Diamond Grinding Floor Prep

[jnyost]

I rented a diamond grinder for the weekend and am prepping my floor. Once finished is a good blowout and vacuum ok or do I need to wash it out too?

Thanks
Jared

 

[jnyost]

New floor, no oil, I have yet to even pull anything into it.

 

[Hammerdown]

I would sweep away all the debris and the scrub the floor with a stiff bristled broom and rinse it repeatedly. Take the time to thoroughly wash away all the dust, you don'y want any left over on the floor. Are you applying a coating to it?

 

[jnyost]

Yes, putting down SW Armorseal 1000 HS. I was hoping not to have to get it wet. I doubt it would be dry when I put down the epoxy tomorrow. Maybe I'll mop it so it doesn't get drenched.

 

[porscheman1963]

I watched the Premier Guys Diamond Grind my floor the other day and they did not wash it afterwards, they vacuumed it a couple of times and then used a leaf blower to go over it.

 

[thegarageguy]

vac it up good and use a damp mop. using a leaf blower only kicks dust back up and makes the tiny dust airborne and slowly settle back down.

 

[jnyost]

Yet another question. Thought about making a new thread but I'll just keep it here.

How in the heck do you remove sealer? My concrete guys threw down an acrylic curing agent (xylene based acrylic sealer) when they were done. I acid etched a lot last weekend and am diamond grinding this weekend. All it does is gum up the diamond grinder. It is taking me forever to get anything done. I have over 16 hours in it and I'm probably not even half way done.

Thanks
Jared

 

[nate379]

sandblast/shotblast

 

[jnyost]

sandblast/shotblast

You referring to how to remove the sealer?

 

[porscheman1963]

LoL, my professional installers from Premier Garage who have done over 400 floors did not use a damp mop and my floor turned out flawless as did the other 399 floors including 5 that I visited !!!!! Use a Vac and a leaf blower and you'll be fine.

vac it up good and use a damp mop. using a leaf blower only kicks dust back up and makes the tiny dust airborne and slowly settle back down.

 

[thegarageguy]

LoL, my professional installers from Premier Garage who have done over 400 floors did not use a damp mop and my floor turned out flawless as did the other 399 floors including 5 that I visited !!!!! Use a Vac and a leaf blower and you'll be fine.

Dude, relax, your floor is a week old. There are many ways to skin a cat. I didn't say my way is gospel. We happen to approach every slab differently. Usually if the slab i soft and really dusty we vac up then damp mop. Being that its a DIYer, I figured he may not have the vac system that we or your precious Premier guys have. So don't be so quick to proclaim yourself an expert. Sit back, enjoy your floor and quit being a tool.

As for your sealer, you will have to completely remove it all. This is a bit tricky and you will have to find what works best. It all depends on the power of the grinder you have. You may not have the proper tooling to remove a coating or sealer. Diamonds don't work on coatings and sealer. If you find your grinder gumming up, broadcast some sand on your floor while grinding. You can also try some laquer, let it gum up and scrape, then diamond grind. Or you may want to try a chemical stripper like Soy Gel. A little messy and pricey but it gets the work done.

If you do not get the sealer off, the epoxy wont penetrate or anchor properly. Good luck

 

[porscheman1963]

Hey garageboy, I am very relaxed actually, loving my new floor and was just trying to share with our OP as to what I saw the real experts do to prep a floor, hope that's OK with you bro.

Dude, relax, your floor is a week old. There are many ways to skin a cat. I didn't say my way is gospel. We happen to approach every slab differently. Usually if the slab i soft and really dusty we vac up then damp mop. Being that its a DIYer, I figured he may not have the vac system that we or your precious Premier guys have. So don't be so quick to proclaim yourself an expert. Sit back, enjoy your floor and quit being a tool.

