5 Things to Consider In Determining the Best Concrete Grinder for Your Project
Looking to lay carpeting, vinyl tiles, engineered wood, or other type of flooring covering over concrete slabs? You'll need to ensure the concrete substrate is clean, smooth and level for the floor covering to bond to well.
Concrete grinding is used to prepare concrete surfaces for a new floor. But it must be done properly to ensure the quality and durability of the floor covering. If you're contemplating taking on a concrete grinding job, you'll need to choose the correct tooling for the job.
Here are five critical things to consider when selecting a grinder for your project.
1. The type of concrete you want to grind
Concrete slabs can vary in their degree of hardness, so the first thing to do is to determine the surface hardness of your concrete. There are many different non-destructive concrete testing kits or instruments on the market. You can use any you can afford to determine the hardness of your slab prior to grinding.
2. The diamonds needed to achieve the desired grinding results
It is the diamonds in a grinder that do all the grinding. Once you have determined how hard your slab is, you'll need to choose a grinder with diamonds that match that level of hardness. In determining suitable diamonds for your job, consider their size, shape, and strength. Generally, aggressive concrete removal requires large diamonds, while small diamonds are ideal for finishing the already-prepped concrete.
3. The level of experience you have using grinders
Are you trained or experienced in concrete grinding jobs? Some grinders are easy to operate while others require expert-handling to operate. Make sure you choose grinding equipment you can operate properly and safely.
4. The power requirement of the grinder
Different grinders have different power ratings. When selecting which type of grinder to use for your project, consider the voltage range of your building. Generally, larger grinders require more power to operate than smaller machines.
Conversely, grinders made for commercial applications may be too big to be used in the home. If you need to operate a machine that requires a higher voltage, you may need to use alternative power sources such as a generator.
5. The method of dust suppression
Keeping dust levels at a minimum is crucial during concrete grinding applications. You can either wet grind the slab or extract the dust as you grind. If you won't be wet grinding, be sure to use a grinder that can be fitted with a vacuum and dust collector to control dust levels.
For the best results possible when grinding concrete, pick the correct grinder for your job. The above-discussed selection criteria should help you choose the best grinder for the job.
Share
