Before you finish the concrete floor, you should make sure that its surface is even. Before applying impregnation, dedusting, coating with varnish or paint, it is necessary to prepare the surface. The first stage of work is the grinding of concrete. Next, we will consider how it is carried out and what tools can be used.
Process characteristic
Concrete grinding is a type of surface treatment. With its help, the previous coating is removed, the screed is leveled before applying reinforcing impregnations, protective varnish, bulk coating, decorative thin-layer paint. Surface pre-treatment is carried out 3-5 days after pouring. Final grinding is carried out after the base has completely hardened.
Why is concrete grinding necessary?
Today self-leveling floors are very popular. The technology of their application assumes the absolute evenness of the surface. Properly executed concrete grinding will not only allow you to level the base. It will ensure its reliable adhesion to polymer coatings. High-quality polishing of concrete gives strength to the floor. This will save you money later on maintenance materials. In addition, there will be no need to carry out frequent restoration of the base. A polished concrete floor is appropriate in almost any interior. Such a surface perfectly tolerates environmental conditions: the base is moisture resistant, resistant to aggressive influences, high traffic, and the movement of heavy units. All these properties are acquired during the grinding of concrete.
Where are machined surfaces used?
Concrete grinding, the price of which starts from 220 R/m2, is carried out in premises for various purposes. Such surfaces are most widely used in supermarkets, large stores, residential and office buildings, restaurants and cafes. Polished floors can be seen in hotels, salons, theaters, medical facilities and educational institutions. Within private ownership, such a foundation is made in the courtyard in front of the entrance, in the cellars. Sanded concrete floors are an excellent finish in garages, utility and country buildings.
Important points
From the new concrete floor it is necessary, first of all, to remove the milk of lime. It appears during the pouring process in the course of stratification of the solution. If the surface is old, then the purpose of grinding is to remove the topmost damaged layer. In addition, the processing allows you to eliminate any contamination. In the process of grinding, deformed areas are leveled, which have cracks, chips, sagging,notches, ripples and other flaws. After processing, the top layer of the surface becomes fresh. At the same time, the adhesive properties of the base also increase.
Types of processing
Concrete grinding is carried out by wet and dry methods. However, regardless of the method, the equipment used is the same. Wet processing is carried out, as a rule, on a base covered with mosaic or marble chips. With this method, an abrasive disc is used to grind concrete. The result is an almost perfect surface. On a conventional concrete base, the dry grinding method is usually used. It must be said here that this option takes longer, and there is a curtain of dust in the air. But, according to most experts, it is better than wet sludge covering the eyes. Visibility is better when dry. This means that the master, when detecting shortcomings in the work, can immediately correct them. To remove dust from the room, special industrial vacuum cleaners are used. In the process of wet surface treatment, water pumps are used.
Equipment and tools
You can buy the necessary fixtures at any building materials store. The equipment is produced mainly by European and American manufacturers. Professional grinders are quite expensive. But at the same time, the quality of their work is quite high, and the service life is very long. Many units are endowed with additional functions that significantly fit the process. The more the weight of the car, the better.processing quality. However, simpler tools are also suitable for working at home. For example, many owners grind concrete with a grinder. Actually, there is no need to purchase expensive equipment for small-scale work. To process the floor at home, a diamond cup is used for grinding concrete. For this or that type of coating, its own grain size is used. Experts recommend using a disc with an indicator of 25-30. Grit 40 is suitable for processing the first layer. The larger the concrete grinding nozzle, the higher the load the tool can withstand.
Features of the coupler
Grinding can be carried out on any concrete surface. The result of processing will depend on the fillers, the time during which the coating lies, and its brand. The screed can have a thickness of 3 mm. At the same time, pits and tubercles are allowed on the surface. However, the difference in differences should not be more than 5 mm. When choosing a material for a screed, it is necessary to take into account the purpose of the room. For a warehouse of a small area, a garage, a production workshop, concrete grade M150-M300 is perfect. The solution has high strength and the necessary qualities for processing. To give the floor greater strength, concrete of a grade greater than M300 is used. As for the filler, fine-grained crushed stone of metamorphic and igneous rocks is considered the best option today. If polishing work is subsequently planned, thenthe use of marble or granite chips is allowed. With such a filler, you can create a rather original surface. Material with marble chips is processed quite easily. Granite and gravel are considered difficult grounds for grinding. Experts do not recommend the use of high-density filler. At the same time, too low a value may degrade the quality of the floor.
Preparing the base for processing
This step is very important. First of all, you need to remove the old coating. After that, various potholes and scratches may appear on the base. As a rule, such defects are removed by prolonged grinding. This, in turn, may incur additional costs. At a preliminary stage, the evenness of the surface should be checked. If there are defects, you will have to increase the number of diamonds on the disk. If necessary, all cracks in the surface should be sealed. You should also make sure that there is no reinforcing mesh or reinforcement bars in the top layer. A mandatory step is to determine the strength of the coating. To do this, tap the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe base. If a fragile area is found on it, then the entire floor will have to be refilled. To determine the stiffness, it is enough to process a small area with a grinder.
Do-it-yourself concrete grinding
Work is allowed to be carried out 2 weeks after the solution has solidified. During this period, the base will gain the necessary strength. Beforepolishing the floor is treated with a hardener. This mixture reacts with calcium hydroxide to form a mineral binder on the surface. It closes the pores and makes the screed more resistant to moisture. Surface treatment with a grinder is carried out gradually in any direction convenient for the master.
Final stage
After finishing sanding, you can install skirting boards and carry out surface treatment. To create a glossy base, polyurethane varnishes are used. They are applied with brushes and rollers directly after grinding to a dust-free surface. Floor varnishing is usually carried out in several layers.
