Skip to main content

In My Experience - Concrete Finishing: To Grind Or Not To Grind

14 July, 2020

Concrete can be prepped mechanically (grinding) or chemically (acid etching). My company uses grinding every time as the surface prep method for concrete, even when it is new concrete. It is very physical work, but it gives you the peace of mind of knowing that your coating will not fail, because when you grind, you are creating a profile on the surface for your coating to adhere to. I have always felt acid etching does not provide the same level of certainty, because you don’t know for sure if you have etched enough.

We use Milwaukee grinders with Diamabrush attachments and hook them up to Festool dust extractors. The process is chemical-free, and the dust is well contained. When grinding is complete, we do a final vacuum, and we are ready to apply epoxy coatings or decorative stains, whatever the finish may be. If there are any cracks or cosmetic defects in the concrete, we fix them prior to grinding so that the repair won’t be visible when finished.

It also saves time. In prepping concrete mechanically with grinding instead of chemically with etching, there will be less downtime and quicker turnaround in returning floors to service. With chemicals, on the other hand, after you etch, you would have to rinse heavily with water and then wait a day or two for it to dry before finishing.

Garage floors are a common application for grinding and applying epoxy coatings. The biggest risk upon completion is that hot tires will drive onto the floor and pick up the finish. This is the most common cause of floor coating failure in garages. With grinding as your prep method and proper application of good products, that risk is minimized greatly.

 

By Alex Carlos Estrada - Color Unlimited Painting, Mesquite, TX

Next Article - Contractor Embezzles $3M and Loses Appeal

Comments

Add new comment

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.

If cost and liability were not an issue, what's your one must-have at the company picnic?

Paintball Feld
39%
Axe Throwing
30%
10-Foot Nacho Trough
12%
Potato Salad
19%

Dang it's hot! Does your work vehicle have an orange water cooler?

Yes
22%
No
43%
It's not orange
35%

Did you work for a painting contractor prior to owning your company?

Choices

Why haven't you hired a business coach?

Not worth the money
30%
Too difficult to find a good one
19%
I don't need one
30%
I did hire one!
22%

Has OSHA ever inspected your jobsite?

Choices

Who Buys the Paint Brushes?

Choices

What's the most paint you've ever spilled?

Choices

Did you take a week-long (or longer) vacation this summer?

Choices

If you had to rename your company one of the following, which would it be?

Choices

You meet someone new, and they ask what you do. What do you say?

Choices

On the job site, my painters mostly listen to...

Choices
Post

Will Painters Vaccinate

Read Now
Post

Paintzen Explained: Compare and contrast with PPG Services

Paintzen, launched in 2013, was designed to make it easy for…

Read Now
Post

In My Experience: What Unusual Applicators Have You Used

Shaun Temple 
Legendary Painting 

Read Now
Post

Jobsite of the Week: Golden Fields

Read Now
^