Concrete Floor Stripping & Removal in Gilroy CA - a bare slab ready for the next floor
Old epoxy peeling, paint flaking or tile glue in the way? We strip it back to clean concrete so your next floor actually holds.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What does it take to get an old finish off a concrete floor?
Concrete floor stripping and removal in Gilroy, CA is how we get old epoxy, paint, sealer, tile and glue off your slab by grinding or shot blasting, so the next floor bonds to clean concrete instead of a tired old finish.
Most calls start with a coating that's lifting, or with someone who wants a new floor and finds old paint, sealer or glued-down tile in the way. A new coat sticks to whatever it touches, so if that's a failing old finish, the new one fails right along with it, and that's why I'd rather strip a floor properly than coat over a problem. The price moves with the square footage, what's on the floor and how many layers there are, whether old tile or mastic needs testing first, and which finish goes down next, since that decides the method. The schedule turns mostly on test results and on how many passes the slab needs, and your written estimate spells out each step so you can see where the money goes. Stripping is the heavy end of concrete grinding and surface preparation, and on most jobs the two run together.
How can you tell an old floor finish has to come off?
Coating lifting in patches
You see flakes where the tires park or sheets peeling near the door. That usually means the old coat never bonded well or moisture is pushing up under it, and anything new laid on top will let go the same way, so waiting just tracks more chips into the house.
Paint or sealer worn patchy
Some spots are shiny, some are bare, and the concrete darkens unevenly when it gets wet. A new coating won't grip a mix like that, and the bare areas keep soaking up oil and grime that gets harder to pull out the longer it sits.
Old tile or black glue
You pulled up carpet and found square tiles, or a black, tarry glue called mastic that held down an old floor. Leave it where it is for now, because we don't scrape, sand or grind anything like that until we know what's in it.
How we handle concrete floor stripping and removal
Before anything comes up, I look hard at what's on the floor now and ask what was on it before, because you can't pick a removal method until you know what you're removing. Old tile or mastic that might hold asbestos gets tested before we touch it. Then we match the method to the finish going down next. Grinding runs diamond discs flat against the slab, a lot like sanding wood with very hard sandpaper, while shot blasting throws tiny steel beads at the floor and vacuums them back up, leaving the concrete rough and open. We work the edges and corners, clear the dust and debris, and leave you bare, clean concrete ready for the next step.
Most stripped floors get a new surface right after, and that's where choosing the right method pays off. Homeowners usually follow with epoxy floor coatings for a garage or basement, and shop and warehouse owners with commercial and industrial epoxy floor coatings built thick enough to take a beating. Since the same crew strips and coats, the prep is done for the exact floor we're about to lay.
Diamond grinding
This suits garages, basements and rooms getting a thin coat, a sealer or a polish, because it leaves the slab smooth and even. It's also how we take a thin old finish off without roughing up more concrete than the new floor needs.
Shot blasting
This suits shops, warehouses and any floor getting a thick, heavy-duty coating, because a heavier build needs more bite to hold on. The rougher surface it leaves gives that coating something to grab.
Get a written plan for stripping your floor
Send the floor's size, what's on it now and the finish you want next. We respond within one business day to set up a free estimate at your property, and there's no obligation.
- Based in
- Gilroy, CA 95020
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
What happens when you call about stripping a floor in Gilroy?
From your first call to the final walk-through, here's who does what, and what you'll have in writing before any work starts.
Call or send a message
Call (669) 205-6336 or use the form, and we'll get back to you to set up a visit. A rough size and what's on the floor now helps me know what to look for.
I look at the slab
I check what's on the floor, ask about old flooring and any damp spots, and flag any tile or mastic that needs testing. You get a written estimate with each step of the job spelled out, so you know what you're paying for before anything starts.
We strip the floor
Once you're ready, our crew takes the old finish off with the method we agreed on. We clean up the dust and debris and leave bare concrete.
Walk the finished floor
We put the new surface down and walk the finished job with you before we pack up. That's your chance to look at every corner with us.
