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Showerthought: My brother and I can't agree on the right way to finish a garage floor.
Three years ago in my old house in Austin, I sealed the concrete myself and it started peeling after a year. My brother says you have to grind it first, but I think a good cleaner and acid etch is enough. What's the real first step for a floor that will last?
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wendy_carr6mo ago
Grinding? For a garage floor? Seems extra.
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gray_nelson6mo ago
My contractor said it helps the epoxy stick way better.
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eva6665mo ago
You're not wrong that it sounds like overkill. But the thing is bare concrete is super porous and dusty. If you just roll epoxy on top without grinding, it'll peel up in a year. Seen it happen to a buddy of mine. He skipped the prep and now his floor looks like a map of cracks and bubbles. The acid etch stuff they sell at the store is okay but not as good as mechanical grinding. It opens up the pores way deeper so the epoxy actually locks in. Plus if you've got any old paint or oil stains, grinding is the only way to really get that stuff gone. Shortcuts on the prep just mean redoing the whole thing later.
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