What is Polished Concrete?
Polishing concrete utilizes heavy-duty polishing machines equipped with progressively finer grits of diamond-impregnated segments or disks (comparable to sandpaper) to gradually hone down surfaces to the desired degree of shine and smoothness.
The process begins with the use of coarse diamond segments bonded in a metallic matrix. These segments are coarse enough to remove minor pits, blemishes, stains, or light coatings from the floor in preparation for final smoothing. Depending on the condition of the concrete, this initial rough grinding is generally a three to four step process.
The next steps involve fine grinding of the concrete surface using diamond abrasives embedded in a plastic or resin matrix. Crews use ever-finer grits of polishing disks until the floor has the desired sheen. For an extremely high-gloss finish, a final grit of 1500 or finer may be used. Experienced polishing crews know when to switch to the next-finer grit by observing the floor surface and the amount of material being removed.
During the polishing process an internal impregnating densifier is applied. This densifier sinks into the concrete and is invisible to the naked eye. It not only protects the concrete from the inside out, it also hardens and strengthens the concrete. This eliminates the need for a topical coating, which significantly reduces maintenance.
Why Polished Concrete?
Why Polished Concrete is the best floor solution:
The greatest benefit of a polished concrete floor is the cost factor. Polished concrete is less expensive per square foot than carpeting, tiles, linoleum or any other forms of floor covering. The process of creating a polished concrete floor creates a smooth nonporous surface which prevents dusting, staining and is easily maintained unlike most other floor coverings which are porous and can be difficult to clean or maintain.
Ease of maintenance is another key decision factor for many public and private facilities. Not only are polished floors easy to clean, they hold up extremely well to heavy foot traffic. They also eliminate the need for messy waxes or coatings as well as the associated labor, time, and expense to apply them. The highly reflective surface is hard to scratch and classified as a non slip floor.
The high light reflectivity of polished concrete is another important benefit, especially for automobile dealerships, office buildings, hotels, restaurants, and other public facilities that want to project a bright, clean, professional image. Some customers simply want a look that’s unique. Polishing can give concrete a higher degree of shine, similar to polished marble or granite, than can be achieved with a high-gloss coating. This makes polished concrete a particularly good alternative for businesses that can’t afford marble or granite floors but want the same brilliant, mirror-like finish. It’s also possible to produce a terrazzo look by grinding through the top few millimeters of the concrete surface to expose the aggregate.
Resinous flooring solutions, like epoxy or other polymers, offer a smooth nonporous solution for concrete as well, yet, over time can chip, wear and deteriorate. When polymer floors require refinishing they must be completely stripped and recoated which costs approximately double polished concrete. Because polished concrete does not have a coating it will not chip, wear or deteriorate like resinous flooring.
POLISHED CONCRETE APPLICATIONS:
Aggregate Polish Levels
Depending on the condition of your concrete or the aesthetic look you wish to achieve we can offer different results.
Smooth finish, Some aggregate – 1/8” sanding
Medium Aggregate – 1/8-1/4” sanding
Large Aggregate – 1/4-3/8” sanding
Sheen Levels
Depending on the condition of your concrete or the aesthetic look you wish to achieve we can offer different results.
Matte Finish – 100 grit level
Low Reflectivity – 400 grit level
High Reflectivity – 800 grit level
Max Reflectivity – 3000 grit level
Coloring / Graphic Applications
We offer many floor coloring solutions and graphic applications for your flooring needs.
Anything you can imaging we can achieve, Call for more information.
Benefits of Polished Concrete
• Affordable Installation Cost (See cost comparison chart below)
• Low Maintenance Cost (Our floors resist staining and scrubbing from shoes, hand trucks, forklifts and the machinery. There is no need for striping or waxing as well.)
• Quick Installation (Unlike polymer floors there is minimum curing time which lowers downtime for your operation)
• Non-porous (The process of densification creates a hard, durable non-porous surface that lasts)
• Increased Durability (Maximizes the strength of your new or old cracked, deteriorating concrete. Improves abrasion resistance on high traffic areas. Polished concrete requires low maintenance and lasts longer than any other flooring system.)
• Aesthetically Pleasing (Depending on the level of aggregate and level of sheen you choose, your floors will look clean, beautiful and professionally finished.)
• Safety/Slip Resistant (We offer multiple levels of slip resistance for your application and all of our floors exceed OSHA and ADA standards. Our floors eliminate dusting which causes respiratory and eye irritation for employees as well as damage to electronic or other mechanical equipment.)
• Energy Efficient/Creates Ambient Light ( The reflectivity of our floors greatly enhance the efficiency in lighting requiring less fixtures to achieve a well lit environment. This directly effects lighting investment and energy savings.)
• Green/ LEED (Our knowledgeable staff can assist architects and project managers in meeting their LEED goals.)
