Garage Epoxy Floor Prep - DIY Concrete Grinding
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- Опубліковано 6 лют 2025
- 4 1/2 in Grinder - geni.us/OL37E
4 1/2 in Diamond Cup Wheel and Shroud- geni.us/62DRoCj
7 in Grinder Concrete Kit - geni.us/cSKNi
Dual Disc Rental From SunBelt - geni.us/OMEEaw
Dust Extractor Vac From SunBelt - geni.us/bTZBg
I will walk you through 2 of the most popular approaches when grinding concrete floors. There are many projects where grinding a concrete floor down to smooth fresh concrete is needed but specifically, this one is in prep for an epoxy garage floor. I will compare grinding by hand with renting professional equipment for both cost and the amount of time each would take to complete the job
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DISCLAIMER: This video and description contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. - Навчання та стиль
Tools Used
4 1/2 in Grinder - geni.us/OL37E
4 1/2 in Diamond Cup Wheel and Shroud- geni.us/62DRoCj
7 in Grinder Concrete Kit - geni.us/cSKNi
Dual Disc Rental From SunBelt - geni.us/OMEEaw
Dust Extractor Vac From SunBelt - geni.us/bTZBg
DISCLAIMER: This video and description contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission.
About to start my garage floor project and decided to go the DIY route. I already owned a DeWalt 4 1/2" grinder, a Bauer 7" grinder, and a Ridgid 14 gal / 5hp shop vac w/ bags so the cost was minimal. Shroud and 2 diamond wheels were about $100. I did a test today and though it took some time, I plan to stretch the grinding out over 3 days. Also, my garage woodshop is 350 sq. ft. (the rest is storage and a small pantry) so that saves me about 3 hrs. Thanks for all the great info as you help me make informed decisions. Cheers!
Nice, a full grind will set you up nicely for the floor to have a solid bond. Best of luck on the project!
I always go into new projects all gung ho. But end up "I'm never doing that again". Especially after watching a UA-cam video making it look easier than it actually is. Thanks for being realistic about how hard that little grinder will be.
Since the buy option is from HF, you can take at least 20% off that total. Don't forget the dust respirator along with safety glasses and gloves.
I used the $20 dust shroud and $27 diamond cup wheel with a $40 hitachi 4.5" grinder to remove the crumbling layer of parging from the exterior of a foundation wall before patching and waterproofing. The $32 dust separater on a 6 gal bucket keeps 99% of the dust from reaching the vac. Use two buckets if using the HF buckets to prevent collapse. The $20 vac accessory kit can extend the reach if needed.
I set this rig up a year ago for my basement. I had to put the project on hold until now. I got the 7 inch harbor freight grinder on sale with the diamond cup wheel and shroud. I bought a dust deputy deluxe and a rigid 16 gallon vacuum. My friend also had an air scrubber. I am considering painting the floor instaed of epoxy but not completely sure if i should use some sort of concrete sealer before painting. Its something i dont want to do but i know it will be so much better than vinyl sheeting thats on it now. Under that is various adhesives from previous flooring. Thanks for your video. Very informative.
And along with the project, I have the proper hepa filter and 2 bags with the rigid hepa bundle, 3m respirator, goggles, and harbor freight overalls suit. Silica dust is no joke. Be safe.
Great point about the water during prep. After doing 3 Epoxy-type garages, never again. Never holds up. Swisstrax from now on for my application/usage.
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The only reason it doesn’t hold up is because you either not doing it right or your not using a system suitable for the application. Swiss trax is a DIY solution.
I completed a 450m2 (4843.76sq ft) r years ago for a large scale high end detailing company and it still just as good as the day it was done.
The company is called Scrubs.
I'm doing this right now and am about to wrap up just over 200sf of hard concrete slab in my basement. I'm using the HF 15 amp unit with a 7" diamond cup. It works, but it's SLOW and do NOT under estimate how back breaking it is to shuffle around on your knees and hunch over the grinder hour after hour. MY slab is pretty wavy and its taking a LONG time to get all the existing coating off. Just an FYI to all who have yet to start a project like this.
