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Concrete Surface Preparation For Your Epoxy Flooring

Updated: Jun 24

Before getting any epoxy flooring done, it is important to understand what CSP means in order to make an informed decision when purchasing high-performance coating systems.

A heavily shot-blasted concrete floor with a CSP level 7, displaying significant surface roughness. Necessary for high-build epoxy systems that demand maximum adhesion.

What is CSP?

The average distance between the surface's peaks and valleys as viewed from a cross-section of the concrete surface. The criteria are graded on a scale of 1 to 9, with 1 being the smoothest and 9 being the roughest. For epoxy installation, it is most ideal to have a CSP of two to three.

An infographic displaying the nine levels of Concrete Surface Profile (CSP), ranging from 1 (smoothest) to 9 (roughest). The chart visually explains the different textures required for various epoxy applications.

Did you know that Tru-Grit uses industrial grade concrete grinders?

These machines grind a surface to a point where we can actually create a CSP of two to three depending on what is needed for the system that will be installed afterwards.


We actually use special specific types of diamonds (no not diamonds like that go on your hand), that are a certain level of hardness needed to create a softer concrete. These diamonds are called polycrystalline diamonds, but we sometimes use other diamonds as well.



An installer using a grinder to prepare a concrete floor, achieving the desired CSP level for optimal epoxy coating adhesion.

Why else does epoxy flooring need you to grind a floor?

Well, grinding of the concrete actually opens up the capillaries of the concrete, which allow the epoxy, also known as polyaspartic, to bind firmly into the substrate and it saturates it as well.


Do not allow someone to come into your house or place a business and use a pressure washer or a swing buffering machine fitted with some type of scraper on it. The reason why it is important to not do so is because it will lead to that company ripping you off. Since the CSP was not addressed the product will be spread out and it wont saturate well with the surface, which means the product won't bind properly. This will lead to a low quality floor that bubbles up and peels away.


tools used for preparing concrete surfaces to different CSP levels, including grinders, shot blasters, and scarifiers. Each tool is designed to achieve specific surface textures.

Since Tru-Grit Epoxy Flooring uses top of the line grinding equipment, we won’t rip you off that way. We open those pores of the concrete so that when we pour product onto the floor, it saturates it to the point we need to put on more. For instance, if we pour 10 MIL of epoxy onto the floor, 6 MIL of that will go right into the floor. This means that the bond created will be one that lasts a lifetime instead of a few years.


In the end, paying attention to CSP will ensure the floor you receive is not only top quality, but a lifetime investment. Call Tru-Grit Epoxy Flooring today if that is something you want to look further into.




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Unknown member
Jul 15, 2021

We are going to replace our driveway with pavers.


However, the driveway apron and adjoining side walk are pitted from years of pressure washing.


Can you resurface driveway aprons and side walks to look line new "brushed" concrete

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