Polished Concrete Floors FAQs
Why polish concrete?
Polished Concrete is quickly becoming the #1 choice for a no-wax floor.
Concrete is rapidly moving from utilitarian function to one of the most creative and appealing choices for permanent flooring solutions on the market today.
The amazing durability of concrete, combined with the dazzling brilliance and low maintenance of diamond polishing, is rapidly making polished concrete the flooring of choice for industrial, commercial, and residential uses.
(No coatings, nothing to chip, flake off or peel, ever!)
No longer are retailers enslaved to the routine of dusting, scrubbing and buffing a coating on a nightly or weekly basis, only to have to strip it all off and replace the coating twice a year.
What does polishing concrete involve?
How does the process work? It’s similar to sanding wood with ever-finer grits of sandpaper until the surface is smooth. Polishing concrete requires the use of heavy-duty machines with diamond impregnated disks with ever-finer grits to smooth and polish the surface to the desired sheen.
In the first steps of the process we use coarse metal bonded diamond stones mounted to a high speed counter rotating grinding machine. These stones are coarse enough to remove minor blemishes, epoxies, paints and stains, or light coatings from the floor in preparation for final polishing. Depending on the condition of the concrete, this initial rough grinding is generally a three step process.
In the following steps we use ever finer polishing stones on the concrete surface using finer diamond abrasives impregnated in a resin bonded composite. We use ever-finer grits of resin bonded disks until the floor has the desired sheen. For an extremely high-gloss finish, a final grit of 1500 may be used. By observing the floor surface and the amount of material being removed, our crews know when it’s time to advance to the next grit.
Where can I use polished concrete?
Concrete polishing is very versatile, allowing you the choice of sheen from satin to high gloss. Therefore it can easily be adapted to meet your aesthetic and maintenance needs. This makes it an ideal surface for nearly every application.
- Airport Terminals
- Hangers
- Warehouses
- Factories
- Retail stores
- Hotels
- Restaurants
- Office buildings
- Auto showrooms / service areas
- Residential floors and garages
- (Anywhere you want to beautify and cut maintenance costs!)
How slippery is polished concrete?
If kept clean and dry, polished concrete has a slip resistance rating of .84, and anything above UL rating of .50 is considered a “Slip Resistant” surface.
Can you polish all concrete?
Practically all concrete floors, as long as they are sound, whether new or old, can be ground and polished. There are a few restrictions.
For new floors, no special mix is required to achieve good results. Densifiers, hardeners and rapid curing agents are to be avoided if possible. The floor should be in place at least 28 days before grinding and polishing begins to ensure adequate curing time.
Existing floors usually require some preparation prior to grinding and polishing to remove dirt, grease, coatings, or blemishes. However, floors that are wavy, have loose stone, need extensive patching, or are extremely porous may not be suitable for polishing.
How do I maintain the shine?
Keeping polished concrete shiny requires minimal effort and expense, while some regular care is necessary.
With simple cleaning, polished concrete should keep its shine for years. If touch-up is necessary, the floors can be lightly re-polished with a fine-grit abrasive.
Benefits
Cost Savings
Never Needs Replaced
Stronger Than Traditional Flooring
Greenbuilding Renewable Resource
