Substrate Technology, Inc

A little Midwest in the BIG city 🇺🇸💪🏼🇺🇸💪🏼🇺🇸 #SURFACEPREPARATION #ROTARYGRINDER

If a buffer/sander isn’t fast enough to clean a wood floor, diamonds made for a rotary might do the trick. Similar to grinding concrete it’s a simple process of passing the machine over the floor until it’s clean. Since the machine is equipped with a dust collection attachment the process limits airborne dust from escaping. 🇺🇸💪🏼🇺🇸💪🏼🇺🇸 #ROTARYGRINDER #SURFACEPREPARATION

Though not done to any sort of code for water drainage, the owner was more interested to improve this old drain’s appearance. Since it’s a residential application to catch melted snow and ice, this one was pretty simple to improve. 🇺🇸💪🏼🇺🇸💪🏼🇺🇸 #EPOXYCOATINGS #SURFACEPREPARATION

It is convenient going cordless 🇺🇸💪🏼🇺🇸💪🏼🇺🇸 #ROTARYGRINDER #SURFACEPREPARATION

Even though this surface will only see foot traffic, the full process of surface preparation is still a good idea. Epoxy flake coatings are usually the thickness of a credit card. For the purpose of the best possible adhesion, every surface to be coated should be prepped to hold it. It’s more work and there’s an expense to be paid. When compared to premature failure and the expense to repair, it’s worth the initial investment. 🇺🇸💪🏼🇺🇸💪🏼🇺🇸💪🏼 #ROTARYGRINDER #SURFACEPREPARATION

Big thanks to Level 10 Coatings for their training and troubleshooting workshop attendance. Hopefully it increases your prep productivity and predictability. 🇺🇸💪🏼🇺🇸💪🏼🇺🇸 #SURFACEPREPARATION #EPOXYCOATINGS

Concrete and other masonry surfaces are porous. This condition favors mechanical attachment of any topical color or chemical surface protection. Being a substrate containing natural materials, though, this usually means porosity will be variable. Mechanical attachment will not be an issue, but controlling color yield and sealer uniformity will be difficult. The video documents one way to mask concrete and use the new surface for decorative finishing. The fresh canvas is used as one which accepts a stain and a protective sealer. 🇺🇸💪🏼🇺🇸💪🏼🇺🇸 #DECORATIVECONCRETE #SURFACEPREPARATION

Bare concrete, new or old, doesn’t require as much work to polish as one that’s been coated or covered by flooring. Either surface can be polished to the same level of refinement but it takes more time and work to polish one that’s been coarsely ground. The video documents the removal of a marble tile and subsequent concrete polishing. The tile is removed, the thinset is ground, the concrete is densified and then it’s polished. 🇺🇸💪🏼🇺🇸💪🏼🇺🇸 #ROTARYGRINDER #POLISHEDCONCRETE

Recoating an existing flake floor should include surface prep. Assuming the new topcoat will be a high performance product, a minimum surface texture will be required. The floor should be clean too. For the process of creating texture, the aim is to scratch the surface enough to remove all or most the gloss. Once vacuumed and solvent wiped, the new texture is expected to anchor the new topcoat. The video documents a basic de-glossing of cured polyaspartic. Being a flake floor the peaks and valleys of flake and resin make it difficult to scuff it uniformly. Fine silica sand and a stripping pad do a good job to reach where a screen would miss. 🇺🇸💪🏼🇺🇸💪🏼🇺🇸 #SURFACEPREPARATION #EPOXYFLAKE

Smoothing concrete using a diamond grinder shouldn’t be confused with proper profile creation for a coating. Sometimes the rough spots (trowel marks) just need to be knocked flush to accommodate the next treatment. The benefit for the one doing the work is how quick and easy a walk-behind grinder gets the surface smooth. The video documents a pool’s concrete bottom being ground to accept a new liner. The liner is 30 mils thick and will be vacuum formed against the slab, walls and stairs. All the slab needs is a quick smoothing by diamond segments. The area is just over 500SF and took less than 20 minutes. The time to get into and out of the pool took longer than the work itself. 🇺🇸💪🏼🇺🇸💪🏼🇺🇸 #ROTARYGRINDER #SURFACEPREPARATION