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Separate shaving, overfill removal, and honing
Joint filler that is ready to shave may not be ready for honing. Grinding repair overfill, wet honing, and dry honing can each have different waiting periods.
At Craftsman Concrete Floors, we coordinate each processing step with the installed material, site temperature, and planned tooling. We check readiness for the operation being performed rather than treating one published time as permission to resume every stage of polishing.
These checks follow the broader joint-filling and polishing schedule.
Manufacturer instructions can identify several different milestones:
| Operation | What the timing refers to |
|---|---|
| Shaving joint filler | Removing excess joint filler at the surface. |
| Grinding repair overfill | Grinding away excess repair material. Metzger/McGuire’s chart calls this “finish time.” |
| Wet honing | Processing the filled or repaired surface with the specified tooling and water. |
| Dry honing | Processing the filled or repaired surface dry. Its waiting period can differ from wet honing. |
An earliest processing time is the soonest the manufacturer says the operation should be attempted. It is not necessarily the best time for the finished result.
Manufacturer reference times at 70°F
The following values come from the Product Process Timing Chart in Metzger/McGuire’s T21 bulletin, Sequencing of Joint Fillers and Repair Materials in the Concrete Polishing Process. They apply to the named products at 70°F and identify earliest processing times, not universal curing periods.
Craftsman frequently uses MM-80. Its reference times appear below alongside other products covered by the manufacturer’s chart. For installation, we confirm the current instructions for the actual material and conditions.
Joint-filler shave and honing times at 70°F
| Product | Earliest shave | Earliest wet honing | Earliest dry honing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spal-Pro RS 65 | 60 minutes | 60 minutes | 60 minutes |
| Edge-Pro 80 | 15 minutes | 30 minutes | 3–4 hours |
| Edge-Pro 90 | 45 minutes | 45 minutes | 60 minutes |
For all three entries, the chart lists 40-metal tooling as the lowest grit.
Edge-Pro 80 illustrates why the operations must stay separate: its earliest shave time is 15 minutes, but its earliest dry-honing time is three to four hours under the chart’s stated conditions.
Repair-product and grout finish times at 70°F
| Product | Earliest finish | Earliest wet honing | Earliest dry honing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pit Grout | 45 minutes | 45 minutes | 45 minutes |
| Rapid Refloor XP | 60 minutes | 60 minutes | 60 minutes |
| SRG | 40 minutes | 40 minutes | 40 minutes |
For these entries, “finish” means grinding off repair-product overfill. The lowest listed grit is 40 metal.
MM-80 and other products with listed finish times at 70°F
| Product | Earliest finish | Earliest wet honing | Earliest dry honing |
|---|---|---|---|
| MM-80/MM-80P | 6–8 hours | 6–8 hours | 6–8 hours |
| Armor-Hard Kit | 3–5 hours | 3–5 hours | 3–5 hours |
| Armor-Hard Extreme | 90 minutes | 90 minutes | 90 minutes |
The chart places these products in its non-ColorFast joint-filler and repair-product category. It uses the heading “finish time” rather than the separate shave-time heading above. The lowest listed grit is 40 metal.
Check conditions and specification requirements
The chart values above are based on 70°F, and warmer or cooler conditions change processing times, so material, operation, temperature, and permitted tooling are considered together. Where the ACI specification applies, it calls for finished spall repairs ground flush and, where needed, a method to keep joint-filler overfill from staining or shadowing the slab, unless otherwise specified.
Account for temperature and tooling
All chart values above are based on 70°F. Warmer or cooler conditions change processing times; the chart does not provide a universal adjustment formula.
We also check the permitted tooling. “Lowest grit” means no tooling more aggressive than the chart lists—it does not mean every tool is acceptable once the waiting period has passed.
The material, operation, temperature, and tooling must be considered together.
Finish repairs flush and protect the surrounding floor
Where ACI SPEC-310.1-20 applies, finished spall repairs must be ground flush unless otherwise specified. Unless otherwise specified, the specification also requires a stain-prevention film or another prevention method where needed to prevent joint-filler overfill from staining or shadowing the slab. Project-specific contract documents govern conflicts with the ACI specification.
Our repair and joint-filling guide explains how these steps fit into the overall work.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Not necessarily. Shaving, wet honing, and dry honing can have different waiting periods. Check the selected product’s instructions for the specific operation.
Metzger/McGuire’s reference chart lists six to eight hours at 70°F for MM-80/MM-80P under its finish, wet-honing, and dry-honing columns. Confirm the current product instructions and actual conditions before using those reference times.
Not always. It identifies the soonest the operation should be attempted under the stated conditions. Project conditions and equipment affect when the best finished result can be achieved.
Yes. The reference chart is based on 70°F, and temperature changes affect shaving, finishing, and honing times. Do not apply the chart’s times unchanged to different conditions.
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