Polished Concrete Floor

Polished Concrete Benefits

Due to its low cost, long life and durability, Polished Concrete has been used in warehouses and industrial facilities for many years. Now retail, commercial and residential customers are moving to polished concrete. The aesthetic beauty, and ability to customize can be used by everyone looking for a beautiful, low maintenance, healthy floor.

Why Polished Concrete?

Low Maintenance. Polished Concrete floors eliminate the need to strip and wax your floors, while also eliminating the cost of labor or materials to do so. Aside from the occasional damp mopping, polished concrete floors will require very minimal maintenance. retailpolished44X

Beautiful. Polished concrete floors are second to none in durability and appearance. Polished concrete floors can be customized to meet your flooring desires. They can be burnished to a high shine, can be dyed an assortment of colors, and can include many decorative options.

Cost-Effective. Polished concrete is one of the most economical, cost effective flooring alternatives. The reduced costs associated with saved energy, maintenance reduction, and long-lasting durability makes polished concrete a budget sensible, beautiful, flooring option. Because polished concrete flooring is grinding your slab on grade, they replace the need to install expensive floor coverings. They are very low maintenance and you no longer need to replace or rip up worn flooring.

Longest-Lasting Floor Solution Available. There is no comparison to other floor systems when it comes to the life of a polished concrete floor. Even the most durable carpet, linoleum or VCT floors will require replacement at some time, whether it is ten or even twenty years later. Polished concrete floors will be there as long as the slab exists, whether that be forty or fifty years later. Restaurantpolishedstained

Healthy Floors. Polished concrete floors do not trap mold, mildew, dust mites, bacteria, allergens, or moisture like other floors do. Because the floors are polished, they are not porous, meaning nothing can get inside. Polished concrete is a great alternative for anyone who suffers from allergies, asthma, or other respiratory issues.

Resistant to moisture transmission issues. Polished concrete allows the floor to breathe and eliminates issues that arise with other flooring materials that seal off the concrete, such as tile and coatings, urethane, epoxy, etc.

Increased ambient lighting. This will naturally enhance the beauty of your floor and reduce the cost of lighting. Reduced lighting load and better lighting on existing floors are a definite benefit to the end user. This saves you money on not only lighting costs, but helps reduce the load on air conditioning systems, as they do not have to remove as much
heat generated by lighting.

Is polishing concrete messy? Mechanical, dry-grind polished concrete is a pretty clean process. Wet grinding will create a slurry, and can get a bit messy. But with the dry-grind process, a vacuum system is used in conjunction with the grinder to contain 98% of the airborne particulates. The remainder of the dust is easily swept up. It also does not have the odor that is present from some coatings, like epoxy, or glues used in some other flooring applications. retailpolioshedbass-pro (1)

More slip resistant than other coating options. Polished concrete floor surfaces meet, and most often exceed, OSHA and ADA standards for slip resistance. Kept clean and clear of debris, polished concrete floors tend to be less slippery than waxed surfaces.

Polished areas can be put into service immediately after the process is complete. Due to the cleanliness of the process and the lack of toxic or hazardous chemicals the floor can be polished without interruption of service. Polished Concrete can save you time, as the work can be completed in sections with no drying time reducing the inconvenience of having to cease operation or leave the home.

Why would I polish concrete instead of epoxy or another coating? Unless a slab is going to be continually exposed to acid, oils, or corrosive materials, polished concrete will save a company in the long-run on its flooring costs. Coatings wear away from the surface and must be reapplied frequently to be maintained. Polished concrete has nothing on the surface so is unsurpassed in its ability to hold up to fork lifts, foot traffic, and wheeled carts. Its lifecycle exceeds almost all coatings, and has no VOCs. Also, operations do not need to be shut down for the installation of polished concrete, whereas coatings must be restricted from traffic until they have properly dried and cured.

Polished Concrete In A Commercial Building

 

Why would I use polished concrete instead of VCT? Polished concrete is one of the most durable flooring system when compared with typical flooring finishes. VCT requires continuous stripping, waxing, and buffing to maintain its appearance. It also wears more quickly than polished concrete, and must be reinstalled at the same price than the initial installation. Polished concrete will retain its sheen with minimal maintenance, and should a re-polish ever become necessary, it can be done at a fraction of the original installation price.

Hardens and Densifies the floors. The removal of a thin layer of concrete plus the use of densifiers closes the surface pores of unpolished concrete making the floor less porous and more dense. This process makes polished concrete floors stronger and better wearing. Polished concrete floors absorb fewer contaminants such as water and lubricants and resist impact more effectively. retailpolioshedbass-pro (7) (1)

Can the floor be brought back up if it gets dull? Yes and the best thing about it is that it will never be as involved as the initial process. Normally it will only take a couple resin steps to reach the end result required. Which also means that it never costs as much as the original job, unlike epoxy coating or VCT which always cost the same if not more than the original project due to materials going up or more labor involved by having to remove the old flooring material originally installed

Reduces concrete dusting. Normal dusting of unpolished concrete increases the cost of floor cleaning. Concrete dust settles on everything from warehoused inventory, sensitive machinery, and furniture and fixtures. Concrete polishing removes this thin layer of porous concrete.

Comparative Installation & Maintenance Costs for Polished Concrete Floors

All costs per square foot

InstalledAnnual Maint.Average Life in YearsCost to ReplaceTotal Expense
20 years
Cost PSF/
Year
Cost*20 yearsYear
Vinyl Sheet2.721.3993.4338.141.91
Vinyl Tile1.231.47151.632.761.64
Ceramic Mosaic Tile6.481.2220 30.881.54
Quarry Tile5.780.5820 30.181.51
Cement Terrazzo8.50.4620 20.11.01
Granit-Glaze6.50.4620 15.70.79
Polished Concrete3.980.1720 5.90.3

*Comparative costs based on 10,000 square feet. Your costs may vary based on square footage, preparation needs, coloring, etc.

Polished Concrete vs. Epoxy Coating

Polished ConcreteEpoxy Coatings
Peeling Does not peel or Flake - There is Nothing to PeelFrequently Peels and Flakes
DustingDusting is Usually EliminatedDusting Often Causes Failure of the Coating
Slip ResistanceInherent Slip ResistanceCan be Slippery Unless Sand or Other Aggregate is Added.
MaintenanceDoes Not Require WaxingFrequent Waxing Recommended on Decorative Applications
EnvironmentalUses the Existing Floor, no Noticeable VOCsFrequently Have High VOCs and Often Require Frequent Recoating
Down TimePolished Concrete Requires no Cure TimeOften Requires Cure Time of Several Days After Completion
LongevityNormally 10-15 YearsOften Requires Recoating in 2-5 Years
CostComparable to Epoxy CoatingsComparable to Concrete Polishing

Polished Concrete Flooring

Do You Know How Much Concrete Polishing Will Cost You?