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How to Get Durable Polished Concrete Flooring: A Step by Step Process

Polished concrete floors are a trend that is growing in popularity. That’s because durable polished concrete flooring have an incredible look. They can suit any style of home or business. And they offer many benefits. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of getting durable polished concrete flooring, and the step by step process of achieving them.

Materials you need to get durable polished concrete flooring.

Due to the benefits polished concrete floors provide, this type of flooring has become a going trend for many businesses and homeowners. Before we start on the step by step process of achieving this finish, let’s look into the basic materials you need to get durable polished concrete flooring.  Often, you can get these materials from polished concrete floor suppliers

1. Use high-quality grinders and polishers.

You can only achieve a glossy polished concrete finish if you effective use grinders and polishers.

Grinder

To grind down the surface of polished concrete, you need to use a grinder. This process will remove all imperfections on your floor and create a uniform, flat finish. The resulting product should be ready for polish with polishers. Grinders come in various shapes and sizes. For home use, invest in small hand-held models. For contractors and other large scale projects, invest in large floor-mounted machines.

Polisher

A polisher is a machine that uses high-pressure water to remove any scratches or discolouration on polished concrete.

These machines are usually rented for smaller projects, but some contractors provide them as well. You should invest in quality polishers if you plan to do polished concrete finish professionally.

Moreover, investment in the right equipment can make or break the quality of your polished concrete floors. At the same time, it can also make or break your budget, so invest strategically.

2. Durable Diamond Tools to Grind Your Concrete

Diamond tools are for grinding concrete.  The tools are diamond blades with a handle that is put into the concrete and moved around. The blade grinds down any bumps in the floor and removes small imperfections for polished concrete floors.

The two types of diamond tools are metal bond diamond abrasive, and resin diamond abrasive.

The metal bond diamond abrasive is cheaper, but it does not grind as well and requires frequent sharpening.

Resin diamond abrasives are more expensive than metal bond diamond abrasive, but they last longer because the diamonds don’t break off the tool when you use them.  They still require frequent sharpening though. 

3. Industrial Floor Vacuum for Effective Removal of Dust

The industrial floor vacuum is a must for polished concrete floors. You can use it to suck up spills, dust and other debris from the floor. Debris is often the most common sources of stains on polished concrete floors Sydney. That’s why it’s important to get rid of them.

The industrial vacuum will ensure that your polished marble or polished concrete floors Sydney gets cleaned quickly with no mess left behind.

4. Hardening and Compacting Agents for More Durable Polished Concrete Flooring

The two most important reasons for using them are to protect the floor from cracks and to make it easier to remove water once spills occur.

Water is a natural product that makes polished marble or polished concrete surfaces more slippery. If you don’t use hardening agents, there will be a risk of slips and falls when you spill something on the ground.

5. Colouring Agents, Dyes and Stains for Better Aesthetics

Tired of plain floors that get boring over time?  With the advancement in the construction industry, now you can add colouring agents and dyes to your floor finish. Choose a colour that best enhances your interior. You can also add glass beads and another coloured aggregate to add to the finish.

The Step By Step Process for Getting Durable Polished Concrete Flooring

Now that you’ve done your research on the different materials for getting polished concrete floors, it’s time to explore the step by step process.

Step 1. Prepare the Floor

Remove any dirt, grease or waxes from old concrete floors. Use your industrial floor vacuum, a degreaser and a power scrubbing machine.

Cracks on your floor can be seen once it’s polished. It’s important to seal up the cracks on the concrete with a semi-rigid or epoxy type filler.

Step 2. Remove surface imperfections.

With your grinder, remove surface imperfections on your slab. If you’re unsure how to do this, it’s important to consult or seek the help of polished concrete contractors Sydney located. Observe if the surface is nice and flat. Uneven floors can reflect light, and the imperfection can be very obvious once the job is complete.

Step 3. Apply the hardener and densifier.

Thirdly, ensure that the slab is hard enough so that the cement and slurry do not get malformed or removed when polishing pads are applied. Apply the hardener or the densifier to make sure the concrete is not powdery or flaky.

Step 4. Fit polishing pad holders.

Next, fit polishing pad holders to your stand up and edge grinder once the polished concrete floors Sydney is ready.

Step 5:  Start polishing

With a 50 Grit Diamond Impregnated resin pad, start polishing your concrete floors. Cover the entire area while adding more pads to improve the quality of the finished floor.  Make sure to use the same grade pads on your polishing tool. Complete the process with 50 grit, then repeat the process again with 100, 200, 44, 800, 1400 and 3000 grit pads. Lastly, repeat step 5 with buff pads. And that’s it!

HOW CAN POLISHED CONCRETE FINISH BE CUSTOMIZED?

Staining and Dyeing

Even after being polished to a high shine, regular grey concrete of ordinary grade isn’t always the best material for some applications. The good news is that concrete in any form, even that used for flooring, may be stained or dyed so that it can be included in any design or colour scheme. Not only are stains and dyes capable of changing the colour of the concrete itself, but they also have the unavoidable potential to improve the polished appearance and texture of the concrete.

