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.
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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.