As for your sealer, you will have to completely remove it all. This is a bit tricky and you will have to find what works best. It all depends on the power of the grinder you have. You may not have the proper tooling to remove a coating or sealer. Diamonds don't work on coatings and sealer. If you find your grinder gumming up, broadcast some sand on your floor while grinding. You can also try some laquer, let it gum up and scrape, then diamond grind. Or you may want to try a chemical stripper like Soy Gel. A little messy and pricey but it gets the work done.

If you do not get the sealer off, the epoxy wont penetrate or anchor properly. Good luck

 

[jnyost]

As for your sealer, you will have to completely remove it all. This is a bit tricky and you will have to find what works best. It all depends on the power of the grinder you have. You may not have the proper tooling to remove a coating or sealer. Diamonds don't work on coatings and sealer. If you find your grinder gumming up, broadcast some sand on your floor while grinding. You can also try some laquer, let it gum up and scrape, then diamond grind. Or you may want to try a chemical stripper like Soy Gel. A little messy and pricey but it gets the work done.

If you do not get the sealer off, the epoxy wont penetrate or anchor properly. Good luck

Thanks.

The grinder was constantly gumming up. I was able to get about 1/2 to 2/3 of the shop done. I, obviously, had to make several passes to get done what I did. I just ran out of time. I was up until 3:30am this morning trying to get it done before the machine had to go back but I didn't make it. I worked and untold number of hours over the weekend. I really wish I would have known it was going to gum up like that.

I may check into the hexapin or a rental place I visited the other day had a spiro diamond grinder that also had carbide bits you could put in. The guy said that's what they use to strip paint off floors then go back over it with the diamonds.

Any idea if a floor buffer with a stripping pad would remove it?

Thanks
Jared

 

[JD in DFW]

Hey garage boy, I am very relaxed actually, loving my new floor and was just trying to share with our OP as to what I saw the real experts do to prep a floor, hope that's OK with you bro.

I have to chime in here. Not defending GarageGuy, but he was about spot on with regard to different methods for different coatings removal as well as different concrete prep methods depending on the surface concrete make up and characteristics. Good hardened concrete preps up different from softer concrete that takes a lighter approach and more detail when using the bigger grinders and the aggressive hand held 7" grinders. It really is a different situation for each garage floor make up.

As for the Premier guys being called "experts/professionals" I really must laugh at that. Sending guys out at $10 bucks an hour that might have been doing it for 6 months and in most cases they are part time workers or labors. Maybe there lead guy has some years of concrete coatings experience, but I would say calling them "experts" is a bit of a stretch.

 

[thegarageguy]

Hey garageboy, I am very relaxed actually, loving my new floor and was just trying to share with our OP as to what I saw the real experts do to prep a floor, hope that's OK with you bro.

Do us all a favor Porscheman, let the experts answer the technical questions. Just because you had a floor done does not make you an expert in anyway. I've had suits tailord, it doesn't make me an expert suit designer. I've eaten fancy meals, but it doesn't make me a chef. The point is you know nothing of seamless flooring. Keep your self imposed expert comments to yourself. I'm sure Premier can do their own marketing and answer technical questions on this forum without your help.

Thanks JD for your obvious expert analysis.

 

[nate379]

For the price they charge, I'd sure hope it's naked hot blondes doing the floor and they would clean it with a toothbrush.

Was quoted $5000 to do my 575 sq/ft garage. That is more than the slab cost!

I watched the Premier Guys Diamond Grind my floor the other day and they did not wash it afterwards, they vacuumed it a couple of times and then used a leaf blower to go over it.

 

[jnyost]

For the price they charge, I'd sure hope it's naked hot blondes doing the floor and they would clean it with a toothbrush.

Now that I would LOVE to watch.

 

[JD in DFW]

For the price they charge, I'd sure hope it's naked hot blondes doing the floor and they would clean it with a toothbrush.

Was quoted $5000 to do my 575 sq/ft garage. That is more than the slab cost!

Wow! $8.70sqft! that would call for ******* Hooters girls doing the floor prep and all the beer and BBQ you could take in for a day. That number is for sure the highest I have ever heard that they quoted.

