we just got letters from the city on my street. You just saved me like 1400 bucks. I have a plug-in angle grinder from harbor freight and I was thinking about filling the low spots with some self-leveling concrete.
Wet grinding produces concrete slurry which is an environment hazard and needs to be disposed of in the correct manner. If wet grinding is done with a corded electric angle grinder, certain precautions must be taken to minimise the chance of the operator getting an electric shock.
Good job. I need to do this too after watching an Amazon delivery driver on a Ring video nearly fall on his face from tripping over my raised concrete.
Nice solution to try. Kids now know diamonds are the hardest substance on earth...not just seeing it and reading it in a book but real time seeing it being used...Application always best way to learn.
Thank you for sharing this. I’ve had this issue for a few years and contractors wanna charge me arm n leg but I got Home Depot 10 minutes away and have 3 angle grinders all power corded lol!
Thanks so much for this video. It went exactly like your film and I saved so much money. This was pretty hard work as I had 5 cracks to level but doable in a half day.
I just got a notice from city. This video gave me confidence I can do this myself with minimal dust. Found $10 grinder on Harbor freight. Will try this myself. Thanks for the video!!
Well, I tried this today on 1/2 - 3/4 in bump with $10 Harbor Freight grinder and the grinder blade you recommended from Amazon. It turns out, in my case, it took at least 30min of grinding time to get it down to about half. So I guess it all depends on how hard your slab is. Unfortunately in my case, it is much harder than yours as it definitely did NOT cut through like "butter" as you mentioned in your video. I quit after 30min due to hot weather and the dust it created. i have to finish it up when it gets cool enough. In hind sight, I should have just hired the city to do the job for $155. Oh, well, at least, I got the cheap grinder that works reliably just in case I need it again in the future for something else.
work work work, never ends. but the part that brings a smile is the beautiful voice of never ending kids questions.... Daddy, what's this, what's that Daddy ? And also precious, the days when relatively simple answers are enough to resolve a childs curiosity.
Thanks for the video. I hope you don't mind me making a few comments. 1/ You are using a Diamond GRINDING DISK. It is not a BLADE! A blade is a completely different disk. A blade cuts the concrete. A grinding disk just grinds it down. You could have used a diamond blade to cut a nice shallow even edge first. And then used the diamond grinding disk to smooth the surface to a more even finish. Using a blade first means a lot less time spent grinding. Less dust and less wear and tear for both your angle grinder and your grinding disk. 2/ Wetting down the surface will reduce the dust being generated. It also keeps to temperature of the disks lower. However, it is necessary to use the appropriate disks in this instance. Some disks are only rated for dry use. 3/ You are using a Cordless (ie Battery powered) angle grinder. Using cordless grinders on wet surfaces is generally safe. However, Electric angle grinders should always be connected to circuits protected by Residual Current Devices (ie Safety Switches), especially when being used to cut or grind wet surfaces. (Never use an electric angle grinder in the rain though!) 4/ Your approach is effective working with small areas. Always make sure to use appropriate PPE including, eye protection, ear protection, P2 respirator mask, and appropriate clothing, gloves and footwear. Angle grinders are dangerous tools at the best of times so always take extra caution when using them. And never use them in the vicinity of other people ... especially children. Cheers from the Land Down Under.
Thanks a lot , I have the exact same situation and have been wonder what the best solution would be. My grinder is corded so I won't have the battery drain issue.
6 inch will work a bit faster but you may find the diamond wheels a bit expensive for that size , 4 inch will work just don`t horse it and it will do fine.
Thanks for the video! I need to fix a similar trip hazard and I was wondering if you have the link or the brand of the discs you got. I've seen a couple of videos here and they seem to struggle a lot more on theirs. Thanks!
I tried w/ a chisel & all it did was break big uneven chunks out & made my problem even more difficult to remedy. Longfloat is absolutely correct on “an uneven & unsightly edge”
The appropriate chisel could be used to round off the edge. Just need to go very slowly and chisel off the sharp edges in a very fine manner. Then employ an angle grinder to finish off the whole edge to produce a smooth result. This method may end up taking less time and would certainly produce less dust.
Probably the better long-term solution. The pad settlement usually means the base under it needs to be redone to stop it completely or roots need to be cut etc. All things that are easier to do if you just remove the pad and repour.
You sure can. be sure to grab a 7inch grinder that would probably be corded. Be sure to take your time as using grinders are pretty dangerous In the hands of a novice.
If you keep your hand and arm movement slow and sturdy and get the grinding area straight, it looks decent. Actually it looks smoother than the professionally ground sidewalks as they use rotary chisels I think.
You mean to say your little battery-operated toy runs only 5 minutes on a charge? I'm shocked. Here's a tip for working on a surface that's at ground level: if you get on your knees you'll have much better control and leverage and the finished surface will be less irregular. There are logical reasons flooring installers do their job while on their knees.
A better solution is to raise the concrete using spray foam cans. Hammer drill the insertions points and use foam spray cans to lift it to level. Its very easy and actually fixes it by leveling it and not just mask's the problem. They sell the polyurethane cans (Great Stuff Cracks & Gap) for $3 at Home Depot.
