Concrete Grinding & Surface Preparation in Glendale, CA - a slab a coating can grip
Old coating peeling or tile glue stuck to the slab? We grind it down to clean, open concrete that's ready for your new floor.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What does concrete grinding involve before a new floor goes down?
Concrete grinding and surface preparation in Glendale means running diamond grinders over your slab to roughen the top into a profile, the fine texture a coating grabs onto, and to take down high spots so the next layer sits on a sound, even base.
Most people call Ironwood Epoxy Flooring of Glendale because they want a new coating, polish or overlay, or because the last one is peeling, and the prep is what decides whether the new floor stays put. The price mostly follows the size of the floor and how much has to come off it, since thick glue or old epoxy takes more passes than bare concrete. The schedule turns on how old the slab is and how damp it runs, and I spell out both in the written estimate once I've seen the floor.
Is concrete grinding right for your floor?
Planning a new coating
Epoxy, polyaspartic and polished finishes all need clean, open concrete underneath, and grinding is how it gets there.
Old coating peeling up
If paint or epoxy is lifting in patches, it has to come off before anything new will stick.
Glue left from old flooring
Pulling up tile, carpet or vinyl often leaves mastic or adhesive behind that a new floor can't bond to.
Lips and uneven joints
Raised edges at joints catch toes and show through a thin coating until they're ground down.
How our concrete grinding and surface prep works
I start by looking at how old the slab is and what's on it now, because a bare garage floor and one under thick tile glue need different diamond tooling and a different number of passes. We grind the open floor with a walk-behind grinder, then work along the walls and into the corners with hand grinders, taking down high spots and lips as we go. Grinding is the step most coatings depend on, so we keep going until the whole surface is opened up evenly, with dust collection hooked up to the grinders the whole time so the dust ends up in the collector and not on your shelves. Whoever you hire, ask the estimate to say how the dust gets caught, because grinding with diamonds throws a lot of it. We finish by vacuuming the slab clean so it's ready for whatever goes on next.
Prep is rarely the whole job. Once the slab is open it can take concrete sealing if you want to keep plain concrete protected, or an epoxy floor coating if you want a tougher, easier-to-clean surface. If the concrete is too pitted or patched to look right under a coating, concrete resurfacing and overlays give it a fresh top layer to build on.
Prep for a new coating
This suits a bare or lightly worn slab that's about to get epoxy, polyaspartic or a polish. A lighter grind opens the surface so the new finish bonds to the concrete itself.
Removing old coatings and glue
This suits floors with peeling paint, tired epoxy or mastic left from old tile or carpet. It takes heavier tooling and more passes, and it's the part of the job that most often moves the price.
Grinding down high spots and lips
This suits slabs with raised joints or uneven patches that you'd trip on or see through a thin coating. We take them down so the floor reads flat once it's finished.
What happens after you call us about concrete grinding in Glendale?
Call or send the form
Call (747) 372-8604 or fill out the form with a few details about the floor. We set a time for me to come out and see it.
I look at the slab
I check the concrete for damp spots, cracks and old coatings, and I listen to what you want the floor to do. That tells me how the slab needs to be prepped.
You get a written estimate
The estimate spells out the prep, the product and each step, so you can see what you're paying for and nothing about the plan is a guess. You decide from there.
We grind, finish and walk it
My crew and I do the prep and the install ourselves. Before we pack up, I walk the finished floor with you.
Grinding a root-raised slab or replacing it
Grind it if it's lifted, not broken.
When a tree root pushes up one side of a patio or walkway slab, grinding the raised edge down can be a cost-effective short-term fix that gets rid of the trip lip. It's short-term because the root keeps growing, so that edge can come back up over time.
If the slab is cracked all the way through or the roots spread wide under it, grinding won't fix it and replacing the slab is the likely answer. I'll tell you which one you're looking at when I see it, rather than sell you a grind that won't hold.
Examples of concrete floor work
Look through these examples of ground, coated, polished and sealed concrete floors to get a feel for what good prep makes possible.
Get a written plan for prepping your slab
Tell us the floor size, what covers it now, how old the slab is and the finish you're after. We'll reply within one business day to set up a free on-site estimate, with no obligation.
Why Glendale homeowners call Ironwood Epoxy Flooring of Glendale for slab prep
I look at your floor myself
I come out to look at the slab and write the estimate, and I lead the crew that does the grinding. The person who found the problems in your floor is the one standing over the grinder.
Learned prep on my dad's jobs
I grew up working beside my dad on flooring jobs and started this business in Glendale in 2023 to keep doing the work his careful way. His view was that floors fail from underneath, so we'd rather spend extra time on prep than watch a coating peel a year later.
Licensed and insured, ask to see it
We're licensed and insured. Ask for the paperwork when I'm out for the estimate so you know who's working at your house before we start.
Backed by our satisfaction guarantee
Every job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee. When you're ready, call (747) 372-8604 or use the estimate form and tell me about your slab.
Concrete grinding questions we hear
What does concrete grinding remove?
Diamond grinding strips old coatings, mastic, urethane, epoxy, paint and other buildup off the top of a slab. The same pass roughens the concrete so a new finish has something to hold onto. If you're not sure what's on your floor, I'll figure it out at the estimate.
Is grinding better than acid etching before an epoxy coating?
For most high-performance coatings, yes, because coating references prefer grinding, shot blasting or scarifying over an acid wash. Grinders also handle thin coatings and the edges a shot blaster can't reach. If you're planning a serious coating, expect mechanical prep from us, not acid.
How long does new concrete need to cure before it can be ground and coated?
Most coatings call for concrete that has cured about 28 days and been tested for moisture, though some systems are made for early or green concrete. The coating's product data sheet has the final say, so if your slab is new, we plan the grind and coat around that wait.
Does a contractor need a license for concrete grinding in California?
Yes, when the job totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials, needs a building permit or uses additional workers. The California Contractors State License Board licenses the businesses and people who build or alter structures in the state. Ask any contractor you're weighing whether they hold one.
How much does concrete grinding cost in Glendale?
The price comes down to the size of the floor and how much has to come off it before it's ready. Thick mastic or old epoxy takes more passes than bare concrete, and lots of edges, corners and high spots add hand work. You get the number in the written estimate after I've seen the floor.
How do I tell if my concrete has a sealer on it?
Drip some water on the slab, and if it beads up instead of soaking in, there's likely a sealer or curing compound on the surface. Let us know what you see when you ask for an estimate, since it changes how we prep.
Want a plan for your slab?
I'll come out, look at the floor and give you a written estimate that spells out the prep, product and each step.
Work that often follows grinding
Concrete grinding and surface prep in Glendale
Whether a grinding job at your address needs a permit isn't something I'll guess at, so before work starts I check with the city or county office that covers you and tell you what I find. In Glendale, the city takes every application through its online permit portal, and permitted work has to meet the current state building code along with the city's own changes to it. When we're taking up old flooring and glue during a renovation, South Coast AQMD's asbestos rules set specific work practices for the job, so we plan around them before the first pass. State rules on breathable silica dust also cover construction work like ours unless the dust stays very low, which is one more reason the collector stays hooked up.
We're based in Glendale and work across the cities around it, and most calls here are garage slabs, basements and patios, plus shop and restaurant floors that need redoing. We do the same prep on jobs in Burbank and Pasadena, where plenty of floors carry an old coating or tile glue that has to come off first.