Beautiful And Strong Polished Concrete Solutions
Luxury Polished Concrete Floors
Modern And Sustainable Flooring
Polished concrete is a type of flooring installation that utilizes the existing concrete surface to create a durable and attractive finished floor. Originally developed as a commercial installation, concrete polishing is now widely used in residential, retail, and commercial applications.
Polished concrete is installed by grinding concrete surfaces with progressively finer diamond abrasives. This process is very similar to polishing natural stone, such as a granite countertop, and leaves the concrete surfaces with a similar feel and wear characteristics.
While polished concrete and stained concrete might appear to be very similar installations, they’re actually quite different. While stained floors depend on a sealer over the concrete floor’s surface, all of the sealers used in a polished concrete floor penetrate into the floor. On a stained concrete install, the concrete sealer is the weakest link and is prone to wear and failure. Polished concrete is much more durable due to the fact that there is no sealer layer on the surfaces of the concrete to wear or fail.
Building A Better Workplace
Polished Concrete Installation Guide
The name, polished concrete, is a source of plenty of confusion. Does the name polish concrete refer to the level of reflectivity of the concrete surface? In fact, it does not. The name polished concrete signifies that penetrating sealers are used to increase the stain resistance of concrete surfaces, not its level of reflectivity. While the industry standard level of reflectivity is a semi-gloss (800 grit diamond polish), polished concrete floors can be both matte and mirror-finished.
One thing that’s consistent between the levels of reflectivity, however, is their finely honed surface. Polished is exceptionally smooth and consistent to the touch, regardless of gloss level. This is important because its smooth concrete surfaces that create a slip-resistant and durable flooring installation.
Level Of Reflectivity
One of the most important aesthetic decisions to take when installing concrete flooring is the level of reflectivity. While there’s no hard and fast rule, matte floors are often used in modern design construction, while higher levels of reflectivity are used to increase light and openness in dark or cramped spaces.
Regardless of the level of reflectivity, the performance of all the floors we install is identical—reflectivity is a purely aesthetic decision. Floor Reflectivity has a minimal impact on the install price per square foot.
Level Aggregate Exposure
Another very important aesthetic decision is the level of aggregate exposure on a concrete floor. Aggregate exposure is achieved by removing the most superficial surface layers of the concrete prior to polishing. Because concrete is a combination of liquid cement, rocks, and sand, as you grind more material off of the surface of a concrete slab more aggregate will be exposed. These aggregates naturally separate by partial size in a poured concrete slab, meaning that grinding deeper into a slab will expose larger aggregates.
- A concrete slab that is polished without any aggregate removal is referred to as a cream-polished concrete floor. These will show some variations in the texture that are often compared to any number of variations in a piece of marble. Because surface removal is time-consuming and adds cost, cream polishes are often used in residential construction as a way of saving on budget. That doesn’t mean they’re not great-looking floors though—when finished properly cream polished concrete floors can be very attractive.
- When the surface of a concrete slab is lightly ground to remove all of the marble-like variations, fine pieces of sand and rock are exposed. We refer to these types of floors as ‘salt and pepper’ polished concrete floors. These are commonly installed by retailers such as Costco, Walmart, and Home Depot, so it would be a good idea to visit these company stores to get design inspirations. Because they offer a very homogenous surface finish, they’re the most commonly installed floor in luxury residential construction.
- A rock-cut concrete floor is one in which the concrete surface is heavily ground to expose large aggregates. Rock-cut concrete has a beautiful, terrazzo-like appearance that nicely compliments modern construction. While this finish is very desirable, it’s also the most expensive and time-consuming installation. These floors are best installed in either new construction or fully gutted renovations. The large amount of material removal required makes this finish difficult to achieve with obstacles such as trim or millwork.
FAQ & Benefits
How Much Do Polished Concrete Floors Cost?
Due to the fact that a concrete floors inherently have low associated costs, polished concrete is often the lowest-priced luxury flooring installation available.
For new construction projects, polished concrete floors costs range between four and seven dollars per square foot. The main factor that increases the costs of a polished concrete floor is the amount of material removal specified.
Because of the minimal amount of materials removed, cream polished concrete floors are the most cost-effective installation available.
Low Maintenance
- Polished concrete flooring provides both a beautiful flooring installation and very low maintenance costs. It is easy to clean simple with a vacuum and wet microfiber mop. Harsh cleaning chemicals and floor wax are never needed to keep your entire floor looking great.
Industrial Grade Durability
Polished concrete is an industrial installation that we’ve adapted to meet the aesthetic requirements of luxury residential projects. Because of this, polished concrete provides a level of durability that’s difficult to match with any other type of flooring install.
Long Life Service
In residential installation, a polished concrete floor can last upwards of twenty years without requiring maintenance by a professional contractor. Because there’s no waxing or other maintenance, polished concrete floors are a great way of reducing waste.
Where can polyaspartic floor coatings be applied?
Generally speaking, polyaspartic coatings can be used in almost any situation where you’d have a concrete substrate with a resinous coating on top. It’s a popular alternative to epoxy coatings. Along with garages and other vehicle buildings, these coatings are also seen in warehouses, hospitals, chemical labs, commercial buildings, and almost any other situation where a uniform, quickly cleaned, highly durable surface is called for.
Sustainable & Environmentally Friendly
Polished concrete floors are the most environmentally conscious flooring solution available. By choosing them in your home or business, you’re reducing lifetime waste by up to 97%. This reduction is due to the fact that we polish your existing concrete slab instead of adding additional materials to the surface.
Healthier Flooring
By polishing concrete in your home or business, you’re making a commitment to the health of your family or employees. Unlike wood, carpet, or laminate floors, polished concrete floors don’t release volatile organic compounds into the air you breathe — dust and chemicals that are linked to harmful respiratory and immune effects.
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