Category: Concrete Polishing

 

Concrete polishing companies determine the scope of work for the client’s project before starting the job. The work scope is then discussed, tweaked, and a plan of action is put in place. This article will discuss the responsibilities of concrete polishing companies when working on interior concrete floor surfaces.

Measurements and quoting

To be as transparent as possible, concrete polishing companies should visit the job site before giving the customer a quote. While taking measurements of the area’s size, contractors should also pay attention to the floor’s current state. Ask questions such as:

• Is the floor badly worn?
• Are there a lot of cracks?
• Is the space empty, or will things need to get moved?
• Are you going to be working with soft or hard concrete (MOH’s hardness test)?
• Are there electrical outlets available for your equipment (if you are using electric-powered tools)?
• Do you have access to water for your auto scrubbers?
• How far from the project location is a concrete slurry disposal site if you are doing wet grinding?
• Is the floor in a workable condition in terms of is it leveled? Are there any slabs that are uneven in height? Are there any cracks across the slabs? Refer to our Concrete Resurfacing or Repair guide.
• How “thirsty” is the floor?

After answering these and more questions, the time comes to calculate the supplies cost for the job. The last item of the list above, asks “how thirsty is the floor” this metric would give you an idea of how much densifier you will need to “feed it.” Densifier is not cheap, therefore having a rough estimate of how much you will need is essential for the project costs.

The floors’ area size and hardness will give concrete polishing companies an idea of how much supplies to budget for when it comes to their grinders. How many grinding pucks will they need? Considering that grinding and polishing concrete can take up to 9 steps where each step requires different grit supplies, things can add up quickly if it costs $250 per set and will last no more than 10k square feet.

All of the cracks need to be filled out, and the floor has to be level before the polished concrete floor installation can begin. This will require budgeting for crack repair and joint filling.

Once the numbers are worked out for supplies and equipment, labor hours are calculated, and a margin to maintain is added on, the quote can be issued. The calculation process should not take too much time. More experienced concrete polishing companies will get back to you in less than a day.

Concrete polishing companies scope of work

 

If the customer accepts the quote, concrete polishing companies then issue a document with the scope of work included. This document will inform the customer of what to expect in terms of the job done at the site.

The goal of such a document is to be as transparent as possible with the process and minimize misunderstandings of what was supposed to do what. For instance, if a concrete polishing contractor arrives at the job site and finds the floor filled with structures, who will be responsible for moving them?

The more detailed the scope-of-work document is, the fewer issues will arise during the project’s length. Let’s go over the responsibilities of concrete polishing companies that should be discussed ahead of time.

The concrete polishing contractors are responsible for:

• Ordering supplies and making sure that they arrive on time and have enough to finish the project.
• Gathering equipment, inspecting it, and transporting it to the job site.
• Providing workforce for the job, manage it, and have replacements in place if needed.
• The contractor is responsible for filling in any cracks, holes, and fixing imperfections before starting the project.
• If any changes are needed, the customer must be contacted right away, and a new plan of action should be put together.
• Concrete polishing companies are responsible for any damage that they cause to the customer’s property. Whether it’s grinder punching holes in the walls, concrete slurry damaging sideboards, acid stain damaging walls, etc.
• Polishing crews are also responsible for the cleanup of the job site. The area should be left in a better condition than it was found before the job began.
• Concrete polishing companies need to get the project signed off by the customer to mark it as complete. The customer will inspect the area and will decide to approve or request more work done.
• If any work is not included in the initial scope of work but is requested by the customer, the project’s cost will increase.
• If a concrete polishing project runs into any issues which will require additional spending, it must be approved by the customer before proceeding.
• If an electric generator is needed, the contractor should arrange arrival at the job site before needing it.
• The contractor will dispose of any toxic waste produced during the project in pre-approved containers and transport them to a dedicated dumpsite.
• Concrete polishing companies should leave some written instructions on the best ways to maintain the floors after the project is done and when the curing period will be over so that the floor can be used.

The customer is responsible for the following:

• Clearing out the area that is going to be polished. Everything movable that’s not going to be there forever should be moved out of the way.
• There should be no interruptions happening while the work is being done. This includes no people on the floor that are not concrete polishing companies crew members unless accompanied by a foreman. Many times, people get excited about their new shiny floors and walk over a freshly laid out sealer, leaving a permanent mark.
• The customer is responsible for going over every detail in the scope of work documents before agreeing to it and signing it.
• Customer is responsible for conducting the final inspection when the work is completed and before the last sign off form is signed.

Importance of understanding the roles of each party

 

While this was just an abbreviated version of what might be included in the scope of work for the concrete polishing project, they tend to be a lot more detailed. It is imperative to understand the roles of each party during the project. The clearer the terms of the project are from the beginning, the smoother the project will go.

The end goal of a concrete polishing project is for the job site not just to have breathtaking shiny floors that are durable, stain-resistant, reflective, but to be a pleasant experience for both the contractor and the customer.

Not everything goes as planned; however, having a solid understanding of what could go wrong from the contractor’s side might prepare the customers for when or if things go wrong.

If you find yourself looking for concrete polishing companies near me, look no further. Contact AM Facility Services today, and let’s get your project started!

 

Quite a few times, we hear polished concrete and sealed concrete used as synonyms. While they might sound similar, the similarities between polished concrete vs sealed concrete end there. Can you tell from the picture above, which floor is polished and which one is just sealed? The process that gets us to calling concrete “finished” between these two-word combinations is like day and night.

Let’s get started with going over what sealed concrete is. You’ll quickly understand how different they are if you have read any of our posts about polished concrete floors. If you haven’t, you can read them by clicking here: polished concrete floor posts.

What is sealed concrete?

What we call by the term “sealed concrete” is a bare concrete floor that has been sealed with a unique acrylic sealer. Yup, that’s pretty much it. Once the concrete floor is completely dried out after leveling it, it gets cleaned, and then the sealer is applied.

Sealed Concrete Installation

The installation process goes something like this: the concrete is cleaned and allowed to dry. A layer of acrylic sealer is similarly spread on the concrete as paint would. 

This type of sealer fills in the gaps and dips with a plastic-like filling, which creates a shiny surface once dry. While polished concrete floors look shiny due to mechanically grinding it out of them… Literally.

A cheap low traffic flooring solution

While some sealed concrete floors are primarily designed to prevent moisture from penetrating under the finished floor, sealed concrete is being used as a cheap floor finish in low-traffic areas. Sealed floors do not look great, and you will not be able to see a clear mirror-like reflection in them as you would with polished concrete floors that were finished right.

 

 

Besides not being the most attractive floors to look at, sealed floors tend to wear down quickly and are sensitive to moisture. The more they wear down, the more prone they will get to liquid absorption. The more staining occurs on sealed concrete floors, the worse they will look.

Mechanical damage to the floors due to heavier traffic is also one reason why sealed concrete floors are not a great choice. Walking over these floors will start chipping away at the sealer on its own until you will need to lay another layer of sealer to preserve the concrete underneath. As you can imagine, due to uneven wear patterns, it is a matter of time when these types of floors become an eyesore.

Labor intensive upkeep

While polished concrete floors are generally a pretty low maintenance flooring solution, sealed concrete requires quite intense work in shorter periods. It will cost much less initially; however, the costs will start adding up quickly with each rewaxing of the floors.

Sealed concrete can be used on walls or areas with low traffic. In any other case, they will not be cost-effective and will end up at a higher price point than polished concrete floors in the long run. Besides, acrylic sealers are not suitable for the environment.

