DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH
Paul Igo Technical Director at The Preparation Group discusses the best methods for the removal of adhesives and sealants.
Subfloor preparation, particularly the removal of adhesives, sealants and other sticky substances, has always been a challenge for flooring contractors. Traditional methods are usually unsuccessful and have a tendency to generate surface heat, rendering the surface residue softer and stickier and displacing the adhesive rather than removing it.
Before you start, it is useful to know the properties of the adhesive or sealant that you are dealing with. How thick is it? What is its composition; soft, hard, very sticky? Things like the environmental temperature are a key factor, as at low temperatures adhesives can be brittle and at high temperatures even tackier. Consideration must also be made of the condition and composition of the subfloor and the surface profile that needs to be achieved in order for a new material to be applied – a second process may be required.
Thick, hard adhesives can be removed with milling flails fitted to the drum of a planing machine, but this method is less effective on soft sticky materials.
“The most effective method of dealing with adhesives, sealants and other sticky substances is by using a grinding machine fitted with PCD shoes.”
When removing vinyl or tiles, scraping blades fitted to a multi-stripping machine will lift the underlying adhesives along with the surface material and any levelling compounds in one go.
However, the most effective method of dealing with adhesives, sealants and other sticky substances is by using a grinding machine fitted with PCD (Polycrystalline Diamond) shoes. PCD’s
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came to the market approximately 10 years ago and often aren’t considered or even known about.
The benefit of PCDs is that they scrape rather than grind to efficiently ‘lift’ these problem materials. Polycrystalline Diamond is formed when diamond is sintered with a bond under high temperature and high pressure, resulting in a shoe with a longer life and high thermal stability. They generate less heat, so during the grinding operation their cutting edges remain clear.
There are plates onto which fit PCD shoes, specifically designed for 110v, 240v or 415v walk behind machines and the STG450 machine. PCD shoes can also be fitted to all machines with plates that hold standard grinding shoes and they are interchangeable with the regular ones. In this way a floor can be cleared of adhesives using the PCD’s, and then cup discs fixed to the plate ready for grinding. To save time, the PCD’s can be left attached ‘in the background’.
PCD shoes are available in Double Tooth, for the removal of thick materials carpet backing and sealants for example and Triple Tooth, for the removal of thin coatings such as adhesive and for creating a ‘closer’ profile.
There are also PCD discs to fit 9’’ hand grinders, consisting of a cup disc onto which fit interchangeable outer rings. These are ideal for removing adhesives in confined spaces and for edgework or small areas. There are two PCD rings available; 6 Piece for the removal of thick coatings and 18 Piece for the removal of thin adhesives and paint.
PCD accessories have many additional uses over and above adhesive removal, including the removal of other soft thick materials from latex screeds and certain asphalts.
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Case Study The Preparation Group’s contracting division PPC, was appointed by Kirklees council to remove floor adhesive containing traces of asbestos from a block of flats, which were due for demolition in Huddersfield.
The building comprised of 10 floors and all equipment had to be manually lifted to each level as the lift had been disabled. The company’s Liberator 250 Grinder fitted with a PCD (Polycrystalline Diamond) Plate was used, along with 9’’ hand grinders that were fitted with PCD discs to complete the edges. Debris and fine dust particles were collected safely by an M450 industrial vacuum fitted with an ‘H’ grade filter and the contaminated material, contained in special asbestos bags.
The total area of 1,413m2 took six
days to complete. The contaminated material represented a small percentage of the overall structure so by disposing of this element separately, it meant that the whole building was not classed as contaminated waste, thus reducing environmental impact and costs. The project would have taken substantially longer without PCDs.
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