What commercial floor removal covers
Commercial floor removal is taking up the old floor — failed epoxy, tile, VCT, carpet, or the adhesives underneath — so the slab is clean and ready for a new system. It is the first step when a floor has to come out before coating. We use dust-controlled equipment so the rest of your building stays clean while the old floor comes off.
How the work goes
Here is what commercial floor removal includes, step by step.
- 1
Inspect the existing floor and identify what is on it — coating, tile, VCT, carpet, or adhesive.
- 2
Set up dust containment so the rest of the building stays clean.
- 3
Remove the old floor with the right equipment — scrapers, grinders, or shot blasting.
- 4
Remove residual adhesives and mastic from the slab.
- 5
Grind or shot blast the bare slab to open the pores for the new coating.
Why this step matters
A new coating only bonds to a clean, sound surface. If the old floor is not fully removed, the new coating bonds to the old adhesive or coating instead of the concrete, and it peels. Old adhesives and mastic also hold oil and moisture that ruin a new floor. Full removal is the only way to start clean.
What goes wrong when this step is skipped
These are the failures we see when this work is done wrong or not at all.
Coating over old adhesive — the new floor bonds to the adhesive, not the concrete, and peels.
Leaving mastic in the slab — it holds oil and moisture that blister the new coating.
Coating over a failing epoxy — the old coating delaminates and takes the new one with it.
Not containing dust — the rest of the building gets coated in concrete dust.
Damaging the slab during removal — gouges and chips that need extra repair before coating.
What it costs in Columbus
Floor removal in Columbus typically runs $1.50 to $5 per square foot, depending on what is on the floor and how stubborn it is. VCT and carpet with mastic are at the higher end; a thin failing epoxy is at the lower end. Removal is usually priced into the full floor quote. These are estimates — your real cost depends on the existing floor.
What moves the price
What is on the floor now — epoxy, tile, VCT, carpet, or adhesive.
How stubborn the old floor and mastic are.
Square footage — bigger floors cost less per foot to remove.
Dust containment — needed in occupied buildings, adds some cost.
These are estimates only. A real price comes after a free on-site walk-through.