How Concrete Grinding Saves Time and Money for Homeowners

Concrete grinding is one of the best, most often-used methods for repairing sidewalk lips or trip and fall hazards. Unlike concrete patching, which won’t necessarily address the issue of an uneven sidewalk, concrete grinding is a permanent solution to sidewalk hazards. Read more about how concrete grinding saves time and money for homeowners.

When is concrete grinding an effective option for sidewalk repair?

Concrete grinding is a good option for uneven sidewalks with trip hazards typically up to 1 1/2″ in height where sidewalks have been lifted by tree roots, etc. Anything more substantial than that may involve a more significant method of concrete repair such as concrete lifting or concrete leveling to get the job done.

What exactly is concrete grinding?

Concrete grinding removes the top finished layer of cement and leave an exposed aggregate finish where the concrete trip area has been removed, but will also bring sidewalk trip and fall hazards back into compliance for everyone’s safety.

How exactly does concrete grinding save time and money?

There are a lot of DIY homeowners who feel they can repair a sidewalk trip hazard on their own by going out and renting a grinder from their local home improvement store. Unfortunately, there’s a lot more to repairing a sidewalk with concrete grinding than just taking a piece of machinery to it. First, you need to know which kind of grinder you need. A concrete grinder can come in many configurations, some specialized tool for counter tops or worktops, others are purpose-built floor grinders that are used for grinding and polishing marble, granite and concrete. The equipment a homeowner wants are ones that grind concrete floors, made to handle more stress and have more power. Get the wrong kind of equipment, and you’ll either be ineffective or worse, risk being injured. Homeowners also need to know how to prep surfaces for concrete grinding to do the job correctly.

Grinding concrete is also extremely messy. Most people need to have a shop vacuum handy for constant clean-up throughout the process, and a mask is recommended for healthy safety as well. So as a homeowner, you’ve now purchased or rented a grinder (hopefully the right one), you’ve purchased a shop vacuum, and you’ve purchased a mask and eye protection to protect against dust being inhaled or getting into your eyes. Ready to commit several hours? Because that’s what it’s going to take to get it right. If you don’t use a proper technique, you may do more harm than good. And if you don’t do it correctly, the trip hazard may remain even when you’re done, exposing you to greater liability down the road. If you do an over-zealous job, you may end up having to repair or even replace the sidewalk to address the situation.

Or you can call a concrete grinding professional

For sidewalks in need of concrete grinding, it’s best to call in a concrete repair professional. They’re going to save you the time of running all over town getting the right equipment and protection items, not to mention several hours of backbreaking work, followed by some pretty significant clean up. They’re going to save you the expense of purchasing or renting all those items, and insure the job is done correctly the first time to rectify the trip hazard situation, which of course can cause a homeowner significant money should someone fall on their property. And of course, concrete grinding is much less expensive than completely replacing a concrete sidewalk. Concrete grinding does indeed save homeowners time and money when done correctly.