A rule of thumb to keep in mind is: Hard concrete floors and coverings (such as epoxy), need a softer bonded metal tool. A harder bonded metal tool is used on soft concrete floors and abrasive coverings.

Every diamond manufacturer has recommendation charts to help contractors determine which diamond tools to use to remove various floor coverings. Once the correct diamond tools have been determined, there is a proper way to set up the diamonds to ensure they work efficiently.

Grinding disc set-up. Since grinding discs can hold a number of diamonds, it is essential to know the differences between using a half set or a full set.

A half set of diamonds means diamond tools are placed at three alternating positions on the diamond holder disc. When the diamonds are set-up as a half set, they tend to follow the surface of the floor. It is similar to a tripod for a camera, which can be placed on an uneven surface and still find stable footing. A half set puts more weight per square inch on the diamond tooling, making it grind more aggressively on hard floors. It does not completely flatten the floor.

With a full set, diamond tools are placed at each of six positions on the diamond holder disc. The full set of diamonds is used when a flat floor is desired. It grinds the high areas and misses the low spots, resulting in a smooth surface with no undulations.

In addition to metal bonded diamonds, a PCD (polycrystalline diamond) scraping tool might be necessary to remove heavy coatings. It is not recommended to use a PCD scraping tool directly on a concrete surface. If a PCD is required, an operator should start with the PCD tool, remove around 75 percent of the material and then use diamond tools to remove the remaining material.