What is polished concrete?

There is a clear winner when it comes down to the battle between polished concrete vs sealed concrete floors. Yup, you guessed it, polished concrete trumps over sealed concrete in any way you look at it.

 

 

How polished concrete floors are done

Let’s go over why polished concrete floors are a better choice than sealed concrete floors. For starters, the first step of getting excellent, shiny, mirror-like finish floors, we use fine grit diamond tools to shave the tiny portion of the top layer of concrete. This process levels the concrete surface and eliminates scratches. If you touch the floors, you will instantly feel how smooth they are after completing the polishing steps.

While lower grit tools are used to shave off a tiny layer off the concrete, higher grit tools are used to close off the concrete’s pores. One crucial step is not to forget that happens anywhere between 80 grit and 400 grit grinding, depending on how hard or soft the floor is. 

Densifying concrete floors

It is essential to densify or what some concrete polishing contractors call, to “feed” the concrete with a densifier. Densifier does not only give the concrete a much deeper, richer color. It also makes the floors more durable and stain-resistant.

Densifiers consist of penetrating lithium silicate that reacts with concrete. This reaction then produces insoluble calcium silicate hydrate inside the pores of the concrete. In return, this increases the hardness of the concrete itself and increases the floors’ longevity while reducing dusting and staining. 

Even though a densifier is applied on top of the concrete, it doesn’t sit there for long. Concrete will absorb the densifier, and you might even see it dry fast right before your eyes. It is essential to not over-apply densifier since over-application will result in dust clouds on the following steps and can ruin the finished product.

Filling in gaps and holes

During the grinding stages, all cracks should be filled in and repaired to get the floors to an even and smooth surface. Filling in holes and gaps is very important for many reasons that we will not be getting into in this article. You can check out a post about concrete floor repair here.

Polished concrete floor texture differences

Depending on concrete’s aggregate composition, many different types of textures come up to the surface during the polishing process, making your floors beautiful and unique. No concrete slab will look the same unless there is a very thick layer of concrete “cream” on top, a troweled cement paste.

Under this “cream” layer, the “salt and pepper” layer is the aggregate made out of the finest sand and tinniest stones. To get your floors to this look, more of the cream would have to get removed from the top.

After the “salt and pepper” layer, we have the “exposed aggregate” layer, which is similar to the “salt and pepper” layer but with larger particles of sand and stones. This layer can be reached by grinding through the salt and pepper layer. However, it is not as customizable and even as the “cream” layer of polished concrete floors.

Accomplishing wanted gloss levels

A common term “gloss” refers to the reading of how shiny the floor is. This reading can be acquired by using a gloss meter on the finished concrete floor. There are a lot of variables that affect how shiny your finished floors will be.

Let’s quickly go over what you should not be doing during the whole concrete grinding and polishing process since they will affect the finished product. Often, if you start cutting corners somewhere in the process, you will not be able to realize how these “corners” will pop until the end. The shinier the floor will get, the better you will see the imperfections left by not following the proper procedures.

For a more in-depth look at the responsibilities of concrete polishing companies visit this article.

Things not to do when polishing concrete floors

 

One of the main things to keep in mind when working on concrete floors is that less is more. We do not mean that you should do less work on the floors; however, we suggest to do each step at a slower pace. If you are cutting the floors, it is imperative to move the grinder slowly and even rate.

Uneven grinder movement can cause a “wavy look” on the floors that will only be seen in later steps. To minimize this type of wavy effect, we would recommend cross-cutting your lines.

Another thing not to do is not to skip steps. We had the pleasure of working on a few of our customers’ floors that were firstly done by a contractor that was mixing densifier with water to save on their project costs. We have also enjoyed working on floors that had steps skipped during the grinding and polishing process.

What might seem like a time-saver, in the beginning will come to bite you in the behind at the end of the project. Skipping steps in grinding and/or polishing will cause the floor not to look as shiny as it possibly could have looked.

We have seen happening is technicians not using high-speed burnishers to heat the concrete sealer at the very end. We usually use a 3000 grit pad on a high-speed burnisher and slowly burnish the whole area that we worked on that day.

Things to do to get the best gloss levels

 

One of the biggest separators between polished concrete vs sealed concrete floors is the gloss levels that you can accomplish with polished concrete. So how do you get the best gloss possible?

The “Things not to do when polishing concrete” above covers the few biggest things that will prevent your floors from having the best shine. So if you want to accomplish the best gloss, you will do just the opposite.

Go over each of the steps slowly. The slower the grit that you are using, the slower your grinder should be moving.

Do not skip the densifying step. If you skip this step, you will not only leave your concrete floors less durable, but you will lose some gloss points as well.

Dot not over-densify. If you put too much densifier on your floors, you will not only cause clouds of dust on your following steps, but you will also have a dirty or even cloudy looking floor.

Wash the floors properly between each step. You do not want to have dirt lying on the floors when you spread a densifier or sealer with your microfiber pad. If you seal dirt into your floors, you will have to grind the sealer off and repeat the process for that area to call it “fixed.”

Use quality sealer at the end, wait for it to dry entirely, and burnish it with a high-speed burnisher. This is the “cherry on top” step that will get your floors looking as shiny as they possibly can.

Polished Concrete vs Sealed Concrete: Conclusion

As you can tell, polished concrete floors will be much more durable and require less maintenance than sealed concrete floors. This is caused by the work that the technicians put into these floors during the grinding and polishing process.

Shaving off the floors’ imperfections to closing off the concrete pores, and “feeding” the floor with densifier are crucial steps to take to increase the floors’ longevity. Some polished concrete floors are known to last for 20 years if maintained well. We can’t say the same about sealed concrete floors.

Sealed concrete floors are a cheap flooring solution. These types of floors are usually done in shallow traffic areas just for minimal protection. Meanwhile, concrete floors can handle much more traffic on them, are one of the most popular flooring solutions nowadays, look great, etc. There are tons of benefits to having polished concrete vs sealed concrete.

If you are still not convinced about polished concrete floors, you could also look into epoxy concrete floors. They are more expensive but can fit better than polished concrete in very high traffic or heavy-duty machinery traffic environment. They are also used widely in areas where chemical spills have a possibility of happening. Here is our article on Epoxy Floors vs Polished Concrete Floors.

 

How to polish concrete to get the best possible result

Polished concrete has a modern and sophisticated look. Thanks to the polishing process, it is possible to improve the performance of this building material. Any imperfections must be removed by grinding and polishing the surface until it is smooth, and blemishes are gone. Finally, the sealant is applied to minimize fluid absorption. The process is easy to understand, but it takes time and physical effort.

This post will discover all of the improvements that you can benefit from with a polished concrete floor. If you are looking for a polished concrete Chicago contractor, you came to the right place. At AM Facility Services we have been servicing concrete floors for over 20 years and have worked with customers from all walks of life. Don’t hesitate to call us: 1-800-956-3862 to discuss how we can help your with your next project.

What is Concrete Polishing?

Polishing concrete floors consists of using an abrasive segment tipped with industrial diamonds on rough concrete floors to get a smooth surface.

Think of it as shaving off microscopical amounts of the surface to remove any dirt, uneven surface, or other imperfections. Your floors can go from feeling rough to touch to be as smooth as glass.

Concrete can be polished dry or wet. At AM Facility Services, we favored wet polishing conditions to reduce dust; however, the concrete slurry is labor-intensive on its own. With our state of the art industrial vacuums, we have managed to keep the dust down to a minimum during our dry polishing processes.

