Local Pro Epoxy Installer Doesn't Diamond Grind Floor?

[scott750]

I've been searching around local businesses to professionally epoxy my floor and I found this one place that was recommended. But looking through their FAQ's they state:

Q) How is the garage floor prepped prior to putting down the epoxy?

A. Preparing the concrete is the most important step in the installation process. We will first remove all oil stains from the floor using degreasing products. Any minor cracks in the concrete will be repaired. Finally, we almost always use chemical etching to prep our floors. We have used grinders and shotblasters in the past. However, we quickly learned this type of equipment is just too aggressive and invasive for residential garage floors. They can crack concrete and break off chips of concrete. In the end, they just create a lot of dust that settles all over...such as your work bench and dry storage areas. In order to ensure our acid etching creates acceptable levels of "roughness" so that our epoxy adheres forever, we simply do it TWO times. This works every single time and we have had no trouble whatsoever.

So they don't Diamond Grind the floor during prep, only acid wash 2x. I haven't called them yet to confirm, but should I write off a business simply because they don't Diamond grind during prep? Reading here on the forums it seems that Diamond grinding the floor is a pretty crucial step.

My House was built in April 2011, there are only maybe a couple oil spots when I laid down the gas weed-whacker and it leaked, and the floor surface is rough but always has white powder on the surface.

So I'm not sure if my garage floor requires diamond grinding since its so new and has a rough surface already. It's not shiny or smooth at all.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Scott:
Most reputable installers utilize modern, efficient and nearly dust free prep equipment. They do this to save time, cost and any return issues.

That said, at least half of our DIY clients utilize the acid etch method with excellent result.

Any pro using the etch method is likely to be a noob.

 

[dcs Inc]

It is always preferred to either shot blast or spiral grind. The surface matrix can be soft and an acid wash just wont cut it deep enough.

Grinding equipment does cost a few bucks. Add a decent vac set up and you can spend a few thousand on equipment. The guy is blowing you smoke on his explanation of why he doesn't grind/shot blast. Even if he's just getting started, he can find rental equipment to do the job properly. gene

www.elitecrete.com
www.elitecreteindiana.com
www.indycrete.com
[email protected]

 

[MBfreak]

I had a pro lay ceramic floor tile in my 6x7 meters garage. Slab was painted concrete. About 30 years old with substandard floor paint. Impossible to keep shop clean and dustfree.
He was adamant that the floor must be diamond ground and I got to spend two days with his grinder and vacuum ( free of charge) to do the prep work.

The vacuum was incredibly efficient, there was close to NO dust afterwards.
Sounded like a Huey.
I replaced the HD plastic bags after about each 10 kg of dust. ( 8 times in all)

So, with the right equipment dust is not a problem.

OLa

 

[Edger]

Happy customers, almost no complaints should be the only way to tell how good a contractor claims to be, what is written means close to nothing. Of course that guy could only do floors that have no previous coating, otherwise there would be too much dust!

 

[Garage-Tech]

I'm going to be as impartial as possible. Diamond grinding is the most cost/time effective way to remove previous coatings and prepare the concrete substrate. That being said, their are other ways to prep concrete that deliver the desired result (Acid Etch, Shotblasting). If your concrete is new and level i don't see why an acid etch wouldn't profile the concrete to acceptable levels.

Next point, His excuses for not grinding are totally wrong. This is clearly pointed out by the posts above mine.

Finally, The reason MOST of us grind floors is simple. To deliver a consistent product. If you grind every floor, regardless of coating, and use the same epoxy then your end product will always be the same. This way your variables for failure are decreased dramatically. Not to mention most epoxy manufactures specify grinding or shotblasting in their prep procedures for any warranty associated with the product.

I hope this helps.

And this is my personal opinion, if your going to spend the money make sure its done right the first time. Good luck!

 

[LW CONCRETE]

Diamond grind the floor. Acid etching cannot break the surface tension like a grind out. A good diamond grind will also remove the clear coat and most contaminants. Chances are they don't diamond grind because they don't own the machinery to do it and don't want to offer it. Most pros will grind out

 

[scott750]

Thanks guys for all the advice. I've been doing more searching for local pro's in my area and have found at least others that DO use diamond grinding as part of their prep. So I have plenty of choices.

One more question I had is I can't find any of these Pro's in the BBB to see how they are rated. What kinds of things should be looking for when interviewing for Pro's? Questions to ask or credentials? References to check out?

EDIT-Guess it was more than 1 question.

 

[JD in DFW]

BBB is a joke, it funded by contractors....so you wont find unbiased reports in most cases. Don't know where your located (might update your profile) but you might try Angie's List. Those are true member reports on there and the contractors can not change the reports if they are bad.

On the diamond grinding question I would agree with most above, I have been doing garages since 03 and have never acid etched the floors...that is what the cheap and unskilled contractors use and do. Manufactures here like to cover all their bases by stating that the acid does just as good...but they are plain wrong and trying not to step on toes and of course sell more of their product. If they don't grind I would pass on them, I would also ask for the name of the manufactures or product makeup. A few of the larger garage franchises are famous for the smoke and mirrors tactics of calling the coatings "hybrid polymers" or Poly-hybreds....all just to hide the fact that they are using a cheap low solid epoxy and a low end urethane for a top coat.
JD

 

[dcs Inc]

I don't belong to the BBB. They have been on me for ever it seems. They have to rate everyone whether you are paying or not. I checked my rating once and had an A-. Called and they explained that even though I have no complaints and even a couple compliments, they couldn't give me the plus rating until I "joined". That got changed real quick with a call from my attorney.

I see a lot of new guys polishing up their BBB sticker. It's pretty funny. gene

 

[Garage-Tech]

Pro = Someone who has a visible company, not a fly by night operation. They will warranty their work. They should provide you with a written quote, and description of work to be preformed. They will specify (usually in mills) the amount of product to be applied to the floor. Lastly, They should have references. Pictures, samples, equipment...something to show that this job isn't their first.

Again, this is just opinion...Some of us operate different than others :/

 

[scott750]

Great information guys. I really appreciate it!

I'm in the Austin, TX area (just updated my profile )

 

[munkey]

To me, the fact that this business is blowing smoke about "concrete chipping" and excessive dust from grinding is a bigger red flag than the fact that they don't offer the service. I would see them as being more credible if they just said, "We prepare the surface using a double acid wash" or something; instead, they chose to make ridiculous excuses for why they don't own or rent the proper (expensive) equipment.