Concrete flooring in a garage: sanding and polishing a concrete floor

How to grind

Grinding the concrete floor is allowed only 2 weeks after the screed has hardened. If you start sanding immediately after pouring, the crushed stone can be pulled out of the coating, which is not yet strong enough.

Before sanding, you need to choose a disc that will process the concrete floor with high quality. A 40-grit diamond disc is most commonly used.

Above size 40 results in a more durable finish. To obtain a gloss, nozzles are used in sizes from 1500 to 3000. After application to the floor, the surface sealant fills in cracks and improves the performance of the coating.

Preparation

In the process of preparing for grinding, perform the following actions:

1. Before starting work with the old coating, remove the remnants of the finish. Remove dirt, debris, dust, protruding reinforcement or metal mesh.
2. Close up of damage and potholes (if any).
3. They remove the existing nodules or bumps (in hard-to-reach places, you can use a grinding wheel for a drill).
4. A film of cement laitance, resembling a gray liquid, is removed from the new screed.

Grinding process

When grinding a concrete floor with an angle grinder, not circles are used, but diamond bowls. Before grinding, special strengthening solutions are applied to the concrete floor. The components contained in them react with the substances in the concrete, the material becomes more resistant to moisture penetration.

Before starting to work with the grinding machine, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with its operating conditions. When using the wet method, the floor is sprinkled with water from a hose. Removal of liquid is carried out with a grinder.

An angle grinder is suitable for processing hard-to-reach places. After the completion of the work, the concrete floor is cleaned of dirt and painted or covered with several layers of polyurethane glue.

Precautions when working with a grinder

To prevent injury in the process of working with the grinder, you must follow the safety measures:

• before starting work, carefully examine the tool to identify possible problems;
• work in overalls made of dense materials that reliably protect the body when removing dust;
• use a respirator, goggles, heavy gloves;
• perform work in good lighting;
• do not overheat the tool, give it a rest every 15 minutes of work.

If the technology is followed, it is possible to obtain high quality indicators, the floor looks aesthetically pleasing, the top layer becomes as strong as possible.

Materials and equipment for concrete grinding

It is better to start sanding after the final setting of the concrete, i.e. after the expiration of 4 ... 7 days after its filling (longer periods are typical for lower external temperatures). During this time, you need to prepare the following tools:

- grinding machine;

- vacuum cleaner;

- a long (according to the size of the room) and rigid ruler;

- polishing machine (optional).

The best option is to purchase (or rent) specialized equipment. For example, specialized grinding machines for concrete floors, which are best suited for the formation of a textured, mosaic surface, are distinguished by very high productivity and quality of grinding. The set of tools that such machines are supplied with allows concrete grinding in two stages: first, cutters with coarse diamond grains are used, and then finishing cutters with fine-grained diamonds.

You can use a professional typewriter

The choice of the model of the mosaic grinder is determined by the size of the processed area. Concrete floor grinders are classified as manual or self-propelled.The first ones, differing in their lower weight and dimensions, are quite suitable for grinding concrete floors in individual buildings, since they are distinguished by ease of maintenance, relatively low energy consumption, and are cheaper in terms of their rent. The productivity of such machines can reach 17 m2 / h, which is quite acceptable for do-it-yourself concrete grinding. When using such machines, two types of tools are usually offered in the kit: an abrasive and / or a diamond cutter. When large concrete surfaces need to be processed, self-propelled grinders have to be rented.

The choice of the grinder is performed according to the following parameters:

- the weight of the machine: with an increase in its weight, the quality of grinding increases;

- the presence of a dust collector improves working conditions;

- with an increase in the diameter of the grinding wheel, the loads on the tool increase, but the productivity of grinding increases.

Old base processing technology

In the case of repair work that does not involve the installation of a new screed, the floor surface is treated in several stages. Of course, with a large number of caverns and potholes, a screed device is necessary. But in industrial or warehouse premises with a well-made base base, it makes no sense to weight the structure with an additional layer of concrete.

Preparation of the base

The first step is to remove old flooring, various debris and defects. If the top layer of concrete is clearly destroyed, it must be removed with special devices, for example, seam cutting machines.

With a small number of obvious defects, the depth of which exceeds 5 - 7 mm, they must be repaired with special repair compounds. In this case, grinding of the base is possible only after the composites have hardened and have reached about 50% of the design strength.

Removing the top layer of concrete

The second stage of work is rough surface treatment. In this case, grinding the concrete floor is carried out using discs with an abrasive grain of no more than 30 units. Depending on the actual strength of the artificial stone, processing can be carried out with corundum or diamond discs.

