Polished Concrete Floor
Polished concrete may have started in the commercial and industrial sectors, but it has made its way into homes all over the nation. Concrete polishing is the best way to make the most of the floor you already have.
However, you may be wondering how professionals make this durable flooring system.
In the article below, we’ll be taking a look at how professionals make polished concrete flooring and what all goes into that process. Continue reading to learn more!
The Concrete Polishing Process
Polishing concrete flooring requires the trained hand of a licensed concrete contractor. This multi-step process requires close attention to detail, specialized equipment and tools, and years of experience to complete correctly. Even a minor slip-up from an inexperienced amateur can potentially ruin your existing concrete floor and result in needing a replacement. Below, you can see the various steps your concrete contractor will take to make your polished concrete floor.
Step 1: Cleaning, Inspecting, and Repairing Your Existing Concrete
The first step in the concrete polishing process is to clean and inspect the existing concrete for damage like cracks and chipping. Any minor damage, such as pits, small holes, or dents, will not need repairs as they’ll be ground out during the following step. Any cracks will be fixed with an injectable epoxy filler, while chipping or flaking will be corrected using a concrete patch. Joints will also be filled with epoxy to give the floor a seamless appearance. Once all repairs are finished, the next step can begin.
Step 2: Rough Grinding the Floor
With the repairs completed, the first of the grinding can begin, which is the rough grind. The coarse grind is to remove any minor blemishes and level the floor in preparation for the final smoothing. This step usually takes around three to four passes before the rough grind is complete. Your concrete contractor will use a floor grinder fitted with a coarse, diamond grinding wheel, typically starting with a 30 or 40-grit wheel and slowly moving up to a 150-grit wheel with each consecutive pass.
Step 3: Sealing the Floor
The next step is to seal the concrete with an impregnating sealer. The purpose of sealing the concrete before the final polishing is to protect it from the inside out while strengthening and densifying the concrete simultaneously. The impregnating sealer also eliminates the need for any kind of topical coating in the future, such as future sealants or floor wax, which drastically reduces the financial and physical maintenance requirements for the concrete floor.
Step 4: The Final Polishing
The last step in the concrete polishing process is the final polishing, which also involves roughly four to five passes with the floor grinder. This final smoothing requires the floor grinder to be equipped with a resin-bond diamond wheel starting at 100 to 200-grits. With each pass, the wheel should be changed for a finer grit to finish at either a 1,500 or 3,000-grit polishing wheel, depending on the desired sheen level. Once the final polishing is complete, the floor is ready for full use!
Customizable Options
Prior to sealing the floor, there are customizable options that can be applied between these steps. Polished concrete flooring can be stained using concrete stains to apply permanent colors and patterns. There are two types of concrete stains available, including water-based stains and acid-based stains. Acid concrete stains are available in earth tones, such as brown, tan, green, and blue. These stains react with the concrete chemically to produce permanent colors. Acid stains are also less predictable and should be tested on a small corner of concrete to ensure how the color will look on this particular floor. This chemical reaction is frequently taken advantage of to produce mottled effects that mimic the look of marble. Water concrete stains permeate the floor to impart permanent color and are available in more vibrant color options. These stains are more predictable in how they’ll color the floor, meaning that purposeful mottled looks are more challenging to achieve.