Sometimes the need for repair is unexpected. In the case of the Rainbow Motel, the need was obvious from the day we closed on the 16-room motel on Hwy. 85 in Greeley, Colo. Built in 1953, the motel had potential. But that was all it had after decades of no care. The once iconic lighted rainbow signage topping the building had not been lit for as long as Medicare-age citizens could remember. And then there was the stretch of concrete along the length of the lobby and guest rooms.

In a crazy hair moment, someone had glued down indoor carpet to each stoop to each room plus the two steps and risers. The edges of the carpet raw and frayed dotted with cigarette burns. Not a decent first impression.

So we tugged at the carpet, using a crowbar in places, and found that the concrete underneath was unexpectedly worse. Fractured, chipped and missing parts.  And then we went out to bid the concrete replacement. $20,000 seemed too high. The next bid came in at $27k. Then the bid for epoxy pebble surfacing came in at $7k. The more the variables in bids, the more we were confused. We were torn and then we buffed. Our worker took a small sanding tool and spent half an hour removing the carpet backing from one corner of one stoop. He was anxious to get the go-ahead to continue to all 17 landings. Our manager offered to sand the concrete himself in his spare time. One disk, he reported, would run $50.

We did the math and concluded that this, perhaps, was a job for pros vs. DYIers. But key to the job was using true professional commercial equipment.

Ace Cutting offers a wide variety of floor grinders and scarifiers for any application from top brands Husqvarna and EDCO—models for all projects including small turbo grinders perfect for edge work and weatherproof membranes or difficult-to-remove coatings. Ace’s mid-size grinders come in both planetary or turbo models, ideal for trip hazard removal, coatings and polishing. Large floor grinders are great options when working with larger areas, and selections come in electric, propane or gas-powered.

For those extreme situations, Ace offers concrete shavers and groovers!

Heavy duty orange 8" floor grinding heads for CC80 Core Cut floor grinders are available in12 segment and hard or soft material application for $399.

PG 280 is a single disc floor grinder that you can quickly convert for edge grinding on both sides. It efficiently grinds adhesives, paint, epoxy and spackle. With a grinding width of 11 in. it is suitable for small to medium concrete areas. It is available in both 1- and 3-phase versions for $2,795.

The CC100 Single Head Gas Floor Grinder aggressively grinds, cleans, levels and sooths bumps and uneven areas quickly. A compact durable steel frame with 10" or 12" grinding head options is $3,300.

The EDCO Magna-Trap® 10" Turbo Grinder with 5HP electric motor. Grind wet or dry with the 10" of working width which will grind approximately 400-500 sq. ft. per hour at 1/16" with an EDCO Diamond Disc. EDCOs Rounded shroud allows you to grind within 1/2" of any vertical surface and also provides better dust control. Grinder includes one 10" Diamond Disc, standard 2"-3" vacuum port and water port also includes EDCOs new leveling kit. Easily adjust your grinder disc or multi-accessory plate with the rear wheel mounted level kit and the accessible turn-style knob. Install different height diamond accessories and level them to ensure maximum productivity. A properly leveled disc or accessory will wear evenly, last longer and provides a better floor finish. The RIGID head assembly is ideal for grinding uneven expansion joints, high spots, joint curls and bridge decks, to remove coatings and grinding rough concrete surfaces. The FLEX head assembly is ideal for preparing a smooth, flat floor to receive a new coating, removing coatings and grinding rough concrete surfaces while grinding surfaces 4x faster than a traditional floor grinder for only $3,600.

Then there’s the CC100 Single Head Electric Floor Grinder with different power options for big production starting at $3,779.