Epoxy floor preparation: grinding, damp and repairs
More than four out of five failed epoxy floors peel because of how the slab was prepared, not the resin in the tin.
Free, no obligation. One local installer prices it, not five.
Grinding the slab open (CSP 2–3)
New concrete has a weak, dusty top skin called laitance; older concrete has oil, tyre rubber or old paint. Installers run walk-behind planetary diamond grinders connected to H-class dust extractors to cut back to clean, open pores (Concrete Surface Profile CSP 2 for roller coats and flake, CSP 3 for poured self-levelling floors).
Acid etching is avoided by professional crews in Ireland: most Irish concrete uses crushed limestone aggregate, which neutralises acid on contact while soaking the slab with water.
Checking for rising damp
Standard solvent-free epoxy primers need the concrete slab below 75% relative humidity. If a hygrometer or moisture meter reads between 76% and 95% RH—common on older Irish garage slabs without a damp-proof membrane—the installer lays a two-coat epoxy moisture vapour barrier (MVB) primer before the body coat.
Cracks, holes and saw-cut joints
Static shrinkage cracks and spalled holes are chased out with a V-blade, vacuumed and filled flush with epoxy mortar mixed with silica sand. Planned movement joints sawn into the slab are kept open through the coating and filled with flexible polyurea joint sealant.
Your floor, coated
Take a photo of the garage or the room, pick a finish and a colour, and see it before anyone quotes. Free, in under a minute.
- Upload a photo, or answer four quick questions.
- We pass it to one installer that covers your county.
- They ring you with a written price.
Preview of your photo, not a guarantee. Your photo goes to Google's Gemini service to make the picture.
A photo that works
- Daylight, or every light on.
- From the doorway, so most of the floor is in the shot.
- Cars, bikes and boxes can stay where they are.
- Hold the phone at chest height, level, not pointed at your feet.
Get a price for your floor
Four taps and your number. It goes to one epoxy flooring installer that covers your county, and they ring you back to look at the floor and give you a written price.
Related guides
- Epoxy floor coatingWhat a coating is, how thick, and what it takes.
- Epoxy floor paintTwo-pack epoxy floor paint vs single-pack tins, coverage and prices.
- How long it lasts, cure times10 to 20 years, and the cure times day by day.
- Epoxy flooring costOur price guide a m², and a cost check for your floor.
Epoxy flooring & epoxy floor paint guides & price breakdowns
Straight answers to what people ask most: itemised costs, specifications, planning or grants, and what to check before you book.
More guides & resources: Epoxy vs polished concrete · Epoxy flooring over underfloor heating · All guides & calculator hub · Technical & trade glossary · Frequently asked questions · All areas covered · About this site
Questions people ask
How long must a new concrete slab dry before epoxy flooring?
Roughly one millimetre of slab depth per day up to 50 mm (and slower beyond that)—typically at least 28 days for a new slab, verified with a moisture meter below 75% RH or primed with a damp-proof epoxy barrier.
Is diamond grinding dusty inside a finished house?
No. Planetary floor grinders couple directly to enclosed HEPA vacuum extractors that capture over 99% of concrete dust at the shroud.
Epoxy flooring & epoxy floor paint across all 26 counties
Requests from all 26 counties go to one local specialist who covers your county — from Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick to Kildare, Meath, Wicklow, Waterford and Donegal. Pick your county below for local prices, specifications and advice. Compare all areas covered →
Get a free quote for your floor
Four taps and your number. One epoxy flooring installer that covers your county rings you with a price. Nothing is agreed until you accept it.