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Polishing Concrete: How to Do it and Why

by | Feb 12, 2019

Once you have placed your concrete floor for your commercial project, finished out the surface, and let it set for the appropriate amount of time, there is often still another step you can take to further improve it. Polishing the surface of your new commercial concrete floor can be an excellent way to enhance the appearance of the newly constructed building while giving your concrete floor durability that can last a lifetime.

Why Polish Commercial Concrete Floors

One of the main benefits of polishing concrete as a way to finish your floors is that it is a very cost-effective method. Polishing concrete to create a finished surface costs less than choosing options like vinyl, laminate, or other floor finishing layers. You can also still get creative with your concrete floor by using stencils, dyes, or engravings. In fact, you may find that you open up more possibilities for decoration by choosing to polish your concrete floors instead of choosing other surfaces. Even without any alterations to the polished concrete, the sleek surface creates a clean and contemporary look that works great for multiple types of buildings.

Polished concrete floors also handle foot traffic amazingly. Not only do they provide excellent grip for walking, they can also withstand repeated use with little wear over time. The polished concrete surface is also very easy to clean due to the smooth texture. Nothing ever gets trapped into the surface, so cleaning simply entails sweeping and mopping on occasion with no need for scrubbing. The surface is resistant to scratching or denting if anything falls on it while also being impervious to chemical stains. This quick and easy cleanup, along with extreme durability, makes polished concrete floors a cost-effective, low maintenance option.

In addition to the reduced maintenance and cleaning hassles, polished concrete also eliminates the risk for moisture buildup and the problems associated with it when using other types of flooring. This is because the surface doesn’t trap any moisture like hardwood, laminate overlays, vinyl surfaces do.

Since the surface of polished concrete is very reflective, you also won’t have to invest quite as much into the lighting in your new commercial building, reducing both initial costs and energy costs over time.

How to Polish Concrete

To polish concrete flooring, you will need a concrete polishing machine and various forms of diamond segmented abrasives. The attached abrasives will move from coarse settings to finer settings as you move through multiple steps of going over the surface to polish it. You may choose to apply a chemical hardener during the middle of this process depending on the strength of the concrete that was placed.

There are also two general types of concrete polishing: dry polishing and wet polishing. Dry polishing is often preferred due to the fact that it is more environmentally friendly and involves less cleanup. There will be dust that gets thrown up into the air, so proper ventilation is needed to clear the air. Wet polishing is often used when doing a remodel around merchandise that can’t be moved. Wet polishing involves adding water to the grit to act as a lubricant and reduce the amount of dust released into the air. This method requires far more cleanup since it creates a “slurry” of concrete residue and water.

If you have any questions about how Knight’s Companies can help make your next construction project a success, contact us today.

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