If you want to create a smooth, polished concrete floor in your home, garage or other area, you may be wondering how to do that. There are a number of tips that can help. Here's what you need to know.
1. Grinding Removes Coatings and Top Layers
When you decide on concrete grinding for your floors, the grinder will remove the top layer of the concrete as well as any coatings on the concrete. For example, if you have acid stained concrete floors in your home that are all different colours, you can use a concrete grinder to remove those discolourations. Similarly, you can use a grinder to remove paint or epoxies, and you can also use it to remove a rough top layer of concrete.
2. Grinding Is Helpful Before Adding New Coatings to Your Floor
If you want to add a layer of paint or epoxy to your floor, you should start by grinding. That removes bumps so you can ensure that you are starting with a smooth surface. It also roughs up the floor a little bit so that your coating sticks better to the concrete.
3. Grinding Machines Have to Be Heavy
If you hire a concrete grinding machine, be prepared to push a heavy piece of machinery over the floor. The equipment needs to be heavy so that it can use the weight to push the grinding blade onto the concrete. Without the weight, the machine won't be as effective. If you can't handle the weight of a grinding machine, you may want to consider hiring a professional to do the work for you.
4. You Can Transform a Cleaning Machine Into a Concrete Polishing Machine
You don't necessarily have to buy or hire a concrete grinding machine. If you have a floor cleaning machine, you may be able to convert that into a concrete grinding machine. You just need a special flexible metallic blade that has been encrusted with diamond grits. Then, you run the blade over your concrete.
5. You Should Repair the Concrete First
Grinding concrete can take care of small dents, depressions and uneven areas of the concrete, but if the concrete has huge holes or cracks, you may want to repair that before you get started. Make sure that any crack fillers or patches that you apply to the concrete floor have cured completely before you start grinding. This can also be a useful way to smooth down uneven patches.
