Substrate Problems

The problems preparation has to solve

Existing floor coverings, adhesive residues and coatings that have to come up before anything new goes down
Slabs that are uneven or out of level, with high spots, dips or old patching
Damaged or contaminated concrete that won’t give adhesives or resin a sound surface
Moisture in the slab that puts adhesives, resilient flooring and coatings at risk
Wet areas that need falls to waste and waterproofing before the floor finish
Substrate conditions nobody can confirm until the strip-out is done

JA Floors crew on site working on a concrete substrate

What We Do

Preparation work JA Floors carries out

Floor removal and strip-out

Removal of existing floor coverings, adhesive residues and coatings, including epoxy coatings on contaminated slabs, and ride-on stripping on larger strip-outs.

Concrete grinding

Concrete floor preparation with three-phase grinders: taking off contaminants, weak surface material and high spots so levelling compounds, adhesives and coatings have a sound surface to bond to.

Levelling and self-levelling

Self-levelling compounds placed by hand on smaller areas or pumped across larger floors, to give the finished floor the flatness it needs.

Moisture testing and management

Moisture is checked before adhesives, resilient flooring or resin systems are committed to. Where it is a risk, management or remediation is built into the floor system rather than left to show up after handover.

Falls, wet areas and waterproofing

Falls to waste and water management in wet areas, with waterproofing under vinyl where the specification calls for it.

Substrate repair and remediation

Repairs to damaged substrates so the surface is sound and stable before the finish goes down.

Credentials — JA Floors founder Josh Alford personally holds ARDEX’s Under Vinyl Liquid Waterproofing accreditation (no. 19249, valid to May 2028) and a Certificate III in Flooring Technology.

Example — On the Paragon Care project for BIO Construct Services, JA Floors removed an existing epoxy coating from a contaminated slab, carried out extensive substrate remediation and converted the warehouse and coolroom areas to polished concrete. Read the Paragon Care project.

Why It Matters

The substrate decides how the finished floor performs

Many of the floor defects that appear after handover start underneath: adhesive that lets go, seams and joints that lift, coatings that delaminate, and unevenness that shows through thin resilient flooring. Once those defects are visible, the fix usually means taking the finished floor back up.

Resilient and resin systems also come with substrate requirements, set by the manufacturer and the project specification, covering moisture, flatness, soundness and surface preparation. Preparation is how a floor meets them.

Moisture is the easiest of these to underestimate. A slab can look dry and still hold enough moisture to break down adhesives or lift a floor covering over time, so it is far better dealt with before the floor goes down than after.

Preparation Through to Finish

Planned together with the finished floor

JA Floors also installs the systems that go down on top of the preparation: commercial sheet and safety vinyl with coved skirting and welded seams, resin systems and hygienic wall sheeting. When we are engaged for the complete package, removal, grinding, levelling and moisture work are planned around the system being installed.

That keeps responsibility for the substrate and the finish in one place, instead of splitting it between contractors who each assume the other has it covered.

See how this applies in healthcare and aged care, laboratories and controlled environments and commercial kitchens, or browse all flooring capabilities.

Warehouse concrete slab part-way through grinding and polishing on the Paragon Care project, by JA Floors

For Builders and Facility Managers

Working inside your program

Early substrate assessment

Looking at the substrate early, so the preparation scope and its time on the program are understood before flooring reaches the critical path.

Occupied and staged sites

Preparation sequenced in stages inside operating facilities such as healthcare and aged care, coordinated with the other trades on site.

A directly employed core team

Our core team is directly employed and skilled across multiple tasks, which gives us tighter control over finish quality and program.

Early warning when conditions change

If the substrate turns out worse than expected, you hear about it early, with options, before it becomes a delay.

More on working with builders and facility managers.

Pricing Your Project

What helps us assess the preparation

Preparation is where the unknowns sit, so the more we know up front, the more accurate the scope and price. Useful information includes:

Drawings, finishes schedule or specification, including the flooring system to be installed
Approximate floor area, and the areas, levels or stages involved
What is on the floor now and what has to be removed
Known substrate issues: cracking, contamination, uneven or out-of-level areas, signs of moisture
Wet areas that need falls or waterproofing
Programme, staging, and whether the building will be occupied during the works
Site location and access constraints

Start with the quote form. Drawings and specifications can be sent through once your enquiry is in. For anything time-critical, call (03) 9773 0472.

Commercial Floor Preparation and Levelling