How Grinders and Polishers Work:
Diamond grinders and polishers use horizontally rotating disks to level, smooth or clean a concrete surface. A diamond tipped or other type of abrasive wheel (such as a Zec litex disc) is mounted on the grinder. The grinder may have single or multiple heads and vary in power and production.
Grinders and Polishers are used to:
- Remove coatings
- Remove adhesive residues
- Smooth or flatten concrete slabs, including troublesome curled expansion joints
- Prepare concrete for a coating, overlayment, hardwood, or tile
- Remove surface imperfections
For decorative concrete applications, some machines can be used to polish concrete to a high shine or to restore old slabs for architectural finishes.
Depending on the type of abrasive wheel used on the grinder, it can be used to lightly prepare the surface (especially useful when applying thin mil coatings) or can quickly remove mastics, epoxies, urethane, paint and thick coatings. Some types of multi-headed grinders can be outfitted with carbide slicers or PCD (Poly Crystalline Diamond) to quickly cut through heavy, built-up adhesives, elastomeric coatings, waterproof membranes and more.