It must be remembered that concrete is a material with high strength, therefore, with a design class of more than B15, it is necessary to use diamond-coated discs. For screeds with less strength, less durable and cheaper corundum is suitable.

At this stage of work, the largest amount of dust or sludge is formed, so it is worthwhile to take care of airing the room and removing dirt from the floor surface in advance. It should also be remembered that when removing the top layer and cement laitance, you should not remove more than 5 - 7 mm of material. In fact, you only need to expose the coarse aggregate, but keep the concrete layer at least 1.5 cm above the reinforcement to effectively protect the metal frame.

Finishing

After the top layer of concrete is removed, the surface is hardened by means of special mineral composites containing calcium silicates.

After removing dust and sludge, the mineral powder is applied to the surface to be treated and rubbed in with a grinding wheel with an abrasive grain of 40 to 200. If only the floor surface is smoothed, it is better to use discs with diamond grit 40 - 60, and when applying a mineral composite - 80 - 150 units.

Further, the processing is carried out with disks with a diamond grain size of 1500 or less. This grout is actually a surface polish. After such treatment, the concrete floor acquires a mirror surface and no longer requires any finishing.

Leveling screed

This procedure is carried out on most types of floors, concrete is no exception. However, for a garage floor, a leveling screed is not required.

Often, the flatness of the surface obtained with a conventional rough fill is sufficient. Sometimes the floor is finished with dense sheet materials such as porcelain stoneware, tiles or rubber tiles.

And the floor is finally leveled at the stage of their construction. About the procedure for the final leveling of the floor: how to properly make a final screed, and the best way to cover the concrete floor, you can read in a separate article with a detailed description of the work technology.

Removing potholes

This step is of great importance when renovating a room. During long-term operation of the concrete pavement, potholes and bumps form on its surface, the difference of which exceeds the permissible standard of 5 mm. They must be knocked down even before the heavy mechanisms are launched.

After complete hardening, you can proceed directly to grinding with a circle. It should be borne in mind that if the damage turns out to be significant, work will have to be carried out in several stages and only after the final leveling can you start grinding with a cup. Small cracks, as a rule, are sewn up in a circle of 10 cm. The algorithm for working with them is identical to the elimination of potholes, with the exception of the need to remove the damaged area.

Grinding with a grinder

Immediately, we note that angle grinders with a diamond wheel are not able to correct mistakes made at the preliminary stages. Its task is only to remove the weakest layer of concrete and slightly smooth the resulting surface. Safety precautions during grinding work must be observed strictly

Any careless movement will lead to concrete destruction and injury! The operating instructions are as follows:

• before switching on the instrument, make sure it is working properly. Check the fastening of the working elements - a bowl or a circle;
• the operating time of the machine is 15 minutes, after which it is turned off until the temperature of it and the air in the room is equal;
• take care of a special suit that will protect you from dust generated during the sanding process;
• take steps to ensure that worn cups and discs are replaced in a timely manner to maintain high quality work.

When machining the screed, it is recommended to use bowls with a diamond grain size of at least 400. Such a circle will increase the load that the grinder can withstand.

Helicopter

Grinding the floor by helicopters is carried out in two stages

It also requires caution and skills in operating such a device. One mistake can lead not only to a breakdown of the machine, but also to the destruction of the screed as a whole.

In the first step, a trowel disk or diamond bowl is used. Grouting is carried out at low speeds. Next, high-speed grinding is performed without the participation of the disc.

Stand-alone concrete screed

If the garage has already been built, and the internal work has not been carried out, you can arrange a concrete floor for the garage by pouring a rough screed over the ground. Logically, all work is carried out in the same order as when pouring the slab. The only difference is that instead of formwork, the foundation pit is laid with waterproofing material.

What to lay on the bottom of the pit of the pit depends on the financial capabilities of the owners.

You can lay geotextiles, plastic wrap or roofing felt

It is important to firmly fasten the seams, and lay the material with an approach to the walls. As a result, you should get a kind of airtight bowl.

The solution is poured at the level of the beacons, leveled, after a light grasping, the beacons are removed from the fill, and their locations are leveled. Walk along the surface of the screed with a needle roller to prevent the formation of voids and increase the strength of the screed. The drying process of the mortar has a significant effect on the quality of the screed. In order to prevent cracking, except for the waterproofing correctly laid down, it is worth covering the floor with plastic wrap after pouring. The floor will be seized for at least 72 hours.During this time, the floor should be regularly moistened and covered with foil again.

