Introduction: Polished Concrete Floors
A polished concrete floor is a foot traffic beauty with a glossy finish look for residential and commercial buildings. Modern polished concrete floors can be customized for coloring, you can create design patterns into the raw concrete, before it is polished, i.e., a company’s logo. You can also place specialized minerals into the concrete and control its reflection, depending on the different levels of polishing methods that are applied.
Methods for Polishing Concrete Floors
Polishing concrete floors requires two different methods – either the wet method or the dry process. Dry polishing is the more common method used, especially in commercial industries. Wet polishing calls for water to cool the diamond abrasives, because water reduces the friction that a grinding machine would use, plus it acts as a natural lubricant. With dry polishing, water is not used, instead a floor polishing machine is used that is connected to a dust elimination system that vacuums up dust, dirt, and other contaminants that are unseen by the human eye. Can both methods be used – yes, the dry method starts the process, then the wet method is used to smooth out the concrete surface.
Are Newly Polished Concrete Floors Safe
Even though polished concrete floors look smooth and slippery, they are completely safe to walk on, even in heels for women. However, the floors must be kept clean and dry. Polished concrete floors have been proven to be safer than many waxed floors or polished marble floors. To keep polished concrete floors safe daily, use these tips:
- experts should apply an anti-slip solution with a grit additive
- accidental trips and falls are eliminated if you keep polished concrete floors free from oil, grease, and liquids like water
- in high traffic areas, use mats or rugs, which can be designed to match your interior
Benefits of a Polished Concrete Floor
- polished concrete floors are extremely durable, thus giving you a longer life cycle savings, while serving as a long term investment
- cleaning is easier with polished concrete floors because all you really need is to use a mop to take off the dust from daily traffic, plus polished concrete floors are allergy free requires less maintenance
- polished concrete floors cost less than traditional floor covering materials
- these floors save energy by reducing the lighting needed from artificial lighting
- concrete polished floors are resistant to moisture and is a more breathable system
- even though you can use rugs for decorative purposes over a polished concrete floor, it is not necessary. It is extremely resistant to high foot traffic areas.
Polished Concrete Versatility Environments
If you are a homeowner or a business that would love to have polished marble or granite flooring, concrete that is highly polished, gives you the same luxurious and beautiful appearance. You can apply a terrazzo look to your concrete by grinding through the top of the concrete surface to reveal the minerals. For a particular design or color, stains can also be applied to polished concrete during the polishing process. Polished concrete floors are highly favored in environments that includes warehouses; retail stores; residential homes; hotels; restaurants; and many office buildings.
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