THE EQUIPMENT Polishing a concrete floor is a multi-step process requiring the use of specialised equipment and a skilled operator. The first stage may involve remedial work; levelling high/low spots with a heavy duty single headed grinder, filling cracks and cleaning away any old coatings.
Next, a multi-head grinder equipped with diamond segments is used to grind down to the aggregate - the diamonds cut
randomly over a large diameter, resulting in flatter floors and no linear tracking marks. A hand-held grinder is required for tight corners and along wall edges
Wet or dry methods can be used. Wet grinding extends the life of the diamond, but does create slurry that must be collected and disposed of carefully by an industrial vacuum with dry/wet capability. Dry grinding is a cleaner process when the equipment is connected to a suitable dust collector. Diamond cutting heads
As a general rule hard composition surfaces will require a soft bond diamond segment and soft compositions a hard bond. The correct diamond accessory is important, as incorrect selection will either simply glaze over and not grind the surface or will wear out extremely quickly.
A typical first step is to grind using a coarse metal-bonded diamond segment. This will remove stock to the finished floor level, maximise the area of exposed
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aggregate and minimise areas of the less attractive and less hardwearing sand and cement mix. This first grinding process is vital to achieving a successful final result. Often, this stage can take more than 50% of the time to complete the project even though a further eight stages may be required moving up to finer grades of diamond.
After completing the grinding process, and before the polishing stages, a chemical hardener or densifier can be applied.
The final polish can be up to 10,000 grit which will leave a mirror finish, ideal for locations where the floor will remain dry but unsuitable if wet, as it could create a slip hazard.
After the polishing process is complete, the only maintenance required is light cleaning using a cleaning machine or burnisher fitted with a diamond impregnated pad and water.
www.thepreparationgroup.com SUBFLOOR PREPARATION | 39
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