Concrete Grinding
We can restore almost any concrete floor to a clean, like-new surface. Our concrete grinding service can remove VCT and carpet adhesives, paint, and other materials.
Polished Concrete Floors
We install beautiful, durable polished concrete floors in warehouses, factories, offices, and other institutions.
VOC free and environmentally friendly.
Epoxy Floors
We install epoxy, polyurethane and polyaspartic floors in industrial, commercial, and institutional environments.
Antimicrobial coatings available for food and pharma.
What is concrete grinding?
Concrete grinding is a mechanical process where industrial abrasives attached to a machine are used to remove the surface layer of concrete. A practical example would be, the use of a planetary floor grinder equipped with grinding tools, to grind a concrete floor.
The amount of surface concrete removed will depend on the grinding tool, the weight of the grinder and the time spent grinding. A quick grinding pass over a concrete floor with a fine grit grinding tool will remove a small amount of the concrete surface. A slow grinding pass with an aggressive grinding tool will remove a substantial amount of concrete surface.
Why is it important to grind concrete floors?
Concrete is a very strong material but it is susceptible to many common chemicals and liquids. Mild chemical contamination from manufacturing processes, forklift tire rubber worn into the concrete surface, and various dirty substances can degrade concrete floors.
Grinding the concrete surface is the only effective way to remove the surface contamination and prevent it from penetrating deep into the floor. This type of floor maintenance needs to be done in consistent intervals with the duration depending on the type of use and traffic volume. Even concrete floors coated with epoxy or other protective coatings need to be ground clean periodically.
After the concrete floor has been ground, the floor should be sealed again or a concrete polishing process should be run to ensure that the floor is protected from future wear and tear.
Are there different types of concrete grinding?
There are many different types of concrete grinding. The differences are primarily determined by the type of grinding tool used although the concrete grinder does affect the result as well. Rough or aggressive grinding tools remove a substantial amount of surface material while fine grinding tools remove a small amount of surface material. The grinding tools should be selected to achieve the customer’s requirements with the most efficient process possible.
What type of surface finish does concrete floor grinding leave?
It can leave a range of surface finishes depending on the grinding tool used. Aggressive grinding tools will leave a rough finish while fine grinding tools will leave a smooth finish. We select our grinding tools to achieve a specific objective whether that is surface preparation for a resin coating or the first grind in a polishing process. The surface finish should always be matched with the application.
Can you grind concrete to level it?
Yes, you can grind concrete to level it but it should be used to address specific problem areas and not the entire floor. When the entire floor needs to be levelled, a self levelling overlay should be used. In some scenarios, a combination of grinding down high spots combined with a self levelling overlay can provide the best results.
Grinding is an excellent option for levelling uneven joints in a concrete floor. One side of the joint can be ground down the match the lower side.
What is grind and seal concrete?
Grind and seal concrete is a concrete floor that has been ground and then sealed with some type of sealer. This is a very broad term but it usually refers to the lowest cost option for restoring a concrete floor. It is important to use a skilled contractor even for basic concrete finishes like grind and seal concrete because the correct grinding tools need to be used to avoid an unsuitable surface finish. The sealer should also match the requirements of the environment.
Why choose a polished concrete floor over grind and seal concrete flooring?
A polished concrete floor has a teflon-like surface that resists dirt and soiling, cleans easily and resists marking from rubber tires and other materials. Polished concrete lasts longer than any other type of exposed concrete flooring assuming the floor has not been damaged beyond restorability. Polished concrete can also increase the ambient light by up to 30% by reflecting light and is available in a range of polish levels. Overall polished concrete provides a much higher quality flooring solution over grind and seal concrete.
Why is it important to seal and protect concrete floors?
Concrete floors are susceptible to a wide range of common chemicals and acids. The porous nature of concrete allows harmful chemicals and acidic liquids to be absorbed into the floor which can cause serious and even permanent damage to concrete floors.
Call us for a recommended concrete flooring solution for your business.
What is the difference between grinding concrete and polishing concrete?
Grinding typically refers to the rough grits while polishing refers to the fine grits. Both grinding and polishing are processes that mechanically grind the concrete surface, only the grit size changes from large to ultra fine diamond grit. Concrete grinding typically uses a single rough grinding step and is used in floor preparation before epoxy installation or to clean-up a concrete floor. Polishing is a sequence of steps that refine the surface.
How much does concrete floor grinding cost?
The cost of concrete grinding will vary depending on the concrete grinding equipment used and the skill of the concrete grinding contractor.
Here are estimated costs for concrete grinding services, assuming a project size of 2500sqft to 50’000sqft :
- Grind bare concrete floor $0.40-$1.00 per sqft
- Grind-off carpet, vinyl tile & wood flooring glue $0.50-$1.50 per sqft
- Grind-off epoxy, polyurethane & polyaspartic floor coatings $0.50-$1.00 per sqft
- Overlay removal $1.00-$4.00 per sqft
- Aggregate exposure $3.00-5.00 per sqft
Call us for a free concrete floor grinding quote, (647) 544-4143.
Polished Concrete 1 Inc. is a concrete polishing and epoxy flooring contractor serving the greater Toronto area and Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Oakville, Burlington and more.