the entire floor area rapidly. Excellent for removing existing coatings and contamination while creating the ideal profile for high-build epoxy and urethane systems.
Cracks and spalled areas are repaired before any coating is applied. Non-structural hairline cracks are filled with flexible epoxy injection or polyurea crack filler. Structural cracks are routed, cleaned, and filled with rigid epoxy. Spalled areas are ground back to sound concrete and patched with fast-setting repair mortars or hybrid concrete repair compounds. The condition of the slab after repair directly impacts the final appearance and longevity of the coating system.
Before specifying any coating system, we test the concrete slab for moisture vapor emission rate (MVER) using calcium chloride or relative humidity probe testing methods. High moisture can cause coating failure regardless of preparation quality. If moisture is elevated, we specify the appropriate moisture vapor barrier primer or DualGuard/VersaGuard penetrating system before the topcoat. Proper moisture assessment prevents costly failures.
Standalone or as part of a complete floor system. We provide the prepared slab to the specification your finish trade requires.