Why Gilroy property owners call us to strip their floors
I walk your floor myself
I come out for the estimate, so the person looking at your old tile or peeling coat is the one deciding how it comes off. Our own crew does the work, with me or our lead installer on site, so nothing gets lost between the estimate and the job.
In business since 2013
I learned concrete floors working for an installer here in the valley and started this business in Gilroy in 2013. Thirteen years of prep have taught me that most coating trouble starts underneath, which is why we spend the time on what comes off first.
Licensed and insured on every job
We're licensed and insured. That matters when a crew is running heavy machines in your garage or shop, and you're welcome to ask about it at the estimate.
If you're not sure what's on your slab or under your carpet, send us a message or call (669) 205-6336 and I'll come take a look.
Stripping old floors and planning cleanup in Gilroy
If testing shows asbestos in old tile or mastic, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District has its own rules for renovations. The district asks for notice at least 10 business days before a renovation that removes 100 square feet or more of asbestos, or 72 hours ahead with an added fee for residential buildings of four or fewer units, and on its jobs the material has to stay wet while it's stripped and be kept from spreading with physical barriers. Whether your job falls under those rules is worth confirming with the Air District before anything is scheduled, so we plan around that wait instead of starting and stopping.
Cleanup takes some planning here too. One Gilroy hauler, GreenWaste, takes flooring in any size debris box but concrete only in its 10-yard box, and paint, oil and chemicals aren't allowed in any of them, so we size the box to what's actually coming up. We see the same old garage coatings and glued-down tile on jobs in Morgan Hill and Hollister.
Questions about floor stripping in Gilroy
Could the old tile or glue on my floor in Gilroy contain asbestos?
It might, because vinyl floor tiles and mastics can contain asbestos, and you generally can't tell by looking unless the material is labeled. A newer home can have it much like an older one, so the floor's age alone doesn't settle it. That's why we test suspect tile and mastic before we touch it.
What is the best way to deal with old flooring that might have asbestos?
When there's doubt, the EPA's advice is to treat the floor as if it contains asbestos and leave it alone. The EPA also advises against using a power stripper on it or sanding or leveling asbestos flooring or its backing, and when it needs replacing, suggests laying the new floor covering over it if possible rather than taking it up. We won't run a grinder on suspect tile or mastic for that reason.
Who is allowed to remove asbestos floor tile in California?
In California, asbestos-related work on 100 square feet or more of asbestos material needs a contractor with a C-22 Asbestos Abatement classification, or a license qualifier who has passed the asbestos certification exam set by the Contractors State License Board. Testing first tells you whether your job falls into that category before anyone plans the work.
Should my concrete floor be ground or shot blasted before epoxy?
It depends on the coating going down next, and plenty of floors get both. Neither method wins on every job, so we might shot blast the open floor for a heavy coat and grind along the walls and edges, where grinding fits better.
How much does it cost to remove flooring from concrete in Gilroy?
Flooring removal across the US usually costs about $2.50 to $4.40 per square foot, so treat that as a market ballpark for taking up an old floor, not our price. Your own figure depends on the things that move the price, which we covered above, and it comes in your written estimate. Our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
How do I get old epoxy off a concrete floor?
Usually with a grinder or a shot blaster, since a chemical stripper rarely finishes the prep by itself. Residue, moisture and softened coating still have to come off before a new coat can bond reliably, so a chemically stripped floor still has that work ahead of it.
Floors we lay once the old finish is off
Epoxy Floor Coatings
If your stripped slab is a garage or basement floor, a fresh epoxy coat goes down on clean concrete and gives you a surface that wipes clean and holds up.
Commercial & Industrial Epoxy Floor Coatings
Shops and warehouses that strip a worn floor usually need a thicker coat afterward, one built to take forklifts, rolling carts, spilled oil and years of daily traffic.
Floor stripping in Gilroy and nearby cities
Gilroy Epoxy Floors & Concrete Coatings is based in Gilroy, California, and the 12 cities below each have their own page, from San Martin to Salinas. If your city isn't listed, call and ask.
Find out what's on your floor first
Call (669) 205-6336 or use the form with the floor's square footage, what covers it now and the finish you want next, and I'll show up knowing what to check.