Grinding-concrete

Our foreman would use a heavy-duty grinder with low grit metal bond diamond pucks or low grit diamond resin pucks for surface preparation. This is the cutting step where most of the shortcomings of the floors are being removed.

We then use the same type of grinder for polishing the concrete up. This process involves finer grit diamond resin concrete polishing pucks or pads.

The grinder could be a walk-behind, a ride-along, or a remote-controlled. The more advanced technology is behind the machine, the more pricey it will be.

A burnisher can also be used if paired with the right pads, but the project cannot involve any grinding. 

The grinding segments that we use come in various sizes. The segment itself is usually a puck with a rough surface that is equipped with industrial diamonds. Industrial diamonds are widely used in grinding and polishing concrete floors. The size of the diamonds is reflected by the grit that the pucks are marked with.

The rougher the ground, the smaller the grit of the diamond pucks or pads will have to be used. For polishing a floor, we use larger grits with smaller diamonds such as 1500, 1800, or 3000 grit.

So in a traditional project, we start with a low grit and gradually increase it depending on the gloss level the customer wants.

Why should you polish your concrete floors?

A virgin concrete floor doesn’t have a very smooth surface. Instead, it has a semi-rough surface that might not be obvious to a naked eye. In order for your concrete floors to be ready for foot or machinery traffic, the floors need to be densified, closed off, polished, and sealed.

Polished concrete texture

 

It is very important that our floor polishing contractor service is completely carried out before the last step takes place. When we apply the concrete floor sealer, the floor has to feel smooth to the touch and already have a good gloss.

While the freshly laid concrete floor is going to be an easier floor to work with, an older floor might present quite a few challenges. Like everything new, new concrete floors require fewer steps to bring them to a presentable condition. Steps required for them to go from virgin concrete to completely polished concrete floors ready for use are pretty straight forward.

However, when you are dealing with older concrete, you will run into cracks, concrete chipping, screws, or pipes sticking out, maybe even some Quickrete fillings as well. At AM Facility Services, we pay close attention in order to recognize if the concrete isn’t too badly damaged. If it is cracked across the whole block, lifted, or sinking, it might require a full-on replacement of the blocks.

All of the issues with older concrete floors need to be resolved before the grinding and polishing processes take place. An inexperienced team might walk into the job site and get to work right away, which will lead to a lot of ongoing issues. It is better to have everything in order beforehand to save the customer and ourselves from many headaches.

Preparation of the concrete surface

Assessment of the concrete. The Mohs test is used for this, with which the hardness of minerals (concrete) is determined. This way, we can determine if it is a soft, medium, or hard concrete and fine-tune our polishing process.

With the tools provided, you can compare the hardness of concrete with the hardness of other minerals. If a pencil is able to scratch the concrete, its hardness on the floor corresponds to the next smaller number of pencils.

Clean the surface with an auto-scrubber, which should be filled with water. If you are working on a stubborn stain, you could also add neutral detergent to help you out with the process. We strongly advise against any acidic detergents on your concrete floors.

A stronger detergent may be required for particularly stubborn stains or mold. Hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, and phosphate cleaners (TSP) are good choices. However, these chemicals should not be mixed together. Select and use only one chemical and do proper research on what ratio to mix it with.

Before handling chemicals, wear gloves, eye shields, and protective gear while ensuring that the area is well ventilated. 

Repair cracks or defects

Now is the time to repair any joints or floor damage. For concrete cracks, use a special concrete filler and follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to mix it.

Allow the mix to dry completely before proceeding to the next step.

You can read up more about determining if your concrete needs a repair by reading our articles: Concrete Resurfacing or Concrete Repair, Which One Do You Need?

Grinding concrete with a low grit

A concrete grinder is a necessity for this step. Keep in mind that one of the key elements for a properly grinded concrete floor is the downward pressure of the grinder. 

The grinders that we use are more than 1200lbs in weight and usually take two people to move or change out the grinding or polishing pucks. In addition, special grinding supplies must be used for grinding and polishing the concrete floor.

If you are doing this project on your own, you could possibly rent a grinder and order supplies from a reputable local distributor. That is the case if you could find a heavy enough grinder. However, if your project is of a larger scale, it is highly advised to research a concrete polishing contractor near me query.

Before operating the concrete grinding machine, a dust mask, gloves, protective goggles, and hearing protection must be worn. Keep in mind; safety always comes first!

If you chose to grind the floors dry, you must make sure that the industrial vacuums are working properly, hoses are connected well without any free play in the connections, and that the vacuum bags are safely secured.

Anti-slip steel toe boots are highly advised as part of the PPE. Gloves that will not easily let concrete dust and dirt seep through should be worn as well.

Grind the concrete with the lowest grit. If the floor has a lot of bumps or difficult stains, start with 15 grit; if it is in good condition, the grinding process can be started right away with 45 grit.

Lower grits indicate coarser grinding segments. In other words, 40 grit is coarser than 80 grit.

Follow the instructions that come with the grinder to correctly place the grinding segments. Drive the machine slowly over the entire concrete surface and work step by step from one corner to the diagonally opposite corner.

Gradually sand and polish the concrete floor, starting with the lowest grit and ending with the highest.

The strength of the required grain size varies depending on the hardness of the concrete. 

Concrete sealing and finishing

Apply a thin layer of concrete sealer with an industrial microfiber mop. We usually use the 3M 18″ mops. Select a water-based (solvent-free) concrete sealer and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. 

Usually, these concrete sealers are sprayed on the surface and spread out evenly with the microfiber mop mentioned earlier. You will need to wait until the sealer is completely dry before stepping onto the floors.

Sealing grinded concrete floors

 

Concrete sealers protect the concrete floors from grease, dirt, and stains getting inside of the floor. Besides the protective properties of sealers, the floor will also have a higher gloss and extended durability.

How much sealer to put down on the floor will depend on what the instructions say on the container. Manufacturers of the sealers are very specific in telling you how much is the right amount. You must keep in mind that each floor will absorb different sealants differently.

Apply in a single layer. It is important that the sealant is spread with a microfiber mop to avoid puddling. You should give the sealer proper time to heal before continuing to the next step.

Polish the surface again with the finishing pad. A high-speed polisher and diamond pads are required for this step. Work slowly and evenly and work the entire surface at an even pace.

Move-in the opposite direction in which the sealant was applied.

When finished, the floor will be smooth and shiny, with almost a mirror-like finish. The feel of the completed, polished concrete floor will not be much different from touching the glass surface.

The sealant must be completely dry before the concrete floor can be actively used. The drying time varies depending on the manufacturer and the ventilation and location conditions.

Dry or wet polishing?

There are two ways to polish a floor: wet and dry. While wet polishing lowers the chance of having to deal with dust issues, the cleanup costs become pretty noticeable. 

We mostly use dry concrete grinding, unless specifically requested by the customer to go with the wet process. In order to deal with dust issues, a vacuum cleaner is connected to the grinding machine, which sucks off the resulting dust. All modern grinding machines are equipped with suction connections.

When we are working with a wet grinding and polishing process, water is sprayed on the floor in the areas that are being grinded. Wet grinding and polishing make cutting the floors faster due to reduced heat; however, the cleanup cost is higher than dry grinding and polishing.

Of course, wet polishing creates mud and cement dust, which must be carefully removed and disposed into special containers. Another thing to keep in mind is that concrete mud cannot be left to sit on the floor for extended periods of time. In fact, it should be getting cleaned up off the floor right away.

