Find Your Local Sydney Floor Preparation Contractor

Today, we will show you the difference between the two most common methods of Sydney floor preparation. These are called Shot Blasting and Diamond Grinding. By the end of this tutorial, you will learn which one is the best option for your facility.

Floor preparation is an important factor to make your floor level and prevent it from developing cracks. We at Australian Construction specialise in several types of floor preparation, especially for large-scale projects like malls and factories.

Shot Blasting

Shot blasting is a process where we prepare the floor for some types of finishes.

These finishes are:

• Epoxy
• Polyurethane
• Polyaspartic resin floor coating

The shot blasting operation is dust-free; we use a piece of equipment that vacuums the dust as we prepare the floor. What this means is that other people can work in your facility while we perform our duties.

We use a shot blasting machine that uses a steel shot with different grits. This machine injects the steel shot onto the floor’s surface. It has abrasive properties and the grit pretty much sands the concrete floor.

The only problem you have to consider is the noise. We do not recommend using the shot blasting method in a facility that is already operational. If you have a mall or a restaurant in Sydney, then maybe you will have to consider postponing your operations and then only resume once the floor finish is completed.

One big benefit of the shot blasting method is that there is little need to clean up in the absence of dust. As such, you can apply the finish once we are done, and this can happen in a short period of time. If your store or business operation relies on the completion of the floor, then this is great as you can be in operation soon.

Shot blasting is a common floor preparation technique, but there are some situations where this is the best option.

Here are some examples:

• Installation of industrial resin; this includes commercial purposes
• Great for areas where you expect heavy foot traffic
• Best for facilities where cleanliness is important
• Used for preparation of flooring that has been coated before

We also use shot blasting if the floor you currently have is causing health issues. If this is a primary concern in your facility, give us a call so we can get started working on your facility now.

Diamond Grinding

Diamond grinding, on the other hand, is the best way to prepare the floor for industrial purposes. What happens here is that a diamond grinder “sands” the concrete to achieve a specific concrete surface profile.

There are many types of surface profiles, also called CSP. The most ideal for epoxy and polyurethane finish is CSP 2. If the surface is rough, you may need to do shot blast first before proceeding to diamond grinding.

The process will correct the irregularities on the concrete. If the floor already has a coating and you want to remove it, a diamond grinder will work faster than a shot blast machine. However, diamond grinding is a three-phase process.

Once the floor CSP has been identified, we at Australian Construction will choose the appropriate equipment. There are many types of equipment that we can use.

Some examples are:

• Diamond grinder – it looks like a floor polisher
• Edge Grinder – this one looks like an edge grinder

For commercial and large-scale projects, the diamond grinder and edge grinder are big machines. What really matters, however, is the outfitted grinder.

Like shot blasting, dust is not an issue when we do the job. We attach a shop vac to the edge grinder or diamond grinder machine, and the vacuum will suck the dust as the grinder does its job.

Diamond grinding is a slow process. On some occasions, we have to do a second pass on the same surface. We also do wet grinding if dust is something that we need to avoid. Once the grinding is over, we will clean the floor, then we will examine the floor to find out if the proper profile was achieved.

What is the right choice?   

Diamond grinding is the most common option. However, shot blasting is best if the concrete preparation includes a decorative component into it.

Here are some examples of why you should choose shot blasting:

Unlevel joints – if the concrete is uneven, shot blasting is a good process. This will even out the concrete and make sure that it is level—so level that a cart on wheels will not move.

Spalling – this is a condition where the concrete starts to flake. This happens when water penetrates the concrete. Moisture and salt are the natural enemies of concrete and can cause this problem, which shot blasting can correct.

Contaminants – if you are operating an industrial facility, chances are there will be spillage in the concrete. Over a long period of time, you may also want to change the floor’s coating. Shot blasting can remove industrial contaminants like excess poly, epoxy, tile mastics, grease, caulks, and so much more.

One last reason to use shot blasting is if your concrete floor already has cracks. The same thing goes with divots. A divot happens when something heavy is dropped on the floor and it leaves a dent. The repeated impact can also cause pits and divots to happen. In this case, the better choice is shot blasting instead of diamond grinding.

Summary

Whether you are a homeowner or a property manager, preparing your floor is important to make your facility look really tidy. There are many benefits to preparing the floor, and it will help revitalize your home or commercial space.

For the best service, give us a call now and let us discuss your project. We at Australian Construction offer flexible and top-notch services. Our engineers will visit your site, and also talk about what kind of finish you want. This way, we can provide our best recommendation about what approach to take in preparing your floor.