Removing adhesive or a coating from your concrete slab is a challenging project, especially if you don’t want to avoid leaving a scratch pattern or do a full grind and profile. Choosing the right tooling for this task is key to getting the results you want in a shorter period of time, and often, a carbide floor scraper is the tooling you need. We understand that most people in surface preparation are more familiar with diamond pads and metal bond diamonds, so we wanted to take an opportunity to discuss when and why you’d want to choose carbide concrete tooling.
What Is Carbide?
Short for “tungsten carbide,” carbide is a compound that is much denser than traditional steel and titanium, and it’s generally finished with diamonds. The result is tooling that can withstand high temperatures and resist abrasion, ensuring you’ll get the quality cutting results you’re looking for from a tool that lasts significantly longer than steel. A carbide floor scraper is able to quickly move through materials without closing up or creating a rough profile on a slab.
When Should You Use a Carbide Floor Scraper?
Carbide floor scrapers are best used in two scenarios. First is when you’re trying to remove a thick, sticky adhesive or glue from a concrete slab, and the second is when you need to remove a thick mastic or epoxy coating that didn’t bond well to the concrete. Using a carbide bond allows you to continue working through the high temperatures created by the friction of grinding thick gunk and mastic from the floor, and it can maintain its cutting capacity without worrying about if the diamonds will close from the hard work you’re putting the machine through.
When using a carbide scraper, it’s important to use water to cool the blades when removing adhesive. While there’s a heat tolerance, you’ll get better results doing a wet grind. Coatings can be ground away without water, just make sure a dust collector is hooked up to the floor grinder to make sure all the dust and debris is removed.
Order Your Carbide Scrapers Today
At Buy Manufacturers Direct, we offer a wide variety of floor grinder tooling, including carbide scrapers, plus diamond pads and resin diamonds. To learn more about our selection and determine the right tooling for you, call us today at 815-324-8071 or fill out our contact form to speak with a representative and get started.