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technically you can use a primer as you suggest but I believe that a mechanical grind gives better adhesion because it's removing all contaminants and profiling the substrate before the epoxy is applied. Our products have a 20 yr warranty so it's important to us to get our preparation as close to perfect as possible.

you can technically etch after grinding but you shouldn't need to because the grinding will remove contaminants and profile the concrete ready to apply your coating

Howdy, you definitely don't need to acid wash if you grind. If you only want to acid wash then just make sure to neutralise the acid afterwards and rinse it really really well. But grinding is the gold standard and it's the secret all installers use to ensure the epoxy has good adhesion to the floor.

He's comparing the surface breakdown between the 2. The point is to bust past the cream layer on top to get to the much more porous aggregate layer underneath. Gives the epoxy much more to grab onto

This video is the equivalent to comparing a 400 grit palm sand to an 80 grit orbital when the goal is to remove multiple layers of poly off of a piece of baseboard.

@bradleyhewitt9999 I've done epoxy both ways and I haven't had an issue with either one, its all in doing it the proper way

also 1 part acid to 2 parts water will do a much better job!!! not better than grinding just better than your example.........If the “acid etch mixture” is not properly mixed at a 10% solution, the solution will be too weak to properly remove concrete latencies or it may be too strong and etch the surface deeper than necessary, and soak into the concrete surface and contaminate it with a destructive, lingering, acidity after floor materials are applied. Never use "straight acid" mixtures for this reason. Muratic Acid is typically packaged at a 30% dilution (be sure); you want to dilute it down to a 10% dilution (1 part acid to 2 parts water).

I don't think this was meant to be a how to acid wash video but that being said it should've been mixed stronger to be a fair comparison. Lots of misinformation out there concerning the correct ratios and it causes poor etching almost as often as people using the crap etching powder that comes with the kit epoxy

Should be fine as long as you ensure you wash it all off with fresh water

There are shrouds you can buy that allow you to use an angle grinder that almost touches the wall so you get most of the edges done. We use a diamond carbide rasp on an oscillating multi tool to get the corners. Cheers

Thanks for pointing out this (obvious) step that I am surprised he did not mention. We used baking soda & water. Then rinse afterwords. I've done some stone work and you always use acid then neutralizer (too much neutralizer is fine).

@@ScottB-k7v Exactly! It's the acid that damages.

Absolutely true but to be fair I've also seen baking soda residue left behind when not rinsed thoroughly as well. The fine layer of dust prevents the epoxy from sticking, not just the acid or soda itself

But will it not add moisture to concrete if we wash it.

Cheers Sammy

HEY digger, it might take off the paint. It depends on how well it's stuck on but I wouldn't bank on it being removed by the acid.

glad to help. good luck with it

We apply epoxy immediately after grinding so that we know the substrate is clean and free of contaminates. Technically you could wait forever provided the surface remained clean. So do in your case you could wait until you had finished the grinding and then coat it, just make sure that the first section your ground is still clean. Hope this helps.

Hello and thank you, I guess my plan will be to acid etch it, unless you have any suggestions ? If need be, I can lightly grind the cement again, I am using a 4 inch double blade diamond grinder

@@Gary-cd8hb Gary before you acid etch watch this video we did: th-cam.com/video/a-jVlZXRUv4/w-d-xo.html It can work just make sure you rinse it thoroughly and when you have done it, rinse again to be sure. You could always hire a concrete grinder and do the job instead of using the small hand grinder. Personally I always grind the concrete but I understand this mightn't be cost effective for you.

We use aluminium oxide in a #36 mesh and sprinkle directly on top of our final coat. You can then dial up the amount of grit depending on how much grip you want.

@@epoxyflooringco3130 awesome ty

Victor the grinders kick out a lot of dust if they are on softer concrete floors but on very hard floors they aren't so bad. Having said that I think you'd find that a shop vac probably just won't be powerful enough. By "shop vac" I assume you mean one that its used for vacuuming in a residential home. If you want to see want to see how much dust a concrete grinder can create and what happens when we turn off our vacuums, check out this short video: th-cam.com/video/EwXMYvRTO6s/w-d-xo.html

@@epoxyflooringco3130 it would be a 12 gallon Ridgid vacuum. I'm doing research to rent the concrete grinder and industrial vacuum together. Thanks for your reply.

