Polished concrete floors are a trend that is growing in popularity. That’s because polished concrete floors 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 polished concrete floors, and the step by step process of achieving them.
Materials you need to get polished concrete floors.
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 polished concrete floors. 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. That’s why it’s important to get rid of them.
The industrial vacuum will ensure that your polished marble or polished concrete floor gets cleaned quickly with no mess left behind.
4 – Hardening and Compacting Agents for More Durable Polished Concrete Floors
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 Polished Concrete Floors
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 floor 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!
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