 

[thegarageguy]

Wow! $8.70sqft! that would call for ******* Hooters girls doing the floor prep and all the beer and BBQ you could take in for a day. That number is for sure the highest I have ever heard that they quoted.

Well, not to defend anyone but I have charged more than that on certain jobs. Before we jump to conclusions;

What was the condition of your floor?
Did it have a heavy coating?
Was it moisture sensitive?
Was it deteriorated?
Was it heavily cracked?
Which flooring system was offered at that price?

You see, these all play factors in the pricing.

 

[porscheman1963]

Sorry guys, I was just getting annoyed at Garageguy since I have read other posts of his where he isnt too kind to Premier Garage so I got a little heated up. I am sure he knows his stuff and of course I am no expert. I just know that I used PG and appear to have gotten a really nice floor so I am happy and was just trying to relay to the OP what my experience was. With that said, I will bow out before I get flamed any more lol.

 

[nate379]

$6.50 plain and $7.50 a sq foot with speckles. I can't remember the price of the UV coating, but speckles and UV made it right at $5000. I calculated at 600 sq/ft since there is a bit of apron outside the garage door I was including.


What was the condition of your floor? About 90 days old
Did it have a heavy coating? No
Was it moisture sensitive? No
Was it deteriorated? No
Was it heavily cracked? No cracks
Which flooring system was offered at that price? Whatever their standard floor coating, don't remember the exact name now.

 

[porscheman1963]

Yeah that seems way to high, I paid about $ 4.50 sq ft with 1/4" speckles and my floor was in good shape as yours sounds like it is. Would have never gone for 6.50 as it would have not been worth the money to me. Just checked my contract and I had 442 sq ft and paid $ 1990. I see that u r from Arkansas and am guessing that ur PG guy must be a crook cuz I am sure labor rates in AK should be way less than what it is in DC.

$6.50 plain and $7.50 a sq foot with speckles. I can't remember the price of the UV coating, but speckles and UV made it right at $5000. I calculated at 600 sq/ft since there is a bit of apron outside the garage door I was including.


What was the condition of your floor? About 90 days old
Did it have a heavy coating? No
Was it moisture sensitive? No
Was it deteriorated? No
Was it heavily cracked? No cracks
Which flooring system was offered at that price? Whatever their standard floor coating, don't remember the exact name now.

 

[jnyost]

I rented a carbide scraper and didn't have any luck with it. I purchased some concrete stripper from a local concrete supply place to strip up the acrylic sealer. Then I'll finish the rest of the floor with the diamond grinder.

I'll make a thread with pics.

 

[thegarageguy]

Hey Porscheman, you definitely got a cheap price. My guess the owner did it with a $10 an hour helper. Its the only way to be profitable at that price. Between chemical costs and 2 to 3 guys installing, diamond grinding and sundries, at that price it would impossible for anyone to run a profitable business. That guy wont be in business long or he'll be doing his own work for peanuts forever. Just for arguments sake, lets break it down;

446 sqft
7.5 gallons of Polyaspartic @ $150 /g =$1125
1.5 boxes of chips @ 150 per box = $225
2 guys @12 hrs x $40 per hr = $480
Diamond grinding machine = $250
Gas and Vehicle use = $60
Sundries (rollors, gloves, etc..) = $30
Give or take 10%-15% up or down depending on material cost,labor costs and waste.

Thats over $2100!

How to get it to your price Porscheman, buy cheaper material, roll it on thinner, hire a $10 per hour helper and do it yourself.

As for your pricing Nathan, it does seem a bit high but then we do not know all the facts. We are only hearing one side of the story. If your story is true then I can only assume that the estimator was new to the business or he didn't want the job and over priced it for you not to bother him.

jnoyst, go to www.thomasnet.com and search for concrete grinder in your area. There may be some industrial grinding machines available for rent.

