Surface preparation

Nothing bonds to a dirty slab.

Shot blasting, diamond grinding and documented moisture testing to a measured concrete surface profile — the least visible part of the job and the one that decides the outcome.

Request a site assessment Call (236) 873-2580

The work

Profile is a specification with a number.

Coating manufacturers specify the concrete surface profile their product needs, on a scale from CSP 1 (almost smooth) to CSP 9 (heavily scarified). A thin sealer wants a light profile; a high-build epoxy wants CSP 3 to 4; a mortar system wants more. Producing the wrong profile voids the warranty just as surely as using the wrong product.

We produce it mechanically. Shot blasting is the workhorse for open floor area — it is fast, dust-contained and gives a consistent, repeatable profile. Diamond grinding handles edges, coating removal and anywhere a flatter result is wanted. Scarifying is for heavy removal only.

Acid etching is not surface preparation. It produces an inconsistent profile, leaves reaction products on the surface that interfere with bond, and drives moisture into the slab. If a quote proposes it, that is a meaningful signal about the rest of the work.

Profile range: CSP 1–6
Methods: Shot blast · Diamond grind · Scarify
Moisture: ASTM F2170 RH probes
Dust: HEPA-contained

Detail

Moisture testing is not optional in this climate.

In the Lower Mainland, slab moisture is the single most common reason coatings fail early. We test rather than assume — relative humidity probes drilled into the slab per ASTM F2170, and calcium chloride testing where it is the more appropriate method.

The reading determines the specification. Within tolerance, a standard primer is fine. Above it, you need a moisture-tolerant primer or a vapour barrier coat, and that has to be priced before the work starts. This is exactly the number that gets skipped on cheap quotes and discovered eight months later as blisters.

Questions we get

Straight answers.

Why is preparation such a large part of the quote?

Because it is a large part of the work, and because it is the part that determines whether the rest of it lasts. A coating is only as good as its bond to the slab, and the bond is created here.

Will grinding fill our building with dust?

No. Shot blasting is a closed-loop process with integrated vacuum recovery, and our grinders run on HEPA extraction. On occupied buildings we also set up containment so nothing reaches tenants or production areas.

Can you remove an existing coating?

Yes — that is one of the main things this equipment does. Removal cost depends on how well the old coating is stuck down, which is somewhat unpredictable, so we assess a test area before quoting a large floor.