Different types of polished concrete floor finishes

There are three standard versions of AM Facility Services: matte, mid-range gloss, and high gloss. Each of these surface finish variations has a different process and a different amount of steps that we take.

The floors must be scrubbed very well in-between each of the steps. The scrubbing machine of our choice is Tennant 5680, which we have been using for over a decade on our projects.

Right after the grinding process but before concrete polishing, we apply a densifier to harden the concrete and make the floors more durable in the long run.

After the last step of our concrete polishing services process is complete, we apply a concrete sealant, which minimizes the liquid absorption and increases the gloss of the floor.

The final step is slow to burnish off the floors with a high-speed concrete floor burnisher with a 3000 grit pad.

Concrete sludge is a toxic and highly alkaline substance that must be disposed of carefully. The difference between a real concrete professional and an irresponsible company is an obligation to dispose of sludge in an environmentally sound manner. At AM Facility Services, we take this topic very seriously and work in three steps.

Separate and neutralize

The concrete slurry is removed from the customer’s site, and AM Facility Services separator is added to the mix. This converts the pH value of a highly alkaline suspension into a pH-neutral value.

The separator also enables the separation of reusable, clean water from the sludge. This can be safely drained away, while the non-alkaline, condensed sludge remains.

At AM Facility Services we strive to protect the environment with any project that we take part in.

Solidifying

By adding a solidifier makes sure that the concrete slurry is solidified and ready for removal. Once solid the substance can then be placed in containers that will be transported out of the job site. 

Transportation

Once the concrete slurry is solid, it can be transported out of the job site into an authority approved disposal site. 

How much do concrete polishing contractors charge?

 

Not one answer can be given to answer this question since it depends on a lot of factors.

First, we need to take into account the quality and especially the hardness of the concrete that is present. As odd as this may sound, soft concrete is more difficult and more expensive to polish as many problems can arise, and more supplies will get used. 

The surface is rougher, which means more abrasives are used. Therefore the surface must be well prepared before treatment.

We have to take into account the degree of damage to the concrete floor: how many screws to remove from the floor, how many cracks have appeared, how much is the floor marked with paint and tire marks, how badly is the floor stained?

We also need to consider the size of the concrete floor. The larger and wider it is, the more efficient the grinding process can be. The rule of thumb is the larger the area of the project; the cheaper the rate per square foot will get.

The location of the project has to be taken into consideration, as well. How far is it from where the concrete polishing contractors are based out of? Is access easy for machines and sludge containers? Are there any approved disposal sites nearby?

What type of finish would you like for your polished concrete floors? Will you want a mirror-like finish? Maybe you are satisfied with a matte finish? Both of these finishes will require a different amount of steps to take and will vary in the usage of resources.

With that in mind, we estimate that the cost of creating a polished, premium, long-life concrete floor in 2020 will be anywhere from $2-$10 per square foot.

AM Facility Services has been a concrete polishing contractor for fortune 500 companies. With over 20 years of experience in the floor care industry and highly skilled technicians, we can guarantee you great results. 

No project is too big or too small for us. AM Facility Services concrete polishing company is proudly servicing Chicago and all of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Kentucky. Remember that if you need to contact a polished concrete company, we can help.

AM Facility Services only works with top of the line equipment and supplies to guarantee the quality of its surfaces. Call now to discuss how we can help you with your project: 1-800-956-3862

 

 

When deciding between a polished concrete floor or an epoxy floor you should get a full understanding of both types of floors. Concrete polishing vs epoxy, which is the best option for your project at hand? It can be challenging to decide, as there are several factors to consider which include pros and cons of both.

Many entrepreneurs, business owners, and property managers know that they would like something low-maintenance, durable, and long-lasting, enhancing their space’s style and appeal. Still, beyond that, you may have trouble determining what is the best choice for you when having to choose between concrete polishing vs. epoxy. 

What floors are the best option for your particular needs?

The decision mainly comes down to two factors: your budget and how you will use your space. If cost significantly impacts your decision, your chances are that you will choose polished concrete.

The simple reason for such a decision is that polished concrete floors last much longer, concrete polishing cost less than epoxy application, and polished concrete is easier to clean. These being the most common reasons why more business decision-makers opt-in for polished concrete for cost-saving reasons alone.

When the surface is only subject to light to medium use like in homes, offices, commercial spaces, and other low or light traffic areas, polished concrete makes a lot more sense than epoxy. 

For installations that require a chemically resistant surface that can withstand exposure to hazardous chemicals and heavy-duty wear on floors, epoxy is often the best option. Due to these configurations’ demands, some epoxy surfaces may only last up to 5 years. In comparison, polished concrete floors may require rejuvenation every ten years. It is worth mention that super heavy-duty epoxy surfaces made for heavy-duty machinery traffic can last over twenty years without having to be re-done.

Epoxy coatings are very versatile, so they can be customized to suit your needs. Due to the ease of its customizability, you see epoxy in garages, warehouses, chemical plants, commercial kitchens, hospitals, food processing buildings, and a wide range of other industrial settings.

Since polished concrete and epoxy coatings have their own merits and qualities, determining which might be the best option for your space depends on a thorough understanding of both options. Let’s explore these concrete flooring alternatives better to understand the best choice for your particular needs.

Epoxy concrete flooring

Epoxy coatings bond to concrete, creating a chemically resistant surface that can withstand almost any traffic level during the first half of its life cycle. When applying epoxy, concrete polishing contractors would have to “roughen-up” the concrete surface to better bond with epoxy.

Epoxy concrete floors are a good option for spaces that may encounter water or chemical spills, many pedestrian or machine crossings, or other substances and activities that would quickly degrade polished concrete floors.

There are many benefits to using an epoxy concrete sealer. One of these is that it helps to protect your concrete from water, moisture, and stains. When you use the right product, you can help to keep out the elements and maintain your concrete for many years to come.

If you have ever worked with concrete projects and tried to seal your concrete yourself, you may have found that the process was very time consuming and difficult. With an epoxy application, you can save both time and money by using this type of coating.

Epoxy has unique features that will help prevent any water from getting on the concrete. You will have a concrete sealer that will not only keep water away but will also prevent stains from forming either.

Because there are so many advantages to using an epoxy concrete sealer, there are a few disadvantages. One of these disadvantages is that the sealer will not stand up to heat very well, especially direct heat. Yes, that would mean no burnout on your epoxy floors! 

Another disadvantage of using this type of concrete sealer is that if the sealer gets too old or it is no longer working correctly, it may begin to weaken over time. It is essential to ensure that the sealant stays strong by using it regularly.

Epoxy is a smart way for commercial flooring to be maintained. It’s formed of two main ingredients, a hardener, and a solvent. When the two components are combined, they make a highly resilient substance.

In its solid state, epoxy has a unique ability to resist staining and oxidation. This makes it ideal for use in areas where there’s a lot of moisture. It’s also resistant to mildew, which can be a problem for some epoxy products. When an epoxy floor is installed, the product is applied to the ground. After that, the entire floor is protected, making it waterproof. This could be beneficial if flooding occurs and you have to call a company such as Orange Construction to the rescue. If your floors are waterproof it mitigates water damage on its own are much less consequences follow.

Epoxy floors have the property to prevent the formation of cracks in concrete. However, if you’re looking for a non-porous product, then epoxy may not be the one for you. Epoxy concrete floors can be scratched, scuffed, or worn down if left to sit in certain conditions for too long.

