May 2, 2022 | Advice & Tips
Unlevel or deteriorating concrete presents dangers for guests, so much so that public municipalities must adhere to ADA guidelines for sidewalk hazards. There’s also the issue of aesthetic appeal and maintaining integrity in commercial and public concrete surfaces....
Apr 25, 2022 | Advice & Tips
While regular maintenance can uphold your concrete surface’s structural integrity for a long time, there are cases when a refresh or a complete surface overall is necessary. This is never more true than with commercial concrete surfaces. Unlike residential surfaces,...
Apr 10, 2022 | Advice & Tips
City municipalities have had their hands full lately, many governing bodies are catching up with their pandemic to-do lists and others are still trying to figure out how best to adapt. Amid the whirlwind of issues, the everyday city challenges remain prevalent. We’re...
Mar 30, 2022 | Advice & Tips
The wet polishing method has been around for over a century. Concrete surface professionals use wet polishing to prevent the surface from overheating and add a measure of safety from hazardous silica dust. Wet polishing can also reduce unnecessary friction on diamond...
Mar 23, 2022 | Advice & Tips
You may be working on new floor applications for a commercial developer or maybe you’ve been hired to repair the concrete surface of a rec center. Whatever the case, different concrete coatings provide different functions. Some surfaces are meant to display a company...
Mar 7, 2022 | Advice & Tips
Power trowels are a must-have when it comes to concrete surface prep equipment. Not only can they help you ready your concrete during initial installation, but you can also polish your concrete with them. In fact, some ride-on trowels can hold up to 60 tools at once,...
Feb 25, 2022 | Advice & Tips
As you probably know, the quality of a good concrete surface installation depends heavily on the troweling step. Smoothing out the concrete finish and working out excess moisture from the fresh concrete will set up new flooring for long-term success and ultimately...
Feb 18, 2022 | Advice & Tips
Exterior concrete surfaces can be fickle, surrounded by influential factors like water and cold temperatures, and are more likely to be public property with specific design requirements. So, the best outdoor concrete surface equipment will have dynamic features and be...
Feb 10, 2022 | Advice & Tips
As is typical of most abrasive equipment and accessories, the effectiveness of your grind or polish relies heavily on the quality of your attachments. Yes, the variations in the grit of tooling will make a difference in the fineness of the grind. But some tools of the...
Feb 4, 2022 | Advice & Tips
Concrete degradation is natural. Even with the highest quality finish and routine upkeep, your surfaces will eventually need reinstallation or extensive repairs. Typically, a polished concrete surface should last about 20 years. But that’s not a guarantee. One of the...
Jan 20, 2022 | Advice & Tips
No material lasts forever. A strong coating, routine maintenance, moisture prevention – these can all help the longevity of your concrete surface. But over time, foot traffic and general wear and tear can still cause degradation of even the highest-quality concrete...
Jan 10, 2022 | Advice & Tips
Concrete flooring is not so complicated that a simple machine won’t get the job done. At the end of the day, the best floor grinder for you will fit within your budget while providing a quality polish. But that’s not to say you don’t have options – in fact, you have...
Dec 20, 2021 | Advice & Tips
Crystalline silica, the mineral found in the makeup of concrete, is a widely known hazard for concrete construction workers. As such, there are measures workers and managers must take to ensure the safety of those involved in any given concrete project. This is...
Dec 2, 2021 | Advice & Tips
At Runyon Surface Prep, we’re serious proponents of the power trowel. A staple of concrete surface prep work and a machine that demands careful attention to its design, the power trowel is among the most important tools for concrete surface professionals. This post...
Nov 26, 2021 | Advice & Tips
The world of concrete surface prep would be lost without the quality abrasive equipment that carries each project’s most vital steps. At Runyon, we understand the extent of importance each machine and tool carry. This post will highlight specific-use grinders as...
Nov 17, 2021 | Advice & Tips
There’s a long list of mishaps and influences that can compromise the integrity of even the strongest concrete floors, whether that floor is installed in a heavy industry commercial setting or a quiet, private home. Thankfully, there are ways you can protect the...
Nov 2, 2021 | Advice & Tips
For the most part, you’ll find similar procedures for concrete floor maintenance across different types of concrete floor applications and finishes. However, the approach will vary depending on the amount of use the surface gets along with the environment. Is this a...
Oct 20, 2021 | Advice & Tips
The typical setup for concrete dust extraction involves a direct link via hose from your abrasive equipment (floor grinder, scarifier, shot blaster) to the vacuum itself. For this process to go smoothly and collect dust efficiently, there are several factors that...
Oct 5, 2021 | Advice & Tips
Concrete dust extraction requires more grit than the traditional home vacuum. Way, way more grit. But how much of a difference can a commercial or industrial vacuum really make? And what qualities should you look for? At Runyon Surface Prep, we house our own...
Sep 29, 2021 | Advice & Tips
From abrasive tools spitting up chunks of raw material to slick surfaces after a good polish, there is a whole spectrum of dangers that threaten the safety of concrete surface workers. This, of course, is why we have the Occupational Safety and Health Administration...
Sep 3, 2021 | Advice & Tips
The right concrete surface equipment can set you up for long-term quality and project success. Of course, not everyone will require substantial investments in their equipment – especially those who work in a dynamic, evolving industry or do odd jobs here and there....
Aug 25, 2021 | Advice & Tips
The broad spectrum of commercial operations brings in numerous factors to consider when it comes to concrete surface prep and coating, some factors are unique to the coinciding industry or even the business itself. But there are also matters that are universal to...
Aug 13, 2021 | Advice & Tips
Perhaps you didn’t notice the defect until well after you put the finishing touches on your new concrete surface, or maybe a slab of aged and worn flooring that has picked up some imperfections over the years but isn’t quite ready for a new installation. Whatever the...
Jul 9, 2021 | Advice & Tips
Dust from crushed or ground concrete contains a hazardous particle known as crystalline silica. This particle is especially hazardous to those working in concrete surface preparation and everyday concrete worksites. Many workers in these industries risk exposure to...
Jun 24, 2021 | Advice & Tips
The cleaning step is one of the most important measures you can take when preparing a surface for installation or renovations. Yet, it’s not uncommon—even for professionals—to have missteps or even skip this step altogether, especially if the surface appears clean to...
Jun 18, 2021 | Flooring Equipment
For many, preparing and finishing a concrete floor without the need of material installations is a no-brainer. This approach will check a lot of boxes for property owners and contractors – whether that be price, aesthetic, convenience, or another benefit. That’s not...
May 26, 2021 | Advice & Tips
On their own, while durable and low-maintenance, concrete surfaces are not much to look at – which is why there’s always a demand for new and unique ways of approaching concrete surface installation. You could, of course, go traditional and add some tiles or wood to...
May 18, 2021 | Featured Posts, Flooring Equipment
Slurry is a hazardous liquid that often results from wet polishing concrete surfaces with abrasive tools. While it’s more than a simple nuisance—sometimes utilized for floor repair, like filling air bubbles in concrete surfaces—slurry is still a danger to the...
May 11, 2021 | Advice & Tips
Power trowels are primarily used in surface preparation to apply smooth finishes to concrete slabs. This machine has assisted professionals with concrete surface work for over several decades and continues to evolve with the times. Not only can you use a power trowel...
Apr 28, 2021 | Advice & Tips
Before getting into the specifics of each approach to surface removal, you should first note that grinding is not universally preferred over shot blasting or vice versa. So, there is no one blanket answer to the question: Should I shot blast or grind my concrete...
