Are you working on the existing floor of an office, warehouse or department store? Old floor coverings leave behind surface residue such as glue, black mastic, rubber membranes, even thin-set materials and epoxy coatings that must be removed before you can revitalize the floor with a new overlay or polish.
Methods of Surface Preparation
Each floor brings with it a unique set of challenges based on a number of determining factors:
- Condition of the floor
- Type of surface residue
- Concrete profile
- Square footage of the job
- Desired finished floor
- Budget
After this initial assessment, contractors choose among several solutions for surface preparation, each with specific benefits and specialties for removing residue build-up. Below is an overview of the four most effective methods:
1. Grinding
- Ideal for removing almost any coating or mastic, especially epoxy and glue
- Ideal for large square footage
- Best for purely polished concrete jobs
- Achieves super smooth surface profile
- More costly because of diamond technology
- 3 tooling options available:
- Conventional segments or metal-bonded diamonds remove brittle adhesives
- Carbides remove tacky adhesives, leaving a smooth finish
- PCDs (polycrystalline diamonds) are best for removing thicker residues or epoxy coatings
2. Shotblasting
- Ideal for cleaning off thin coatings and paint
- Ideal for large square footage
- Best for jobs that first require a concrete overlay application
- Can weaken a concrete surface or make it uneven
- Moderate cost
- Dust-free and dry
- Accurate blast pattern
- Wide abrasive selection
3. Shaving
- Ideal for removing epoxy, mastics and paint
- Ideal for a job that first requires a concrete overlay application
- Best for uneven concrete, bumpy surface and to remove failed concrete overlays
- Achieves moderately smooth surface profile
- More costly because of diamond technology
- Cuts deeper in one pass
- Creating evenly spaced grooves for traction
- Creating trenches or troughs
- Leveling and flattening surface
4. Buffing with a Swing Machine
- Ideal for removing glue and thin-set, floating easily over rough surfaces
- Best for smaller square footage
- Achieves a smoother surface profile
- Most economical cost
- 2 buffing options available:
- 15-inch hex pin head
- Heavy-duty wire brush
Surface Prep Specialty
Nowadays, surface preparation is becoming a specialty among contractors in the concrete polishing business. To eliminate costs and procurement, work with the equipment you already own to deliver effective ways to prepare floors for new surfaces.
When you do need specific equipment, count on Runyon Surface Prep. We carry a full line of EDCO concrete floor removal surface scabblers, walk-behind, self-propelled floor surface scarifiers and accessories, in addition to HTC and Husqvarna grinders and tooling, Contec shavers and shotblasters, and Clarke swing machines.