Good helpful suggestion to consider. I recommend changing the grinding segments on the walk-behind grinder to a segment that is specifically designed for coatings removal. The segment that you were using is for general purpose prep and profile applications. The segments worked; however, there are specific segments for coatings removal that will speed up the grind process. Also, purge the Husqvarna vacuum prior to use (instructions the top of the vacuum). That vacuum should have removed most of the dust from the floor while grinding.
Love the content! I would love to see you test a 7” PCD grinding wheel for epoxy removal as a diamond wheel tends to heat up and melt the material while polishing the concrete which isn’t ideal. To promote a tenacious mechanical bond for your next coating system, you want to open up the concrete surface to the coating manufacturer’s recommended CSP (concrete surface profile) with 3-4 being typical. Generally this is achieved with a light shot blasting. All of this is probably beyond the scope of a home/consumer/diy project as I come from a commercial coating background. I’m just amazed at the detail you go into in your videos and the great shots you get. Viewer for life right here!
Man, I want to try out the shot blast as I am just interested in how it would work. The price point for the daily rental was a bit high so I decided to go with the dual disc. I am almost done grinding the whole floor but now need to go back and get the edges, step, front lip, and trouble spots. The dark gray Rustoleum is their higher end "Rock Solid." That stuff melted and took a lot of time and passes to get down to clean concrete. The lighter gray was the standard Epoxy Shield and wasn't too bad to remove.
You did great. I gave you the “gold standard” in my comment above but most of my guys still prefer to just grind away with 7” wheels on their knees with diamond blades cause it’s what they’ve always done. Probably also cause it makes the job take longer 😂 If you go down the rabbit hole of concrete prep you can also look up Aurand. Can use in lieu of shot blasting for small areas.
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Appreciate all the great content here!
For sure, thanks for the support.
Your video convinced me to change my mind about trying to acid etch my brand new garage floor.
I think its also worth noting on whether you are starting with a coating or not. No coating would likely decrease your grinding time considerably. Either way i say rent a floor grinder or shot blaster as it helps get your prep done faster
For sure, if you don't have an existing epoxy coating that will make things a LOT easier.
I would definitely buy the equipment instead of renting. Thank you for sharing
You bet!
I just read that for every inch of your grinder wheel your vacumn needs 25 cfm. As an example for a 4 1/2” grinder wheel should be rated at least 112.5 cfm or higher. And in the Hercules user guide, they recommend only running the grinder for 15 -20 minutes at a time to allow the unit to cool completely. Important note if under time restraints 👍
I did this to my basement before pouring self leveling underlayment. GET THE RENTAL
💯
Awesome video! Thanks so much for making it, its very helpful!
Great info on how to start a project like that.
My garage floor was broom finished and clear sealed, 25 years ago, it's held up. I didn't want a troweled finish as they can be slippery sometimes. Also epoxy coatings weren't really a DIY project back then I don't think.
Thanks for the feedback 👍
Would ever be doing a video on how best to strip and reseal a commercial floor in a dining hall?
Never say never but it's not on my current list of future topics/videos.
Right up my alley, thanks
Shot blaster connected to vacuum works well too.
Thanks for the heads up, I wanted to give it a go but the price was about 2X. It might have worked well on the dark gray side as the disc kind of melts the epoxy which results in needing 3X or 4X passes to get it all off.
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Great advice 👍
Great content as always especially for this flooring job. Like most garages including yours there, I forget the term, but I have that 3-4 inch concrete "baseboard/curb" running around the perimeter of my garage where it meets the drywall - if we opted to not epoxy it but rather just paint it, do you recommend a specific type of paint that can stick to the concrete? Like something from Benjamin Moore, SW, etc,?
The rental center’s around here rent the smaller hand grinder’s , so you wouldn’t have to buy one for $250, they rent per day $25-35 ….. most people probably wouldn’t have much use for them after this project, I suppose you could sell it .
Thanks for the feedback!
ua-cam.com/users/shortsa_UgXzRM30Q?si=q2wSZfiHpx6U0iZW
Good God why would you use a hand grinder on 400 SQ ft
how many sq ft did you grind down with that concrete grind and how long did it take. I am trying to figure out how long 600 sq ft would take . thanks also what grit pads did you use?
