Polished Concrete For Commercial Floors

– Polished Concrete For Commercial Floors –

So you have a commercial space you’re renovation and it’s time to do the floors… but what flooring solution is right for the space? Well, polished concrete for commercial floors is one of the most cost effective, low maintenance solutions available. Of course I’m a little biased… ha! But I’ll make my case and describe the different options below.

Why Polished Concrete?

Now a days you’ll see polished concrete in most grocery stores, big box stores, et cetera. That’s because it’s considered non-slip when its dry. The maintenance is easy, usually just dust mop when needed. For deeper cleaning a floor scrubber can be used to clean thousands of square feet really quickly. But this can be done by hand for small commercial spaces by cleaning the floors with a Bona style flat mop and cleaner. Polished concrete is also very hard so it’s naturally scratch resistant. Plus, it’s fairly cheap to have done, especially compared to other flooring options like vinyl flooring, tile, or hardwood. In addition, it just looks really cool. If you hire the right company they can add color to the floors which looks fantastic!

Below I’ll go over the different options and what the price range is for these services.

Polished Concrete

Traditional polished concrete is usually the most expensive of the options I’ll go over. This is because a heavy grind is required to flatten out the concrete. The concrete is then brought up to a high shine by going over the concrete with around eight different diamond grits. The concrete is alos gone over with a pin hole filler and usually densified twice. This process is time consuming and the diamonds aren’t cheap.

Above I went over some of the benefits of polished concrete but what are some of the problems that might arise with polished concrete? Well, polished concrete is easy to etch and stain… even though it’s been sealed with a densifying sealer. Acidic or alkaline fluids react with the minerals in the top of the concrete which can leave an etch mark, These marks dull the sheen in that area and look awful. The good thing is that they can be polished out fairly easily if needed.

Light Polishing

So you don’t have to flatten out the concrete to polish it. This can save time and money since there’s less steps in the polishing process. This leaves the floor with a “salt and pepper” aggregate exposure and some of the natural patterning from the “cream” or top of the concrete. This is a great option if you’re on a budget and don’t want to spend the money to get a full polish done.

The floors are still sealed with the same densifying sealer which adds some protection and stain resistance. The down side is that the floors can still be etched or stained by oils, or acidic and alkaline substances.

Finished Concrete

In our world these are called grind and seals and usually cost significantly less than polishing. The concrete is diamond ground only once which saves time. It’s then clear coated with a surface sealer instead of polishing. Now, most companies use a thick, solvent based clear coat which doesn’t look anything like polished concrete. But a handful of companies like my own, Sweet Concrete, use the right types of sealers to give the floor a polished look.

We use a nano-quartz sealer that’s ultra thin. This coating is almost as scratch resistant as polished concrete but has drastically more chemical resistance. So if anything acidic or alkaline is spilled on the floor it shouldn’t affect the sheen of the floor or leave a stain mark. This sealer has a natural glossy sheen to it but it can be diamond buffed which gives it a high gloss, mirrored finish. We use specialty diamond pads that are 10,000 grit for this process! Colored tints can also be added to this sealer. These can add depth and style to the floors which polished concrete just can’t accomplish.

So finished concrete floors are a great option when on a tighter budget or when extra chemical resistance is needed.

Conclusion

So in conclusion, polished concrete is a great option for most commercial floors. There’s different price points which is great, and different looks to choose from. Here at Sweet Concrete we offer the above services for the Treasure Valley Idaho area including Boise, Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell, Middleton, Star, Garden City, and Kuna. Give us a ring or fill out the contact form on our home page and we can discuss which option is right for you!