If necessary, the drying time can be extended.Before you start the construction of a concrete floor in the garage with your own hands, correctly assess the initial natural data and your own strength. In some cases, deviation from standard technologies is acceptable.

It is important to correctly assess the risks and benefits.

The video in this article will show the construction of concrete floors in a garage with economical but effective insulation.

Reasons for the appearance of defects on concrete

Defects on the concrete floor can form for various reasons, which are primarily associated with violations in the process of its arrangement.

Cracks often appear due to missing, untimely cutting or incorrect calculation of the thickness of the joints in concrete floors, designed to prevent the stress of concrete during thermal expansion and shrinkage. A properly made shrinkage joint will avoid many problems.

Other reasons for the appearance of cracks include:

Defects can form even with quality work done. Any coating is subject to natural wear and tear, excess moisture negatively affects it.

Potholes appear due to physical influences. The influence of external factors on the concrete floor cannot be ruled out. The weak point is the junction of the wall and the floor, cracks often appear there.

It is necessary to determine the type of damage. This will allow you to draw up a work plan and select the desired material. The following varieties are often encountered:

Repair is not worth postponing for a long time. The size of the defects may gradually increase, the concrete will begin to crumble and come off in pieces, which will complicate the repair of problem areas.

How to polish?

One of the best solutions that can cope with this task is considered to be a "helicopter". It is a high-performance grinding machine, the processing elements of which are arranged in the form of blades.

Another common option for leveling a concrete floor is the grinder, an angle grinder fitted with diamond cups or abrasive discs. It also allows you to achieve the desired result, but nevertheless, the rental of professional instruments significantly speeds up the implementation of the planned procedures.

Practice shows that specialized grinders have a number of noticeable advantages. In particular, they have the following useful features:

• the ability to change the speed of working elements;
• dosed water supply when performing wet processing of a concrete surface;
• collection of waste generated during the grinding process.

Professionals note that the quality of the procedure performed is determined by the mass of the equipment used: the larger the latter, the better the final result will be. The only drawback of powerful machines is the high rental cost, due to which it is reasonable to grind floors with their use only on large areas.

If we list the main advantages of grinders, then first of all, these should include their efficiency and the possibility of high-quality processing of hard-to-reach areas. The optimal solution for leveling the surface of a concrete floor is a medium sander, the disc of which has a diameter of 150 to 180 mm. The use of such a power tool is not particularly difficult, and the main condition, the observance of which allows you to achieve the desired result, is accuracy. Ignoring this recommendation can lead to damage to the treated surface, and sometimes to injury of varying severity.

Another tool you may need to tidy up your concrete floor is a polishing machine. It is needed in situations where the owners of the premises do not plan to lay the decorative coating on the sanded surface. This unit is very ergonomic, and its efficiency allows you to get a polished concrete floor with the least amount of time.

Monolithic slab

A monolithic slab is the most reliable foundation base.

It involves pouring and forming a monolithic concrete block with metal reinforcement inside. The specificity of the design ensures the "buoyancy" of the entire structure. The garage, arranged on a floating slab base, is protected from changes in the ground level, and, accordingly, from the destruction of the walls.

The slab base is shallow, but unlike the tape, in this case the entire floor area is reinforced.

There are several types of monolithic foundations:

A continuous horizontal fill is arranged for rooms without a basement or basement: the top surface of the slab is the basis for laying the floor covering. The ribbed slab is poured along the perimeter of the monolithic tape (or as intersections), the height of such a ribbed fill is equal to the level of the basement. Box pouring means that the walls are continuation of the base, and have a common reinforcement.

The height of the ribs is displayed at the floor level. Floor slabs are laid on top of the ribs. This method maximizes the load distribution area.

Usually, the foundation slab is poured for garages in which a viewing hole is not planned. But if the type of soil allows, you can lower the fill level to the height of the basement or inspection pit and bring the ribs to the level of the ground surface, arranging an overlap along them.

Grinding equipment

The choice of a tool for grinding a concrete floor is an individual matter, and you will have to decide how to grind a concrete floor at home on your own. Today, all hardware stores have various equipment for both home use and for work on large objects.

Of course, professional grade special equipment is the best choice. In such a device, a planetary mechanism system is used: there is a large disc on which there are auxiliary wheels with diamond nozzles moving synchronously. When the wheels rotate in the opposite direction, a complex trajectory of the diamonds is obtained, and the treated surface becomes perfectly flat.

