Concrete Grinding & Surface Preparation in Kokomo, IN - a floor ready for its coating
Old coating peeling, a bare slab you want coated, or a new pour? We prepare the concrete so the coating you choose holds.
- Coating decided first The finish you choose sets how we prepare the floor.
- Old coatings patch-tested We check whether it can stay before you pay for removal.
- Slab moisture tested We check the concrete for moisture before any coating goes down.
- Straight answers on readiness We'll tell you plainly if a slab isn't ready to coat.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
How do you know your concrete needs prep before a coating?
A new coating sticks to whatever is on top of the slab, so these signs are worth catching before you buy a finish and find the floor wasn't ready.
Old coating peeling or flaking
Paint or epoxy lifting in patches has usually lost its grip on the slab, and anything coated over it will come up with it as the loose area spreads.
Water beads on the surface
Drops that sit up instead of soaking in usually mean a sealer or curing compound is on the slab, and a new coating won't bond to that film.
Dark or damp patches
A slab that darkens in spots or feels damp is usually moving moisture up from below, and a coating put over it can blister or let go later.
Rough, uneven or patched spots
Ridges, old patches and spatter make the floor uneven, and a thin coating shows every bump. Grinding takes the high spots down before they show through the finish.
Glue left from carpet or tile
When carpet or tile comes up, the glue left behind keeps a coating off the concrete, so those spots need grinding off before any new finish goes down.
Oil stains in the garage
Oil and grease soak into concrete over the years, and a coating laid over them often lets go in those spots. The longer they sit, the deeper they go.
Concrete grinding and surface preparation, done in the right order
When we do concrete grinding and surface preparation in Kokomo, I start with the finish, because the coating you choose decides how we prepare the floor. If there's an old coating, we test a small patch to see whether it can stay before anyone pays to take it all off. We test the slab for moisture against the limit on the coating maker's data sheet, since that's the number the maker's warranty goes by. Then we grind with diamond tooling, shot blast, which throws small steel beads at the surface to open it up, or do some of each, with the grinder working the edges a blaster can't reach, and we vacuum the floor down to clean, sound concrete. The price moves mostly with the size of the floor, whether an old coating has to come off and how many cracks need filling. The schedule turns on the slab's age and moisture and the coating's weather needs, and your estimate explains the prep as well as the finish for your floor.
Prep often leads into other work. If the floor will stay bare, grinding followed by concrete sealing helps keep water and stains out, and if the slab is too pitted or worn for a coating alone, we prepare it for concrete resurfacing and overlays first.
What happens after you call us about floor prep?
Here's how a floor prep job runs with us, from the first phone call to walking the finished floor together.
Call and book a visit
Call (765) 319-0314 or send the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out and see the floor in person.
Get the slab checked and priced
I look the slab over for moisture, old coatings and cracks, then give you an estimate that explains the prep as well as the finish.
Prep and coat on your date
We choose a date that suits your schedule and the product's weather needs, then our crew and I grind or blast and lay the coating.
Walk the finished floor
Once the coating's down and the gear is out, we walk the finished floor with you so you can look over the surface and edges together.
Why Kokomo homeowners call Kokomo Anchor Epoxy Flooring
I come out and test the slab
I test the floor myself and stay on the job with our crew, so the person who quoted it sees it done.
Prepping floors since 2017
We've been in business since 2017, and I learned the trade on the grinders, so prep is the part we're known for.
Licensed and fully insured
Heavy grinders and blasters run inside your garage or basement, and you shouldn't carry that risk for a crew you hired.
Garage, basement and shop floors
Around Kokomo we prep home garages and basements as well as shop, plant and store floors, and we match the method to each.
Get a free on-site estimate for your floor prep
Tell us the slab's age, any old coating and the coating you want, and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free, done on site and carries no obligation.
Ground and coated concrete floors
Browse these examples of ground, blasted and coated concrete to get a feel for the surfaces and finishes that careful prep makes possible.
Questions about floor prep in Kokomo
Here are answers to what homeowners often ask before a floor gets ground. If yours raises something else, call (765) 319-0314 or write to sales@kokomoepoxyandconcreteflooring.com.
What is the best way to prepare a concrete floor for epoxy, grinding or shot blasting?
Neither one is better for every floor, because the coating decides. Grinding leaves a smoother surface that suits thin coatings, while shot blasting leaves a more open surface for thicker, high-build systems and broadcast systems, the ones with flakes or sand spread into the wet coat. Many floors get both, which is why we settle on the coating before we pick the method.
Does an old epoxy coating have to come off before recoating my garage floor?
Not always. A sound coating that works with the new product can sometimes be scuffed and recoated, while one that's failing, doesn't match the new product or can't be identified should come off. The patch test I mentioned above tells us which before you pay for full removal.
How long does a new concrete slab need to cure before it can be coated?
Most coatings call for about 28 days of curing and a moisture test before they go down, though some systems are made for early, still-green concrete. If you're pouring a new slab in Kokomo, plan the coating for after that cure and follow the chosen product's data sheet. We're glad to look at the slab before you set a date.
How much does concrete grinding and floor prep cost in Kokomo?
We price it after seeing the floor, because the cost comes from the slab itself. Grinding alone usually costs less than grinding plus blasting, and an old coating that passes the patch test saves paying for full removal, while heavy glue, oil or a lot of crack repair adds to it. Your estimate sets out the prep cost as well as the finish, so you can see where the money goes.
Do I need a permit to grind or prep a concrete floor in Kokomo?
That depends on the work, and the City of Kokomo is the office that decides, with building permit applications filed at City Hall, 100 South Union Street. We check with the local permit office before we start and handle the paperwork when a permit is needed.
Do I need an asbestos inspection before grinding an old floor in Indiana?
If the floor is in a facility, yes. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management says owners and operators must have an Indiana-licensed asbestos inspector inspect before demolition or renovation, including the site prep for it, and you can check an inspector's license for free in the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency's Search and Verify database. The rule doesn't settle whether a given home floor is covered, so ask before work starts, and since Kokomo sits outside Marion County, IDEM says owners and contractors must also check with their city and county offices for local ordinances.
Floor prep in Kokomo and nearby cities
We're based in Kokomo and prep floors across the cities around it, including Carmel and Logansport. Pick your area below or give us a call.
Have your slab tested before you pick a coating
Knowing the slab first keeps you from buying a coating it can't hold, and our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.