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Surface preparation by WerkMaster

TODAY’s manufacturers of coatings, toppings, self-levelling compounds, carpet, wood or vinyl flooring require a properly cleaned and abraded concrete surface to ensure their products will properly bond to the concrete floor.

Surfaces are also prepared prior to various floor-coating installations in industrial, commercial, and institutional applications.

The most important characteristic for installing any of these materials is the texture of the concrete. Each manufacturer will typically expect a specific profile in the concrete in order to ensure their product is properly bonded and warrantable. They will require a certain CSP Profile in the concrete surface.

What are CSP Ratings?
Concrete Surface Profile (CSP) rating is a standardised rating that allows you to visually determine the concrete surface roughness. It is the measure of the average distance from the peaks of the surface to the valleys as seen through a cross-sectional view of the concrete surface.

It is a standardized measure for the ‘roughness’ of a surface that is defined by the International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI). A very rough surface will have a high CSP number, such as CSP 9. A very smooth surface with almost no preparation at all will be a CSP 1.

Generally, when using a thick overlay, the CSP needs to be higher. When using a coating that is slim, a smoother CSP of 2 to 4 is correct. When using thicker self-levelling and polymer overlays, the appropriate CSP will range from 4 to 6.

  • Typical pain points in delivering a quality floor
    1 Pain Point – Production: Many floor surfaces already have existing flooring, coatings or toppings which require removal before a CSP Profile can be delivered.
  • 2 Pain Point – Edging: Edging can represent up to 40% of labour on many residential and institutional jobs and up to 30% on retail, commercial and industrial applications. Today’s typical surface prep equipment technology requires the use of an additional hand grinder or edger to ensure the CSP profile is delivered right to the wall.
  • 3 Pain Point – Shotblasting: Shotblasting although effective can be a slow process and typically without an appropriate vacuum – dirty. It does not work effectively when mastics are on the floor adding an additional step in the process to remove the mastics.

WerkMaster’s Multi-Disc Technology is said by the company to incorporate multiple direct drive grinding heads with the ability to rotate up to 1800rpm on some models while edging to 1/8in of the wall, reportedly eliminating the additional cost of a hand grinder and labour.

Says the company: ‘WerkMaster’s high speed of removal and ability to flatten the floor and remove high spots results in a better, flatter surface and reduction of self-levellers and toppings.

‘WerkMaster’s line of surface preparation, repair and restoration equipment has the ability to leave the desired concrete surface profile and finish.’
www.werkmaster.com

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