Choosing the right Floor Grinder for your project
[dropcap]I[/dropcap]f you’re a professional contractor or a DIYer, knowing which type of grinder you need for a particular project can be a challenge considering all the different options on the market. But once you have the basics down, finding the machine that will work for what you’re trying to do should be a breeze. Here is a rundown of the different types of floor grinders on the market and how they should be used.
Hand Held Grinders
Hand held grinders will usually be used for smaller grinding applications such as between doorways, short joins in slabs which have become raised, against walls or in hard to reach areas. Typically hand held grinders will be either a 175mm Surface Grinder or a 125mm Surface Grinder . Both of these are very aggressive and are suitable for light levelling work, surface cleaning and coating removal … even epoxy!
Let’s not forget the other family of handheld grinders like this 9″ Angle Grinder or this 18v Cordless 5″ Angle Grinder which are commonly used to cut or grind any steel that you might come across during the project.
Walk-behind Floor Grinder
Walk-behind floor grinders come with various size grinding heads and will use anything from a single grinding disc to 3 or more discs depending on the application they are being used for. Some of the most commonly used floor grinders however, are the high-speed, single disc ones like this Meteor Floor Grinder Kit. The are used for removal of coatings such as paint, adhesives and epoxy but can also be used for taking the top layer off concrete to expose new concrete. They are not recommended for concrete polishing procedures. What you may find surprising is that they can also used on timber floors. Sometimes the surface is littered with staples or small nail heads and a floor grinder will cut this back flush with the floor while leaving a finish which is easily sanded with a drum floor sander.
Some other models, like this Floor Grinder Kit are low speed grinders that are predominately used for cleaning adhesives & grout residue off floors where tiles/vinyl has been removed. Because it is low speed, there is very little chance of it “eating into” the concrete surface it is working on.
Ride-on & Double headed Floor Grinders
As common sense would dictate, these types of grinders are usually used to polish and grind large surface areas such as shopping centres, showrooms, retail outlets, warehouse floors, distribution centres, and all types of commercial flooring. Ride-on grinders can polish and grind wide areas in one pass to produce a flat finish as well as high gloss floors. These grinders are usually powered by either 3 phase electricity or gas.
What About Dust Control?
There are two approaches that you can take if you need to control dust when grinding concrete floors: you can either wet grind the floor or vacuum the dust while grinding. Often dust extraction is packaged with the floor grinder like the Meteor Floor Grinder & Vac Kit or the Floor Grinder & Vac Kit. In any case, many floor grinding models can be fitted with a vacuum and dust collector as well.
Choosing the right grinder is essential if you want to minimise damage and get the best results possible. Now that you know the differences between the different types of floor grinders, you can start looking for the best one for the job.
If you would like any guidance or have any questions, please do not hesitate to talk with our friendly team at the Hire Desk.
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