The advantages of professional machines include a number of qualities:

• Adjustable speed of rotation of working elements;
• Possibility of dosed water supply in case of wet processing;
• The presence of a dust collector.

The quality of the grinder is directly dependent on its weight. Of course, the best devices are expensive, but you can find a cheaper option if you wish.

At home, floor grinding is usually performed using a grinder - it turns out much cheaper and somewhat more convenient, since such a tool allows you to process hard-to-reach areas. An abrasive disc is required to work. With a large circle, it will be easier for the grinder to work with serious loads. However, this option has its drawbacks - at least the fact that the disc can fly out if the instrument is carelessly handled.

Preparation

In order for polished concrete to last for a long time, its correct preparation plays an important role.

To do this, you need to take the following steps. First of all, dismantle the old coatings and check the flatness of the plane with a three-meter ruler.The presence of pits, potholes, or bumps determines the degree of wear on the cup.

Then it is necessary to conduct an examination of the surface for the size of cracks, seams, etc. If available, fill them with any hand tool.

Before starting sanding work, you also need to tap the floor or walls for strength.

In the absence of it in some areas, you will have to re-fill. At the same stage, complex work is performed, for example, diamond drilling in concrete.

It is important to make sure that the power supply is reliable - any interruptions can adversely affect the result of the process

An important criterion in assessing the readiness of the floor for sanding is the absence of cracks, seams and other elements that can damage the delicate sanding tool.

Safety regulations

Before you polish the concrete at home with your own hands, you must carefully study all the safety rules, the features of the operation of electrical equipment, various types of equipment.

Things to remember:

• Before starting work, the tool and all components are checked for serviceability, the presence of all parts, readiness for grinding
• The quality of the fastening of the segments (circle, bowl) is carefully checked
• The machine should work for a maximum of 15 minutes, then turn it off, wait for the temperature in the equipment to drop and continue
• You can only work in a special suit, glasses, gloves, etc. - this will allow you to perform tasks safely, without compromising the health and quality of the floor
• Worn elements, components, assemblies, segments change immediately

Polished concrete is modern, beautiful, aesthetically pleasing, hygienic and durable. Provided that all stages of work are performed correctly with a professional tool, you can be sure that the floor will turn out to be perfectly glossy and surprisingly durable.

Why do you need resurfacing?

Correct sanding will ensure reliable adhesion of the concrete base to the polymer coating

Recently, concrete floors have become widespread. Modern technologies for grinding such a base have made it possible to improve the operational characteristics of floors, making them:

• easy to care for;
• durable;
• aesthetically appealing;
• moisture resistant;
• resistant to aggressive environments;
• wear-resistant.

Thanks to these qualities, polished concrete floors are used in supermarkets, office buildings, parking lots, residential buildings, warehouses, industrial premises, cafes, etc. Such surfaces are not uncommon at home. They are successfully used for flooring in garages, cellars, in the yard or in country houses.

Sanding the concrete floor helps to remove the old base, to level the top layer or screed. Any concrete floor must be sanded before applying topping, varnish, decorative paint layer, bulk polymer composition. The pre-sanding procedure is usually performed on the fifth day after the installation of the concrete screed or base. The final sanding is carried out after the concrete has completely hardened.

Purpose of grinding concrete surfaces:

1. The new concrete base is sanded to remove lime lime, a white layer that forms on the surface as the concrete sets.
2. On old floors, sanding should be done to remove the loose, damaged top layer of concrete.
3. Any dirt on the floor is removed by sanding.
4. Some irregularities on the screed surface can be removed during this procedure. This leveling of the deformed areas of the floor improves the adhesion of the base to the new screed.
5. Sanding the cement surface is also necessary if the floor covering requires a perfectly flat and smooth base.
6. Before installing self-leveling floors, it is imperative to sand the concrete surface.
7. This procedure allows you to get rid of the loose dusty layer of the floor. Unpolished concrete absorbs moisture more easily and lends itself to its destructive effect.

Self-sanding concrete floor

This type of work requires the manifestation of special care, caution, accuracy.Do-it-yourself concrete floor grinding is performed in several stages, and it is necessary to pay maximum attention to each of them.

Now more about each stage.

Floor preparation

Before sanding, make sure that there is no reinforcing metal mesh or reinforcement on the top layer that will negatively affect the performance of work and can damage the planetary gear. If the metal is found, then you can remove it using the grinder manually:

• The first step is to remove any irregularities and destroy the old coating using shot blasting or milling cleaning.
• Then all kinds of defects are eliminated in the form of cracks, potholes, shrinkage seams. As a rule, epoxy mastic is used for this, perfectly filling irregularities. It is applied in such a way that the sander freely passes over the flaws without clinging.

