Importance of Shot Blasting Concrete Floor

You may have heard about sandblasting, which is a surface finishing process in which abrasive material is forced against a surface at high speeds using compressed air to get a smooth, even texture. But, what you may not have heard about that much is another mechanical surface cleaning process by the name of shot blasting. Although a little less known, shot blasting isn’t that much different from sandblasting. Instead of using sand, shot blasting uses abrasive shots made of metal such aluminum oxide or carbon grit.



In this blog, we will talk about the advantages of shot blasting as a surface preparation method. We’ve listed some points for this purpose. Let’s take a look at them.

Why Use Shot Blasting for Surface Preparation

Helps Remove Coatings

It is essential to remove old coatings, chemicals, adhesives from a concrete surface if you wish to paint it or pour a fresh coat of epoxy or urethane over it. This sort of removal of old coatings is important because it ensures correct adhesion and increases the lifespan of coating. Shot blasting is considered one of the most effective methods of removing old paint or epoxy coating from a concrete surface. In mere one or two passes, the shot blasting machine will virtually remove all traces of old paint, adhesive, dirt, etc.

Helps Profile Concrete

In addition to helping you get a clean surface quickly and effectively, shot blasting can also help you get a rougher CSP, which stands for concrete surface profile. It is a known fact in the flooring industry that thicker coatings require more surface area to achieve the strongest bond. One method of getting a bigger surface area is adding texture to the concrete and developing peaks and valleys. Doing this provides coating with more to grip as it cures. That is the reason why most epoxy manufacturers recommend shot blasting as the ideal surface preparation method to use before employing any coating. What’s more great about shot blasting is that you can use it even if you intend to leave the concrete bare as shot blasting forms a rough texture that is totally safe and non-slippery.

If interested, you can get in touch with Extreme IFC for all your concrete removal and concrete preparation in Atlanta. We do shot blasting, planetary grinding, hand held diamond grinding, scarifying, and many other surface preparation and removal operations.