Choosing the right resin diamond pad plays an essential role in effectively polishing concrete. If the contractor chooses the wrong pad it can result in a costly mistake.
If you’re trying to decide what kind of pad you need, you should consider a few factors before making your purchasing such as the bond of the pad, the grit of the pad, wet vs dry pads, and of course pricing.
Let’s take a look at these below.
Why use diamonds?
Diamonds are one of the hardest substances on earth, making them ideal for grinding extremely hard surfaces such as concrete.
Synthetic diamonds are most commonly used due to the ease of which they can be sorted and graded. This results in more control of the shape and hardness of the diamond. A diamond like this gets more consistent results in grinding and polishing.
Explaining the bond of the pad
The bond serves a couple purposes. Its primary function is to hold the diamond grit in place for the crystal to cut, grind, and shape the concrete. The pad also needs to wear appropriately in order to expose new, unused crystals to the surface.
The pads work by keeping the sharpest diamond grit on the surface to achieve the desired result. As a general rule the following guide will help you achieve the best results when using a resin:
- Hard Bond: best for soft concrete
- Medium Bond: best for medium concrete
- Soft Bond: best for hard concrete
- Extra soft bond: best for very hard concrete
Wet Vs Dry Pads
Often you need to watch for whether the resin pad is designed for a wet or dry surface.
When it comes to choosing wet vs dry it is often a preference of the contractor; there are many advantages and disadvantages to both. The main difference between the two is the amount of dust control. With wet pads you will create a slurry paste, and with dry pads you will create a lot of airborne dust.
With either choice you will need a cleanup process to deal with the slurry or dust.
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What to expect when comparing price
As you research what diamond resin pads you should buy, you will come across a wide range of pricing. There are a few reasons for this but one of the common reasons are the type of resin pads.
There are two types of resins for polishing: hybrid and polishing pads.
Hybrid resin pads are often used as a transitional pad between a metal and a polishing pad. At 6-8 mms, they are usually a bit thicker. Quality hybrid pads should last between 5,000 – 10,000 square feet.
Polishing resin pads have more of a plastic appearance. They are thinner than hybrids, and are typically 2-4 mms thick. Polishing resin pads should last between 10,000 – 15,000 square feet.
Overall, the price you will pay depends on the quality of your diamond pads. With less expensive pads you may only get 5,000-10,000 square feet rather than 10,000 – 15,000 square feet. The diamonds might not stay in the bond, making the pad useless.
A safe bet for anyone looking for a good quality diamond pad are some of the top brands in the industry such as Husqvarna, Lavina, Truloc, Stonecrete, STI, CPS, and many more. We carry a variety of these brands, so be sure to check them out.
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