Below are some of the most frequently asked questions about polished concrete.
What Is Polished Concrete?
Polished concrete is achieved through a multi-step process. The first process includes mechanically grinding the surface of your concrete flooring until it is level with a course diamond grit abrasive. The floor continues to get ground with progressively finer grit abrasives until the floor is smooth and free of large scratches. We then add a chemical densifier that fills in all pores in the concrete as well as hardens the substrate and improves shine and durability.
How Long Does A Polished Concrete Floor Last?
Polished concrete is extremely long lasting, especially when compared to other types of flooring and that’s exactly the reason why many business and home owners flock to get their floors polished. Aside from being beautiful and easy to maintain, a polished concrete floor can last upwards of 20+ years or more as long as it’s installed by professionals and properly maintained.
My Concrete Flooring Is Damaged, Can It Still Be Polished?
Before polishing your concrete floors we must inspect your concrete for cracks, dents and other surface damage. These must all be repaired before the process can begin. Each concrete job is different, each with their own challenges, however we are able to tackle most concrete crack repairs and joint filling before polishing.
What Is The Process For Concrete Polishing?
Polished concrete is highly customizable on a job to job basis but for the most part, the process follows the following steps.
- We start by diamond grinding the floor with our industrial grade grinders to level, smooth and remove any old unwanted, failed epoxy.
- We then run a transitional diamond to smooth the concrete and then transition into polishing the concrete.
- Next, we wash the floor and apply a concrete hardener to densify and close off the floor.
- We then run polishing resins to desired sheen according to the customer’s desires.
- After that we wash the floors again and apply guard/sealer that sinks into the pores of the concrete to help protect and strengthen the floor.
- Finally we propane burnish the floor with a high speed burnisher.