Concrete Grinding & Surface Preparation in Indianapolis IN - a slab coatings can grip
Old coating peeling, or a slab nothing sticks to? We grind it back to clean, sound concrete so your next floor holds.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Why does concrete need grinding before a coating?
Concrete grinding and surface preparation in Indianapolis means taking your floor down with diamond plates to clean it, even it out and strip off any old coating, so the new coating grips sound, textured concrete instead of a weak, dirty top layer.
Most people call us because a coating let go, or because they're about to put a garage floor coating down and want it to last. When a floor fails, it's usually the prep, not the product. The price moves with the square footage, with what's on the floor now, like paint, sealer, tile glue or an old epoxy, and with how much grinding the coating you want calls for. The schedule turns on how much has to come off and, on a new slab, how long it's been curing. When I come out, I write up what your floor needs, so you see the work spelled out before anything starts.
How can you tell your floor needs grinding first?
Old coating is peeling
If paint or an old epoxy is lifting at the edges or under the tire paths, it's lost its grip on the slab, usually because the prep under it was skipped. Coating over it just glues the new layer to something that's already letting go, so it has to come off first.
Oil and tire stains
Dark spots that won't scrub out mean oil has soaked into the top of the concrete. Those are the spots where a new coating lifts first, so we grind down past them to clean concrete.
Dusty, crumbly surface
If the floor sheds dust every time you sweep, or the top flakes off under a scraper, the surface skin is weak. Anything bonded to it comes up with it, so we grind through to the harder concrete underneath.
How we handle concrete grinding and surface preparation
I start by finding out what's going on the floor, because we grind to suit that coating rather than running one setting on every slab. We clear the room, grind the open floor with diamond plates, get into the edges and corners, and take off any old coating as we go. Our grinders run with dust control equipment, so the dust ends up in the machine instead of in the air in your garage or basement. Then we vacuum the floor clean and look it over before any coating goes down.
Grinding is usually the first step of a bigger job. If you'd rather keep the look of plain concrete, concrete sealing can go on once the floor's prepped. If the slab is worn past what a coating can cover, concrete resurfacing and overlays put a new top on the prepped concrete.
Grinding a bare slab
This suits a garage or basement floor that's never been coated, or one that's only dirty and stained. It's usually the lighter end of the work, since we're opening up the surface rather than stripping anything off it.
Stripping an old coating
This suits a floor with old paint, epoxy, urethane or tile glue still on it, because all of it has to come down to bare concrete before anything new goes on. Cutting diamonds take thick coatings off better than abrasive disks, and this is the heavier end of the work.
Get a written estimate for your floor prep
We'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out, look at your floor and write you a free estimate, with no pressure to book.
- Based in
- Indianapolis, IN 46204
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
What happens after you call us about grinding?
Here's how a grinding job runs with us, from your first call to walking the finished floor together.
Call or send us a message
Reach us at (317) 429-4446 or through the form, and we'll set a time for me to come see the floor. Tell us what's on it now and what you want on it next.
I look at your floor
I check what's on the slab, how sound it is and where it needs repair, then write up what it needs. You get the work and the price on paper before you decide anything.
We prep, coat and walk it
Our crew grinds and repairs the concrete first, then puts the system down, and I'm on the job with them. Before we leave, we walk the finished floor with you.
Why people around Indianapolis call us to prep their floors
The owner sees your floor
I come out to look at the floor and write the estimate myself, and I'm on the job with our crew when the work happens. The person who told you what your slab needs is there making sure it gets it.
Years finishing concrete first
I poured and finished concrete for other outfits for years before I started this business in 2023, so I know how a slab behaves under a coating. That's why I'll tell you when your floor needs work instead of coating over the problem.
Licensed, insured and easy to check
We're licensed and fully insured. Indianapolis keeps lists of licensed contractors, and you can check anyone you're thinking of hiring there or by calling the city at 317.327.8700.
If you're planning a coating, the time to call is before anything goes down. Get in touch or call (317) 429-4446, and I'll come look at the floor.
Grinding and prep work around Indianapolis
Indianapolis requires anyone doing construction work in the city to be a listed contractor, and the city handles that licensing itself. It doesn't cover a few excluded cities, including Lawrence and Speedway, so the rules there can come from a different office. When a project in Indianapolis needs a permit, the contractor you hire applies for it and is responsible for meeting city code. Whether your job needs one isn't something I'll guess at, so we check with the right office for your address before work starts, and if a permit is needed we pull it ourselves.
Most of what we grind here is garage and basement slabs, and plenty of them carry an old paint job, a sealer someone rolled on years back, or oil soaked into the surface. We take those down to clean concrete first, because that layer decides whether the new floor holds.
Questions about concrete grinding in Indianapolis
Should I grind or shot blast my concrete floor before coating it?
Let the coating decide, because grinding leaves a smoother surface suited to thin coatings and edges, while shot blasting leaves a more open one for heavier, thicker coatings and ones with flakes or sand broadcast into them. Neither is better across the board, and plenty of jobs use both.
How long does new concrete need to cure before it can be ground and coated?
Most coatings call for new concrete to cure for about 28 days, though some systems are made for early, or green, concrete. Plan the grinding and coating for after that cure time, and follow the data sheet for the coating you pick.
Is concrete grinding dust dangerous to breathe?
Yes, concrete dust can carry crystalline silica, and breathing it can lead to silicosis, a deadly lung disease. A federal safety study found every grinder and dust shroud setup it tested cut dust exposure by at least 90%, and the usual controls are water sprays or vacuums with HEPA filters that catch the fine dust. Ask any crew how they control dust before they start.
How much does concrete grinding cost in Indianapolis?
As a rough benchmark, polishing concrete, which starts with the same grinding and goes further, usually costs about $8 to $9 per square foot across the US. Prep alone is a different job, and your price turns on the square footage and what has to come off the floor. I'll write up your own figure when I come look at it.
How do I tell if my concrete has a sealer on it?
Drip some water on the floor, and if it beads up instead of soaking in, there's likely a sealer or curing compound on the surface. A coating can't bond through that layer, so it has to be ground off first.
Will grinding level an uneven concrete floor?
Grinding takes down high spots, lips at cracks and joints and rough patches, but it won't fix a slab that dips or slopes, because it only removes concrete. For low spots, we'd talk about building the floor back up with an overlay instead.
Work that often follows the grind
Concrete Sealing
If you want bare concrete protected rather than coated, sealing goes on after the grind and helps keep oil, water and road salt out of the slab.
Concrete Resurfacing & Overlays
When the slab is pitted, chipped or flaking too deep for grinding to clean up, an overlay gives you a fresh, even surface without tearing out the concrete.
Cities we cover around Indianapolis
Landmark Epoxy Flooring of Indianapolis is based in Indianapolis, IN, and we grind and prep floors in the cities around it, including Fishers and Greenwood. The 12 cities below have their own page, and if yours isn't listed, call and ask.
Get your slab checked before you coat
Have your rough square footage, what's on the floor now, the finish you want and a new slab's pour date handy, and the first call goes quicker.