While most applications are commercial, some home garages have these types of flooring. Just like polished concrete floors, epoxy can also be an excellent choice in other types of installations where ease of maintenance and durability are essential.

One of the drawbacks of epoxy vs concrete polishing is that it is more expensive to install, it will last less, it is costly to replace and remove, it does not look great once it starts chipping away. However, before its half-life, epoxy does a great job of withstanding all kinds of traffic.

An epoxy concrete floor has many other advantages that go beyond its durability. If you are looking to implement design aspects into your floors with some flashy or unique colors, epoxy is an easy choice.

Depending on the style you want, epoxy can give your floors a modern or classic touch and complement a space with an industrial look, luxurious, or anything in between. 

Whether you are looking for an interior or exterior flooring solution, epoxy coated concrete floor can be an excellent option for your needs. In high-traffic facilities, such as manufacturing plants, warehouses, showrooms, hospitals, and even airplane hangars, epoxy floors can withstand these industries’ harsh wear and tear.

Since you are now more familiar with epoxy concrete floor coatings, let’s look at polished concrete floors.

Polished concrete floor: the common choice

 

Like epoxy flooring, polished concrete flooring is affordable, attractive, customizable, and is the right ecological floor choice for many establishments.

Polished concrete floors are designed to provide high-quality, durable, and visually appealing surfaces for commercial and residential use. They are available in a wide range of finishes, including traditional sand, stone, pebble, smooth marble, travertine, and textured concrete. A polished surface is highly resistant to stains and scratches and can be restored to its original look with professional refinishing.

Polished Concrete floors are designed to be easy to maintain and come equipped with unique features like a polymeric finish and interlocking elements to ensure the floors remain intact and secure over time. Polished concrete can withstand extreme temperatures and pressures from heavy equipment and is non-combustible, making it ideal for the floor coating and concrete refinishing needs of industrial and commercial applications.

Polished concrete floors are one of the least expensive floor types to install and can be installed by most professional contractors. The process is pretty straightforward in most cases and requires little work from the establishment owner besides clearing out the area.

Polished concrete floors come in various finishes, including marble, pebble, and polished slate. Polished concrete has a wide range of colors, such as reds, blacks, browns, greens, browns, and reds. The variety of colors can be customized to match the decor of any area in the building.

Polished concrete is a durable and long-lasting concrete floor. Its durable and long-lasting characteristics make it an ideal material to apply for residential and commercial construction purposes. The high strength and density of polished concrete give it a smooth and shiny surface. High resistancy to scratches and stains, making it the right choice for floor solution.

Polished concrete has a unique interlocking feature that allows you to put together the pieces as a unit quickly. This interlocking feature is perfect for floor coatings and other finishing techniques. This unique feature makes cleaning and polishing concrete floors very easy and fast, making it ideal for a flooring solution.

Concrete sealing is a necessary process when it comes to concrete floors. Sealers are often applied during the concrete rejuvenation or surface finishing process. The purpose of a concrete sealer coat is to add a beautiful, uniform finish to your floor and an extra layer of protection.

Polished floors can add beauty and elegance to any building. When you choose to use polished concrete as a floor coating, you can guarantee that your floor will not only look beautiful, but your hard-earned investment will also last longer. The high durability of polished concrete makes it a long-term solution to keep your investment looking attractive for many years.

The concrete polishing process starts by grinding the concrete surface to remove any imperfections. After this step is completed, a concrete polishing machine uses diamond polishing pads to create a smooth, durable surface that matches the shine you want, be it a low-gloss matte finish, shiny mirror-like finish, or anything in between.

Polished concrete floors are great in high-traffic facilities and spaces where allergen reduction is a priority. The concrete polishing process does not include harsh chemicals and produces little to no toxins during installation, making it a safe and attractive option for many setups. 

Although polished concrete increases light reflectivity by up to 100%, it is not as reflective as epoxy. Either way, your light bill should be going down no matter which one you choose between concrete polishing vs epoxy.

As we have mentioned previously, concrete polishing cost less money than epoxy installation. The job is more straightforward, and when the time comes to refresh your floors, it will be much cheaper to do so on polished concrete vs epoxy.

Polished concrete is affordable to install and easy to maintain, while it is also stylish and attractive. Polished concrete flooring can be an excellent option for your home, office, grocery store, commercial space, or any home. 

Differently from epoxy, when polished concrete is wearing off, it just starts looking cloudy, loses shine, and when it wears down, you can sometimes even start seeing aggregate showing up. However, you do not get the chipped away look you would get from epoxy that needs a replacement.

With a wide variety of style options, including numerous stain colors, marking and streaking possibilities, and other design alternatives, you can design a polished concrete floor that will impart precisely the atmosphere and shine. The unique aesthetic you want for your space.

The final verdict on concrete polishing vs epoxy

As you can see, the choice between concrete polishing vs epoxy isn’t as apparent as one would hope. Both of these flooring solutions mentioned above have a lot of pros and cons.

If you are looking for a durable flooring solution for heavy machinery and money is not an issue, you should go for epoxy flooring. If you are looking to have super colorful floors with bright colors or very reflective surfaces, then, once again, epoxy should be your choice.

However, if money is in question, but you still want to have great looking floors with a mirror-like reflection that doesn’t break a bank, then concrete polishing is the way to go.

Keep in mind that while epoxy will withhold extreme heavy-duty traffic, it will still get scratches and is prone to getting damaged due to impact. On the other hand, polished concrete is scratch resistant but will wear quicker if it is exposed to heavy-duty mechanical traffic.

Rejuvenation for polished concrete is much cheaper than a refresher on epoxy. While rejuvenation of polished concrete will be much less expensive than the initial concrete polishing, it is not unusual for epoxy floor recoating to cost more than the initial installation. Removal of epoxy might quite possibly be more expensive than installation as well.

 

If your concrete is cracked or discolored, it is not necessary that you hurry up and try to replace it. Concrete resurfacing services have advanced quite a bit over the past years. You could avoid having to rip out the old concrete and put it the new, by simply resurfacing your old concrete. You can go even as far as completely changing the color with concrete dyes.

Concrete resurfacing can save you from having to spend money for tearing out the concrete and removing it. It will also eliminate the cost of pouring new concrete and having it grinded and polished. When old floors get resurfaced, they get grinded and polished as well. Which leaves you with saving on unnecessary expenses of removing old and pouring new concrete.

Concrete Resurfacing, Is It Right For Me?

In order to know if concrete resurfacing is the right solution for your floors, you will need to determine the extent of damage. Usually, there are only a few occasions when concrete needs to be completely replaced. When inspecting your concrete slabs you have to look for the following:

1. Do any of the cracks that are going all of the way across the slab?
2. Are both sides of the crack at even level?
3. Has the concrete slab started to sink or came up to the surface?

Sunken or raised concrete slabs can be a sign of issues with the soil underneath or a poor concrete pour. In order to fix such issues, the slab needs to be removed. Once removed, the soil underneath would either get filled up or compacted.

If one part of the cracked concrete block is higher than the other, the slab itself should be replaced. This type of damage is usually caused by heavy machinery, improper prep work or erosion of sub grade.

Steps To Take In Resurfacing Concrete Floors

Cleaning Concrete Surface

One of the more overlooked parts of the process is cleaning. Yes, it is not the most pleasant task, but it has to get done. By cleaning the surface of any contaminants, oil, grease, old sealers is a crucial step to take in preparing your concrete for resurfacing. Every step of the resurfacing concrete should be done properly without cutting corners.