Grinding

After a couple of weeks after the screed has dried, grinding work is carried out. This time is enough for the coating to become durable and ready for further use.

Follow these steps:

1. Cover the floor with a special mixture that will make it stronger by reacting with calcium hydroxide. After such treatment, the concrete will be covered with a mineral binder that completely hides the pores, it will become absolutely resistant to moisture.
2. Then take a 400 grit diamond disc and sand the concrete layer.
3. In fact, the treatment is complete, but to achieve a glossy shine and perfect evenness, you can polish the floor with a disc with a grit of 1500-3000.

After such mechanical work, you can safely install the plinth, carry out surface treatment.

Removing potholes

With prolonged use of the coating, various deformations can form on it. As a rule, they arise due to non-observance of the floor laying technique, because an incorrectly laid floor a priori cannot be durable. If you see a crack or pothole, you need to fix it immediately.

To fix the pothole:

1. Cut off the damaged area of ​​the floor to a depth of twenty millimeters with a diamond blade.
2. Then it is pulled out manually or with a puncher.
3. Clean the formed cavity from dust, then treat it with a primer and fill it with a special compound with a spatula.
4. Then align this area with a rail or rule.
5. After the mixture hardens, grind it, remove all irregularities.

If a crack is found:

• Expand it in depth by ten centimeters using a diamond disc.
• Further, the site is completely free of dust, a primer is applied, and it can be filled with a repair mixture.

Sealing potholes in concrete floor

Repairing concrete floors begins by expanding and deepening the pothole around the perimeter. It is better to use a grinder with a diamond disc for this.

The cut is made 1 cm deeper than the defect.

The pothole expands to the sides by 2-3 cm. If necessary, these indicators are increased. Using a hammer drill or a hammer with a chisel, a notch is made in place of the pothole, a rectangular depression should be obtained. If a perforator is used, then it is better for outsiders to move away. The deepening is thoroughly cleaned with a vacuum cleaner and primed. You can fill the pothole after the soil has dried.

The mixture is carefully leveled, it is pierced several times to remove air. You can use a metal pin or a trowel. Level the surface using a rule.

It is recommended to carry out work in a respirator, goggles and gloves. The windows must be open during the renovation process.

The floor can be painted over concrete for additional protection. It is selected specifically for residential premises.The floor repaired in this way will serve for a long time.

Nuances of work

For grinding concrete surfaces with an angle grinder, not ordinary wheels are used, but so-called diamond bowls of various designs. Besides:

• Before sanding, the floor is treated with special reinforcing compounds. These substances, entering into a chemical reaction with calcium derivatives in the composition of concrete, create a strong film that closes the pores of the coating and makes the material highly resistant to moisture penetration.
• The processing of the concrete floor with a grinder with diamond bowls is carried out in stages, starting from the corner of the site, gradually moving throughout the room.
• When grinding, it is necessary to check the evenness of the process with a level or a large ruler.

By using bowls with different grain sizes, you can achieve exceptional smoothness. This can be the final stage of the work. But to achieve a higher gloss, the floors are polished with the same UGM with special attachments. To maintain polish for a long period of time, the concrete is cleaned of dust and painted with several layers of polyurethane varnish with any painting tool.

It is important for varnishing or painting to dry each layer before applying the next.

Concrete surface treatment

At the very beginning of the article, we mentioned that concrete requires additional processing to create the necessary strength. The concrete floor should be treated with a deep penetration impregnation.

This procedure will remove dust from the surface and make the concrete more durable. When choosing what to cover the concrete floors in the garage with and what to impregnate, take into account the material of the topcoat, if such is planned to be arranged.

Types of primers for concrete substrates:

In order to simply dust off the concrete surface, it is enough to treat the screed with water-dispersion impregnation:

If the concrete is planned to be covered with a layer of paint in the future, or the finishing layer will be poured, then it is necessary to use a primer on the same basis as the decorative material. .What to treat the floors in the garage concrete? Special topping systems, which include plasticizers that give the concrete surface some smoothness and resistance to external abrasion. Toppings are diluted with water, according to the instructions on the package.

