Concrete Grinding [A Complete Guide]

If you have broken or uneven concrete on your property, caused by years of wear and tear from heavy traffic, you know how much of a hassle it is to navigate. Beyond that, cracked and uneven concrete is an incredible eyesore. It is an issue any property owner will want to fix as soon as possible.

While some situations are so severe that extensive maintenance or total concrete replacement is necessary, did you know that some uneven concrete surfaces can be remedied much more easily? Concrete grinding is a concrete pavement preservation method that can remove unevenness, irregularities, and even some forms of damage from an area of concrete.

Concrete grinding can get the surface back to looking good-as-new and can even help improve its performance, but it does have its limitations and isn’t always the best solution for addressing broken concrete. 

So, how do you know if concrete grinding is the correct concrete repair method for your property? Here is a closer look at how concrete grinding is done, the advantages of concrete grinding, and when other concrete repair methods may be more appropriate. 

How is Concrete Grinding Done?

Different types of concrete floors require different types of concrete grinding tools, ranging from handheld grinders meant for smaller areas to larger, self-propelled grinding machines better served for larger projects like road repair. Each one of these tools, however, is equipped with a diamond grinding and polishing surface that can make short work of certain irregularities and damage in a concrete surface.

Diamond grinders act very much like a sandpaper sander on wood, and are used in a similar way. The concrete grinding tool is used over the damaged area, sometimes requiring multiple passes to completely grind out damage and achieve an even surface.

Advantages of Concrete Grinding

Diamond grinders are very versatile and useful for performing different types of jobs and can be used in wet or dry environments. When done properly, diamond grinders can restore a damaged concrete surface to its former glory. However, the diamond grinding process also adds additional benefits to the functionality of the surface.

While diamond grinding “polishes” concrete, it should not be confused with smoothing the surface. In fact, diamond grinding actually enhances the texture of the concrete surface, which allows vehicles’ tires to get better traction. Better traction on your concrete surface means vehicles will stop faster and easier, which can reduce the risk of accidents and collisions occurring.

Regular concrete grinding can also help increase the lifespan of your concrete surfaces as well as the time between total concrete replacement. This is due to diamond grinding’s ability to maintain unevenness and minor damage before it is able to grow and spiral out of control into larger damage.

When is Concrete Grinding Not Recommended?

Of course, diamond grinding is not the solution for every concrete repair project. There are certain situations and scenarios where other concrete restoration methods are more appropriate. Here are a few common examples of times shot blasting or scarifying machines should be used instead.

Heavily Coated Surfaces

If you are trying to remove a heavy coating on a concrete floor, the sheer amount of time it will take to wear through a heavily coated surface makes diamond grinding not the most efficient method. 

Diamond tooling is much more expensive than steel shot (what is used in a shot blaster), as well as less effective at removing larger amounts of material in a single pass. This means using diamond grinding tools won’t only take longer, but will also raise material costs.

If your project requires treating a heavily coated concrete surface, it is best to use shot blasting or scarification for the bulk of the removal before finishing with a diamond grinder for a detailed finish. BW Manufacturing is the only surface preparation equipment manufacturer that offers a 3-in-1 chassis, allowing you to effortlessly switch between shot blasting and diamond grinding capabilities.

Fixing Non-Flat Surfaces

While diamond grinding is effective at leveling an uneven surface, it is not an efficient method for flattening a non-flat surface. If your concrete area features a crack or damaged section that is creating a protrusion or tripping hazard, the amount of grinding necessary to flatten the area will cost more in equipment and material costs, and likely result in unevenness in other areas as a result.

Rectifying a tripping hazard or something that looks more along the lines of a miniature cliff face that has formed in your concrete is more of a job for a scarifying machine. This type of machine performs a more aggressive flattening job that is more efficient and effective. 

Time-Sensitive Projects

Diamond grinders can create a beautiful and polished finish on a concrete surface. However, in order to achieve this desired result, it can take time to remove materials properly to achieve this clean profile, especially if you are grinding with a smaller piece of equipment.

Diamond grinding is great for detailed concrete repair, but it’s not the fastest. If speed is a necessity for completing a concrete grinding project, shot blasters can provide greater speed and cover a greater area at once. 

Tight Spaces

It is a common misconception that shot blasters are unable to perform their job in smaller or more confined spaces. However, in many cases, these concrete grinding methods may actually be more effective than diamond grinders.

This is because of the varying radiuses of diamond grinders based on the size and type of equipment used for the job. A hand held diamond grinder should be more adept at working in tight corners, while larger types may not.

State-of-the-art shot blasters, like the ones used by BW Manufacturing, are capable of reliably getting as close as one inch off a wall. 

Resin-Based Floors

Working on a concrete floor with a resin base? These types of floors are much tougher than other flooring materials and will need quite a bit bigger of a punch than a diamond grinder can efficiently provide to wear through.

For resin-based floors, scarifying machines can provide a more powerful solution that can more aggressively deal with this kind of tough-as-nails floor. Having the right tool for the job can help get the job done faster, easier, and ultimately more cheaply than a less efficient method.

The Multi-Purpose Chassis

Like we mentioned before, we are the only manufacturer with an all-in-one interchangeable chassis for your concrete surface preparation needs. 

You’ll be shocked at how effortless it is to switch between shot blasting, scarifying, and diamond grinding, saving you time and energy. 

And that’s is just two benefits among many others:

1. You no longer have to wait for additional equipment to be delivered, since you now have one piece of equipment that can handle it all.
2. Project management just got a lot easier since you can now switch back and forth between shot blasting and diamond grinding or scarification.
3. Maintenance and repair costs are reduced now that you only need to maintain a single chassis, rather than multiple machines — it’s much cheaper and cost-effective to keep your business running.

With our Multi-Purpose Chassis, your business can finally have the power to execute multiple capabilities faster and with the best results you’ve seen. Through the success that BW Manufacturing’s equipment will bring you, you will even have the ability to bid for more jobs. 

Want to learn more about our Multipurpose Chassis? Click the link and see how you could be doing your job better than ever before. 

Conclusion

Many people assume that a diamond grinder is always the best solution to concrete flooring problems. But, as is the case with many things, different situations require different solutions. This is why it is important when determining the best way to handle your concrete issues to work with an expert who can give you the most information and resources to tackle the job correctly. 

BW Manufacturing has a team of concrete experts who are ready to help you troubleshoot the exact situation you are facing, and we have the solutions to deliver on them. Our range of concrete solutions from diamond grinders, shot blasters, scarifying machines, dust collection, and our state-of-the-art Multi-Purpose Chassis can provide you with the right solution for every job.

Have questions about what equipment would be best for your job? Give us a call or request a quote and tell us about your project.