What can we help you with?
Technical flooring, delivered directly
- ESD flooring, urethane cement, terrazzo, and polished concrete
- In-house W-2 installation crews and experienced field leadership
- National service coverage with project-specific staffing plans
- Testing, documentation, and defined project closeout
- Dedicated support for corporate procurement and multi-site contracting
Phone: +1 (844) 687-1961
Adhesive and Coating Removal
Craftsman evaluates existing flooring, adhesives and coatings before selecting a removal method. We assess what needs to come off, the condition of the concrete beneath it, and the preparation required for the selected polishing system. We test the proposed approach on a limited area before proceeding across the floor.
Preparation must leave sound concrete suitable for polishing and the selected treatments. Where existing materials may contain asbestos or other hazards, assessment comes before disturbance.
Our existing concrete assessment guide covers the initial survey, repair needs and proposed appearance.
Assess and prepare the existing floor
RFCI warns that existing resilient flooring, backing and adhesives may contain asbestos fibers or crystalline silica, so assessment comes before disturbance. ACI SPEC-310.1-20, where incorporated into the Contract Documents, requires preparation and cleaning that provide sound concrete. Project specifications can set their own removal requirements, as the Albuquerque Public Schools specification shows.
Assess old flooring and adhesives before disturbance
The Resilient Floor Covering Institute (RFCI) warns that existing resilient flooring, backing, lining felt, cutback adhesive and other adhesives may contain asbestos fibers or crystalline silica. Its removal guidance warns against sanding, dry sweeping, dry scraping, drilling, sawing, beadblasting, mechanically chipping or pulverizing those materials.
A cleaner’s instructions or a project’s equipment specification does not establish that an old covering or adhesive can be safely disturbed by that method.
Prepare sound concrete for the selected treatment
ACI SPEC-310.1-20, §3.1.3.2, requires preparation and cleaning to provide sound concrete. Its removal list includes laitance, glaze, efflorescence, curing compounds, form-release agents, dust, dirt, grease, oil, paint splatter and other contaminants incompatible with liquid-applied products and polishing.
ACI’s requirements apply when incorporated into the Contract Documents, with project-specific requirements governing conflicts.
An example of project-specific removal requirements
The Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) polished-concrete specification requires self-propelled flooring-removal equipment for previously installed flooring. It prohibits chipping guns, rotor hammers and other equipment not specifically designed for sheet-flooring removal because they can damage the concrete beneath.
APS also requires examination of the concrete’s soundness for polishing and assigns surface-contamination removal to the General Contractor. These are requirements of that specification, not universal equipment rules for every project.
The substrate acceptance guide covers the examination and resolution of conditions before polishing begins.
Follow the product’s cleaning and removal sequence
| Product | Preparation requirement |
|---|---|
| PROSOCO Consolideck LS | Existing concrete must be cured, clean and structurally sound. Remove foreign materials, including bond breakers, curing agents, grease, oil and construction debris, using the appropriate Consolideck surface-preparation cleaner. Follow with thorough water rinsing. |
| Consolideck LS after a d-limonene cleaner or stripper | Clean the treated surface with PROSOCO Cleaner/Degreaser and rinse thoroughly before applying LS. |
| Ashford Formula | Remove existing surface coatings. Do not apply over areas previously treated with curing or sealing agents unless those coatings have been removed chemically or mechanically. |
Our densifier application guide covers the conditions for applying the next treatment. The absorbency-check guide explains how surface wetting is assessed before application.
Test removers on treated or dyed floors
PROSOCO cautions that Wax & Cure Remover and acetone may damage protective treatments and dyes on Consolideck floors. Its stain-removal guide directs users to read the applicable Product Data Sheet and full application instructions and to test before use.
Project Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
We consider the existing material, the concrete’s condition and the selected polishing system’s preparation requirements. After any required hazardous-material assessment, we test the proposed method on a limited area before proceeding.
Curecrete says those coatings must first be removed chemically or mechanically. Its existing-concrete preparation instructions call for removal of all surface coatings.
Yes. PROSOCO cautions that acetone and Wax & Cure Remover may damage dyes and protective treatments on Consolideck floors. Follow the applicable product instructions and test before use.
No. Equipment requirements do not resolve whether resilient flooring or adhesive contains hazardous material. RFCI’s warnings about asbestos fibers and crystalline silica still apply to the materials covered by its removal guidance.
Polished Concrete Knowledge Center
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