Garage floor prep decision tree — moisture test, then acid etch vs. mechanical grind
Prep is 80% of the job: test moisture (add an MVB primer if it fails), then acid-etch a thin-film kit or grind to CSP 2–3 for a 100%-solids or polyaspartic system.
What this diagram shows
A decision flow for prepping a garage floor before coating. First test slab moisture with ASTM F1869 (fails over 3 pounds per 1,000 square feet per 24 hours) or F2170 (fails over 75 percent relative humidity); if it fails, apply a moisture-vapor-barrier epoxy primer first (ASTM F3010). Then profile the concrete to the ICRI concrete-surface-profile the system needs: a thin-film DIY kit can be acid-etched to CSP 1–3, but 100%-solids epoxy and polyaspartic require a mechanical grind or shot-blast to CSP 2–3 because acid etching is not sufficient. Finally coat prime, base, flake, topcoat. New concrete must cure 28 days before any of this.
Epoxy Garage Floor Calculator
Free epoxy garage floor calculator: coating gallons or kits, flake, primer & anti-slip by garage size. Mil-thickness math + a moisture-test gate.
