How to sand a concrete floor with your own hands

Concrete is the most demanded material in industrial and residential construction. Its floors are durable, durable and resistant to external factors. The surface of the cast slab is an excellent base for laying flexible and hard coverings of any type. Grinding of a concrete floor is carried out in order to level it for subsequent cladding or to create a beautiful and smooth surface that does not require further decoration. This procedure consists of several stages, it is quite possible to grind the concrete floor with your own hands, while saving well on the services of professionals.

Scope and benefits of a sanded concrete floor

Grinding of concrete floors is carried out in order to increase their strength, increase their service life and improve their appearance. The procedure is widely used for finishing and preliminary processing of objects such as stairs, floor slabs of houses, apartments, offices, catering establishments, retail outlets, garages, workshops, stair flights in residential and commercial buildings.

Grinding concrete floors offers the following benefits for the finished product:

• presentable appearance, emphasizing the beauty of stone and other fillers;
• significant increase in service life;
• elimination of hygroscopicity, complete waterproofing;
• increased surface density, no dust emission;
• ease of cleaning and routine maintenance;
• the ability to do it yourself;
• affordable cost of the procedure with high efficiency of the final result.

Do-it-yourself polishing of a concrete floor can save a lot on finishing. The property owner does not have to spend money on a substrate, parquet, linoleum and other expensive materials.

Basic technologies of concrete floor grinding

The technology of processing concrete products implies different methods of affecting the surface, depending on the specifics of the final purpose of its processing.

Grinding methods:

• Wet. It is used to remove a layer up to 5 mm thick, while at the same time compaction of the surface due to saturation with water and the application of strong vertical pressure. It is more often used in the preparation of substrates with a high percentage of granite or marble infill. Water supply to the work area eliminates the risk of overheating of the tool and prevents the formation of dust.
• Dry. It is used to level the surface for finishing. The depth of the removed material is up to 2 mm. The area to be treated is accessible for viewing, but the process itself is accompanied by the release of a large volume of dust, which only a powerful industrial vacuum cleaner can handle.
• Polishing. This event is carried out with the aim of preparing a concrete floor as an independent base without further finishing. Achieving strength and strength is due to the addition of polymer additives, which are rubbed into the outer layer of the plate, while bringing its surface to absolute smoothness.

Since concrete is a very strong substance, it is almost impossible to manually finish it; you will need to buy or rent special equipment.

Equipment for work

Depending on the specifics of the task being performed and its scope, in order to polish the concrete slab, the following equipment can be used:

1. Professional grinders. They are used when processing large areas, where the use of manual labor is ineffective. They are self-propelled units with a seat for the operator. Rotating blades with abrasive nozzles are installed under the body of the equipment. The disadvantage is the large weight and size, as well as the impossibility of reaching corners and other hard-to-reach places.
2. Household cars. The tools are lightweight, mobile and inexpensive. A universal tool is a grinder complete with grinding wheels and attachments. When working, it captures a small area, but allows you to process it completely.

The efficiency of polishing directly depends on the size of the working body of the tool and equipment, as well as the strength of the abrasive material.

Preparatory work

A prerequisite for grinding work is the preparation of the surface of the slab.

1. Horizontal check. If necessary, an additional screed is made.
2. Removal of protruding fragments of mortar and metal structures.
3. Sealing cracks, holes, replacing defective areas.

In conclusion, the reliability of power supply, the serviceability of electrical equipment and the presence of grounding are checked. A respirator, goggles and gloves must be purchased. It is advisable to have rubber shoes and a mat.

Do-it-yourself concrete floor grinding technology

The angle grinder is designed to remove the top layer of concrete and eliminate minor irregularities in the floor. To grind the surface, diamond wheels, discs, cups and trapezoidal frankfurts are used. To achieve the desired effect, nozzles with different grain sizes and diameters are used.

Grinding using industrial equipment (helicopter) is performed in two stages. At the first, grouting is carried out at low speeds, then high-speed grinding is carried out without the participation of a disc.

Before you start polishing a concrete slab, you need to make sure that the tool is in good working order and that the attachments are securely attached. You need to work in tight clothing, eye and respiratory protection. The operating time of the equipment should be monitored to prevent overheating and damage. As the nozzles wear out, they must be replaced in a timely manner.