Fixing Pin Holes in Precast Concrete Countertops
Are you tired of Filling Pin Holes in your precast concrete countertops? Let the Xtreme Series technology simplify your slurry process by eliminating the need for a secondary cementitious slurry coat. How does this process work?
Start by combining SureCrete’s Lithium Densifier (LD-1800) with the Xtreme Series Polishing Pads and you will enjoy a blemish free densified precast concrete surface, that is now ready for your choice of sealer. Lets looks at the step by step process for this technique:
APPLICATION & TECHNIQUE
1.) Begin by flooding the surface of your precast concrete countertop with LD1800, a Lithium Densifier, a few square feet at a time. Using the polishing pad of your choice to start with; 50, 100, or 200, begin to grind. These first three pads will determine the amount of material and aggregate exposure you wish to expose. The slurry caused by grinding mixed with the Lithium Densifier will fill the holes. As the lithium densifier reacts with the slurry, it pushes it into the pin holes and fills them in. Keep grinding until the lithium densifier is completely dry and move to the next area of your precast concrete countertop.
2.) If you have started at the 50 pad the next pad would be 100…Again flood surface with LD1800, your lithium densifier, and grind with the 100 pad until the LD1800 is dry.
3.) Once your precast concrete countertop has been ground at the 100 pad the next pad would be 200 pad…Again flood the surface with lithium densifier and grind that area until the LD1800 is dry.
4.) The next logical pad after the 200 pad is the 400 pad. This pad begins the polishing process and no new pin holes should develop, therefore no more densifying is needed.
5.) After the 400 comes the 800 and then the 1500 if desired. Stop at the 400 pad if your intention is to use a sealer. Going above this pad may tighten the precast concrete and cause your choice of sealer to have potential adhesion issues.
NOTES & TIPS
- If the pad is new and has never been used before there is a resin over the diamonds, this must be removed before use! The best method to accomplish this is to turn on the grinder with the pad and grind on a semi rough, flat piece of concrete for a few seconds. RPM’s are not to exceed 4000.
- This process does NOT work with Honeycomb polishing pads as they do not trap enough dust to mix with the lithium densifier in order to create your slurry mix.
In this process are we using a wet or dry grinder? Do we let the Lithium Densifier (LD-1800) dry before we start grinding?
You are starting with a wet grinding pad. Preferably one that is has deep groves, unlike a honeycomb pad. Start at 50 or 100 as a grit, apply Lithium densifier and flood surface. Polish your surface until the densifier is dry. As it is drying you will notice a paste occurring and it will fill in the pin holes with an identical color match. I have used this trick with the Xtreme Series mix’s from SureCrete Design Products. You will have to test it on other materials to make sure it works the same.
I am getting some pinholes in the edges of my mold poured countertops. How can I use the LD to fix these pinholes?
We know that this technique works well with the Xtreme Series mix design. The concept is creating a dust from your 50, 100 and 200 pads. Applying densifier to the surface with that dust will create a slurry of the exact same color and the pressure of your grinder will push it into the wholes. The heat from the pad will make the densifier evaporate quickly leaving a nice hard smooth surface with no pin holes. We recommend waiting a few hours to ensure the slurry is hard before continuing and additional polishing with Dry Pads
Note: In order to create enough dust to create a good slurry you must use a pad with deep groves or channels. A honeycomb pad will not trap enough dust with densifier to create a good slurry.
We are working on a video that will showcase this technique. We hope to have it up on http://www.SureCrete.TV and http://www.YouTube.com very soon.