Have you ever thought about polishing concrete floors? Polished concrete floors are becoming more common in homes and businesses. They not only look nice but are also durable and easy to maintain. However, to make your residential polished concrete floor and Commercial polished concrete floor truly shine, you’ll need more than just a mop and bucket of water. You must have to contact experienced contractors since It’s not a DIY project.
To achieve that perfect glossy finish, experts take the time to properly polish the surface.
HOW DOES POLISHED CONCRETE WORK?
Polished concrete is a unique flooring option that offers an attractive and durable finish for both homes and businesses.
Polishing concrete involves grinding the surface to the desired smoothness. To achieve a high-quality polished finish, the surface must be extremely flat and consistent throughout.
After flattening & smoothing the surface, a finer level of grinding is done using progressively finer abrasives like steel wool & oxide pads. The final step involves applying a chemical densifier to the concrete surface, which fills in any pores and creates a more consistent finish.
BENEFITS OF POLISHED CONCRETE
Polished concrete has many benefits, but three stand out:
DURABILITY
AESTHETICS
LOW MAINTENANCE
- Durability: A properly polished concrete floor is more resistant to spills, scratches, and other types of surface abrasions, making it perfect for high-traffic areas.
- Aesthetics: Polished concrete shines like a mirror and can look as fancy as regular stone, making rooms seem classy and high-end.
- Low Maintenance: Polished concrete doesn’t trap dust mites or allergens like carpet or tile does. It’s easy to clean thoroughly, making it a smart choice for both homeowners and businesses looking for a durable investment.
Before diving into your polished concrete project, experts gather all the needed tools and supplies. Having the right stuff from the get-go will make the polishing job smoother and less stressful.
Here’s what they will require:
- Concrete Grinder: The grinder does the heavy lifting in this process. Onfloor 20 Pro is especially ideal for smaller areas and home projects.
- Diamond Tooling: These abrasives, coated with industrial diamonds, are for grinding, honing & polishing.
- Protective Gear: Safety glasses, dust masks, and ear protection are essential.
- Concrete Hardener & Densifier: This chemical treatment boosts the density and hardness of the concrete, helping with the polishing job.
- Concrete Sealant: After polishing, applying a quality sealant will safeguard the surface and enhance its shine
- Sprayer & Mop: These are crucial for applying the hardener and sealant evenly. Experts need a floor squeegee and a shop vac to clean and dry the surface as you go along.
HOW TO POLISH CONCRETE FLOORS?
Making concrete floors shiny involves several steps that need careful attention to detail. At GetPro, we follow a 7-step process to polish concrete floors to achieve that glossy finish.
1. REMOVE EXISTING FLOORING
Step one: We start by taking out any old flooring like carpet or tile. This gets the concrete surface ready for polishing by clearing it up.
2. CRACK & JOINT REPAIR
Our team makes sure the concrete floors are even, and cracks are filled before polishing them.
Not fixing these problems can cause the surface to be rough or not smooth even after polishing. Using a self-leveling compound to even out the floor and filling cracks with concrete repair mortar are key parts of our process.
3. GRIND THE CONCRETE
Then, we grind the concrete floors using different metal-bonded diamond grits to get them ready to polish. This means starting with a rough grit like 30/40 and moving to finer ones like 100/200 gradually.
4. DENSIFY OR HARDEN THE CONCRETE
Adding a chemical hardener to make the concrete denser is a key part of polishing concrete floors. This means we spread a chemical densifier on the surface, which fills up any tiny holes and makes the finish smoother. Contractors like GetPro use a sprayer or a similar tool to make sure it’s spread evenly.
5. POLISH THE CONCRETE
Experts use resin bond diamonds to polish concrete to get top-notch polished floors. This method uses diamond-tipped blades on a tough grinding machine to remove the top layer of concrete, making the surface flat and smooth.
6. INCREASE THE GRIT LEVEL TO THE DESIRED LEVEL
After the first round of grinding, experts step up the grit level. Each stage in this process needs careful attention and accuracy because they have to slowly move through each level of grit to achieve the finest results.
For a simple matte finish, typically, experts use a 100/200 grit abrasive. But if you’re aiming for a shinier look, you can ask them to go for finer abrasives like steel wool & oxide pads.
7. PROTECT THE CONCRETE
In the final stage, experts put a good sealant on polished concrete floors to keep them safe and easy to take care of. Sealing helps prevent staining, damage, and wearing out too soon. Plus, it makes cleaning easier because you can just wipe away dirt and grime without trouble.
MAINTENANCE & CARE OF POLISHED CONCRETE FLOORS
To preserve the shine and longevity of polished concrete floors, it is essential to implement regular maintenance practices. Daily care includes dry sweeping or using a microfiber mop to remove dirt and debris, as these can act like sandpaper and degrade the floor’s appearance. Weekly maintenance should involve mopping or auto-scrubbing with a cleaner designed for polished concrete, avoiding harsh chemicals like vinegar. Monthly or quarterly, buff the floor with a high-speed burnisher and a diamond grit pad to remove scratches and stains. Annually, a stain resistor or finish guard is reapplied for optimal protection.
COMMON MAINTENANCE CHALLENGES
Polished concrete floors face several maintenance challenges:
- Cleaning Products: Use only cleaners compatible with polished concrete. Avoid cleaners meant for other flooring types and those with high acidity or high alkalinity.
- Contaminants: Quickly address spills, especially acidic substances like soda or juice, to prevent etching.
- Debris and Abrasion: Regularly clean to avoid dirt grinding into the surface, and use entry mats to reduce soil tracking.
PROTECTIVE MEASURES
- Construction Phase: Protect floors during ongoing construction with appropriate coverings to prevent spills and damage.
- Proper Matting: Install a multi-stage matting system at entrances to trap dirt and moisture, significantly reducing the amount of soil entering the building.
By following these guidelines, you can maintain the durability and aesthetic appeal of polished concrete floors.
CONCLUSION
At first, polishing concrete might feel like a big job, but it’s totally doable when you contact the right professionals. And the good things about having a polished concrete floor—like how long it lasts, how good it looks, and how easy it is to take care of—are totally worth it.
Concrete Polishing isn’t a DIY project so don’t forget to contact GP Concrete Polishing as they are really helpful contractors for your concrete grinding & polishing adventure.