 

[porscheman1963]

Well I can only tell u that the guy that actually did the work was the nephew of the owner of the franchise and had done over 400 floors with supposedly happy customers, I did check out like 5 of them before I went with them. Now, the main installers helper was prob a $ 10 hr helper. Once again, my slab was in perfect condition so that may have been part of it. I read a lot on a couple of porsche forums and there are plenty of guys who pay $ 4.50.sf to PG to have this done. Matter of fact, if I knew the price was more than that I would never have even researched using them. So, I think my price was good but I know plenty of peep have paid that. If I remember correctly, we started off in the $ 2500 range and I beat him down and only decided on using him after a few weeks of thinking about it. I can't argue that I know for sure about putting on the material too thin, I can only say that it looks incredible, it feels great and I have a lifetime warranty so unless the whole company folds, I should be OK !!!

Hey Porscheman, you definitely got a cheap price. My guess the owner did it with a $10 an hour helper. Its the only way to be profitable at that price. Between chemical costs and 2 to 3 guys installing, diamond grinding and sundries, at that price it would impossible for anyone to run a profitable business. That guy wont be in business long or he'll be doing his own work for peanuts forever. Just for arguments sake, lets break it down;

446 sqft
7.5 gallons of Polyaspartic @ $150 /g =$1125
1.5 boxes of chips @ 150 per box = $225
2 guys @12 hrs x $40 per hr = $480
Diamond grinding machine = $250
Gas and Vehicle use = $60
Sundries (rollors, gloves, etc..) = $30
Give or take 10%-15% up or down depending on material cost,labor costs and waste.

Thats over $2100!

How to get it to your price Porscheman, buy cheaper material, roll it on thinner, hire a $10 per hour helper and do it yourself.

As for your pricing Nathan, it does seem a bit high but then we do not know all the facts. We are only hearing one side of the story. If your story is true then I can only assume that the estimator was new to the business or he didn't want the job and over priced it for you not to bother him.

jnoyst, go to www.thomasnet.com and search for concrete grinder in your area. There may be some industrial grinding machines available for rent.

 

[jnyost]

jnoyst, go to www.thomasnet.com and search for concrete grinder in your area. There may be some industrial grinding machines available for rent.

Thanks. I did find one. I ran it all last weekend and then rented it again last night. We ran it until 2am and finally finished the floor. I cleaned it out and layed the first coat this evening. Second coat going on tomorrow or Saturday.

 

[reset2]

I'm planning next week process of grinding and epoxy coating my 36x32 garage floor. Plan on using Armor seal 1000 HS clear. I was planning on using Armor seal 33 epoxy primer sealer but am weighing against it because of other threads had issues with compatibility. Back to why the post. With grinding (dual disk) how does the grinder react with uneven surfaces. My concrete finisher did a fair job but looking at the floor up close there are slight dips or depressions (1/8-3/16)of trial patterns (he hand trowed the whole floor no machine finishing). Will the grinder take off the high spots or just follow the contour. I am leaning towards clear epoxy so if I damage it sometime it wont show as much. What is the boards thoughts on color verses clear.
Thanks for your input this site is great
Robert in Maryland

 

[nate379]

I don't know.

They pimp their **** on the TV what seems like every commercial so I figured they were hurting for business. Well at that cost I'm sure they aren't going to drum in too much.
Like I was saying before, I could pour a new slab for that cost. I am putting down QuikCrete Expoxy this week. Cost me around $400 for the base and clear plus the odds and ends I needed.
If it doesn't last as long, oh well. I can do it 12 times and still be under what Premier Flooring wanted!

As for your pricing Nathan, it does seem a bit high but then we do not know all the facts. We are only hearing one side of the story. If your story is true then I can only assume that the estimator was new to the business or he didn't want the job and over priced it for you not to bother him.

 

[wildcat12]

slow speed grind.... or rent a small shotblaster from home depot, that cheap concrete sealer really causes problems !