Eastern Power Equipment
285 Route 9 PO Box 97 Barrington, NH 03825
Phone 603/664-7776 | Toll Free 866/664-7776 | Fax 603/664-7420 | email chuck@easternpowerequipment.com
Remove floor coatings with surface grinders
That’s right -- they’re not just for concrete anymore!
If you’re faced with the challenge of removing a variety of coatings from floors – or even just a coat of paint from your basement floor – your A.R.A.-affiliated rental store has a great solution. Just attach a tungsten-carbide-insert grinding system to a dual-head surface grinder, and you can easily remove paint, fiberglass, adhesives and more. This system can be surprisingly cost effective compared with other coating-removal methods.
How the grinding system works
The most significant attachment developed in recent years for surface grinders is the tungsten-carbide-insert system. A number of surface-preparation equipment manufacturers, and your area A.R.A.-affiliated rental stores, offer this accessory for surface grinders. Believe it or not, this simple process is as easy as scraping ice off your windshield or machining steel with a lathe.
Most dual-head surface grinders rotate their heads in the 250-rpm range. This speed has proven to be the best compromise to maximize the removal rates for a variety of materials and thickness.
- The tungsten carbide insert is strengthened with various chemical compounds. This helps balance its service life vs. damage arising from direct impact against obstructions like anchor bolts and expansion joints.
- A single scraping edge can deliver from one to eight hours of service life.
- Depending on the specific manufacturer, system designs incorporate inserts with four or eight individual scraping edges.
- A common design feature positions the inserts at precise angles relative to the floor
- In operation, the insert must first penetrate the coating.
- Then, by using a combination of applied weight and relative movement of the surface grinder, the coating can be scraped from he floor.
Applications
Just look at what you can remove with a surface grinder equipped with a tungsten-carbide-insert grinding system. This process does not require extensive training or expertise. Just ask your A.R.A.-affiliated rental professional to show you how to get the job done.
- Industrial floors -- Government regulations and insurance requirements mandate that industrial floors be properly maintained. Using a coating-removal system is normally a relatively simple process and requires minimal training to produce acceptable results.
- Warehouse floors -- Quickly remove excess forklift tire marks or a variety of floor sealers without damaging concrete floor surfaces.
- Manufacturing facilities -- Remove material, including mastics, glues, vanishes, paints, slogs and fiberglass residues.
- Commercial facilities -- Remove mastics and adhesives during floor covering or carpet projects. You can even achieve the much-sought-after “white concrete” finish.
- Homes -- Remove a variety of coatings that are normally applied to garage and basement floors, including paints, non-skid surfaces, epoxies and urethanes. The scraping actin will not normally damage the concrete floor.
- Automotive body shops -- Insurance companies and government safety standards mandate that paint residue accumulations on paint booth floor must be properly removed on a regular basis. Even paint residues approaching 13-mm thickness can be successfully removed down to bare concrete.
What rental-store personnel should explain
Make sure your rental store personnel explain:
- The correct way to install all grinding accessories
- The correct position of the operator for moving the unit from side to side when grinding
- The speed with which to move the grinder to allow time to grind the surface.
What you need to tell your rental professional about the job
To assist you in selecting the right equipment for the job, your rental dealer needs to know this project information:
- The type of surface and what is to be removed
- The thickness of material
- How long coatings have been in place
- the condition of the material – solid, flaking, etc
- The total surface area of the project
- Whether dust control is required
- What type of power source is best for the job