Probably the most important step which sets our company apart in quality on how meticulous we are on this step.

Grinding a concrete floor before coating it is a crucial preparatory step that ensures the success and longevity of the coating application. Concrete surfaces often have imperfections, such as unevenness, minor cracks, and contaminants, which can hinder proper adhesion and durability of the coating. Grinding involves using specialized equipment to mechanically remove the top layer of the concrete, effectively leveling the surface and creating a clean, porous, and uniform substrate.

This process serves several key purposes:

1. Surface Preparation: Grinding removes any existing coatings, adhesives, or sealants and eliminates surface contaminants like dirt, grease, and oils. This provides a clean and receptive surface for the new coating to bond effectively.

2. Enhanced Adhesion: The rough texture created by grinding provides a better bonding surface for the coating materials. This ensures that the coating adheres securely to the concrete, reducing the risk of delamination or peeling over time.

3. Smoothness and Evenness: Grinding levels out uneven patches and minor imperfections, creating a more level and more uniform surface. This not only improves the aesthetics of the finished coating but also enhances the overall usability of the space.

4. Elimination of Cracks: Grinding can effectively address and expose minor cracks. This is crucial for the next step where these cracks are mended. This helps maintain the structural integrity of the floor.

5. Profile Creation: The grinding process creates a specific surface profile that is needed for the polyurea system. This profile ensures optimal adhesion of the coating materials, resulting in a more robust and long-lasting finish.

In essence, grinding prepares the concrete surface by creating an ideal foundation for the subsequent coating application. This process maximizes the coating's adherence, durability, and overall performance, leading to a finished floor that not only looks impressive but also stands up to the rigors of usage and time.

Now that the floor is ground even with all contaminants off, the bare concrete is exposed. Any cracks or pitting in the concrete are filled with a mending material to make it stronger than before. Once the mender is applied and leveled there is a short waiting period while the mender cures.

Once the mender is set up it is all ground down again so that every surface is now even and strong as new.

If any portions have been ground and mended for rust protection that is treated first with a moisture mitigation primer prior to applying the basecoat.

The polyurea basecoat is first applied by hand to the exterior portions, vertical concrete trim, and around anything like shelving or sinks that will not be moved. This is similar to how a painter cuts in the edges before rolling a wall.

A large roller is then used to apply the basecoat to the entire project surface.

You have to work quick at this point! Once the basecoat is laid down then comes the exciting part of broadcasting the flake on all the surfaces of the project.

This is done quickly and looks messy (don’t worry it gets vacuumed up later). This is broadcasted by hand and thrown under and shelves or on any vertical concrete base that is being coated. At this point we can take a break.

At this point you can start to see how the garage will look. There will be some mounds of flake and may not look totally even and that is okay! We are just waiting for the basecoat to cure with the flake now adhering to it.

We give it an hour or so to cure up enough to get our scrapers out. Scrapers are run over everything to take down any uneven layering that may have happened when spreading the flake. The extra is vacuumed up.

We are almost done! A polyaspartic top coat is mixed with a Trackbite (almost like a clear sand) material that will give the final coat some texture. This is important because without it the finish can become slippery. Having the Trackbite gives it a bit of texture so it is nice and grippy.

The topcoat mixture is then applied again first by hand to the edges and hard to reach spaces. At the same time the bulk of the project area will have top coat applied with a squeegee all over the surface. This has a slight self leveling ability so as it sets up you will not see any uneven spots.

It is recommended to wait 24 hours before heavy use. Heavy use includes driving on it as well as moving heavier items back into the garage such as fridges or shelves. This can vary based on humidity outside. If it is very humid then a bit more time is recommended for heavy use.