Quick Answer

Bush hammering is the process of chiselling a concrete surface with carbide-tipped rollers or pins to create a rough, irregular “litchi” texture. It is used to add anti-slip traction on pool decks, ramps and stair treads, to create a bonding profile before overlaying, and to produce the non-slip exposed finish on precast and architectural concrete.

What Does Bush Hammering Actually Do

A bush hammer tool is covered in rows of tungsten carbide teeth. As the tool spins under pressure, the teeth chip out tiny craters in the cement paste, leaving a uniformly pitted surface — the same texture once produced by hand with a pick. Modern bush hammer plates and rollers do mechanically what masons used to do by hand, and they produce a repeatable, even texture on slabs of any size. The result is not a smooth grind or a polished floor; it is a deliberately rough, non-directional surface.

Where Bush Hammering Is Specified

• Anti-slip surfaces: pool surrounds, shower areas, loading ramps, dock aprons and outdoor stairs where wet feet are expected. The texture raises the coefficient of friction and meets slip-resistance ratings.
• Bonding preparation: before applying a thin overlay, epoxy or screed, a bush-hammered profile gives the new layer a mechanical grip. It opens the surface more aggressively than a simple grind.
• Architectural finish: the “litchi skin” look on exposed aggregate panels, kerb stones, paving stones and garden walls.
• Repair texturing: matching the texture of old concrete when patching steps or curbs, so a repair does not sit visually smooth against the existing broom finish.

Angle Grinder vs Floor Grinder Tools

For small areas — a flight of stairs, a ramp edge, a patch of pool surround — a bush hammer plate mounted on an angle grinder is the practical choice. 5″/125mm Bush Hammer Plate with 3 Rollers (JOY-BHP-5BH) bolts straight onto a standard 125 mm angle grinder and covers about 100 mm per pass.

For large slabs, walk-behind bush hammer rollers are far more productive. A denser pin count gives a finer, more uniform texture: 45 Pins Bush Hammer Roller (JOY-BHR-45) produces a finer finish than a 30-pin roller, while 3″ Bush Hammer Roller Plate with M6 Thread (JOY-BHP-R3) adapts the roller concept to smaller floor grinders and edgers.

Slip-Resistance Ratings to Target

Bush hammering is specified to reach a defined slip rating rather than “rough enough”. Common references are the German BGR ratings R9–R13 and the wet pendulum slip test used in many countries.

Rating	Typical use	Texture depth
R9–R10	Dry indoor floors, corridors	Light bush hammer
R11	Kitchens, wash-down areas, garage ramps	Standard bush hammer
R12	Pool decks, dock aprons, outdoor stairs	Aggressive bush hammer
R13	Heavy industrial, oily wet zones	Deep chiselled texture

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is bush hammering the same as shot blasting?

A: No. Shot blasting hurls steel balls at the surface, while bush hammering chips it with fixed carbide teeth. Bush hammering leaves a deeper, more regular “litchi” profile; shot blasting leaves a finer, more uniform etch and is more common before epoxy coatings.

Q: Can you bush hammer polished concrete to add traction?

A: You can, but it destroys the polish. It is better to bush hammer the slab before the polishing sequence, or to treat only the slip-critical strips such as ramp edges.

Q: Do bush hammer teeth wear out?

A: Yes. The tungsten carbide pins chip down with use; a 30–45-pin roller typically lasts hundreds of square metres on normal concrete. Replacement rollers are inexpensive and bolt on in minutes.

Conclusion

Bush hammering is the right process when a concrete surface needs deliberate roughness — for anti-slip safety, mechanical bonding before overlays, or the characteristic litchi architectural finish. Match the tool to the area: a 125 mm angle-grinder plate for stairs and edges, multi-roller plates on walk-behind grinders for decks and ramps. View our bush hammer plates and rollers to spec the right tooth density for your slip rating.