Tooling can make or break a job. Whether you’re a rental house, dealer, a contractor, or a DIY user, you’ll want to make sure you understand a few basic things about the tooling required for your concrete to ensure the right finish.

Grinding includes the steps from the lowest starting grit (it depends on the floor and application and could be as low as 6 grit but typically 30 or 50 grit) up to 200 grit. The tools used here are usually metal bond tools for floor leveling and surface prep (metal surface prep tools), or PCD tools for coating and glue removal (PCD coating removal tools).

There are many shapes and designs on the market, such as round button segments, rectangular segments, single, double or multiple, plugs, etc. But what is more important, especially in the initial cutting steps, is the bond or hardness of the tools. Many contractors have trouble understanding how bonds work relative to different kinds of concrete.

Depending on the bonding material, abrasives have different hardness which determines how diamonds are exposed. Hard concrete requires a softer bond to prevent glazing and to allow new diamonds to get easily exposed for maximum cutting. Soft bond will cut but it will wear out too fast on soft concrete. Therefore, soft concrete requires a harder bond, so it can last longer.