Flooring Cost Comparison*
| Installed Cost Est. | Yearly Maint. | Avg. Years | Replace Cost | Total Expense 20 Yrs |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vinyl Sheet Goods | $3.00 | $1.00 | 10 | $5.00 | $33.00 |
| Vinyl Composition Tile | $1.50 | $1.50 | 10 | $3.00 | $34.50 |
| Ceramic Tile | $5.50 | $1.50 | 20 | $8.50 | $44.00 |
| Quarry Tile | $8.00 | $0.50 | 20 | $12.00 | $30.00 |
| Terazzo | $10.00 | $1.00 | 20 | $20.00 | $50.00 |
| Resinous/Epoxy Floor | $9.00 | $1.50 | 5 | $9.00 | $49.50 |
| Polished Concrete | $3.50 | $0.20 | 20 | $4.50 | $11.60 |
| Polished Concrete UV-HS PLUS | $5.00 | $0.20 | 20 | $6.00 | $14.60 |
Polished Concrete vs Other Flooring Materials
| Wall-to-wall carpet | Ceramic tile | Vinyl or linoleum | Wood or wood laminate | Natural stone | Polished Concrete | UV-HS PLUS Food Safe |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longevity & Performance | P | G | G | G | E | E | E |
| Ease of Maintenance | P | G | G | G | G | E | E |
| Radiates heat & stores solar energy | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Vulnerable to humidity and moisture damage | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Impervious to chemical spills and staining | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Prevents Bacterial Growth | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
Flooring Cost Comparison*
*ALL COSTS ARE IN PER SQUARE FOOT
Polished Concrete vs Other Flooring Materials
P=Poor G=Good E=Excellent
Can All Concrete Be Polished?
Almost any structurally sound concrete floor, whether new or old, can be polished. But there are some exceptions.
For new floors, no special mix design is required to achieve good results. However, the floor should be in place at least 7 days before the main grind and 28 days before high polishing begins to ensure adequate curing. Some retail and warehouse facilities that plan to polish their floors after placement may specify the installation of as smooth a floor as possible to minimize the polishing steps required.
Existing floors typically require some surface preparation prior to polishing to remove dirt, grease, coatings, or blemishes. However, floors that are wavy, need extensive patching, or are extremely porous may not be good candidates for polishing. An experienced contractor can usually determine a floor’s suitability.
Our GREEN Expertise:
LEED-ing the Pack.
The Definition of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) or Green Building is building or remodeling structures with the least current or ongoing impact possible on the environment.
American Concrete is a contractor dedicated to this philosophy.
Given these qualities found in the Polished Concrete process and resulting floor, you may find your project more easily qualifies for certification with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Green Building Rating System™. The LEED Rating System provides the building industry with consistent, credible standards for what constitutes a “green” (environmentally friendly) building.
ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE: One of the many advantages of using Polished Concrete is the fact that it is environmentally safe. Our polishing system uses no solvents or volatile organic compounds. If an existing coating is removed in preparation for polishing the concrete, we recommend using a wet grinding process, which bypasses the need for stripping with acids and other strong chemicals. In every step of our process an environmentally safe approach is taken. American Concrete has worked on multiple LEED Silver, Gold and Platinum projects. To learn more about the LEED program, visit www.usgbc.org.
By refurbishing the existing concrete, we are recycling, and saving energy as well as landfill space. This is a philosophy that we as a company want to pursue for our children, our future and because we feel that this is the responsible thing to do.
LEED Credits Polished Contributes To:
• Materials & Resources Credits 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3: Building Reuse - Materials & Resources Credits 3.1 and 3.2: Building Reuse - Materials & Resources Credits 4.1 and 4.2: Recycled Content - Environmental Quality Credit 4.2: Low-Emitting Materials: Adhesives & Sealants - Environmental Quality Credit 7.1 and 7.2: Thermal Comfort - EA (Energy & Atmosphere) Credit 1: Optimize Energy Performance (1-10 points) maximum points come from 42% increase in efficiency - Innovation & Design Credits 1-1.4: Innovation in Design
Some of the reasons that our polished concrete process is green are:
• A concrete floor reduces the environmental impact that new construction or demolition would generate. That makes it friendly to the environment.
• The thermal mass of your polished concrete floor tends to reduce heating and cooling loads by retaining the temperature in the building. That translates into significant energy savings.
• The polishing process, mechanically and chemically, minimizes exposure to hazardous components-and environmental pollution both during construction and in the future.
• The exceptional durability of your floor means no demolition or disposal issues that come with maintenance or replacement of VCT, Tile or Terrazzo.
• Polished Concrete is a low-maintenance floor, with a maintenance plan that uses no dangerous chemicals and doesn’t release any VOCs. (Volatile Organic Compounds)
• Polished concrete floors are 100% fire resistant.
• Increased reflectivity from your Polished Concrete floor often allows owners to reduce lighting or lower wattage and save energy.