What Is The Difference Between Concrete Grinding And Floor Sanding?

Concrete Grinding involves an abrasive tool, like the Walk Behind Concrete Grinder or a Hand Held Concrete Grinder, in combination with a diamond disc or plug attachments combined with commercial silica dust extractors. 

Concrete Grinders use rotating diamond teeth discs on specialised Concrete Grinding equipment to slowly shave off small portions of concrete and level, smooth, or clean the surface of a concrete slab to allow the successful reinstallation of a new Flooring System, Floor Coating or Floor Levelling product. Or simply have a clean, level, and smooth concrete floor.

Floor sanding is the process of removing the top surface of a wooden floor to remove scratches, glues, coatings and other visible signs of wear, freshening the surface up in preparation for a new finish. Whilst this sounds simple, the difference this creates for an old, worn floor can be striking, often looking like a brand-new installation. Our team is frequently called into dated period properties, often still sporting their original floorboards, to freshen the rooms up when they change ownership. A freshly sanded and stained floor can give the whole room a new lease of life.

Whilst every company has its own preferences, there are typically three stages involved: preparation, sanding, and coating. Before starting, the entire floor needs to be thoroughly cleaned; swept, vacuumed and all nails punched under. When restoring a hardwood floor, grit sequence is vital to get right. The first grit is the most abrasive and is meant to take off any existing finish, before using successively finer grits to smooth out the pattern of the previous, several times until the entire surface is perfectly smooth and free from marks. It’s vitally important to vacuum the floor after each sanding grit is changed to prevent unnecessary scratches, and again after the final grit to prepare the floor for a finish of your choice. Be very careful of walking on your unfinished floor at this stage as black rubber-soled shoes can leave marks!

Finishing your wooden floor when it’s new or freshly sanded is hugely important, it acts as a barrier between the natural wood and everything it comes into contact with; foot traffic, pets, heavy furniture and other surface objects. It helps extend the floorboard’s life and helps keep your floor looking beautiful for longer. Wooden floors are generally finished off with either an Oil or Lacquer, with oil being the popular choice for lounges, dining rooms and bedrooms rooms; anywhere you’re looking to retain the natural look of the floorboards, and lacquer being better suited for busier environments that see more foot traffic, or areas that may get wet, such as kitchens, bathrooms or hallways. Traditionally, people think of lacquer as having a varnished, glossy look, however, modern lacquers are also available in ultra matt, matt, satin, and gloss, giving you much more choice and control over how your room will look.

If you’re worried about the suitability of your floor for sanding, don’t be! All types of wood can be sanded, from oak, pine and cork to parquet and more. Whether it’s a kitchen, bedroom, stairway, office, school hall or anything in between, sanding can breathe new life into an old, worn surface and freshen up the whole room as a result.

If you’d like to know more about floor sanding or would like to discuss what we can do for you, feel free to contact us. Our team uses only the best equipment, able to reach all those awkward corners and angles that prove so elusive and were the first company in the UK to be trained by Lagler, so you know you’re in safe hands.