Preparing Catford and Deptford commercial floors by grinding
Commercial schemes give grinding much of its purpose in the borough. In Catford, the regeneration area includes Laurence House, which holds the council's offices, and the Owen Luder shopping centre. Any unit or office floor stripped for a new occupier can reveal layers of old adhesive, paint lines and patches. Convoys Wharf in Deptford and Lewisham Gateway add new commercial and mixed use floor space, where freshly cast slabs can carry ridges, trowel marks and steps at bay joints.
The process is the same for both. A grinder fitted with diamond segments passes over the floor, cutting away a thin layer at a time. High spots come down, the surface skin is removed and the concrete underneath is left open and slightly textured, which helps primer soak in and grip. Old glue and floor paint go with it.
That prepared surface is the start of the next stage, not the end. On a shop floor it might take a skim of self levelling compound; in a new office it might receive tiles or carpet tiles; and where a client has a resin system planned, another contractor lays it over our ground slab.
Grinding has a clear limit. It deals with local high points but cannot pull a floor back to level where it falls or dips over a wide area. Cutting the high side down to match would remove far too much material, and on a screed it can leave the layer thinner than its minimum depth. The answer is to grind what stands proud and then level or screed the rest.
Garages, extensions and silica dust in Lewisham homes
Homes need grinding too, usually on a smaller scale. Homes built between 1973 and 1999 account for 13% of Lewisham's stock, and a floor in a house of any age can carry decades of glue from successive carpets and vinyls. Once a covering is lifted, grinding clears that residue so a latex smoothing layer or new adhesive can bond.
Extensions are another case. Downham's inter-war cottage homes often gain extensions, and where a new slab butts up to the original floor there can be a lip or ridge along the join. Taking it down flush means the two areas can be levelled together. Garage floors heading for conversion may need oil stains, paint and a rough top removed before insulation and screed go down.
Dust is the main hazard. Concrete, screed and tile all hold silica; ground up, it becomes respirable crystalline silica dust, which damages lungs. We run every grinder through a dust extractor, close off doors and vents and keep the work area separated from the rest of the house or building.
Where the area is very large or the coating is thick, shot blasting or scarifying can be the quicker tool; our floor preparation service includes shot blasting. For the same service in the next borough, see concrete floor grinding in Greenwich.
How we price floor grinding in Lewisham
A fixed written price within 24 hours, once we know the area and what has to come off. See our floor screeding cost guide.
Who grinds your concrete floor in Lewisham
K & B Screeding’s own team, led by director Donatas Bardisevicius. Founded 2019, company 12298780.
See what customers say in our Google reviews and on our testimonials page.
Concrete Floor Grinding from Slough to Lewisham
As the crow flies, our yard in Slough is about 27.5 miles from Lewisham, which lies to the east. Postcodes here include SE26, SE6, SE3 and SE4, and Southwark (3.2 miles), Lambeth (4.2 miles), Greenwich (4.3 miles) and Tower Hamlets (4.9 miles) are close by.
More on floor grinding, part of our screeding services.