And do not forget the bottom of the stairs too ! 

Do Floors Need to Be Prepared with a Grinder

 Grinding Provides Superior Surface Preparation:  

https://www.floorpaintersuk.co.uk

www.floorpainters.co.uk

Terry Rossington (@flooradviceman) / X

Grinding removes stains and exposes clean concrete, creating a better mechanical bond for epoxy coatings compared to acid washing. 

Acid Washing Requires Extra Steps: While it cleans the surface, acid washing leaves residue that must be thoroughly rinsed multiple times, adding significant time to the preparation process. 

Q&A 

Why does grinding give a better bond? 

 Grinding removes the top layer of concrete, exposing clean, fresh material for the epoxy to grip. This creates a roughened surface that allows the coating to physically lock in place, known as a mechanical bond.

Grinding removes any old coatings and is  far cleaner than a acid-washed area, making it a more reliable base for long-term adhesion. 

What problems can acid residue cause? 

 Acid residue left after washing can prevent coatings from adhering properly, leading to peeling months or years later. 

Leftover hydrochloric acid  on  a acid-washed floor is a problem  and the area must be thoroughly rinsed—often multiple times with scrubbing.

This extra cleaning adds significant time before the surface is ready for coating. 

How do mechanical and chemical bonds differ? 

A mechanical bond occurs when the coating physically locks into the texture of the substrate, like epoxy gripping the roughness created by grinding. 

A chemical bond happens when the coating chemically reacts or binds with the surface beneath it. 

Combining both methods gives the strongest result, but with acid washing alone you mostly rely on chemical bonding since no concrete layer is removed.

 

 Installation of drainage channel & Polyurethane Screed to new food production area.

The Project: 

Our client was converting an old warehouse unit into a new food production area. The specification was to install an new drainage channel in the cooking area and 9mm Salsa Polyurethane Screen. The remaining dry production area, a blue 3mm polyurethane screed was to be installed.

Stage 1: Break out and install the new stainless steel channel.

The area for the new channel was to be installed was broken out and connected to a outlet pipe to the outside drainage system. The channel was then braced into position and using polymer modified screed set into place ready for the screed to be installed the following week.

Stage 2: Installation of 3mm Polyurethane SL Screed.

We prepared all areas using our diamond grinding equipment and cut all anchorage groves into the floor. Once the preparation was complete we applied a coat of Epoxy DPM Primer to seal the prepared concrete ready for the screed to be installed. The area was installed in stages due to other works taking place in the area at the same time.

 

Stage 3: Installation of 9mm Polyurethane 9mm Screed 

We installed a fall using polyurethane Bulk to create a fall towards the drainage channel from the back wall. The area was then prepared and primed as per the previous areas, before the 9mm Polyurethane HF Screed was installed. Finally all expansion joints were cut and infilled using polyurethane joint material.

Engineers Work Shop

 

Preparation Equipment

Solid Diamond Plate

 Vonarx Floor Scabbler

 STR Sanding Machine

 Contec Single Head Grinder 110 Volt

 Blastrac Single Head 415 volt

 110 volt hand held grinders

 Ride on Enclosed Shot Blasting Machines

 3 motor Industrial Vacuums

Fast fit plates for various diamond shoes

PCD shoes ideal for old coating removal

 Blastrac

 Vonarx

 DFG 415 volt grinder

 9 inch hand held grinders

 DFG

 415 volt Planetary Grinder , 3 heads

 9 inch grinder

 walk behind shot blaster

Car Service Workshop Page Two