Working on a concrete preparation floor can be challenging. If you’re planning on doing the job yourself, you’ll need to have the right tools at your disposal. When you’re done reading this article, you’ll know how to choose the concrete planer or grinder for your needs.
What Is A Concrete Planer?
A concrete planer is a concrete prep machine that uses rotating cutting tools to scar, remove and smoothen the surface of the concrete. They’re frequently called concrete scarifiers or milling machines and are available in both gas-powered and electric versions. Tungsten carbide cutting wheels and drum with diamond blades gives aggressive concrete cutting and removability.
The scarifying machines vary in size, therefore they can deliver a path that ranges from 4to 16 inches. Scarifiers are also versatile, as many models offer adjustable depths and the ability to remove up to 1/4” inch of concrete in one pass. The typical production rate for a concrete scarifier is approximately 350 square feet per hour. Some heavy-duty scarifiers can work approximately 1,500 square feet per hour.
What Does a Scarifier Do?
Concrete scarifiers have a wide application on the floor, road, and civil fields. These tools can be used for light or heavy milling, removing coatings like floor tile mastics, rubbery adhesives, or epoxy, and to produce grooves for slip resistance or to level out uneven concrete joints and uneven surfaces. The concrete surface profile depends on the hardness of the concrete worked on… Typically, you can expect a highly textured surface with a five CSP on it.
Scarifier cuts into concrete faster and more aggressively than grinders because they use spinning blades that “pummel” the concrete, removing it in a smooth, even surface pattern. The carvers’ protrusions are rough to help them embed into the concrete. Cutting tools are adjustable to a wide range of depths. Some machines can cut up to 1/4 inch of material at a time.
What Is A Concrete Grinder?
A concrete grinder is a walk-behind machine that cuts into the surface of concrete up to 1/8 inch. It can also be used with diamond pads or other tooling types, enabling the concrete grinder to perform multiple surface preparation tasks. In addition to gasoline, propane and electric-powered are also provided.
The grinder also could provide a smooth and even finish without scratching or eroding the concrete. They come with a variety of attachments, providing more flexibility to create a variety of customized floor surfaces.
You can choose a single-disc grinder that’s designed to cover 11 inches or a triple-disc grinder that’s equipped to cover more than 18 inches. These models are also available incapable of covering 32 inches.
What Does a Floor Grinder Do?
As its name suggests, a floor grinder works by moving metal discs across a concrete surface. It can be used to scratch the surface with types of diamond tooling and leave behind a unique texture in the concrete, the larger the diamond powder, the heavier the surface profiles you will get. Because it does not cut into the surface, you won’t get a heavy profile when using this tool although they are consistent and precise.
Grinding is a great way to remove epoxy, paint, and urethane from wood. You can expect to receive a CSP of 2-3, which is ready for the preparation of thin coating.
How To Choosing a Grinder or a Scarifier
Grinders are a more precise option for jobs involving less CSP result, but more precision and smoothness. They’re used for breaking up grease deposits, removing industrial contaminants, and polishing concrete surfaces with diamond abrasives. They’re perfect for removing graffiti, bumps, and marks, and performing decorative work.
For high-output concrete surface preparation tasks, scarifiers are the better choice. They provide fast, aggressive cutting action for heavy-duty applications. Besides, other applications include the grooving of walkways, the removal of floor tile mastics and rubbery materials, and the light or heavy milling of floors.
Because the flails are designed to break away concrete chips, they are used to attack uneven surfaces for roughening and groove. The scarifier is the perfect tool for attacking construction joints and cracks. When a gash is created on a floor, a scarifier is used to quickly and safely create a flat surface on top of any high spot.
Grinders are used to level and smooth high spots and bumps from concrete slabs. They are not ideal for sidewalks or bulk removal, but they are an effective tool in the right circumstances.
As we mentioned, a floor grinder or a concrete scarifier can be used to achieve different goals. The choices depend on your goal of floor finishes.
Use a floor grinder when you want to:
Remove thin coats, paint, and adhesives from the surface.
Level joints, high spots, and uneven surfaces.
Clean up grease and dirt deposits.
Rough up smooth surfaces for improved adhesion of a thin coating or paint.
Get the surface ready for polishing.
Get a concrete surface profile of 1-2 CSP.
Use a scarifier when you want to:
Remove thick floor coats, paint, and adhesives from the surface.
Create a rough concrete surface to give the heavier coatings and overlays better.
Remove carpet glue and concrete residue.
Quickly remove a top damaged layer of concrete or epoxy floor.
Get a concrete surface profile of 4-5 CSP.
