Polished concrete floor has gained popularity in the recent past in the residential and commercial buildings because of its durability, appearances, and need for little or no maintenance. This type of flooring provides stylish and innovative appearance in addition to the durability of such floor covering. Polished concrete can therefore be described as a smooth fine surface with enhanced look which has undergone through a process of grinding and honing.
What is Polished Concrete?
Polished concrete floor is a type of floor that can be defined as the process of smoothing concrete floor through to the creation of a highly shiny surface. The process serves the purpose of always improving the outlook of concrete by filling any gaps that may have been created and polishing the concrete to have a shiny look. The end product as a result could be almost dull or relatively to shiny depending on the degree of polishing that has been done.
The Polishing Process
Preparation: The concrete surface is then prepared by washing so that inspection of the surface can be done in order to see whether it has any defects or not. In addition, they point out that any crack or hole present on the surface is sealed first before the surface is polished.
Grinding: With the help of a sequence of discs which are covered with diamonds the surface is abraded with a concrete finish to denude the upper layer and reveal the aggregate. It is also very useful in the sense that it grinds the surface making it as smooth as a mirror.
Honing: After grinding the surface is polished with finer diamond pads in order to get rid of roughness or uneven surface on the same. This stage is critical while trying to achieve the level of gloss and clarity of the end product.
Polishing: The last step is the polishing where very fine diamond pads are utilized in order to attain the high-gloss polish. It may be imperative to use a number of steps in order to achieve the intended polish.
Sealing: After polishing is done, a sealer is applied on surface to protect it and increase its life span. The sealant also increases the shine and possible simple to maintain.
Benefits of Polished Concrete
Durability: Polished concrete has a lot of benefits as it’s abrasion resistant, it can easily handle abrasion from the traffic the floor will receive whether in a retail building or warehousing or even commercial floor traffic. It is not readily stained or scratched or abraded for that matter.
Low Maintenance: Unlike the other types of floorings, polished concrete does not require a lot of maintenance. Usually, it only requires sweeping the floor every day and using damp mop for cleaning the floor occasionally. The finishing involves applying of the sealant and the latter is significant in preventing accumulation of dirt or any spillage.
Aesthetic Appeal: Polished Concrete flooring adds to the interior aesthetics by giving a polished and stylish look that has the potential of fitting into any architectural designs in existence. It can also be provided with varied degree of sheen, colors and aggregates to get a desired appearance.
Cost-Effectiveness: Relatively, polished concrete can be cheaper than some of the other flooring materials available in the market today. Although it may be expensive in the beginning if compared to other coverings, it is cheaper in the long run because the material requires occasional maintenance and replacement.
Sustainability: Concrete is an eco-friendly material and using floor polisher also helps in decreasing the requirement of additional flooring materials. Basically polished concrete is energy efficient by minimizing the lighting costs due to its capability to reflect light.
Versatility: Polished concrete can be applied to all types of interiors including residential, commercial, industrial and retail buildings. Depending on the need and the area in which it is to be installed it can be coloured to meet the needs of that area.
Applications of Polished Concrete
Residential: Polished interior flooring ideas for home are perfect in living room, kitchen and bathroom as they offer modern and unique shiny flooring. It is also applied in areas that have direct sun exposure like patio and driveways.
Commercial: The instances of the applications of polished concrete include retail stores, offices, and restaurants due to its hardness and easy smoothness to clean. Due to the reflection surface it provides light to the commercial buildings and thus gives it a beautiful look.
Industrial: Some of the popular areas for polished concrete, include the warehouses, factor, and manufacturing centers as the floor is hard wearing and can take some beating from heavy equipment and traffic. One of the biggest benefits is the ability to not absorb stains or chemicals which is excellent for the industrial facilities.
Public Spaces: Polished concrete is also commonly applied in commons areas like airports, museum and shopping malls. Because of this quality, the product can be effectively used in places that are heavily used with clients, management or staff with a keen touch of professionalism.
Polished concrete is one of the elegant floor designs with nice looks and durability with less need of a frequent overhaul. Due to flexibility and its positioning it can be used in various constructions starting from houses private residences up to commercial and industrial buildings. If you want better and beautiful floorings or even if you are designing from scratch, polished concrete flooring offers an exemplary solution that is fashionable and reasonably priced at the same time.
