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Coloring Supplies: Concrete Stains; Concrete Dyes; Color Hardener; Integral Color
Resurfacing & Overlays: Concrete Coatings; Concrete Overlay Supplies; Concrete Resurfacer
Concrete Countertops: Countertop Supplies; Countertop Mixes
Stamps & Stenciling: Concrete Stamps; Concrete Stencils
Forms & Molds: Concrete Forms; Concrete Molds
Tools & Equipment: Polishing Equipment; Surface Preparation Equipment; Concrete Tools; Concrete Power Tools; Concrete Equipment; Saw Blade Supplies; Concrete Fasteners; Concrete Pumps
Protection & Maintenance: Concrete Sealers
Concrete Mix: Concrete Admixtures; Ready Mix Supplies

Renting vs. Buying

The price tag for high-performance surface prep equipment can be pretty steep. Expect to pay about $2,000 to $4,000 for a single-head floor grinder to over $6,000 for a four-head machine. A walk-behind shotblaster with a 13-inch blast path can set you back more than $20,000 while a ride-on scarifier with a 12-inch cutting swath can top $30,000. And these prices don't account for attachments, accessories or separate dust-control equipment.

If you do a lot of surface prep work, you can often justify the cost of purchasing your own equipment. But if you expect to use the machinery only about four or five times a year, you may be better off renting the equipment or subcontracting the work. For example, you can rent a 10-inch walk-behind floor grinder from GrindAll—a distributor of concrete surface preparation equipment—for about $250 a day vs. shelling out nearly $4,000 to buy the machine new. You'll also save on maintenance expenses and depreciation costs.

If you do decide to buy, get the most from your investment by purchasing a machine that can perform multiple functions. It's also good to start out small, because regardless of the size of the slab, you'll always need a machine that can work in corners, next to walls and other tight spots.

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