Essential Decorative Concrete Tools and When to Upgrade - an Equipment Management Guide

You have to start somewhere, but as your business grows, your equipment should grow with it. That's why I'm offering equipment management advice for some essential decorative concrete tools.

I will highlight some essential decorative concrete tools and equipment and suggest when it might be time for an upgrade. And don't miss the bonus discussion on renting vs. owning equipment.

Essential Equipment: Truck and Trailer

When talking about essential equipment to get started in the decorative concrete business, number one on the list is a box truck or truck and trailer.

Don't be afraid of modest beginnings in this area. You can blow a lot of capital here. Make economical choices upfront and upgrade later.

Pro Tip: If you're new to the business, you want to ensure you have enough capital to run the business. You'll need tools and equipment to start, but you'll also need enough money to continue investing in marketing. And don't forget the buffer you'll need just to survive until you get going. You don't want all your money in your garage tied up in expensive tools, equipment, and excess inventory -- or an overpriced rig.

When we got started, we bought a used Uhaul truck for $4,500 and wrapped it for another $1,500. We produced our first 3 million in volume before upgrading.

When was the appropriate time to upgrade? When the maintenance costs got so high, upgrading to a leased truck with maintenance included made sense. We now lease a 20-foot box truck and get a new one every four years. The lease gives us a set expense per month for our truck.

While we have issues getting trucks with trailers into tight neighbors, some folks really like that setup. And maybe you already own a truck, plan to run your own crew, are a master navigator, and will only need to invest in the trailer to get started. An upgrade in this type of setup might mean a separate work truck, or an upgrade to a box truck like ours, freeing your personal vehicle to once again be personal.

Essential Equipment: Small Power Tools

Next, several small power tools are essential to your decorative concrete arsenal. Small edge grinders, cutting grinders, and drills are necessary.

In this category, I actually advise against upgrades. My recommendation is to buy the right tools upfront.

Sure, you can buy cheap items at Harbor Freight, but you'll burn through them. Instead, I recommend sticking with brands like Dewalt, Milwaukee, or Bosch.

It will mean spending more money in the beginning, but you'll be saving money in the long run by getting longevity out of your tools.

Add a quality spray rig to your list of tools to get right up front. We use ours to spray texture for our overlay system, and it also sprays our broadcast medium for our chip floors. An excellent tankless rig is essential, so you don't have drops in air pressure. This means you can apply a consistent texture. It's not worth a cheaper option on this one.

Essential Equipment: Large Grinder

I recommend starting with a 7-inch grinder with a shroud for surface preparation. You can't go wrong with the Metabo. It has the RPMs and durability to get the job done and will outperform most of the other 7-inch grinders on the market. 

An intermediate upgrade in this area is to have more than one grinder. This way, two people on your crew can grind at once.

The next upgrade level in the Large Grinder department will be to add a proper walk-behind grinder like a Lavina.

Walk behind grinders will save you in time and labor, but are a substantial upfront investment, with 20-36" walk-behinds starting at $7,500 and going up from there. The Lavina walk-behind we use is the 25" electric 220V and will run around $10,000-15,000 new, but I bought mine used.

Investing in a walk-behind grinder is a business decision that should consider the capital available, the frequency of the need, and space management -- do you have room in your rig to get it to and from the job site. If you're not at a place in your business where you have that kind of capital to invest in this upgrade, consider renting.

Essential Equipment: Vacuums

Initially, you'll need a smaller vacuum that pairs well with your 7-inch Metabo. My favorite is the Pulse-Bac 500 Series. It's ideal for decorative concrete professionals because of its self-cleaning technology to help avoid clogs and, therefore, delays in the grinding process. It also has dual stage HEPA filtration.

Additionally, Pulse-Bac vacuums comply with OSHA's silica dust rule. OSHA is serious about reducing concrete dust that can be breathed in by workers and customers. Violations come with hefty penalties.

Dust containment is crucial, and OSHA references using Vacuum Dust Collection Systems in their standards. According to OSHA standards, this includes a hood or shroud that is placed at the point of contact between tool and concrete and a vacuum meeting the specifications recommended by the tool manufacturer, with enough suction to capture dust at the cutting point. The dust collector must have a filter with 99% or greater efficiency and a filter-cleaning mechanism.

As I mentioned, the Pulse-Bac vacuums meet these standards -- plus they work really well. I like the Pulse-Bac vacuums so much that I became a reseller. Call me and mention this blog post, and I'll offer you a 15% discount on your Pulse-Bac purchase. 

As you grow into larger grinders, you'll also grow into vacuum upgrades. We've been pleased with the Pulse-Bac Pro series when paired with our larger grinders.

Upgrading your grinders and vacuums is a worthwhile investment, saving time and labor dollars as your business grows.

BONUS: Renting vs. Owning

The two key things to consider when deciding whether to rent vs. own upgraded equipment are budget and maintenance.

Budget

I can rent a sizeable propane-run walk-behind grinder. It may cost me $700 a day, but I have no maintenance and no additional out-of-pocket expenses. Purchasing that same machine will cost $25,000-$30,000. So unless you need a machine of this scale on a regular basis, it makes sense to rent it.

When I need a piece of equipment like this for a big job, I know how many days I'll need and can add it to the preparation cost at the estimate. This way, I'll cover the additional rental expense for the job I'm using it on.

Maintenance

Let's take the same example. You need a larger walk-behind grinder regularly, but neither you nor your crew has the mechanical know-how to properly maintain it. In that case, it makes better sense to continue renting.

This was part of our decision to lease our truck. Not only do we have a nice new vehicle that doesn't leave us stranded, but it also offers all of the safety features, and the best part is the maintenance responsibility lies with Penske. Additionally, it's a consistent business expense.

So, when considering whether to rent or own key pieces of equipment for your business, evaluate it from a budget perspective and a maintenance perspective.

So there you have it.

We've highlighted four pieces of essential equipment for your decorative concrete business and when to consider an upgrade. Additionally, you now know what to consider when deciding whether to rent or own.

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