Concrete Crack Repair

Filling in cracks in concrete is another crucial step to this process. Cracks that are not filled in properly can later show after the overlay is applied.

Roughing Up The Surface

Grinding the concrete with low grit metals can aid in making the surface rougher. The rougher the surface gets, the better the overlay will bond to existing concrete. It is similar to what you would do when preparing the floor for epoxy application. This part of the job is usually best to be left for professionals with heavy duty grinders. This step is followed with hole filling.

Applying The Overlay

This is the step where concrete overlay is applied along with texture coat and troweling is done. You can add color coat if you want to change the color of your concrete as well.

Sealing Resurfaced Concrete

For extended durability your newly resurfaced concrete floors need to be sealed. This step will extend the lifetime of your concrete and make it more resistant to spills. After sealing you should let the surface cure between 2 and 3 days.

Resurfacing Concrete Takeaways

As you can already tell, replacing concrete is not the first thing that should come to your mind if your floors aren’t looking as good as you would like them to. Moreover, it becomes very costly very quickly. You should contact a professional concrete polishing or rejuvenation company to evaluate your floors. Chances are that you could save a lot of money by going with the resurfacing concrete route.

This article was a quick overview of concrete resurfacing versus concrete replacement. Not all damaged floors need to be completely redone. If you are in Indiana or Illinois you can contact us and we will dispatch one of our experts to give you an estimate. Click here to give us a call.

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These days, homeowners prefer it exposed concrete floors and opt for the sanded concrete floors because they’re highly attractive and practical. Naturally, question arises on how to sand concrete floors to get to the surface to this type of exposed look.

Before you go for other coatings to add luxury to your floor, you must first prepare the floor. That’s why you need to learn about sanding concrete and the comprehensive process.

To learn about sanding concrete, let’s take a deep dive into it.

Some important questions to get started your project

Before you start sanding concrete, it pays to make the following considerations:

• Are you going to leave the concrete exposed, so it’s visible?
• Do you want to sand the entire floor or aiming some specific areas like seams & walls?
• What sort of finish are you considering to give the floor; acid wash, natural finish, or something else?
• Are there any cracks or holes that need to be filled before sanding concrete?
• Have you added any coloring to match the floor with architectural elements of your interior?

How To Sand Concrete

The ultimate objective of sanding concrete is to get a perfect finish and smoothen the surface. To achieve this objective, following the right process is required. You would want to get a perfectly smooth surface without leaving behind any scratches on the surface.

Following the below steps would help you get a perfect finish on your floor.

Prepare the floor 

First thing, first! Before you begin sanding or grinding the floor, prepare the surface. Inspect the whole floor to spot any irregularities in the concrete and fix them properly.

If there are any concrete bumps, remove them first. Usually, the corners have concrete bumps, and they need to be taken care of properly. You can use Cold Chisels to clean them, and corners are fairly easy to clean as well.

Ideally, you would want to remove the concrete bumps soon because the more time they spend on the floor, the harder it becomes to remove them.

Hire a professional sander

Sanding concrete is a professional work, and it’s better to get it done at the hands of experts. It’s tempting to take it as a DIY project, but you may leave behind several irregularities that’ll look bad.

To ensure that your floor is perfectly smooth, hire a professional sander. There are several benefits associated with hiring a professional sander. They have the right equipment, experience, and expertise to do the job efficiently and properly. While being a more expensive and optional step in this equation it might save you a lot of time and frustration.

However, if you have the right knowledge to do the job, you may source a grinder or sander from a DIY shop.

You can get several types of concrete sanders. The best ones come with a water hose connected with them, which keep a constant flow of water

Use an orbital sander

If your floor is going to be fully exposed after sanding, use an orbital sander. It can be sanded with wet or dry sandpaper, but it’ll take a long time and not produce the desired results perfectly.

If you have the right knowledge to do the job, you may source a grinder or sander from a DIY shop.

You can get several types of concrete sanders. The best ones come with a water hose connected with them, which gives a constant flow of water. It keeps the dust down. You can also get a dry polisher that lets you attach a vacuum. Using a vacuum, you can reduce the dust significantly.

Collect the required equipment

Apart from a concrete grinder and concrete sander, you need some other equipment as well. Having all of the equipment ready beforehand, ensure timely completion of the project. Make sure you have abrasive tools, densifier, and concrete sealant in your equipment collection.

Use the sandpaper with the right grit

The sandpaper you choose depends on the sanding needed to be done on the floor. For basic sanding, use sandpaper with the grit between 40-60. To remove minor irregularities, use 80-120 grit sandpaper. For perfect finish and smoothness, use superfine sandpaper with grit ranging between 200-400.

If there are severe imperfections, then you need to use a floor grinder or special diamond disc. Always start with the coarsest sanding disc and then use a higher-grit disc.

Work methodically

A professional knows how to sand concrete floors, but if you’re doing it yourself, make sure to work down. Always start from the corners and move towards the center of the floor. Start from one corner and sand the area within a 4-foot-square. Work across the length & width of the room.

Once you’ve sanded the entire floor, clean the area and remove the dust. Now, use superfine sandpaper to bring smoothness to the surface. Throughout the sanding, inspect the area to ensure that are no stains and concrete bumps left on the floor anywhere.

Keep sanding the floor until it has achieved the desired smoothness. After sanding, mop the area properly and clear all the dust from the floor.

Protect your work with a Finish Product 

Now that you have done all the hard work, it’s time to do something to protect it. Use a concrete sealer to give your sanded concrete surface a clean wet look. It’s most commonly used on sanded concrete floors, driveways, and masonry blocks. It not only helps the surface to look great but also protects it from wear and tear as well as makes it more resistant to spills and stains.

You should apply one to two coats of concrete sealer after the sanding process is finished. To make sure that the concrete surface is in great shape year round, you will need to do proper cleaning year round and then apply sealer yearly as well.

How To Sand Concrete Floors – Maintenance

If you want to take a look at a more in-depth articles on concrete floor grinding, polishing and maintenance, click here. Otherwise here is a quick summary of steps that you should take to maintain your concrete floors:

• Regularly clean the floor with a microfiber pad that keeps the potentially damaging dirt particles away from the surface.
• Always use clean water and clean mops on the floor.
• Use neutral floor cleaner specially formulated to protect sanded concrete floors.
• Clean the water, coffee, tea, and soft drink spills as quickly as possible otherwise;, they can leave a strong stain.
• Give the cleaner enough time to destroy the grime and other damaging substances.

Wrap Up

Today, sanding concrete floors is a common practice among homeowners. Perfectly sanded concrete floors look way better than fancy stones and woodwork. However, sanding concrete must be done professionally.

If you plan to sand your concrete floor, take this write-up as a reference guide and follow the steps mentioned here. It’ll help you get properly sanded concrete floors.

Hopefully this article answered your question of how to sand concrete floors. We have a few more in-depth guides on concrete floors which can be found here.

 

Concrete floors are becoming very common in new buildings due to their durability, ease to maintain and beautiful looks. No wonder why more and more grocery stores, warehouses, factories and even home owners choose polished concrete floors as the most practical flooring solution. At AM Facility Services we offer various types of concrete polishing services to fit your needs. You can contact us by clicking here for an expert quote.

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AM Facility Services is a concrete floor polishing and rejuvenation company that’s trusted by businesses from small to large. We take pride in our work and always strive to exceed our customers’ expectation. If you have a project to discuss and are looking for the company that will do the job right from the beginning, give us a call!

