Surface Preparation & Cement Overlays

Concrete Floor Grinder

We are experts at concrete subfloor surface prep for all of our finished concrete floor options as well as other contractors looking to get their slab ready for flooring. When a slab is in too rough of shape we can provide you with an overlay option. This includes both self levelers and microtoppings. 

There are a number of different cementitious overlayments we can provide you based on your needs and final results. This includes cheap self-levelers meant to be covered with flooring, high strength polishable concrete formulations, and polymer modified cementitious overlayments also known as microtoppings.  

For our prep work we use newer high end dustless grinding equipment to properly prep concrete floors for finishing. Grinding the surface of the concrete is necessary to open up the pores and clean the surface of any contaminants so that epoxies, stains, and polishing products can properly adhere to the floor and last. We do this very necessary prep work step for nearly all of our services.

We also fix cracks, fill control joints with proper elastomeric compounds, fix holes in your concrete, and even/level out your floor.

We cleanly and precisely grind down any waves, bumps, or peaks in your concrete so you can have a smooth flat concrete floor. Most concrete pours are not flat or level enough to be a suitable base for solid flooring!  We use precision instruments and our finely honed experience to quickly level your concrete floor to the proper parameters your floor overlay requires. We can not only bring down the high spots in your floor, but also level your concrete with leveling compounds. Note: We do not offer concrete mud-jacking/lifting services, nor do we pour new concrete slabs.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What are some problems encountered in prepping concrete floors?

    We've encountered and fixed all of the following and more:

    Holes, cracks, pitting, chipping or deteriorating regions, unlevel concrete, stained/contaminated surfaces...

    We've removed: glues, mastics, epoxies, tac strips, vinyl & ceramic tiles, hardwood flooring, spalled concrete, carpet, deteriorated expansion/control joint filler, concrete embedded bolts, conduit, nuts, wires...

    What we do not touch are places that require fixes we'd consider structural engineering issues. This includes mud-jacking floor, pouring new concrete, strengthening structures/stairs/floors, addressing sinking or failing concrete slabs. It must be understood that we provide only cosmetic surface fixes. The closest thing we do to structural work is self-leveling your floor.

  • Do you pour new concrete?

    No, however, we can recommend you a few contractors who will do right by you.

  • What do I do with my baseboards?

    You can leave these on if absolutely necessary but realistically, you should remove these for any kind of flooring work your considering; concrete or otherwise. We can do this for you if you like.

    The details: While we have done plenty of work without removing them, it's not advised, and it will cost you more for us to have to carefully work on your concrete floor without doing too much damage to them. If you insist on leaving your floor boards on while we work, it should be still noted that they will inevitably get nicked, scratched, damaged, and dinged in places. Our tools have to be very powerful to grind concrete floors and your option is to either have unfinished edges or for us to try to get right up against them with 8,000 rpm hand grinders spinning a diamond embedded metal alloy disk. If you're getting an epoxy done, your baseboards will be partially embedded in the epoxy floor, this is especially the case for a reflective/metallic epoxy floor that has a thick build. With concrete floor polishing, the chances of damaging them goes up as we have to make numerous passes along your edges with ever finer polishing grits.

  • Do you offer a warranty and what does it cover?

    Yes, a one year warranty comes standard on all of our workmanship. If you'd like an extended warranty we would be gland to oblige you. We don't take shortcuts in our prep work or materials and so are glad to offer you written reassurances on our products and services.

  • What is the cost of filling my control joints?

    This figure depends on how much prep work the concrete in your joints need, the fill volume for your joints, and the amount of control joints you have. We own an large urethane/epoxy mixing and dispensing pump which we can bring to your project to pass on the lowest install cost possible. Compared to the caulk gun cartridges most contractors use, our bulk material cost is 8x lower and we can dispense material at 12x the speed. There are also countless concrete control joint filling compounds on the market with which we are familiar with. It is strongly advised to use a knowledgeable expert in selecting your joint filling compound. Feel free to call us so that we can help guide you to an appropriate solution and provide you with a free estimate on the joint work.

  • How long do I have to wait after a new slab is poured to finish it with epoxies, stains, or a polish?

    28 days is recommended for all of the above. If you're getting a new slab poured and are thinking of using our services to finish your concrete floor, please give us a call first, we can provide you with some suggestions regarding the concrete mix and curing additives; especially if going with a polish! Some non-retarding concrete curing additives can increase the cost of your polish.

  • What are my concrete floor options?

    You can do a stain and clear coat, an epoxy and clear coat, two coats of polyaspartic resin, a urethane based cementitious coating, a microtopping, or a polish. Each has it's advantages and disadvantages as well as unique options that may or may not suite your needs and application, a brief phone call to us can help us guide you in the right direction.

  • Why coat or finish concrete in the first place?

    Your concrete as a part of your total building infrastructure is often a very substantial part of the complete cost and by finishing it you can maintain that value so that it doesn't degrade. Aesthetically, when people see a concrete floor unfinished it gives the impression of a non-functional storage place and not a living, working, or professional environment. Bare concrete emits concrete dust when unsealed. It is susceptible to staining quite easily. It is liable to absorb oils and other contaminants deep into itself making it impossible in some cases to decontaminate. It is not resistant to molds, bacteria, or fungal growth and so can potentially be a source of pathogen contamination in certain circumstances. It is not easy to clean as it attracts dirt and holds it in its pores. Cleaning costs are far reduced on a coated surface. Concrete coatings help protect the surface from wear. Including salts, oils, water, chemicals, etc. Coatings typically reflect far more light than bare concrete and many other surfaces thus reducing electric bills. You may save costs long term dealing with repairs when not addressed properly sooner. In places with any sort of wheeled traffic control joints are often points of wear when they aren't filled in to allow wheels to smoothly transit the gap in the joints.