What Is Concrete Polishing?
Mechanically Polished Concrete Vs. Grind and Seal Concrete
When it comes to polishing concrete, there are two approaches that stand out for maintaining concrete floor care in your home or business. There are things to consider when deciding between mechanically polished concrete and grind and seal concrete, which largely depend on the space you are looking to work with. As a concrete contractor, the services we provide are effective, and designed to give you long lasting, quality results, whether you choose the polished or grind and seal method.
1. Mechanically Polished Concrete
If you’re going to go this route, it’s important to understand that this method of polishing works by changing the floor’s surface. Abrasives, like diamonds, are used to mechanically place scratches in the concrete. This process continues on, using abrasives with finer grit to remove and replace the initial scratches with smaller scratches until the surface is smooth and glossy. This method is wonderful for easy concrete floor care in high traffic areas, such as a business, as it yields the most durable finish while requiring the least amount of maintenance. Aesthetically, it has a more natural looking finish than other methods, due to the lack of film on the finished surface.
2. Grind and Seal Concrete
If you’re leaning toward the grind and seal method, there are a few further factors to consider, like the concrete substrate conditions, durability requirements for your space, and the desired finished appearance of the floor. This method uses a grinder which passes over the surface in order to remove contaminants. If there are any imperfections (cracks or divots), they are patched using a cementitious patch repair before it’s ground a second time with a finer diamond tooling in order to smooth the floor. However, if the initial concrete is porous and free of contaminants, grinding isn’t required. The final step in this process is cleaning and sealing the floor, with an additional option to stain or dye the surface before the sealer is applied.
Sealed concrete has a higher level of gloss once it’s finished, and allows for more unique outcomes due to the choice of using stains or dyes, which will result in different colors or textures. Sealed concrete also protects against unwanted stains and the penetration of liquids, so many home owners choose this method, especially for kitchens and bathrooms.
Concrete Polishing
As with any home or business improvement project, there are thousands of options to run through before you make any major decision. If you’ve already decided on concrete floors, you may be overwhelmed with how many different methods and processes there are to achieve your desired end result. However, as outlined above, both the polished and grind and seal concrete methods are as visually pleasing as they are useful for different home or business projects, depending on your personal taste and preference. As a reliable concrete contractor, we provide you with both of these concrete services at an affordable price, and are here to answer any other questions you may have about the difference in each method, and which one is the right fit for your home or business!
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