70% of the resulting solution is rubbed into the concrete surface 45 minutes after the initial setting. The rest is rubbed in a quarter of an hour. Please note that such grinding of the concrete floor of the garage is carried out using a special machine (seen in the photo), this procedure cannot be carried out manually with high quality. Topping will give the surface not only additional strength, but also an aesthetic appeal.

Finally, I would like to give some absolutely simple advice. It would seem that this is obvious, but nevertheless, many people overlook these details.

Firstly, the floor in the garage must be sloped. Usually the difference in height is no more than 20 mm, towards the exit the level decreases.

This is done to allow moisture to come out naturally.

Second, make the garage floor 50mm above the ground. This will eliminate problems with seasonal precipitation.

It will allow you to freely open the gate even in winter, during periods of freezing and icing.
And last but not least, carefully follow the technology of pouring reinforcement at the entrance to the garage. This area is subject to the most critical pressures

Compliance with all technologies will save you from many problems during the operation.

What will be the final coating of the concrete floor in the garage depends only on you and your capabilities. But the performance and service life of the floor itself directly depend on the compliance with the technology of the concrete pouring process.

Floor screed sanding

The interior in the room largely depends on how well the flooring is made.

In most cases, a person entering a room pays attention to the floor. If it has many defects, then no wallpaper and chandeliers can give the room a finished look.

To achieve a perfectly flat surface, before laying the topcoat, it is necessary to competently perform work on grinding the floor screed.

Overhaul of the concrete floor: cost

In the event of severe damage to the concrete pavement or when arranging the "warm floor" system, a major overhaul will have to be carried out - a complete replacement of the concrete screed. When contacting specialists, this procedure, taking into account the materials, will cost the following amount:

Dismantling the old concrete screed is not included in this amount, the price depends on the area of ​​work: the larger it is, the cheaper.

Monolithic concrete floor in the garage

When building a full-fledged garage with a viewing hole, or just an unheated shed, concrete is usually chosen as the floor material for the parking space. Such popularity is due to the quality characteristics of the coating and the simplicity of the device.

How to arrange and how to cover the concrete floor in the garage, what additional finishing activities will require such technologies? Consider the possible ways of installing concrete pouring in the garage: specifics, technologies and ways of saving.

Mixes for the manufacture of polished surfaces

First of all, the concrete floor must necessarily meet the strength class B25, which is easy to achieve if you use Portland cement of a grade not lower than M350 with low water consumption. The situation with fillers is much more complicated. As a rule, for the preparation of such mixtures, crushed stone is used, obtained by crushing rocks (for example, basalt or diorite). This type of aggregate is characterized by increased compressive and tensile strength (when compared with a cement monolith). Due to this discrepancy in characteristics, during the operation of the base, the zones around the aggregate grains will be worn out to a greater extent. As a result, the polished concrete floor will lose its smoothness and bumps will form on it after a few years.

In order to avoid such defects, it is necessary to take into account the following nuances when selecting a composition for arranging a base:

• The more high-strength aggregate in the mortar, the better. In this case, it is worth giving preference to stone crushed stone, which should occupy at least 85% of the total mass of the mortar.
• It is best if crushed stone of different sizes is used for the mixture, then the solution will be much denser. The best option is to mix in equal proportions two different fractions of quartz sand and several gravel components. However, too coarse grains (over 20 mm) should not be used.

It is best to prepare mixtures for subsequent grinding and polishing in a forced-action concrete mixer. When the solution is homogeneous, you can proceed to pouring it.

Grinding procedure

Any finishing work requires careful preparation of the surface, the process of sanding the floor is no exception.

1. If the floor is poured again, then it is necessary to check its evenness with a long ruler, level, level. When working with an old coating, you should get rid of the remnants of the old finish. We remove debris, dust, dirt, remove the protruding metal mesh or reinforcement, if any are found.
2. If there are deep potholes, cracks or large deformations of the shrinkage joints, you will have to work with them first. We seal them with a solution of increased strength, preferably with the use of oil well cement, in order to ensure a high filling density. Epoxy mastic can also be used for sealing.Defective areas should be filled flush with the main surface.
3. If concrete bumps and sagging are found on the field, they must also be removed before the final grinding begins. We work with a grinder with a diamond disc numbered 30-40, which indicates the grain size of the working area.
4. First of all, the top layer of cement laitance is removed from the new screed. Grinding the existing floor removes damaged areas, eliminates small deformations and shallow stains.

Do-it-yourself grinding can be started no earlier than 14 days after the concrete or cement screed has completely dried. If you do not wait this period of time and work with a damp surface, then the grinder can simply pull out pieces of rubble from the concrete mass.