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Signs Your Diamond Tooling Needs Replacing (and How It Impacts Results)

Signs Your Diamond Tooling Needs Replacing (and How It Impacts Results)

March 8, 2024

When polishing or just grinding concrete, two principal factors need to be determined: the grinder and tooling used to perform the work. The size and weight of the grinder will directly impact the effectiveness of the process, but the tooling will do the actual cutting or grinding of the surface and will make or break the project.

Why Fill Concrete Control Joints?

Why Fill Concrete Control Joints?

February 23, 2024

Control joints perform two duties. The first is to put a weakened plane in the concrete slab. Concrete will crack in areas that are not as strong as other areas. By cutting a joint, you are creating a weak area. If the saw cut pattern is configured correctly, most, if not all the cracking will happen within the saw cut control joint minimizing unwanted random cracks.

Concrete Slab and Job Site Evaluation

Concrete Slab and Job Site Evaluation

January 2, 2024

Before you turn the floor grinder on, you must determine the client’s expectations and what the concrete surface will allow you to do to it. There are times when the client’s wishes cannot be met with the concrete slab you have in front of you. Experienced polishing contractors have all been with a client who brings out a picture of a floor and says, “This is what I want.” Yet the floor you are working with looks like a wavy ocean with oil stains and cracking everywhere that will never resemble the photograph they desire. This needs to be discussed at this point.

Mastering the Art of Concrete Densifier Application

Mastering the Art of Concrete Densifier Application

December 11, 2023

A topical concrete surface densifier/hardener is a liquid chemical compound (liquid silicate) that chemically reacts with the concrete surface to increase the hardness, reduce the concrete's permeability, and dustproof the concrete surface reducing surface powdering.

Preparing Your Concrete Surface for Perfect Paint or Coating Adhesion

Preparing Your Concrete Surface for Perfect Paint or Coating Adhesion

October 23, 2023

Preparing a concrete floor to obtain the perfect surface profile is a crucial step when applying paint, or coating. For paints and coatings to adhere properly, the surface will need to be clean, roughened, and opened to allow the paint or coating to absorb into and develop a bond. When you open a floor, you remove the very top surface of the concrete substrate to uncover the concrete pore structure. This open pore structure provides a place for the paint or coating to absorb to develop a bond.

Joints in a Concrete Floor

Joints in a Concrete Floor

October 3, 2023

Concrete is a rigid material. When you try to bend or stretch it, it will break. Reinforcing steel is used in concrete to increase the tensile strength while enhancing the ability for it to bend without cracking. Concrete has great compressive strength. When under a compressive load you will not see it crush in a normal working scenario. Its hardness and high compressive strength are why it’s used on almost every construction project.

Exploring the Benefits of Polished Concrete Floors

Exploring the Benefits of Polished Concrete Floors

September 25, 2023

Concrete is the most widely used building material in the world. It is in almost every construction project, whether it be commercial, industrial, or residential. If the floor is on grade (dirt directly below it), the floor will be constructed of concrete. Once cured, you will have a usable floor. Now what can be done with this durable floor to enhance its visual appearance to fit within your design?