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Among retail outlets & residential property owners, the concrete floor is becoming the floor of choice. A professional concrete polishing and grinding service uses high-quality equipment & expertise to polish concrete floors and provide high gloss to them. As a result, you get a high-gloss finish that doesn’t need any kind of wax.

Let’s take a deep dive into concrete polishing and grinding to learn everything about it.

What Exactly Is Polished Concrete?

A concrete surface after grinding & polishing is called polished concrete. With heavy-duty grinding machinery, the concrete surface is grinded to a level until it gives the desired shine & smoothness. As a result of grinding, the surface becomes very smooth and dust-free.

Generally, concrete polishing contractors are hired for concrete floor polishing. They have the heavy duty machinery and expertise to offer concrete floor polishing services.

All types of establishments can take benefits from concrete floor polishing. However, it’s generally used in warehouses, retail outlets, wide halls, auto showrooms, and homes.

Benefits Of Concrete Polishing 

There are several practical & design benefits of concrete polishing. Polished concrete floors don’t just look great, they last very well too! Which is why it has become a very popular practice. Let’s look into its benefit for both commercial properties and residential properties.

Benefits for residential properties

 

Cost-effective

Flooring is a costly part of home construction. If you don’t have a generous budget, then going with concrete floor polishing is ideal. Apart from being a low-cost investment, it offers cost-saving benefits in the long run as well.

Concrete floor polishing offers high ROI by reducing energy & maintenance costs. Polished concrete is highly reflective and improves ambient lighting. As a result, you don’t need waxing time after time to keep it in the best condition.

Longer life

Apart from being cost-effective, polished concrete has a longer life cycle. Unlike other flooring materials, concrete isn’t vulnerable to damage. So it means that you don’t need to perform replacement or repair work as often as you would with other flooring. Concrete grinding and polishing involves quite a few steps  which are necessary to ensure the strength and durability of the floors. From shaving off contaminated surface and imperfections to feeding concrete with densifier, closing off the pours and applying a sealer.

This stack of steps makes sure that your polished concrete floors will look great even if they process a high amount of foot or heavy machinery traffic. When you hire a reputable concrete polishing contractor that grinds and polishes your floors correctly, the floors become very resistant to staining, chipping and cracking. The better processes are used, the less you’ll need to spend on maintenance in the long run.

Easy maintenance & cleaning

Even after spending a huge amount of money on luxury flooring, the cost of maintenance and cleaning stays high. However, this isn’t the case with concrete floor polishing. Because it gives a highly smooth and shiny surface, it stays dust-free, and the cleaning becomes easier.

When concrete floors are grinded and sealed correctly from the beginning, they become resistant to spills as well. Even though it is highly recommended to pick up any spills as soon as you notice them, polished concrete floors that were done correctly from the beginning do not usually stain even after spills have been sitting on them for a while.

A wide variety of designs & colors

Polished concrete flooring isn’t only practical, but it has design elements too. There’s a wide variety of colors and designs available in the market. You can choose color & design that syncs perfectly with other design elements of your interior.

When you choose the right concrete polishing contractor, they help you choose the color that’s right for you. Some concrete surfaces already have a nice color to them, but some look plain gray. If that’s your floor, you might want to consider adding a color dye into your concrete polishing or concrete restoration mix. Darker colors will give your floors an even better mirror like deep look.

 

 

Benefits For Commercial Properties 

 

Better for offices with high foot traffic

Investing in luxury flooring for your office might not be the best choice considering the high foot traffic. With a polished concrete floor, you don’t need to spend a huge amount of money on its maintenance and cleaning. Concrete floor polishing makes the floor more resistant to high foot traffic.

Lower maintenance cost

Concrete floor polishing increases the practicality of a floor and prepare it for high use. Polished concrete is easy to clean, and there’s almost no maintenance cost. You don’t need to wax it or use high-end polish solution to keep its sheen. Polished concrete floors lower the associated labor cost. If it’s a warehouse and forklift trucks keep entering and exiting, then there’s nothing to worry about tire marks. Concrete floor polishing prepares the floor to resist tire marks.

High reflectivity

Concrete floor polishing is very beneficial for offices, hotels, showrooms, and public centers where bright lighting is necessary. Polished concrete is highly reflective which increases the effectiveness of your lighting. In the world of concrete a lot of customers want very high gloss. High gloss floors have a mirror like finish and look very luxurious.

The darker the floor is, the deeper the look gets. If you want your floors to have a very luxurious, deep, mirror like look, you should ask your concrete polishing contractor to add the dye into the mix. You will then be asked to pick the color of your liking.

Reduces the tire wear

For the best results, hire one of the highly professional concrete polishing contractors. Polished concrete is highly beneficial for warehouses. Natural concrete has an uneven texture that causes the tires to wear & tear more than polished floors. Concrete floor polishing even the texture of concrete and reduce the wear & tear of forklift trucks’ tires.

It is important to keep your concrete floors dry at all times due to the increase in slip possibility. Part of the reason why concrete floors are so durable is the low friction factor. However low friction paired with water will result in more slippery conditions.

No shutdowns

Concrete floor polishing doesn’t involve the use of any toxic or hazardous chemicals. The cleanliness and polishing process doesn’t require you to shut down your office, plant, or warehouse. You can get back to work as soon as the process completes.

How Is Polished Concrete Floor Installed?

 

Typically, the “flooded bay” method is used when pouring and finishing the floor. It takes 5-6 steps to complete a concrete floor polishing project.

• First of all, the mixture is created. Then, using the “flooded bay” method, the mixture is poured on the floor. To strengthen the structure, a mesh of steel & fibres is used. The purpose is to prevent the cracks in the floor. The time takes to complete the pouring job depends on the length of the area and the workforce working on site. It can take anywhere between 1-3 days to complete this part of the project.
• After pouring the mixture on the area under consideration, laser, rakes, and vibratory screeding machines come into play. This equipment is used to level the surface.
• Now comes the polishing part. If you hire one of the best concrete polishing contractors, you get high-quality work because they use a heavy-duty grinder to grind the surface. After grinding the complete surface, a transitional hybrid tool is used to remove the tool marks. It helps to remove the impressions left on the concrete floor from grinding.
• After polishing the floor, sealing work starts. The sealing part is the final cleanup of the surface using a non-abrasive cloth. It helps to remove debris from the surface. The sealer is applied using a sprayer. This one particular part requires an extra bit of cautiousness from the workers. To ensure that nothing comes in getting a mirror-like sheen, the area is sealed properly.
• When done with the sealing work, the area is left to dry properly. It doesn’t take much time to dry up the area. Typically, it takes around 30 minutes.

The key to getting a high-quality concrete floor polishing, a combination of right tools & right professionals, is mandatory. For the best results, hire professional & reputed concrete polishing contractors only.

When Should Polished Concrete Floors Be Installed?

• Ideally, you would want to install polished concrete floor before installing the doors and door tracks. If you’re building from scratch or installing to an extension, make sure to get the concrete floor polishing before installing the doors & door tracks.
• It doesn’t mean that you can’t install the concrete floor after installation of these elements. However, the risks of inconsistencies on the floor increase when doors & door tracks come in the way.
• To ensure that contractors can easily move on-site, 10mm thick brick foam should be installed to the floor perimeter.
• Ideally, partitions walls & kitchen parts should be constructed on top of the polished concrete floor. However, if it’s a renovation work, then you can’t do much about it. In this case, ensure that you’ve hired the best concrete restoration contractor who can work well despite these hindrances.

