Diamabrush system for floor polishing

[TractorTherapy]

I just can't talk myself out of wanting a polished concrete floor in my 2000 sqft shop (auto, tractor, welding) and garage. I know there are 99 reasons why a coating is superior, especially for oil spills, but I just can't convince myself.

So with that being said, has anyone had experience with the Diamabrush polishing system? https://diamabrush.com/product/concrete-polishing-tools/ It is essentially a disc system for low speed floor scrubbing machines. 50/100/200/400/1000/2000 grit discs. Their YouTube channel has training videos for some big box retailers on how to use the system.

They don't talk about using densifiers or penetrating sealers, but I think it would be normal to incorporate them.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

That is quite an investment for 2000 sq ft.
Check out the Husqvarna system for the PG450, might be able to buy one 2nd hand or rent, purchase your diamonds from white-cap, then sell it all when done. It will be faster and less brain damage.


good luck and keep us posted.

 

[TractorTherapy]

Haha, yes it is a bit overkill...I've rationalized it by thinking I could do the garage, and maybe a future airplane hangar with a friend. I'll check out the Husqvarna. Thanks.

 

[BlindViper]

My experience as a commercial construction superintendent with polished floors has been modest at best. I like you really wanted my floors to be polished. But the experience on the job site has be not good. They scratch super easy and the scratches stand out like a sore thumb. IMO they look great until you start to use them. Keep in mind you'll need to polish all the edges by hand with a grinder. Keep power requirements in mind when choosing a grinder.

 

[nadogail]

Be careful that your shop does not become too pretty to work in.

 

[Armorpoxy]

You also can get the polished concrete look AND full fuel, solvent and fluid resistance by doing MUCH less work and using Ballistix. Lots of posts here about the product, or contact us directly at below. See photo below of results of the Ballistix on a lightly ground floor with an area not coated. We sell as complete ready to install kit with a pre-coat sealer plus the Ballistix and all of the goodies you need to prep and install. Much lower cost, much less headache, and will give far superior results to polished concrete.

 

[TractorTherapy]

Yes, I have looked at the products on your website including Ballistix.

My issue with coatings is that they can't be polished if they get abraded/dull. My shop is accessed via a rock and gravel road, so I'm going to be tracking in grit all the time with tires. This will wreck the shine on any floor. With a polished floor, I can touch it up if it gets dull past my liking. Additionally, I have a tracked skid steer...it's gonna mark up any floor. Again, I can run a polisher over those marks when I get a mind to.

What is the longevity expectation of Ballistix? I was actually wondering if it would be a good coating on an outdoor kitchen counter...some sort of cement, fake marble material.

 

[Armorpoxy]

Hi
longevity is an impossible question to answer due to the many variables of usage, care, conditions, etc. it would be an excellent coating for outdoor concrete, but we have not tested on synthetic or hybrid surfaces.

Ad for the polished concrete, go for it, just make sure to use a good stain blocker and burnish it in to get maximum fluid and stain resistance.

 

[benwah]

Hey, Is your floor new? Does it have a nice power-troweled finish? Or is it a bit rough and oil stained?

 

[TractorTherapy]

A few years old, but it hasn't been used yet, so no oil stains. Power troweled.

 

[benwah]

If you would like to enhance the characteristics of your power trowel marks and refine it, for a little bit of beauty, I can introduce to you a Honed floor that you could do with your Dimabrush machine.

If you were to start at 50 grit, you would expose aggregate, Then you'd be looking @ a salt and pepper floor, you would have to grout it, cut the grout back, it's such a process. 2000 SF can easily take 100+ hours to polish with the wrong equipment (Diamabrush).

Enter the honed floor. Start at 200 grit RESINS. Knock the high spots down and the weak cream layer that isn't attached to anything.

Vacuum and Densify with a LITHIUM Silicate Densifier. That involves a pump sprayer, a microfiber mop, and a respirator.

Cut the densifier off with 400 grit RESINS. Vacuum. Apply your favorite topical or penetrating sealer. It will look amazing.

You are a bit incorrect to say that scratches will just 'polish out'.. If they are deeper then like, 1/64" you will need to expose aggregate to get rid of them. instead of 200 resins, you'll need 80 Metals to get them out. Then continue throughout the process. If you keep the floor matte, it will show less scratches overall. You can always re apply a "guard" that will freshen up your floor and make it look new again. after a good cleaning of course. I recommend ZEP PH neutral cleaner for a box store product.

If you want a high gloss look, use a burnisher after you apply your guard. If you want matte or satin, which I would suggest for a shop, don't burnish after applying your guard or sealer.