Garage floors before a coating
Garage slabs collect oil, old paint and worn sealer, and a new coating won't hold well over any of it, so we grind down to clean concrete before your floor goes on.
Concrete Grinding & Surface Preparation in Monterey CA - a floor ready for its next coat
Old sealer, paint or glue on your slab, or high spots in the way? We grind it clean so the next finish holds.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What grinding and prep do for your concrete
Concrete grinding and surface preparation in Monterey is the step before any new floor. We use diamond-pad grinders to take down high spots and strip old sealer, paint, mastic or epoxy, so you're left with clean concrete that has enough texture for the next coat to grab.
Most people call me when a garage coating is peeling, a basement still has black glue from old tile, or a patio has high spots they want gone. Prep comes first for me, because most floors that peel or bubble were rushed before the first coat went on.
The price mostly comes down to how many square feet you've got and what's on the surface, since a thin film of old sealer comes off a lot faster than thick mastic or several layers of epoxy. The schedule turns on the same things, plus what goes on next and whether we find cracks or soft spots once the old layer is off. I look at the floor in person, measure and test the slab, and you get the estimate in writing.
Learned on a coating crew
I started out hauling grinders and mixing buckets for a small concrete coating crew, learned from people who'd done it for years, and I've run this business since 2013.
Same crew, with me checking in
Our crew does the grinding with my lead installer running the job, and I'm on site checking in, so the person who tested your slab sees how the prep turns out.
A straight answer on what you need
If a light grind and a sealer will do the job, I'll tell you that instead of selling you a full coating, because you should know what you're paying for.
How we strip and prep a slab
The first thing I do is figure out what's actually on the surface, whether that's old sealer, mastic or paint, because that decides the tool. We pick the grinder or the blaster that suits it, take the slab down to clean concrete, knock down the high spots and leave the texture the next layer needs to hold on.
We run dust collection when we grind, so the fine concrete dust goes into a vacuum instead of drifting across your garage and into the house. Once the old layer's off, we clean up and leave you a bare slab that's ready for whatever comes next.
Sometimes that's a coating, and sometimes it's less than you'd think. A clean slab in decent shape may only need concrete sealing, while one that turns out pitted or patched under the old layer is a better fit for concrete resurfacing and overlays. I'll tell you which once I've seen the bare concrete.
Floors we grind and prep most often
Basements with glue from old flooring
Pull up old tile or carpet and you'll often find mastic, the black glue that held it down. It takes heavier grinding than a light cleanup, and it has to come off first.
Shop floors that take a beating
Business owners call when a floor has to handle carts, equipment and heavy foot traffic, and a tough coating needs clean, well-textured concrete under it to stay put.
Patios and slabs with high spots
Grinding takes down the ridges and high spots that catch a foot or a mower wheel, and it gives an outdoor slab a clean start before a sealer or coating.
Get a written estimate for your slab prep
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. I'll look at the floor, measure and test the slab, and you get a free written estimate with no obligation.
Your rough square footage
Length times width is plenty for now, because the size of the area is the first thing that sets the price and how long our crew is on the floor.
What's on the surface now
Tell us if you see paint, sealer, glue or an old coating, even if you're not sure which, so I can bring the right tools to test it.
Sidewalk or private slab
Let us know if the work is on a sidewalk by the street, because that can mean a city permit, and we'd rather sort that out before we start.
Concrete prep and floor finish examples
These are example photos of ground slabs, coatings and sealed finishes to point at when we talk about how your floor should look.
Questions about grinding concrete in Monterey
Here's what people around Monterey usually ask me before we grind a slab, from cost to permits to cleanup.
How much does concrete grinding cost in Monterey?
Across the US, concrete grinding usually runs about $1.50 to $3.50 per square foot, with simple smoothing at the low end and glue or mastic removal at the high end. That's a national figure, not our price. Your own number comes from the written estimate after I've measured and tested your slab.
How do I know if my concrete floor has an old sealer on it?
Pour a little water on it, and if it beads into droplets instead of soaking in, there may be old sealer or paint on the surface. One coatings maker's guide says that layer has to come off by diamond grinding, shot blasting or another mechanical method, so if it beads, plan on stripping as part of the job.
Is shot blasting or grinding better for removing an old floor coating?
Shot blasting can often clean off thin leftover material, but heavy buildup needs grinding as well. The same coatings maker's guide says thicker layers make the steel shot bounce, which is why they need grinding too. If your floor has years of old coats or thick glue on it, plan on grinding, and I'll confirm once I've tested the slab.
Do I need a permit to grind a sidewalk in Monterey?
Plan on one if the sidewalk sits in the public right of way, because the City of Monterey requires a permit before anyone repairs or maintains a sidewalk there. City code makes owners keep sidewalks safe and counts grinding as upkeep, but you're not responsible for damage from a city tree or its roots. We check first and handle the paperwork with you.
Can someone without a contractor's license grind my concrete in California?
Only on small jobs. California raised its minor work exemption from $500 to $1,000, and it only applies when the work needs no permit and the unlicensed person has no one working for them. A job with a hired crew or a sidewalk permit falls outside it. We're licensed and insured.
Where does the slurry from grinding concrete go near Monterey Bay?
It should stay out of storm drains, because in the Monterey Bay region they flow untreated to local waterways and the ocean. Concrete slurry is highly alkaline and toxic, so even small amounts can harm aquatic life. Local guidance says to contain it at drains and vacuum or soak it up right away rather than wash it away. We keep ours out of the drains.
Work that often comes after the grind
Call us about grinding your slab
From the peninsula to Salinas and Watsonville, call (831) 204-4420 or use the form, and your job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.