Concrete Floor Stripping & Removal in Lawrence, IN - a clean slab for the next floor
Epoxy peeling, bubbling or flaking off your garage or shop floor? We take the old coating off and leave sound concrete ready for what's next.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
How do you get old epoxy off a concrete floor in Lawrence?
Concrete floor stripping and removal in Lawrence, IN means taking a failing epoxy coating off your slab, either by loosening it or by grinding it away, then cleaning up and prepping the concrete so the next floor has something solid to grab.
At Lawrence Epoxy Floors and Concrete, most of these calls start with a garage or basement coating that's lifting, or a shop floor worn through to bare concrete in the traffic lanes. What you'll pay and how long it takes mostly come down to the size of the floor, how many coats are on it and how hard they're stuck, which removal method fits, and how much dust and waste there is to handle. A full strip usually leads straight into grinding and surface prep, and once I've walked your floor I'll write up exactly what it needs and why.
How do you know if your old floor coating needs to come off?
Peeling in a few spots
You see chips or lifted patches where a tire sits or something heavy dropped, while the rest of the floor is still hard and tight. That's often a local bond problem we can fix in place, and catching it early keeps water and grit from working under the edges and widening the patch.
Coating lifting everywhere
Flaking across the whole floor, or sheets you can peel up by hand, usually means the coating never bonded well to the concrete in the first place. Patching that only moves the failure around, so the longer it goes, the more you spend on fixes before the full strip you'll need anyway.
Bubbles or cloudy patches
Blisters or a white haze under the coat often point to moisture coming up through the slab. A new floor laid over it traps the same problem, so the old coat comes off and I check the concrete before anything new goes down.
How we handle concrete floor stripping and removal
First I check how much of the old coating is still holding, because if most of it is stuck tight, I'll tell you a spot repair may be enough and save you the full strip. When it all has to come off, we pick the method by the size of the floor and plan for the dust from the start, since grinding or blasting concrete puts fine crystalline silica into the air, and that dust causes silicosis, a lung disease with no cure. Once the coating is gone, we clean up and leave the slab prepped for the next floor.
Most stripped floors get a new coat, and for garages and basements that's usually one of our epoxy floor coatings. Shops, warehouses and other working floors go on to commercial and industrial epoxy floor coatings, which are built to take heavier traffic.
Diamond grinding
This suits garages, basements and most home floors, because the grinder cuts the coating away down to clean concrete and leaves the surface rough enough for the next coat to grip. We run it with dust collection hooked up the whole time.
Shot blasting
This fits warehouse slabs, loading docks and big commercial floors, where getting through more square feet each hour matters more than the work of bringing the machine in. On a small garage, the setup usually isn't worth it.
Chemical stripping
Strippers work best on thin, single-coat home coatings and on spot removal, softening the film so it can be scraped or swept off. They need good airflow while they're working, so we keep the space well ventilated until the job's done.
Get a free estimate for stripping your old floor
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. The estimate is free and on site, with no pressure to book, and I'll write up what we'd do and why.
(317) 463-6468- Based in
- Lawrence, IN 46226
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
What happens when you call about stripping a floor in Lawrence?
Here's how it goes from your first call to the last look at the floor, so you know what you're paying for before you say yes.
Call or send a request
Call (317) 463-6468 or use the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time to see the floor. It helps to have the floor's size, the coating type and whether the trouble is in spots or everywhere.
I check the floor in person
I look at the floor, test the concrete for moisture, see how the old coating is holding and talk through which system fits how you use the space. You get a written estimate that says whether it's a spot repair or a full strip, which method we'd use and why.
We strip, prep and walk it
Our crew takes the coating off, cleans up and preps the slab, then puts the new floor down if that's part of the job. At the end we walk the floor with you.
Why people in Lawrence call Lawrence Epoxy Floors and Concrete to strip a floor
The owner writes your estimate
We're based in Lawrence, and I come out to look at the floor and write the estimate myself. The person sizing up your slab is the one who answers for how it turns out.
