Concrete Polishing And Grinding Tips

Job Quoting

If times get tough, do not lower your prices to win the job. It will come back and bite you in the end. You will walk away doing the job, however not being able to afford a coffee.

Check for scratches at every stage

On the floor, make sure you check for scratches after every grinding stage. Example, your 120 grit diamonds will not take out your 30 grit scratches. Always check.

Hand Grinding

When using a hand grinder, start your tool with the blade flat on the ground.
This can prevent deep cutting ridges and marking the floor.

Grouting

People seem to be having problems grouting. We know by site visits that people grout in different ways.

We understand how important the grouting procedure is. 

Our October tip is to try grouting at 60 grit. There are a few ways to put down the grout. Most important is shake the container well / don’t flood the floor however it does need to be wet and damp / don’t leave puddles, brush in with a good soft broom (we stock these) and walk slow behind the grinder.

It also helps in keeping the blades open.   This also depends on the concrete. You should carry at least 2 to 3 different sets of 60grit. This will cover you on most projects. Each job application will be different

You can then move on to 120grit to remove scratching and also for a 2nd grout. This will help to fill small holes and imperfections and help keeping the diamonds open. This time you can use a spray bottle spraying in front of your machine.

Very important, in both cases, to wait until the grout is fully dry before moving onto the next step.

Note: The tooling is very important in these steps. We know as we have tried and tested using a range of products. Call GTA now to try our grout / densifier / redi locks and buy the best brooms and Micro fibre mops.

Why Buy From GTA

Without the correct equipment (diamonds / pads / grout / densifier / even a good broom etc) job quality and consistency will vary radically. This is why GTA was formed with a mission to supply the industry with the best products, products that work.

Another problem when using inferior products is the extra time spent on site. Many contractors spend more time on jobs trying to get scratching out - 60 grit and even 120 grit  (Time is your money) At GTA we supply Redi Lock diamonds that work.

Big tip: Convert your plates over to Redi Lock. Grind and Polish with GTA redi lock diamonds.

GTA Diamonds

We were often asked about the best diamonds to use under a machine. The of answer differs based on the type of floor you are working with.

We find that many operators use too few diamond segments on each grinding disc. For optimal performance and life of diamond tooling we recommend the use of full sets under the machine. This can help to create a smoother scratch pattern - (too few can create an aggressive scratch pattern or swirls) the more segments the smoother the surface.

A full set can reduce load on the machine also reduce wear rate on diamonds.
 

Ceramics

GTA Ceramics are a great scratch remover however ceramics do not operate well when used on unlevel surfaces or for coating removal.

Be wary as our ceramics have already been copied.  They look similar however the imitation ceramics we found can cause on the job headaches!

The simple solution: buy from GTA to be sure about what you are getting.

Grouting

Avoid using a vacuum cleaner after grouting. Strong suction vacuum cleaners can actually suck out some of the grout.

The better way is to blow with a blower or use a soft broom.

Ram Board

RAM BOARD (used as temporary floor protection), can save the owner, builder and concrete polishing company time and money.

Once grinding / grouting is finished contractors come in to complete their jobs which puts a new ploished floor at high risk of staining however RAM BOARD will protect a floor and prevent any disputes between all parties.

Ram board is a heavy duty temporary floor protection engineered for contractors.

RAM BOARD is delivered in a roll (29sqm) - lays down fast and flat - is re usable - non staining - allows moisture to escape and is tested and proven to be one of the better protection mediums for polished floors during construction.

GTA 100

Used to fill small holes, air-bubbles and other small surface imperfections to ensure a smooth uniform surface.

GTA100 stays in the concrete longer and outlast most other products in today's market. 

Always shake the container before use. Damp concrete thoroughly. Broom the GTA 100 onto the dampened surface.

GTA 50 SERIES

We spoke to a contractor recently who was required to cut 20mill off a concrete slab. He had been taking away 40 bags of dust a day.

The operator has been grinding, using the GTA 50 Series 30 grit, to cut the floor very fast.

By using the 50 Series he was saving up to 3 days on this job. Cutting 5 mm off on one pass.

Not bad. One trick is that water can be used to keep diamonds cool.

Ceramic Bond

Our Ceramic Bond 5 Leaf Pads do not leave marks on top of the concrete floor like some other well known resin pad brands of lower grit which we have found to leave a fine resin mark on top of a floor. Having to remove these fine resin marks can add an extra step to your procedure

However it is best toavoid using Ceramic's when aluminum is present in floors as they will wear too quickly.

The Ceramic 5 pie has great surface contact thus reducing friction, creating more life of the tool and leaving a cleaner / shiner floor.

After finishing with their diamond grinding segment procedure try moving into the GTA Ceramic Bond pads (either 50/100/200/400/ depending on how the floor looks) before finishing off with a much higher grit Resin Pad (800 grit).