Specialty Service
Why Prep Decides Whether a Coating Lasts
Surface preparation is the mechanical grinding and profiling of a concrete slab before coating, and it is the single biggest reason a floor lasts or fails. Diamond grinding opens the concrete to a measured CSP (Concrete Surface Profile) so the coating keys into it, and moisture testing catches the vapor that debonds a coating from below.
Almost every coating failure, peeling, bubbling, hot-tire pickup, delamination, traces back to prep, not product. A coating does not glue to a smooth or sealed slab; it has to key mechanically into an opened profile. The industry measures that profile as a CSP (Concrete Surface Profile) from 1 to 10: a thin coating wants roughly CSP 1 to 3, a high-build industrial system CSP 3 to 5. We grind or blast to the profile the specific coating needs. We also moisture-test the slab, a calcium-chloride test (ASTM F1869) or an in-slab relative-humidity probe (ASTM F2170), because vapor pushing up through the concrete debonds a coating from underneath no matter how good the product is.
The System We Install and How Long It Takes
We diamond-grind with industrial planetary grinders for most floors, and shot-blast where a high-build or industrial system needs an aggressive CSP 3 to 5. We do not rely on acid etching, which is inconsistent and cannot hit a reliable profile. We repair cracks and spalls, cut and fill joints, densify and, where the moisture readings call for it, install a vapor-mitigation primer before any coating goes down. This prep is the foundation under every Duralast system we install.
Diamond Grinding vs Shot-Blasting vs Acid Etching
Diamond grinding uses rotating diamond segments to flatten and open a slab to a controlled profile, ideal for most garage, basement and commercial floors and for removing old coatings and glue. Shot-blasting fires steel shot at the concrete to cut a deeper, more aggressive CSP 3 to 5 for high-build industrial systems. Acid etching is the one to avoid: it cannot produce a reliable, uniform profile, it leaves residue that harms adhesion, and it does nothing for a moisture problem. We grind or blast; we do not etch.
Built for Indiana Winters
Indiana slabs bring specific prep challenges: older slab-on-grade with no vapor barrier reads high on a moisture test, and freeze-thaw leaves spalls and pop-outs that have to be ground out and repaired before coating. We test and prep for those conditions rather than coat over them and watch the floor fail a season later.
What It Costs
We price every floor in person with a free on-site estimate. The cost depends on the square footage, the slab's condition and moisture, the coating system and build, and any off-hours scheduling. You get a straight, written price before any work starts.
Where We Work
We install diamond grinding & surface preparation across Fort Wayne, Northeast Indiana and adjacent Northwest Ohio, including Fort Wayne, New Haven, Huntertown, Auburn and the surrounding communities. (See all service areas)
Our General Manager Is on Every Job
Founded in 2014, Duration keeps general manager Dan Diven on-site for every job, with a crew of 10 and 4,500 projects across Fort Wayne and Northeast Indiana, holding a 5.0 rating from 102 Google reviews. This service is part of our commercial floor coating work.
