Concrete Surface Profile for Epoxy Floors in Katy TX — CSP Guide

What Is CSP?

The International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI) developed the Concrete Surface Profile (CSP) scale — a standardized measure of concrete surface roughness from CSP-1 (very smooth, like a machined finish) to CSP-10 (very rough, like heavily sandblasted concrete). Different coating systems require different minimum CSPs. Standard epoxy floor systems require CSP-2 to CSP-3.

CSP-2: Lightly Ground

CSP-2 is achieved by light diamond grinding and looks like 60-grit sandpaper — slightly rough to the touch, with diamond tooling marks visible. This is the minimum profile for most epoxy systems and is the appropriate profile for residential garage floors where film build will be 20–50 mils. It provides sufficient surface area for mechanical bonding without being so rough that it creates pinholes in thin-film coatings.

CSP-3: Aggressively Ground or Shot Blasted

CSP-3, achieved by heavier grinding or shot blasting, looks like 40-grit sandpaper — clearly rough and granular. It's appropriate for thick-film systems (>50 mils), moisture-barrier primers on high-MVE slabs, and commercial installations with heavy traffic. The added roughness increases surface area and mechanical bond strength. Shot blasting typically achieves CSP-3 to CSP-4 in a single pass.

Checking CSP in the Field

ICRI publishes actual CSP replica chips that can be compared side-by-side to the prepared concrete. We use these reference chips on every job. It's not guesswork — we hold the chip against the ground surface and confirm the match before priming. If the surface doesn't meet the minimum CSP for the specified coating system, we grind again. CSP verification takes 5 minutes and prevents the most common cause of early epoxy failure.