Polished concrete floors are trendy in homes worldwide because of their beautiful natural stone effect and long-lasting durability. Polished concrete is basically a multi-step procedure. A polished concrete floor is manually polished, chemically ground, and honed so that a rough concrete floor can be made into a polished concrete floor. It is polished again after it has been refined, using each successive cut to get a certain look. Polished concrete is an extremely durable building material that will stand up to wear and tear for many years to come. Polished floors are a great choice of flooring material in any room of your home.
This type of finishing is usually done on a commercial level. However, it can be done with the right equipment at home if you have a well-finished and maintained floor. Many important tips should be followed when polishing polished concrete floors. These tips include:
The first tip to keep in mind when maintaining your polished concrete floors is to clean them thoroughly before and after each use. One way to do this is to sweep or vacuum the floor before polishing. The sweep helps remove any loose particles that might have gotten caught during cleaning. Vacuuming removes the loose dirt from the floor’s surface, allowing the finish to seal better and last longer.
Another important step in polishing your polished concrete floors is to clean the floor’s surface with a commercial cleaner specifically designed for polishes. This type of cleaner is not recommended for conventional concrete floors. A conventional concrete flooring system contains acids that cause the porous surface to break down over time. These acids, primarily phosphoric acid, can cause the porous concrete to break down even more and ultimately crack. It is best to use cleaners that are designed for the surfaces that you will be using on.
Polished floors that have been subject to grinding will need to be cleaned and resealed after they have been subject to grinding. This maintenance is necessary because grinding leaves rough edges, and the result is stains and dull spots. The best way to get rid of these stains and dull spots is to grind the area again using a grinding machine. However, you will find many other maintenance options that you can choose from when you have polished concrete floors.
Other maintenance options that you can use to maintain your polished concrete floors after they have been polished include using high grit sandpaper, water-based products, diamond grit, and water-based products like floor finishers. These products all serve a similar purpose: to provide an extra level of protection to the polished surface against staining and physical damage. When it comes to physical damage, you will most likely want to remove the existing concrete slab and install a new, unpolished surface. However, if you already have a polished surface, you may choose to repair the existing concrete slab to restore its shine. There are different types of polishing techniques that can be used to repair an existing concrete slab, but the easiest ones will involve grinding the entire surface to give the floor a polished look.
Polished floors can still become slick when they become wet, which is why regular maintenance and resealing are important. Some of the most common problems associated with polished concrete floors include slip and fall injuries due to slippery surfaces. There are simple slip-proof mats available to place on your polished floor to prevent accidents from occurring. Another possible solution for those who have slick flooring is to purchase a slip-resistant mat with non-skid pads. Even if you do not have a mat available to you, there are other maintenance options that you may consider to prevent your polished concrete floors from becoming slippery.
Polished concrete floors add a beautiful finishing touch to any home, but they are often more difficult to maintain than traditional exposed concrete floors. To keep your polished flooring in top condition, you will need to schedule maintenance visits to include routine cleaning and resealing. If your flooring has been installed at a residence, you should call a professional contractor or visit their website to get advice on maintaining your flooring. A professional will advise you on the best way to protect your investment and ensure that your flooring is maintained to the desired finish and looks great.