Tim S wrote:
Question:

What (bloody big) machine do I look for in the hire shop that will
scrape, in a violent and deadly fashion, the top couple of mm off a
strong sand/cement screed? Thinking something with carbide teeth that
move about, and a feck off big motor or petrol engine.

Got quite a large area to do. If the machine can hack its way through
not well attached cement levelling compound, all the better.

Ta

Tim


[The scenario...]

Not a happy bunny today...

The long saga of dealing with the crap that is my new kitchen floor:

Previously, on Planet Squidward:

1) I asked builders to flatten a lumpy floor. I took a load of old
wooden tiles up for them.

2) I asked if they would deal with the residual gunk under the tiles.
"No - it's not a problem - Latex gunk sticks to anything..."

3) 3 months ago, I noticed a couple of hollow sounding bits.

4) I noticed they been fobbed off with Cement/silica (Cempolay)
rather than latex (Cempolatex) by the tit in Travis Perkins.

----

Back to today:

"I know," I said - "I'll just angle grind the loose bits - quick run
tound the edge with a diamond blade - then pop the loose bit out,
then repair taht bit ready for pouring more latex this week"...

I did, and a couple of whacks with a hand bolster and the Cempolay was
coming up in 6-8mm sheets. Oh dear.

Went round and sounded the rest of teh floor. Now about 6-7 loose
areas. The bond has been shearing all overthe place.

When I looked at the layer that popped up, it contained a mm thick
black slightly greasy/rubbery/slippery (to the nail) brittle black
layer of crap.

Underneath that, the sand/cement screed appears very solid and
attached - but well out of level.

I've checked into this black crap and believe it may be an asphaltic
adhesive used on wood flooring.

It's impossible to totally remove it without taking the top mm of
screed with it. Tried a big knife - no good. Scutch comb works but
will take forever. So I'm off to the hire shop tomorrow - just wanted
to have a bit more of a clue what to ask for.


Called the original builder back anyway, as an 8" wide columb of
celcon blocks holding up a door lintle are parting company with the
brick wall they are supposed to be extending. Builder has been
instructed that he will be doing this again for free, with bricks
(his expense) and properly keying them into the old wall. At least he
apologied and agreed. Think I'll kick his arse over the floor too.
But I think it's better if I fix it this time. At least my foray into
Stopgap 300 and SBR screeds have resulted in other floors that are
never coming adrift...

sigh...

I hate to say I told you so, but I did, on several occasions that this floor
was nothing but a bodge waiting to go wrong and it has, and it will again
and it has already cost more than a new floor, with insulation, and now you
are going to throw even more money at it for a floor scrabbler (which don't
work BTW) and yet another lot of screed that will also crack up.

Ever heard the phrase 'bite the bullet'?


Scrabblers work (slightly) on clean, soft sand/cement screed, but even then
they take days to get anything close to a few mm off, with this bituminous
layer, you are wasting your time and money as the grinding stones will clog
up within seconds.

Hire shop owners will tell you anything you want to hear, but you don't get
your money back an hour later when you drag the piece of crap back through
his door.

--
Phil L
RSRL Tipster Of The Year 2008