The decision whether or not to polish concrete floors is one that gives many people a lot of trouble. This is because concrete is usually quick and easy to clean. Other floors with surfaces like hardwood or ceramic tiles are easy to polish because they require cheaper equipment and the process is quite straightforward hence they tend to get more attention than concrete.
When it comes to concrete floors, most people overlook the polishing. In actual fact, many people are not even aware that concrete is polished because the only floor that appears to need regular polishing is wood. Let’s take a look at the process of polishing concrete and see if it is a worthwhile investment for your home or office building.

The Process

Concrete floor polishing is a mechanical process that makes use of industrial diamonds for grinding and polishing down concrete surfaces. When done properly, it can leave your concrete floor with an attractive, shiny and mirror like surface.

The process of polishing these surfaces is very similar to sanding tools. However, it uses larger slightly different equipment. The following are the methods used in polishing concrete:

• Dry Method – Just like the name suggests, this method does not use any water or liquids when polishing the surface. The machines have the grinders in place and a vacuuming system that removes the dust before it escapes into your room. This method is very popular because the floor does not become sloppy and messy during the process.
• Wet Method – This one makes use of water during the grinding to cool the rubbing surfaces and also to ensure that no dust is produced. It’s economical in that the abrasive disks do not wear as fast as those used in the dry method. However, the surface does get sloppy hence there is a need for some extra caution when moving about.

Pros of Polished Concrete

Now that we have all that out of the way. Let’s take a look at the benefits that a polished concrete floor will bring to your home or office building

• Cheap and easy to maintain. This goes without saying. Once you have polished your concrete floor, you will get a shiny surface that won’t need a big input from you to keep clean. All you need to do is dust mopping or broom sweeping with the occasional damp mopping and you will be all set.
• Lots of design options. There are many things you can do to a concrete floor. You can achieve almost any texture that you desire and if need be, you can even add a cover to change the colour of the surface. Other options include decorative engravings or stencilled graphics.
• Durability. This is another huge benefit of concrete floors. They can withstand pressure from heavy foot traffic or large and heavy equipment. This is because of the strength and resilience that comes with concrete. Chipping and scratching are very difficult on polished concrete. If the floor is properly installed and well maintained, it can last for decades even in tough commercial establishments.
• Flexible surface finish. Depending on the conditions that you would like to achieve, there are many coatings that can be applied on a concrete floor. These include anti-static, thermal shock resistant, chemical resistant and non-slip coatings.
• Quick and affordable. Concrete floor polishing offers an easy and affordable means of enhancing your home or office interior. You can easily create an illusion of a brand new floor just by polishing the surface.
• Good visual appeal. After polishing, the floor comes with a brighter and newer look when compared to the old dull look. The allowance for improved light reflection that will be achieved after polishing can actually make a room look larger than it actually is.

Cons of Polished Concrete

To be fair, let’s look at the other side of the coin. Are there some demerits that you need to know about?

• Costlier. When compared to other floor polishing methods, Concrete Floor Polishing is slightly more demanding and as a result, it is a bit more expensive. However, considering that it is a one off thing that won’t need to be done as often as it is in most other floor types, the extra expense is justified.

Weigh your options and see for yourself if you need to do some polishing on your concrete floor. Sometimes a little change is all it takes to achieve big results. If you decide to do it, then you need to be sure that the work is done by an expert who is sure to deliver impressive results. JSC Concrete Publishing is one of the few companies that will get this and any other floor polishing job done well in Sydney. Our experts will even advise you on the best solutions to use after the polishing to get the best gloss on your floor.