Looking for a high-end modern look? Polished concrete is an option you should be looking at. Polished, high gloss floors are extremely hard-wearing, easy to clean and can be used in a wide range of areas throughout your home. Polished concrete floors provide an earthy feel and a seamless floor that looks fantastic throughout your house interiors.
Polished concrete is also super popular in the commercial market as it offers the hardest wearing flooring option in the industry that is easy to keep clean. Correctly finished polished concrete is not only attractive but is also highly flexible with a wide range of styles and finishes.
HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS:
Polished concrete surfaces undergo the most mechanical refinement and are considered the premium concrete flooring solution. The polished concrete process incorporates grouting and chemical hardeners, commonly called ‘densifiers’, to improve the durability and appearance of the floor.
As with the other types of concrete, polished concrete can be tailored to suit any design, with the aggregate exposure and sheen of the floor varied as desired. Polished concrete is an extremely popular choice for indoor applications, as it is, also hygienic, stain-resistant and dust-free.
Mechanically polished concrete is typically only used indoors– it is the true form of polished concrete as it is the concrete itself that is polished and buffed until it shines – there is no topical coating and therefore there is nothing to wear away over time, and it will last you many years.
With floors that are mechanically polished, the concrete is hardened and densified to up to 10 times its natural strength so it is much less likely to crack. The concrete is also grouted, which is a process that fills in the small pinholes and cracks on the surface, leaving the top smooth and very refined – so if you run your finger across the floor it looks and feels like glass. Then the floor undergoes a series of polishes using resins which make the floor smooth, shiny and glossy. You can finish the procedure after just a few polishes so that you end up with a matte finish – or you can continue to polish up to a very high grit for the semi or high gloss finish.
Generally speaking, a true mechanically polished concrete floor will cost more than a hone and seal but is a more cost-effective flooring solution in the long run as it never requires a recoating.
When done correctly mechanically polished concrete floors will last a lifetime with proper care. The only maintenance required with mechanically polished concrete is a rebuff every 10-15 years if it has dulled. The rebuffing will bring back the gloss on the floor.
