Concrete is suitable not only for the outdoors but also for the indoors because they can provide the desired elegant look and are also durable and long lasting. The finishing of the surface can be done in more ways than one as you can think of, like different types of stains, colors and also aggregates. You can think of a surface which is textured or glossy. There are innumerable choices. These floors work out durable with easy maintenance and can also resist water with proper sealing. The surface of these floors can absorb heat and save on your energy bills.
Polishing of Concrete Flooring
Polishes concrete floors have seemed to gained popularity around the globe and are considered as the ‘in’ thing. This can be done on your own by following a few steps listed below.
1. Evaluation of the Surface
You need to make sure of evaluating the surface of the existing concrete floor before you start this process of polishing. The floor should not be contaminated but it should be structurally sound and clean. Using the MOHS Hardness Tester for concrete you need to determine the hardness.
2. Patching and Repairing
Look out for cracks or unevenness as being able to repair this is equally important to the coating factor. Before you patch the existing floor you need to be sure that the material used is compatible to the existing concrete flooring. In case of the flooring having any sort of blemishes you can opt for the grinding process.
3. Polishing
Before you opt for the polishing make sure to take the different factors into consideration, like the aesthetics, budget and so on. The final smoothing done with the diamond abrasives of metal bond prepares the concrete for polishing. This is done in three to four steps and it depends on the concrete condition.
4. Hard Concrete
Applying a hardener helps to solidify the concrete which is appropriate before you do the actual polishing. This can also provide the protection required from water seeping in. Making the concrete dense ensures that it lasts longer as compared to other flooring. You can safely think of this dense, polished concrete flooring lasting to nearly 100 and more years.
5. Final Polish
You need to remove any scratch pattern present in the flooring and a little experience can guide you in switching to the different level of grit. This can be judged how much material is being removed.
6. Protection of polished concrete floors
You can think of applying a product of stain-guard once the look you desire is achieved. This works well in case the flooring is exposed to oil, chemicals or even grease. Applied with the help of the wax applicator or a sprayer, this can increase the resistance of the floor to dirt and stain absorption.
Polished Concrete floors and the qualities
As said earlier, these tend to last for a really long time and are safe to walk on. In other words, they are not slippery. Once you are sure of keeping these floors free of oil and grease you can be sure that you will not slip and fall. You can think of applying a conditioner for anti-slip, which contain additives designed to make the wet surfaces safer. These need to be applied from time to time. If you are yet not confident, you can think of using these polished concrete flooring in zones which have less traffic or probably in display areas. These flooring can also be supplemented with rugs or rubber mats. These flooring are cost effective as compared to other options besides which these require less of maintenance.
