Polishing a concrete floor often starts with removing material that covers the slab. Sometimes carpet must be ripped up. Some facilities may have vinyl composite tile (VCT) that has to be removed, along with its adhesive underneath. In some situations, the previous owners may have previously used painted concrete, and the new owner would prefer a clean polished concrete floor instead.
Regardless of the concrete floor’s history, here is how the concrete experts handle the coating removal part of the process when polishing a concrete floor:
Carpet
Industrial buildings rarely have carpet, but plenty of commercial and retail locations are carpeted. If only carpet removal were as simple as ripping it up and moving on. Carpeting is usually glued to the concrete slab, and this adhesive can be extremely difficult to lift from the concrete.
For the safety of our employees, we prefer to use diamond grinding instead of chemicals to remove the adhesive. The fumes from chemical products are dangerous to inhale, and grinding is a quick and chemical-free method of removing adhesives and other coatings.
VCT
VCT is extremely common flooring in all kinds of industrial, commercial, and retail buildings. It is always adhered to the concrete with glue. Titus Restoration has a special machine that rips up the tile (and most of the mastic comes with it), but our specialty diamond grinding tooling is the best way to get the adhesive completely off the concrete. These are important steps to ensuring a smooth concrete surface for your facility. Getting rid of the high-maintenance VCT in favor of polished concrete is a wise choice.
Paint
Some companies paint entryways or machine traffic lanes with bright paint. Whether sections of a concrete floor are painted, or the whole thing is covered in paint, shot blasting or specialty diamond grinding tooling makes quick work of epoxy paint removal. If the paint is thick enough, it could be hiding damages that will require repairing before the concrete resurfacing can be completed. It may seem like a hassle, but addressing each of these steps is important to ensuring the structural integrity of the concrete.
When removing pre-existing flooring or coatings, grinding is the most reliable, green, and safest method to use. Titus Restoration always uses grinding or shotblasting equipment to clear concrete slabs before polishing them for the new owners. Adding another step to the process always requires more time and resources, but we know it’s the best way to ensure a clean, smooth surface for the polishing phase.
Polishing a concrete floor is a unique experience every time. Each project presents its own set of circumstances, flaws, and conditions. Our clients are always interested to see just what kind of concrete surface is lurking beneath the existing flooring.