I have the same issue. I want to add this sand with a clear clear to make the floor nonslip

We've always found that good powerful vacuums create almost no dust, regardless of the room being ventilated or not. If you are hiring equipment just check with them to ensure they are confident in their vacuum's ability. FYI we did a test one day to see what happens when we turn off the vacuum on a job and it shows what a mess it can be. th-cam.com/video/EwXMYvRTO6s/w-d-xo.html

Howdy, If the Moh's hardness test is 8-9 we use a 16grit shoe and then do a second lap with 40grit. If the Moh's test is between 3-7 we will use a 40grit shoe. Hope this helps ya.

@@epoxyflooringco3130 Thank you for your reply, man 👍

I use 2 seg 16grit diamond trap if I’m doing epoxy over it. And where I am located, it’s usually hard concrete so I use soft bond metal but that can vary.

@@miked6097 Great! Thank to share with me. How do you clean up the dust after grinding? Just vacuum it or other method you usually done?

@@dodyh657 I have the xps Geneie grinder with the dust control tromb 400 vac that attaches right to the grinder. It’s virtually dustless. It’s OSHA requirements. But after that I vac with my dustless hepa shop vac multiple times and a quick chemical mop with denatured alcohol. I can grind 700+sf in less than hour and be ready for product. Stay safe.!!!

Thanks for your comment. I'm trying to learn more about paint, stain, epoxy, etc. for my job. It's hard to sell stuff you don't know much about!

If your surface is ending up smoother than when you started, you're grinding wrong.

You probably don't need to completely remove the acrylic but at least ensure it is completely cleaned and profiled with a sander or grinder to ensure the new coating will obtain sufficient adhesion to it.

@@epoxyflooringco3130 Thanks for your reply. We are now wondering if we can apply polyurethane as a clear coat to prevent staining. Any experience with this? Will polyurethane stick to sealer? to epoxy?

@@chdao Polyurethane will work as a coat to prevent staining. You are best to contact the supplier of the acrylic sealer and the polyurethane to check compatibility but if the acrylic was prepared properly I'd think it'll be fine. The polyurethane will definitely stick to epoxy. Just ensure you prepare the substrate really well.

@@epoxyflooringco3130 Does this include polyurethane designed for wood or wood floors? I live in Guatemala and we do not have the luxury of selection here. Pretty much, all we have are Sherwinn Williams' products.

Porous surfaces have that issue no matter what. For example, my marble countertops take all kinds of stains that won't wash off with soap, but cone off effortlessly with a foaming bleach spray...

So you prefer acid cleaning?

Hi, I’m planning to do my garage and debating grinding vs acid etching, my garage floor is 15 years and no previous paint. Can you suggest proper way to prepare the floor. Thanks in advance for your help.

for a DIY project of approx 500 sq. ft., i'll go with the grinder! but then again, at this point i've almost decided to support my local professional for prep work. got a fair quote, not cheap, but fair. if this is decided, then 95% of the project is done. 5% is just me laying down the epoxy paint on the garage floor. the more i think about it, i can't beat that logic.

Howdy. I like the Schwamborn DSM250 cub grinders. We have a few of them and find they are very versatile and sometimes even quicker than our bigger machines. I also like the look of the Husqvarna 250 but I haven't personally used one yet. We are looking for contractors to help us out later this year so if you are in Australia let me know. All the best.

@@epoxyflooringco3130 awesome thanks for the suggestions, unfortunately I’m not located in the area. Thanks again.

@@epoxyflooringco3130where in Australia are you? I’m on the central coast

Hey Lamontre, Ouch that's not a great story and I'm afraid it's not easy to fix. You have to remove the yellow top coat but when you do that you will run the risk of damaging the surface underneath it. You could try using sandpaper with a sanding pole to remove the coating without effecting the material underneath but it's going to be quite difficult and time consuming. I hate to the the bearer of bad news but to properly fix it you will probably have to remove the entire coating and replace it with UZ stable products. All the best with it.

@@epoxyflooringco3130 Correct. Grind it all off.

True, smooth is the enemy of adhesion. Not a lot of people put two and two together on that one...

Will acid wash remove acrylic solvent-based concrete sealer? I may need to redo my kitchen counters and am trying to find the best way to remove the current sealer. I don't live in an area that has access to many chemicals, but muriatic acid is available.