This spring we noticed the bottom of the movable electronic shelving was dragging on the concrete in Bay 3 at the Library Storage Facility, the library’s remote storage building. Close inspection revealed some concrete rose above the height of the floor tracks. Old School Renovations, L.L.C. was brought in to level the concrete under the shelving. They used a handheld concrete grinder to reduce the high spots along the second track.
The equipment includes a vacuum unit with a long hose attached to the grinder.
The grinder has a circular disk that rotates to cut the concrete. The disk is made of aluminum & magnesium with diamonds. The base is enclosed in a rubber sheath that captures the dust for the vacuum.
The unit is noisy, but it clears away the concrete and pulls all the dust and particles into the vacuum. It allows grinding of a small area in close quarters. We did not have to drape plastic or clean up after the work. The job required very little participation by staff. The entire bay took 5 hours to grind. Mold spots on the ceiling were also removed and they cleaned the interior dock doors.
Gary, with Old School, told me the vacuum unit cost $3000 initially and a new filter costs $800. He commented that dust containment will probably become more of a requirement in the future. They have invested in training to use this equipment and to handle asbestos. Old School Renovations, L.L.C. also restored the Tau Beta Pi marker outside Marston Hall this week, removing several layers of paint left by vandals.
Library and Archives Preservation 