Bush hammers churn away at hard surfaces, leaving behind a new finish that might be decorative or practical, such as to improve grip.
The way bush hammers work is deceptively simple – they attach to the base plate of floor grinding machines, and as the grinding machine powers forward, the bush hammer rolls along. Hardened steel or tungsten carbide tips protruding from the cylinder pound away at the surface and remove or indent the surface.
The bush hammer's weight, combined with a centrifugal force, successfully fractures off pieces of concrete, exposing the aggregate just underneath the surface. This is the key to creating a consistent surface finish.
Chipping away at hard surfaces like concrete roughens the floor in preparation for coatings requiring a textured profile to bond properly. They can rapidly remove concrete to a depth of 1/16 to 1/4 inches, and contractors can control the amount removed by making successive passes and specifying different reels.
Versatile Bush Hammer Applications
This simple process has made bush hammering popular for refinishing concrete in commercial and municipal spaces. Its most common applications include:
- Surface Preparation - Bush hammering retextures worn concrete for improved adhesion of new protective coatings. The fractured surface gives epoxy and urethanes something to grip onto. Bush hammers also remove old coatings quickly by pounding through the layers.
- Non-Slip Flooring - Fracturing concrete improves skid resistance, which is crucial for spaces like schools, hospitals, retail shops, kitchens, and bathrooms. The textured profile can achieve the level of slip resistance needed by adjusting the number of passes made.
- Decorative Finish - Drives, sidewalks, and patios often sport a bush hammer finish. The decorative texture lends visual appeal to exterior concrete. Unlike acid etching, which can fade over time, bush hammering exposes durable aggregate.
- Infrastructure Refinishing - Highways, bridges, and parking garages receive a facelift and refreshed texture. The process renews skid resistance on surfaces damaged by traffic and weathering.
Simple Bush Hammer Operation
Contractors praise bush hammers for their simplicity coupled with their heavy-duty construction. Modern models require no lubrication, only bolting on the base plate with no ongoing maintenance.
The setup is simple – attach the bush hammer to a floor grinder and lower it onto the surface. Engage the grinder at a low-speed setting and begin passes across the floor. Overlap each pass slightly to cover the whole area and keep the vacuum running.
Controlling the result comes down to experience. Operators get a feel for the number of passes needed to create standard slip-resistant textures. Different reels also influence the outcome. More aggressive models remove concrete faster for heavy texturing, and smoother ones provide finer finishes.
This simplicity and versatility make bush hammers a "go-to" tool. Their unique mechanics peel back concrete far more efficiently than grinding alone, reaching where other methods can't in refinishing jobs. Contractors rely on them indoors and out to refresh concrete and improve floor safety.
Browse our complete range of bush hammers here and contact us for help specifying the best ones for your application.
Further reading
- https://www.pwm-sales.co.uk/applications-for-bush-hammers/
- https://www.pwm-sales.co.uk/specifying-the-correct-bush-hammer/
- https://www.pwm-sales.co.uk/what-is-a-bush-hammer/
- https://www.pwm-sales.co.uk/when-is-bush-hammering-the-correct-technique/
- https://www.pwm-sales.co.uk/products/floor-preparation/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bush_hammer
- A study of the characteristics of cementitious surface toppings and applied concrete (hse.gov.uk)