Polished Concrete for Commercial and Residential Flooring
Concrete, used more than any other man-made material in the world, is composed of cement and other 
cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, coarse aggregate made of gravels or crushed rocks, plus a fine aggregate such as sand, plus water, and chemical admixtures. The water reacts with the cement, which bonds the other components together, eventually creating a robust stone-like material.
There are many types of concrete available, created by varying the proportions of the main ingredients. By varying the proportions of materials, or substitution for the cemetitious and aggregate phases, the finished product can be tailored to its application. The mix design depends on the type of structure, how the concrete will be mixed and delivered, and how it will be placed to form this structure.
Polished concrete is concrete that has been treated with a chemical densifier and ground with progressively finer grinding tools using diamond grinding cup wheels and diamond polishing pads. Concrete is not considered polished before 400 grit, and is normally finished to either the 800, 1500, or 3000 grit level. Stains and dyes are often applied to enhance polished concrete as well as other options such as scoring, borders, and other designs. Often the process includes a final process called "Burnishing", which is a post-polish, running a micro-fiber pad on a floor buffer, taking the polished floor to a high sheen. This increases the shine, cleanability and the floors ability to resist stains.
When comparing the advantages and disadvantages of material used for commercial and residential flooring, polished concrete ranks at the top in all categories. New or retrofit, polished concrete offers a number of advantages that other flooring materials can't match, particularly when it comes to durability, performance, maintenance, sustainability, and cost.
There are significant reasons why polished concrete is the best alternative as a flooring solution.
Lower Lifetime Cost
Lifetime cost include initial installation cost maintence cost. Depending upon that area of the country you are in, the installation cost for a 3,000 grit finish runs from $5.00 to $9.00 per sq foot. That is less that the cost of ceramic tile, wood, or natural stone. Another benefits of polished concrete is less maintenance cost. In high traffic areas especially, polished concrete holds up better. Not only are polished concrete floors easy to clean, requiring only occasional damp mopping, they can resist scuff marks and tire marks. They also eliminate the need for waxes or coatings as well as the associated labor, time, and expense to apply them. Polished concrete has a longer lifespan than materials such as vinyl composite tile or upgraded stone tile. Polished concrete only needs to be refinished once every five to ten years. In addition, the downtime required the polishing process is minimal.
Aesthetics
Polished concrete is a viable, economical and long-lasting option that has a natural stone appeal and appears expensive and elegant. Concrete is fast becoming the ultimate flooring material. Thanks to recent advances in polishing equipment and techniques, contractors are now grinding concrete floor surfaces, whether new or old, to a high-gloss finish that never needs waxes or coatings. Almost any structurally sound concrete floor, whether new or old, can be polished.
Ambient Lighting Increases
The high light reflectivity of polished concrete projects a bright, clean, professional image that can give concrete a higher degree of shine, similar to polished marble or granite, than can be achieved with a high-gloss coating. This means greater visibility and fewer overhead lights required in buildings with polished floors. Glass can be seeded into the mix. The polishing process will reveal the glass pieces and add reflectivity.
Environmentally Friendly
Concrete floors are an allergy friendly option because they don't harbor allergens, are easy to clean, and provide limitless decorative options. Make sure that your concrete floors are finished properly with a VOC free sealer and you will have a gorgeous floor that will help you find relief from common household allergens.
One Call Properties Services Inc. has served the South Florida area since 2005. Please contact us if you have any questions. Call us (772 223-8400 ) if you are interested in receiving a free quote from us on your remediation, reconstruction, or restoration needs.
Whether you are a Treasure Coast area property manager, commercial general contractor, or home owner, One Call Properties Service will provide quality work, timely service, and reasonable pricing. We pride ourselves on the high standards we have established and maintained as a Treasure Coast area contractor. We will gladly provide references if you are considering us for your next damage restoration project.
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