In Phoenix, concrete floors are ideal since they help to absorb both cool and hot air. This helps to reduce your reliance on your HVAC system to keep your home comfortable. Reap the most benefit and keep your concrete floors looking great when you polish them regularly. Learning more about the process that professionals use to polish concrete floors will help you to best plan for the service in your home.
Concrete Floor Polishing Benefits
Concrete floor polishing helps to increase its durability and aesthetic appeal. It makes it more durable by increasing its hardness and density. Polished concrete is more resistant to impact, wear and erosion. Compared to an untreated concrete floor, polished ones have a longer lifespan even when there is a high level of foot traffic and other stresses.
Without polishing, concrete floors can look dull, but with this process, they become attractive and sleek. It helps to expose the concrete’s natural beauty by giving it a reflective or glossy finish. You can also utilize different customization options, such as decorative elements, sheen level and by adding patterns or colors.
Polishing your home’s concrete floors can actually improve the ambient lighting in your space. After polishing, your floors will have a higher light-reflective index. This means that they can amplify and reflect both artificial and natural light. It will increase visibility in your home and make it more inviting and brighter.
Polished concrete is an ideal choice for basements, garages and other work areas in your home. Compared to other flooring types, polished concrete is generally more resistant to oils, chemicals and spills. It is also easier to clean up after a spill since all you need is a mop.
Assessment and Preparation
A professional will start by assessing the floor and asking you about what you want to accomplish with polishing. Then, they will collect the following materials and tools:
- Vacuum or dust extractor
- Varying grits of polishing pads
- Sealer
- Concrete grinder and pads
- Protective gear
- Concrete densifier
- Burnishing equipment
They will clean the surface using the proper concrete cleaner to remove dirt, debris and oils stains. Next, they will assess the concrete for any imperfections, holes or cracks and patch and repair any damages. Before moving onto the next step, they have to allow complete curing of the patched areas.
Grinding and Coating Removal
The grinding process begins with picking out the right grinder for the job. They will determine how big the project is to choose the best one. Then, they attach the diamond grinding pad, starting with a 30 to 50 grit pad to ensure the right level of coarseness. During this part of the process, they will focus on removing blemishes, existing coatings and rough spots.
As they methodically work across the surface of your concrete floor, they will make sure to not create uneven spots. As they continue to grind, they move to finer grits of diamond grinding pads. This allows for a smoother and more refined surface. Every pass that they make will eliminate the scratches that are present from the previous grit.
Throughout the grinding process, they will make sure to control the dust using their vacuum or dust extractor. This makes the grinding process more efficient and keeps the work environment cleaner.
Densification and Hardening
The professional will determine the type of concrete floor that you have and pick the right densifier for the job. A densifier is important because it increases hardness and fills in pores when it reacts with the concrete.
They will use a roller or a low-pressure sprayer to evenly apply the densifier. It is imperative that they get complete and even coverage. Before continuing with the process, they will allow it to penetrate the concrete. How long this takes depends on the densifier they are using. They will follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Once the densifier dries fully, they will polish the floor more. This generally involves finer polishing pad grits that get progressively finer as they continue. It will increase the smoothness and sheen of your concrete floor.
Polishing and Resin-Bonded Pads
The polishing process involves the use of resin-bonded pads. These use a combination of diamond particles and resin to provide a concrete surface with a high-quality finish. Professionals generally start with a coarser pad and then work toward a finer grit as they polish the concrete floors to allow for a shinier and smoother finish.
They might use a dry or wet polishing process. If there is limited access to water or a water usage restriction, a dry process is often what they use. Should they opt for a wet polishing, this can enhance the finish quality. It also helps to decrease dust and cool the tools throughout the process.
Once they finish polishing the floor, they might apply a sealer. This helps the floor to resist wear and stains, and it offers additional protection. You can choose from several finishes, including satin, matte and high gloss.
Surface Cleaning
Once they finish all of the steps in the polishing process, it is time to clean your floor. This will remove any leftover dust and dirt so that your floor is clean and has the proper level of sheen. It also helps to remove any leftover polishing compound that is still on the floor.
Professionals will use an auto-scrubber or a mop along with a neutral pH cleaner for this process. Once they clean the floor thoroughly, they will ensure that it is completely dry before moving onto the inspection.
Final Inspection
Professionals will conduct a final inspection after finishing the polishing process. This begins with a visual inspection to look at the edges and corners, check for uniformity and examine the decorative elements. Next, they will make sure that the floor has the proper texture and smoothness.
Professionals will look at the gloss levels to make sure there is uniformity and light reflectivity. They will inspect appearance and color. Next, they will look at the corners and edges. They will look at any filled joints and see if there are cracks or expansion that they need to address.
The professional will make sure that they applied densifier during the process. They will also look at the quality of the sealing. Finally, they will walk through the finished space with the customer to make sure that everything is up to their standards.
Concrete Flooring Experts in Phoenix
There are many steps involved and due to the level of precision required, make sure to always have a professional tackle the job in your Phoenix home. Our team has extensive experience polishing concrete floors, so you can rest assured that we complete every job right the first time. We can help you with other flooring needs too, such as concrete staining, epoxy floors and cool decking.
Call Valley Concrete Coatings & Polishing in Phoenix to learn more about the concrete floor polishing process.
