Residential
Retail
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Industrial
This was a really old abused floor that ended up with a clean easy to maintain finish.
Packaging Plant
Concrete Polishing
Heavy-duty polishing machines equipped with
progressively finer grits of diamond-impregnated segments or disks (akin to
sandpaper) are used to gradually grind down surfaces to the desired degree of
shine and smoothness. The process begins with the use of coarse diamond segments
bonded in a metallic matrix. These segments are coarse enough to remove minor
pits, blemishes, stains, or coatings from the floor in preparation for
final polishing. Depending on the condition of the concrete, this initial rough
grinding is generally a three- to four-step process.
The next steps involve fine grinding of the concrete surface using diamond
abrasives embedded in a plastic or resin matrix. Contractors use ever-finer
grits of polishing disks (a process called “lapping”) until the floor has the
desired sheen. For an extremely high-gloss finish, a final grit of 1500 or finer
may be used. Experienced polishing crews know when to switch to the next-finer
grit by observing the floor surface and the amount of material being removed.
Applications for Polished Concrete
Because polishing is a
multi-step process, customers can choose the level of sheen—from satin to
high-gloss—that meets their maintenance and aesthetic requirements. This
versatility makes polished concrete an ideal flooring material for a variety of
applications. Polishing contractors say their primary customers include:
• Large warehouses and warehouse outlets
• Retail stores
• Hotels and restaurants
• Office buildings
• Auto showrooms
• Private residences
Ease of maintenance is the key reason many warehouses and retail facilities are
opting for polished concrete. Not only are polished floors easy to clean,
requiring only occasional damp mopping, they hold up well to heavy forklift and
foot traffic. They also eliminate the need for messy waxes or coatings—as well
as the associated labor, time, and expense to apply them. What’s more, the
glossy surface resists the marks of forklift truck tires and staining from oil
and chemical spills.
The high light reflectivity of polished concrete is another important benefit,
especially for office buildings, hotels, restaurants, and other public
facilities that want to project a bright, clean, professional image. Some
customers simply want a look that’s unique. Polishing can give concrete a higher
degree of shine—similar to polished marble or granite—than can be achieved with
a high-gloss coating. This makes polished concrete a particularly good
alternative for homeowners or businesses that can’t afford marble or granite
floors but want the same brilliant, mirror-like finish. To replicate the color
of stone, Contractors will sometimes apply stain to the concrete during the
polishing process or polish concrete that has been integrally colored. It’s also
possible to produce a terrazzo look by grinding through the top few millimeters
of the concrete surface to expose the aggregate.