Table of Contents
Almost any structurally sound concrete floor, whether new or old, can be polished. However there are some exceptions, for example with new floors no special mix design is required to achieve good results – although the floor should be in place at least 28 days before polishing begins to ensure adequate curing.
Is a polished concrete floor expensive?
If you want a low maintenance, stone-style appearance then polished concrete could be ideal. Polished concrete typically costs anything from £80 per m2 to £150 per m2. This puts it in the same bracket as high-end stone floorings. But you won’t have to worry about the cost of screeding the floor first.
How can I make my concrete slab shine?
After you stain your concrete floor with the color of your choice, you should apply a concrete sealer. A glossy sealer creates a shiny surface, and an acrylic wax adds an additional protective coat.
How much does it cost to polish a concrete slab?
Concrete polishing can cost from $50 – $100 per square metre, depending on the method used. To begin, basic polishing starts at an average cost of $50 per square metre for the grind and seal method. The honed polishing method is on average around $75 per square metre.
Can lightweight concrete be polished?
“We can’t polish the lightweight concrete floor slabs. Lightweight structural concrete is actually so because of the aggregate, and not the cement. Various aggregate recipes use various light (or “lighter”) weight materials to reduce the weight of concrete by as much as 35 to 40%.
Is polished concrete cheaper than tile?
Polished concrete is less expensive per square foot than carpeting, tiles, linoleum or any other forms of floor covering. Not only are polished floors easy to clean, they hold up extremely well to heavy foot traffic.
Do polished concrete floors scratch easily?
Polished concrete flooring is extremely strong and resilient and is able to withstand the pressure from very heavy foot traffic and equipment. It is very difficult to damage and is nearly impossible to chip or scratch.
What makes concrete shiny?
Concrete goes from a dull, rough surface to a shiny, smooth, polished surface through a series of grinding steps. This grinding is done with a series of diamond impregnated floor pads. These pads contain millions of microscopic diamonds that are used to grind the concrete and make it smoother.
Can you shine concrete?
While concrete floors are durable, the most durable kind is a polished one. A polished concrete floor requires only occasional maintenance versus a glazed or sealed floor, which would need to be sealed and resealed to prevent damage. Instead, you can clean and shine your concrete floor with products you have at home.
What is the difference between polished and burnished concrete?
Typically, burnishing is performed after the first or second hour of pouring. The result is a smooth and durable surface. Meanwhile, polished concrete involves polishing the surface after it is cured. It takes about one or two days of curing before polishing takes place.
What is the difference between sealed and polished concrete?
Both polished and grind/seal concrete floors can have a matte, satin, or gloss appearance. For polished concrete, the concrete is polished using finer grits of diamond abrasives until the floor reaches the desired level of shine (level 1-4). However with sealed concrete, the finish is achieved from a topical sealer.
How much does it cost to polish a concrete garage floor?
Lastly, polished concrete is expensive. Expect to pay $6 to $10 per square foot and up depending on the level of shine you want, the shape of your concrete, and the size of your garage floor. It can get more expensive if you want to stain the concrete as well.
How long does concrete floor polishing take?
Depending on the area, the level of polish, and the obstacles, the polishing can take upwards of 2 to 3 days. However, you can use the surface immediately after the polishing is done.
Can you polish air entrained concrete?
Hard troweling is also not recommended for air-entrained concrete for several reasons. The primary reason is densification. Densification pushes air out of the surface, leading to a decrease in the air content. This increases the probability of freeze-thaw damage and deicer-scaling damage.
Do you have to seal concrete after grinding?
It is always a good idea to seal your concrete floor after grinding. Grinding your concrete floor will smooth out the surface and bring out the speckled or marbled appearance of the aggregate, which increases the appearance and makes for a more decorative finish.
Why is polished concrete so expensive?
Mechanically polished concrete must use finer and finer grits of concrete until the required gloss level is achieved. This is why it’s more expensive. Diamond or silicon “sandpaper” is used because anything less won’t last long.
Are concrete floors bad for your health?
According to experts, concrete floor systems can cause everything from bunions and ingrown toenails to shin splints, lumbar strain, and achilles tendonitis. It can also lead to lower back pain, stress fractures, knee pain, and worsening of arthritis symptoms.
Are polished concrete floors high maintenance?
One of the many advantages of polished concrete is that it’s a low maintenance and highly-durable material. It’s strong, and it won’t need as much care as timber, tile or vinyl flooring to keep it looking great.
What are the disadvantages of polished concrete floors?
Generally speaking, the disadvantages of polished concrete floors are very few. They involve things like discoloration, stains that are deeply embedded in the concrete, or imprints made when the concrete slab was initially poured.
Is it better to stain or paint concrete floors?
Concrete stain embeds the surface to color it translucently, while opaque concrete paint covers the top of the concrete but is subject to chipping and peeling when improperly applied. Concrete stains go on quicker, dry faster and take less work than concrete paint, but they offer no significant protection.
