A: Mechanical, dry-grind concrete polishing is a fairly clean process, 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 particles.
IS POLISHING CONCRETE MESSY? Surprisingly no! There is a lot of cleaning involved between each step we need to perform as polishers and we take a great deal of care not to make a mess while working.
Polished concrete flooring is relatively easy to maintain. You just have to dust mop or broom sweep daily to prevent dirt accumulation.
Is polished concrete slippery? Standard polished concrete is more slip-resistant than other flooring solutions, even if when wet. However, you can select the Grind and Seal method to reduce slipping even further.
Simply keeping your polished concrete free of dust helps keep it non-slip even when wearing shoes. If you have a grind and seal, which is a replica form of polished concrete, in the topcoat of the sealer, a non-slip grit or non-slip additive can be added to help prevent slipping.
Meanwhile, polished concrete also feels wonderful under your bare feet. Thanks to its durability and hardwearing qualities, it is also ideal for areas with high levels of foot traffic (like bathrooms).
If you're looking for sustainable materials to use in your home, polished concrete is a great option because: Recycled materials can be used to manufacture concrete. It has a long life – meaning you're less likely to need to replace your floor for many years.
Polished Concrete Floor Lifespans
With professional concrete installation, a proactive polished concrete floor maintenance plan, and occasional deep cleaning, a polished concrete flooring system can last 20 years or more with minimal hassle.
Concrete polishing is a process that involves using special equipment and chemicals to smooth and polish an existing concrete floor. Typically, this process can take anywhere from 2 to 5 days, depending on the size and condition of the floor.
Getting concrete floor coatings or a decorative concrete overlay is not a luxury – it's an investment that can pay off over time. Not only will the investment improve your enjoyment of the home and reduce your maintenance, but it will also improve the value of your home.
Sealing your concrete isn't really a labor-intensive, nor costly, job. By sealing your concrete every 2-5 years, as recommended by experts, you should keep your floor in good shape, preventing cracks, pitting, and additional damage.
Polished concrete floors are a popular option for commercial and industrial building. However, as a porous substance, it is vulnerable to excessive moisture which can cause difficulties during installation and distort the end result. Contractors should be conscious of the impact moisture has on cementitious floors.
One of the most important safety issues related to concrete polishing is the capture of fine dust that is the byproduct of concrete grinding. In our installations, we use large, specialized HEPA vacuums that capture over 99.9% of airborne dust particles.
The number one problem that many business owners face with their concrete floors are stains and discolorations. Stains can occur from a number of different things, but are usually a result of unattended spills or liquid buildup.
Resin –the hard facts
Resin flooring is commonly made from materials such as polyurethane, epoxy and MMA systems (which get their name from the methyl methacrylate catalyst that is central to its formation).
Polished concrete floors are relatively inexpensive to create, extremely durable and low maintenance. On the downside, some people find them cold and hard underfoot so if you live in a cool climate you may want to install underfloor or inslab heating or think about softening the surface with rugs.
Polished concrete is one of the strongest and most resilient floor types in the market. This makes it highly resistant to scratches and therefore polished concrete floors don't scratch easily. For this reason, polished concrete is commonly used in high traffic areas like industries and corridors.
For this exposure level we generally remove 2 - 3mm from the concrete - basically just enough to ensure the entire floor is completely flat and suitable for polishing.
Polished concrete is (generally) NOT slippery when wet.
A flooring safety test using measurement standards provided by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) found that polished concrete has superior slip resistance, even when wet.
Although polished concrete floors are stain-resistant, they can still stain if spills are not cleaned promptly.
Additionally, polished concrete can provide a seamless look between inside and out, plus it's also easy to clean and low-maintenance too. A pH-neutral cleaner can be used to give your floors a deep clean or a quick mop twice a week, but concrete should definitely be sealed to give the best performance.
Fortunately, by far the majority of slabs have moisture barriers installed under the slab making the amount of moisture migrating out of the slab not an issue for polished concrete. Are polished concrete floors prone to CRACKING? Yes, they are.
CONCRETE FLOORS ARE EASY TO KEEP CLEAN
As everyone who has lived with carpet before knows, animal urine stains penetrate into the pad and can be very difficult or even impossible to remove. With polished concrete floors, even pet urine is simple to clean up without leaving a stain or residual smell.
The difference compared to other flooring materials is that polished concrete has the capability to absorb heat and omit the warmth slowly, which is a great property for the winter months.