Radial lines and Scores

Polished concrete floors Sydney offers additional design options, you can have your polished concrete finish scored, lined, or gridded. The surface of wet concrete is a blank slate, which allows it to be moulded into almost any form, design, or pattern. This is one of the many advantages of working with concrete. This helps personalise the appearance so that it better suits the room; for instance, it may be used to add geometry to the floor in a room where the inclusion of such a feature can completely transform the aesthetic.

Borders

Polished concrete finish, much like concrete used in other parts of construction, may be improved with the addition of borders if they are used correctly. This is a subtle detail that brings with it its intrinsic sense of style, and it lends the final touch to whatever it is that you are trying to do.

HOW TO STAIN POLISHED CONCRETE FINISH?

A concrete floor that has been stained is a terrific and long-lasting choice for flooring, and the good news is that staining a concrete floor yourself is an endeavour that is surprisingly simple. Therefore, anybody who has a garage, sunroom, basement, porch, or patio with a concrete floor should carefully consider using this very simple technique, which can be done without the need for any specialised tools or equipment.

STEP 1: Prepare the Surface

It does not matter whether the concrete to be stained is fresh or old; careful surface preparation is always required. Acid stains are see-through, in contrast to varnishes and paints, which are opaque and may hide a multitude of imperfections. Any residue that is still present on the surface of the concrete after the stain has been applied will most likely be visible through the stain. This first phase has a significant influence on the overall aesthetic of the project, provided that it is completed correctly.

Surface preparation may be accomplished in one of two ways: either by grinding the surface with a machine or by cleaning it with a specially prepared cleanser. Polished concrete floors Sydney suggests that before colouring concrete, get more knowledge about surface preparation or you can easily hire polished concrete floor services .

STEP 2: Apply the Stain

The actual staining may begin after the concrete has been either cleaned or ground. Here’s the process:

  1. Cover the area with a mask to protect the door frames, walls, and other surfaces.
  2. Dilute the stain with water to the required ratio
  3. Apply the first application using a spray or a brush. Sprayers such as airless sprayers, HVLP sprayers, production guns, pump sprayers, and even trigger spray bottles are common types of sprayers. In situations that call for fine-grained control over the stain’s distribution, you may apply it using a sponge or a brush.
  4. Allow the freshly applied stain to cure completely. Drying periods are very variable and depend on the temperature, humidity, and wind speed. In ideal circumstances, the concrete will be dry to the touch in fifteen to twenty minutes; nevertheless, the whole curing period for the concrete is twenty-four hours.
  5. If you want a stronger colour intensity, repeat the process. The majority of makers of stains advise customers to wait a few hours between applications.

STEP 3: Clean Up and Neutralize Stain

After the stain has been put in, the area will need to be cleaned. The following is a typical procedure for cleaning:

  1. Give the polished concrete finish the last rinsing in clean water until the water becomes completely transparent.
  2. Remove the stain using TSP, baking soda, or ammonia, depending on the kind of stain. This step is required only if you are working with an acid stain; neutralisation is not essential when working with water-based stains.
  3. Before performing the final rinse, remove any residue that is resistant to removal by brushing it with a broom or brush with soft bristles.

STEP 4: Add a Protective Coat of Sealer

After allowing the coloured concrete to cure for at least one full day, you may next apply the sealer of your choosing to it. If you want your stain to last as long as possible, the majority of manufacturers of stains advise applying two coats of sealer. Whether the concrete will be placed inside or outside, as well as the required degree of shine, will determine the kind of sealer that you should use. An additional layer of protection against scuffs and scratches may be added to the floor by applying a floor finish or wax on top of the sealer.

Polished Concrete Floors Sydney: A Guide on Choosing the Right Colour and Finish

Basic grey is one of the most popular colour choices for polished concrete floors Sydney, even though there is an infinite variety of colour options and patterns available. This is mostly because basic grey is neutral and can easily be blended into any colour scheme. When it comes to classic design schemes, warm tones like walnut, sand, and chocolate brown also perform quite well.

There are a variety of different finishes available on polished concrete floors Sydney, ranging from satin to highly polished, which will give you a surface that is extremely reflecting and glossy. A polished concrete finish with a satin finish exudes more warmth and nuance, whilst highly polished floors heighten the colour and provide more of a “wow” impact. Your floor’s performance in terms of longevity and simplicity of maintenance will remain unchanged regardless of the amount of polish that you choose for it.

One further advantage of polished concrete floors Sydney that a lot of people seem to miss is the fact that they may make a space appear brighter because of the high light reflectance they have. Because light-coloured polished concrete finish increases the amount of natural light that enters a house during the day and decreases the need for artificial light at night, these floors may help homeowners save money on their lighting bills and save energy.

A property that has durable polished concrete flooring may have an elegant appearance at an economical price. Do some research into the many colours, patterns, and designs that are offered so that you may select the polished concrete flooring design that is ideal for your preferences.

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