In business since 2017
Before that I ran prep crews for another flooring owner and sorted out the floors that didn't hold, and nearly every one came back to the concrete underneath. That's why we'd rather spend the time on the slab than rush the part you see.
Licensed and insured on every job
We're licensed and insured, and our own crew does the stripping and prep, with me checking the work along the way. The people running heavy grinders in your garage or shop are covered and answer to me.
If your coating is lifting, send a request or call (317) 463-6468 and I'll come take a look.
Stripping, grinding and prep work in Lawrence, IN
In Lawrence, Public Works issues all building permits, and owners altering, repairing or demolishing a building or structure have to get one from the Building Commissioner first. Whether stripping a floor coating counts is the city's call, so when it's unclear we check with that office before we start, and when a job needs a permit we file for it and tell you where it stands. The city also requires anyone who contracts for construction work, demolition included, to be a Registered Contractor, and it keeps a list of registered contractors you can check before you hire anyone.
On shop, warehouse and apartment floors there's a state rule to plan around too, since Indiana's environmental department says buildings being renovated or demolished, other than homes with four or fewer units, need an inspection by an Indiana-licensed asbestos inspector first. On those jobs I ask at the estimate whether that inspection has been done, and the same question comes up on commercial floors in Greenfield and Anderson.
Questions about floor stripping in Lawrence, IN
Should I repair a few spots or strip the whole epoxy floor?
If about 90% of the floor is still bonded and solid, one coatings supplier's guide treats it as a spot repair rather than a removal job. Full removal is the right call when the bond has failed everywhere, so trouble in one corner may mean a much smaller job. I check the coating across the whole floor at the estimate and tell you straight which one you've got.
What is the best way to remove epoxy from a two- or three-car garage floor?
Diamond grinding is almost always the practical choice for a standard two- or three-car garage. Shot blasting is meant for warehouse-size floors, and chemical strippers mostly suit thin single coats or a few spots, so for most garages the grinder wins.
How long does it take to strip an epoxy floor?
One industry estimate puts a typical 1,000-square-foot area at one to three days, including cleanup and prep for the next floor. Thick or multi-coat floors usually run toward the long end, and I'll go over what to expect for your floor at the estimate.
How much does it cost to strip an epoxy floor in Lawrence, IN?
The price comes down to the floor's size, how many coats are on it, how well they're stuck and which method fits, and you'll see it in writing after I've looked at the floor. Chemical stripping can add to it, because the residue is often handled as hazardous waste that has to be collected and disposed of properly, and that takes time and money. When a floor only needs a spot repair, that usually costs less than a full strip.
Can you put a new epoxy floor down right after stripping the old one?
Usually yes, because stripping ends with cleanup and prep for the next floor, so the slab is ready for a new coat. I still check the concrete for moisture first, since a damp slab is one of the usual reasons a fresh coat lets go, and if it isn't ready I'll tell you before anything goes down.
What causes epoxy to peel off a concrete floor?
Most of the time it's the concrete underneath, either prep that didn't open up the surface enough for the coating to grip or moisture coming up through the slab. Hot tires, oil and heavy wear finish off a weak bond faster, which is why we put our time into the slab before the part you see.
Related services for after the old floor comes off
Epoxy Floor Coatings
Once the slab is bare and prepped, a new epoxy coat gives your garage or basement a sealed, easy-to-clean floor instead of patchy concrete.
Commercial & Industrial Epoxy Floor Coatings
For shops, warehouses and loading areas, a heavier coating system goes down after the strip so the floor holds up to forklifts, spills and daily traffic.
Service areas for floor stripping around Lawrence
Lawrence Epoxy Floors and Concrete is based in Lawrence, Indiana, and we strip and prep floors across the cities around it, including Fishers and Carmel. The 12 cities below have their own pages, and if you don't see yours, just ask.
Lawrence, IN
Find out if your floor needs stripping
If you're planning a new floor anyway, knowing what's under the old coating before you start keeps surprises out of the price.