If your concrete garage floors have an epoxy coating over them, and it’s beginning to show signs of wear and damage, you need to remove the coating before the concrete is damaged. When done correctly removing a coating from a garage floor can extend the life of your concrete and improve the look of your space. 

To see what it looks like to remove the top coating from your garage floor with a floor grinder, check out the video below! 

Why Use a Grinder to Remove a Garage Floor Coating

If you want to remove old epoxy, you have a few options: 

  • Using a metal or plastic scraping tool, then applying a solvent, such as acetone or paint thinner, then scraping again to remove the old coating.  
  • Using a floor grinder to grind away the old material, and create a bare surface. 

Using a scraping tool and solvent is tedious, back-breaking labor that also exposes you to unpleasant fumes for long periods of time. Additionally, you may have to repeat the process several times to get all the epoxy paint or top coating off the concrete.

Using a floor grinder ensures a more comprehensive job in a shorter period of time, and while you should wear PPE to protect against dust, you’re not exposed to corrosive chemicals.  Additionally, make sure you have a concrete dust extractor equipped with the proper HEPA filter to prevent respiratory concerns. 

Using a Floor Grinder to Remove an Epoxy Coating from Garages

Using an electric or propane floor grinder and the right diamond pads will effectively grind away the epoxy in a much shorter time span than solvents, and leave behind a surface that can be polished or recoated, depending on your preference.

Working slowly and methodically, moving forward in a left-right pattern, the diamond pads cut through the epoxy, sealant, or other coating. Depending on if you are wanting to open the concrete back up and leave a deeper profile, or if you just want to remove the top layer of sealant will determine the type of diamond pad you want to choose. For deeper cutting action, a coarse grit, such as a 20-80 will be more effective than grinding with a 100 that is used more for fine honing. 

Grinding Along the Wall or Corners

It’s essential that you’re thorough when grinding your garage floor, and this means getting against the wall and into corners, taking care not to leave any existing epoxy behind. This is where having a corner edging tool, such as the TC-7 Stand-Up Edger can save time on the detailed aspect of working near vertical surfaces and walls while getting the job done quickly. 

Contact Us for Your Concrete Grinding Tools

We have everything you need to remove an epoxy coating from a garage floor, and if you choose to add a fresh coating, we also have high-quality epoxy coatings for sale. To learn more about our surface preparation tools and equipment, reach out to us today at  (815) 324-8071 or by filling out our contact form to get started!