The floor grinder is one of the most useful but overlooked pieces of restoration equipment available today. If you have an old, uneven or stained concrete floor, the right grinder can get it back into condition quickly and easily. Whether you want to stain and polish your floor, prepare it for an epoxy coating, or simply get it ready for a coat of paint, this simple but powerful tool is ready to get the job done.
What Grinders Do
Grinders are a simple and efficient way to level and smooth out concrete floors. They can quickly remove old coatings, including epoxies, glue and paint. They also provide an even base for new coatings. This surface has enough tooth for these coatings to stick, but it’s not uneven or uncomfortable to walk on.
How a Floor Grinder Works
A grinder works by using a series of plates or blocks with a rough surface. This surface is often composed of industrial diamond. It works like sandpaper, abrading away the unwanted material on your concrete floor. Most machines automatically vacuum the dust up as it’s produced, keeping it away from your eyes and lungs. It’s still important to use safety equipment around any concrete grinder, though.
Why Choose a Grinder?
Grinders aren’t the only option for smoothing a concrete floor or preparing it for coatings. You could also choose to blast the floor using soda, sand or shot. Scarification, a close cousin of grinding, provides another option.
Both scarification and blasting work very quickly on large areas, but they produce a very rough surface that needs additional treatment. For smaller projects or when you need to do a job with only one or two people, a grinder is the fastest and most efficient choice. Husqvarna recommends it as the perfect surface for carpet glue, paint or a number of other concrete surface treatments.
Picking the Right Grinder for Your Floor
Not every grinder will work well on every floor. If you need to prepare an unusually-shaped concrete floor with a lot of tight spaces, a grinder with a relatively small profile will work best. For a large or open area, choose a big grinder with plenty of power.
Remember to start each project with a coarse grit grinding block. If your floor is covered in a thick coating that is hard to remove, you may need a specialty tool. Move to finer grits as work progresses. You should be able to see the old material coming off the floor as you grind, producing a smoother floor that’s ready for its new coating.
To rent a floor grinder or any other contractor and home improvement tools, contact us today. One Stop Rental is always adding new and useful rental items to our inventory, and as word spreads about our service, we’re also adding customers!