What you also have to take in to account for is the transportation of the grinding machine. You will not be able to lift this machine up into the back of a pick up truck. Will need a trailer with a ramp to wheel it up and down.
What would you recommend if you dont want to epoxy the floors after grinding? a clear coat? just want concrete with no color.
you need a Grind and Seal or a Polish
Hi, I’m putting down a tile floor on a concrete slab in a 9x12 walk in closet. I have to meet up to existing tile in the doorway so I don’t have the height for a self leveler, and I have to level the entire room to match the height at the doorway. Unfortunately more than half the room is up to 1/4” higher than the doorway and will have to be grinded down. Would these be the options you would go with to grind down about 1/4” off about a 5’x9’ section of the slab?
Question.... My 60 year old garage floor has several large places where the surface of the concrete has chipped out. These places are roughly 36"x 36" and 1/4" deep. Is there a solution for repairing this and then putting down epoxy, other than completely replacing the concrete?
I think you would need to ensure those areas don't have any loose concrete, once you have a solid base you would then use a resurfacing product that that could handle that depth. There are a bunch of different type of repair products so it is important that you check the specification to ensure your thickness aligns with the product specs. I know this resurfacer from Sakrete goes up to 1/2" www.lowes.com/pd/Sakrete-Flo-Coat-40-lbs-Cement-Concrete-Patch/50327697
The bag in the shop vac just setting there, it’s not attached to anything. How’s that going to help
There's a hole in the bag that connects to the vacuum hose on the inside....takes the burden off the filter from being clogged losing suction
6:20 you almost got that little bug running around
Hahaha, no doubt. He was almost toast.
Standing vs. crawling, that is not even a question.
Agreed 👍
Hi
Can I use Milwaukee orbital sander
Nope, it will scuff the surface but will struggle to grind to fresh concrete.
Hi
After I grinded, do I use concrete primer and paint from Home Depot all in one product. I did use but I didn’t grinded so paint peeled where car parked even I use 2 coat of clear coat from rustoleum.
Will kilz oil base exterior work for primer?
@@aidang2557what people may or may not tell you is any of those paint products that are not a 2 part resin system will fail in time. Hot tires, bad application, moisture. Any reason can cause that to go. Moving along to epoxy like systems you will hear the term solids, professional systems are high solids and 2 part. The grinding is to make the surface clean and poros as possible. Diy epoxies are low solids and in some cases water based, which can reduce their strength and lifespan comparably.
Problem with the hand grinder is that you are not getting a level grind.
If I have a brand new construction home, is this step of grinding the garage floor still needed before doing an epoxy or polyaspartic finish?
To get the best results this is recommended.
I have a significant crack that runs the length .....any info on that?
Here is the video on how to repair concrete cracks ua-cam.com/video/bXDYgxM-PTc/v-deo.html
I’m doing this now what can I do about the low spots
Just deal with it.
Our garage concrete is sticky after epoxy ,Which product can use to remove it
You can grind it like this video shows or are you looking for another method?
Rental all the way. Put your time in the new floor. I have a concrete floor and think from time to time about doing a rustoleum product but why put in the time and cost for 3-4 years of life. Heck you’re only getting 10 years. Not sure that I want to put in the work for that sort of return.
The one I am doing should hold up much longer than 10 years but trying to be conservative. Grinding and prep is critical for the durability of the final product.
I prefer just bare concrete. Or maybe those rubber interlocking floor tiles. Nothing on top. The worse that will happen, is you may get some cracks.
WRONG!!! You are not grinding the concrete. You are stripping off the epoxy. Big difference. Concrete much harder. Them hand grinders you have there will grind you down before 1/4-- 1/2 of that garage floor if you had to grind the concrete...
I don’t understand why you did this to your garage.
Because he’s replacing the crap big box store epoxy with a superior epoxy product
@@maxwellgriffith🤔. I agree with @ThatsTheCombinationOnMyLudgage, why throw away all that time & money, ideally I thought he was removing the regular epoxy, and installing the rock solid garage floor 😔
Rock solid is a pretty crappy big box store epoxy
👍👍👍👍👍😎
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