Green Umbrella Chemistry

A Fusion of the Chemical and Mechanical Process

A mechanically ground, honed and polished concrete floor is the first step. More than “exposing the rock and adding a shiney sealer”, good chemistry is needed. Many are still using chemicals that are Caustic (pH above 8.0) and leave behind hazardous waste water that must be disposed of properly. Dumping caustic water is a serious concern in many states. Absolutely not “Green”. Ph neutral application and no cleanup required is the key to success.

Many impregnators and coatings on the market are solvent based. They do not lend themselves to the “Green Building” industry. Sodium and Potasium densifiers must to be used dry to avoid whitening and eflorescence. They are not successfully used with a wet grinding process. Dry grinding can lead to Silicosis. Wet grinding with Dry Shield is a preventive approach to silicosis. Other chemicals are not conducive to wet grinding as “the greener way to grind”. Neither are the machines. Electricity and water don’t mix.

Good chemistry should be based on productivity. On what’s green for the environment and not hazardous to our health. Good chemistry is not about selling huge volumes of chemical, flood coating the floor, then scrubbing repeatedly to remove excessive product, only to have to dispose of it as hazardous waste (worse yet, dumping it over the side of the nearest hill).

In years past, chemical companies have controlled the polishing industry. Not in an effort to make polishing easier or greener, but to sell more chemical. Selling chemicals like sodium and potasium, or worse yet, a blend of the two whose chemistry hasn’t changed since WWII. Yet now is the time that need demands a change.

What was needed? A product that was more abrasion resistant than anything currently on the market. A product that was not susceptible to ASR (alkali silica reaction) or its negative effects on concrete and on the environment.

A Greener Way To Grind

Years of Research Yield “A Greener Way To Grind”

A lot of thought and research has gone into the Green Umbrella process.

Concrete grinding and polishing was already a “first choice” in green building, but some of the chemicals used in the process have been discovered to be damaging to the environment. Others even carcinogenic.

CHEMISTRY was needed that was effective yet environmentally friendly and safe for the contractor during installation, and for the people who lived and worked in the space afterwards.

EQUIPMENT was needed that was environmentally sound, safe and both heavy enough and rugged enough to wet grind concrete effectively.

A Mechanical PROCESS was needed that would go well beyond that of applying a polymer or acrylic sealer to provide shine.

This is what the Green Umbrella is all about. The Chemistry, the Equipment and the Mechanical Process.