Garage Floor Preparation Diamond Grinding VS Acid Etching

Garage Floor Preparation: Diamond Grinding vs. Acid EtchingWhen it comes to concrete floor coating, proper preparation is crucial to ensuring successful epoxy adhesive bonding. The two main techniques used for preparing concrete floors are diamond grinding and acid etching.

In this post, Guardian Garage Floors explains the differences between these methods to help you decide which one is better for your garage remodeling project.

Grinding

This method mainly involves scraping the concrete’s smooth top layer to expose the raw surface beneath. With grinding, it will be easier for a professional to achieve a consistent and well-profiled surface. However, if not done properly, grinding can result in uneven areas and gouge marks on the floor. That’s why you must hire an expert who has the skills to use the right equipment, which is either an industrial grinder equipped with diamond grinding blocks or a hand grinder with diamond discs.

Acid Etching

In this process, acid is applied to the concrete floor for the removal of the top surface. Using acid etching alone is effective in preparing your garage floor for the application of protective coating. This method can expose the pores of the concrete while removing stains like glues, caulks and mastics. However, if excess acid is not cleaned off during the etching process, you’ll end up with a wet concrete dust film that might clog the concrete pores. This error can result in coating failure.

Which One Should You Choose?

For household flooring tasks, acid etching is helpful for homeowners who don’t have access to industrial grinders. While this concrete preparation method works better than power washing, it does not provide the more polished result that you can get from diamond grinding.

On the other hand, experts recommend grinding for commercial flooring jobs, which involve various concrete types with different compositions, textures and hardness levels. The equipment used in this process has several grinding heads that are designed to achieve proper surface profiles regardless of the concrete type.

Turn to Guardian Garage Floors for top-notch garage floor preparation and other services. To schedule a consultation, call us at (615) 645-3696 or fill out our contact form.