Grinding of concrete with a grinder: methods, tool

Before finishing the floor with a finishing coating, you need to make sure that its concrete surface is flat. One of the ways to achieve this is to grind the grinder with a special circle installed on it. Typically, this process is performed before removing dust, applying impregnation, varnishes and paints.

Where grinding is used

Recently, such a procedure as grinding a concrete floor is gaining popularity.

This allows:

• eliminate the need for periodic surface restoration;
• makes the floor resistant to moisture, aggressive chemical effects, intensive walking on it and moving heavy equipment.

If the grinding is done qualitatively, the surface becomes beautiful in appearance and does not require a significant investment of time and money to provide special care for it.

One of the types of construction treatment is grinding a concrete floor with a grinder, which is done in order to:

• remove waste coating;
• to achieve leveling of the base of the floor and the screed before proceeding with the treatment of it with strengthening impregnations, decorative paints, self-leveling polymeric coatings and protective varnishes.

Pre-polishing is carried out 3-5 days after the foundation of the floor has been poured. Final polishing is done after complete hardening of the coating.

Tip: when you have to work with a new concrete, you do not need to remove the lime milk, which is formed during pouring in the process of separation of the solution. When processing the old - remove the top layer.

The main purpose of sanding the floor is to bring the surface in perfect condition before applying a coating on it. This procedure is also carried out when it is necessary to restore a worn concrete floor, as it prevents the loss of strength by it.

If the concrete is unpolished, it can strongly draw moisture, and in combination with sub-zero temperatures, this leads to its freezing and destruction of the material. Such an impact on the lower tiers is especially noticeable.

Remember that grinding is performed by the movements of the grinder, which are exactly the same as the surface relief. Therefore, it does not help to get rid of the pouring drops or improper floor slope.

Tip: to eliminate serious defects there is no other way than re-casting the base.

Ways

A dry or wet grinding method may be used. It all depends on the material that requires processing.

The price of works does not change from the chosen mode of exposure.

1. If the floor is covered with marble chips or mosaic, apply wet grinding. This type of work requires the use of abrasive segments. This allows you to get a floor surface of almost perfect quality.
2. When it is necessary to grind a concrete floor, it is better to resort to the dry method.. True, this process takes longer than wet processing. The process is accompanied by the formation of a large amount of dust, but it is less dangerous in comparison with the wet cement, which is heavily obscuring the eyes. It is possible to remove dust by means of industrial vacuum cleaners.

Choosing a tool

Any hardware store can offer the necessary tools for grinding concrete. These are mainly grinders from American and European manufacturers. Its choice from the whole grinding tool means that it will be somewhat more difficult to work, but such repairs do not require the purchase of expensive equipment.

Plus, the grinder is that it is able to pass through hard-to-reach places where a large grinding machine cannot reach the concrete. A diamond bowl and abrasive disc will also be required.

Do not forget - the larger the size of the circle, the greater the load on the tool. Therefore, cutting of reinforced concrete with diamond circles occurs with the help of special professional equipment.

Grinding material

Work is possible on any concrete, and their result is influenced by the brand and age of the coating and fillers. A layer of up to 30 mm can be removed, the presence of pits and tubercles is allowed, but the magnitude of the difference between them can not exceed 5 mm.

The choice of material depends on the intended use of the premises and affects the cost of work. Grinding of concrete screed is best performed using metamorphic rocks and small fractions as a filler for rubble.

When it is known that then polishing measures will be carried out, to create an original surface, choose crushed stone from granite or marble chips for concrete. Such materials are better suited in this case.

Know that:

1. Perfect grinding is done using fine fractions.
2. It is easy to perform processing using marble chips.
3. The most difficult work with granite and sedimentary gravel.
4. The density of the filler should be normal to ensure adequate floor quality.

Preliminary events

1. If coatings are applied to the concrete surface, it is desirable to eliminate them.
2. The plane needs to be made flat, make a control with a three-dimensional ruler.
3. When potholes, pits or bumps are found, increase the number of diamonds.
4. You need to check the floor for the presence of deformation-shrinkable joints and cracks. Upon detection of these defects, they are repaired and additional grinding of problem areas.
5. In order to check the rigidity of the floor, a small portion of it is processed by a grinder.

Before starting to grind concrete, make sure there are no reinforcement or metal reinforcing mesh in the top layer. If this material is there, it must be removed.

Tip: any work, including diamond drilling holes in the concrete, try to hold before grinding.

The use of grinders

The instruction prescribes grinding only 2 weeks after the screed has completely dried. This period is needed in order for the coating to acquire strength and become ready for later use.

Remember that marble, gravel, granite, limestone and other components can be added to concrete. When performing grinding not until the end of the dried surface, there is a risk that the pieces of these additives will simply be torn out.

Before you grind the concrete grinder, do not forget to carry out preparatory procedures. For the treatment of the floor, a special mixture is used that can react with calcium hydroxide, resulting in the formation of a mineral binder. It will close the pores, which will make the concrete stronger and more resistant to moisture.

The use of discs, the grain size of which is determined at a level of 400 units and above, creates such a strong layer of concrete that it can safely withstand even loads of very large force. This stage is the final one, after it there is no need to carry out any more manipulations.

Tip: if you want to get a surface of perfectly smooth quality with a characteristic glossy shine, do a polishing using diamonds of greater grain.

The machining is completed, which means that it is time to install the baseboards and carry out the surface treatment. To achieve a glossy surface, polyurethane varnishes are used.

Their application is carried out by special brushes and rollers immediately after the completion of concrete grinding. The surface before performing these works is cleaned from dust.

Tip: paint the floor in several layers.

Conclusion

For grinding concrete surfaces of small areas it is not necessary to use bulky construction equipment. All work can be done using a manual grinder, for which she should wear a special diamond wheel. The video in this article will help you find additional information on this topic.