Is It Hard To Maintain Polished Concrete Floors?

• The best thing about the polished concrete floors is their durability and easy maintenance. Unlike other flooring material, the polished concrete floor is relatively easier to maintain.
• You don’t need to do anything extra-ordinary or expensive to keep the polished concrete floor in its best condition. Routine maintenance like cleaning and mopping the floor is enough to maintain it. Because of its shiny & smooth nature, you can easily remove dust & debris from the floor.
• The exact upkeep regimen & cleaning frequency depends on the foot traffic that the floor experience.

How To Improve The Slip-Resistance Of Polished Concrete Floors?

Concrete floor polishing gives a mirror-like smoothness and sheen to the floor. However, you can easily walk on it. There’s nothing to worry about being slipped over the polished concrete floor. The polished concrete floor is less slippery than waxed floors.

To improve the slip-resistance of polished concrete floors, follow the below guidelines:

• Typically, polished concrete floors are slippery when they’re wet. Therefore, don’t keep it wet. If water or any other liquid spill over the floor, mop it as quickly as possible to prevent slip-and-fall accidents.
• You can use anti-slip products, which increase the traction of polished concrete floors.
• Generally, the areas near flowers, freezers, and frozen food containers are wet. Make sure to mop such areas regularly to prevent slip-and-fall accidents.

Wet Or Dry Concrete Polishing?

 

Wet or dry concrete polishing? It’s a frequently asked question by the clients. Before every concrete floor polishing project, customers inquire about which one is best and most suitable for their property.

It’s not a straightforward decision. A few things come into consideration before finally opting out one of them. It depends on the concrete floor condition, surrounding environment, and the desired look. However, any of the best concrete polishing contractors would use & recommend a combination of both.

Wet Polishing

Wet polishing is the oldest method of concrete floor polishing. If it’s a natural stone that needs polishing, then wet polishing is mostly used. However, it has been determined that dry polishing produces more shine.

During wet polishing, water is used as a lubricant to run the machine smoothly—however, the slurry water produced as a by-product that needs to be taken care of. Workers are assigned to get rid of slurry water that requires more workforce and slows down productivity as well.

Dry Polishing

On the other hand, dry polishing requires no water. During the initial phase of the grinding, wet polishing machinery is used to grind most of the concrete. When the surface becomes smoother and appropriate for the wet grinding, the workers change the blades from metal-bonded to the diamond abrasive for fine grinding and more sheen & smoothness.

These days, some contractors complete the whole process using resin-bonded disks to finish the project with dry polishing only.

Applying Dyes To Polished Concrete Floors

Concrete dyes can be used to bring vibrance to your polished concrete floor. Concrete dyes are available in a wide variety of color pallets. The best part of concrete dyes is that they don’t cause any chemical reactions with concrete. Concrete dyes penetrate and bring vibrance to the floor and make it look more glossy & colorful.

Unlike acid-based-stains, dyes create color tones that sync perfectly and produce uniformness. However, a professional and experienced concrete restoration contractor can produce interesting color variations.

Both commercial & residential properties can take benefit from concrete dyes. They are available in both water & solvent-based forms.

Concrete dye vs. stain

The primary difference between concrete dye and stain is how they react with concrete. Dye doesn’t reach chemically with concrete and penetrate porous surfaces to produce results. On the other hand, stain chemically reacts with calcium hydroxide present in concrete and produce color on the surface.

Dyes are preferable for indoor concrete only because they are not resistant to UV rays. Stains can be used for both indoor & outdoor use because of their UV resistant nature.

When it comes to colors, dyes are better than stains. Dyes are available in a wide variety of colors and can be used in stores, offices, and other commercial properties. They can create bold designs and graphics.

Can I Polish The Concrete Floor By Myself? 

Yes, if you’re a professional with expertise and tools required to polish the concrete floor. No, if you just want to take it on as a challenge and do not have the tools or proper training.

Concrete floor polishing is a highly specialized work that requires you to have the experience and equipment to polish the floor. There are a lot of technicalities involve in polishing the concrete floor. Therefore, you may not want to invest your time, energy, and money you’re unaware of. The best choice would be to hire a professional concrete restoration contractor or one of the best concrete polishing contractors in your town.

 

 

What To Consider Before Hiring One Of The Concrete Polishing Contractors?

 

Do you know hiring a professional concrete polishing contractor can make a difference? If you are considering installing polished concrete inside or outside your property, make sure to hire one of the best polishing contractors.

Below are some considerations that you need to make before choosing a concrete polishing contractor.

Reputation

The first and foremost thing to consider is the reputation of the company. You may not want to hand over such an important project to a bunch of workers with a bad reputation. They may deliver a good job, but the chances of getting your project ruined are high. Therefore, always make sure that you’re hiring the best professionals for your concrete floor polishing.

The best way to assess their reputation is to go over the website and social media pages to read customer reviews. Access their previous clients and inquire about their services.

Thankfully, we’re a reputed business with highly trained professionals that provides 100% satisfaction and peace of mind.

Experience

Experience is another important consideration. You may not want your project to be done by a company with no experience. So make sure they have an established name in the industry and considerable experience to handle your project.

We are one of the most experienced concrete polishing contractors in your neighborhood. So if you have a concrete floor polishing project, look no further and get in touch with us.

Project cost & duration

With reputation and experience, another thing worth considering is the project’s cost and the time taken to complete the project. A professional contractor always offers a comprehensive project quote, and that’s what we offer as well.

Results

Since your ultimate goal is to get high-quality work against the time & money you invest. Therefore, it’s unavoidable to look at their previous projects. Before hiring a concrete floor polishing contractor, request to see their portfolio. Once you’re satisfied with their previous results, you can hire them.

We hope the information contained in this guide gives answers to most of your questions. For any queries, you can get in touch with us.

You can review our Better Business Bureau profile here: AM Facility Services on BBB.

Next, you can contact us to schedule a call to discuss how we can help: Contact Us.

However if you are looking for a different kind of service besides concrete polishing contractor service, we provide the following:

• Commercial Pressure Washing
• Office Cleaning Service
• Sanitizing Service
• Commercial Janitorial Services
• Gas Station Cleaning Services
• Commercial Carpet Cleaning Services
• Janitorial Day Porter Service
• Special On Demand Project
• Disaster Restoration Service

 

Concrete floors are a cost effective solution for your flooring needs. Concrete floors are everywhere; from hospitals to sports arenas. They are becoming more and more popular due to its durability, low maintenance and great looks. However, when not properly maintained, concrete floors can start to fade or even chip away, especially in high traffic areas. In order to have your concrete floors maintain its top shape, you should consider hiring concrete polishing contractors. When hired, they will handle the maintenance for you and might even save you from having to go through a concrete restoration service.

 

Concrete is one of the most durable and long lasting materials used in making concrete floors. Due to its known durability, many forget how important concrete floor maintenance is. Proper maintenance can go a long way to not only extend the lifespan of the concrete floor, but it can also make it look more attractive and clean. If you are starting to notice spider webbing occur throughout your concrete floors of if they start losing gloss, chances are it’s due to improper maintenance.

What are concrete polishing contractors

Concrete polishing contractors are professionals that are highly trained in concrete floor maintenance and restoration. Their scope of work ranges from light concrete polishing to full scale concrete rejuvenation. If the floors aren’t worn down to the extreme levels, concrete polishing can be used to bring them back to looking almost like new again.

Check out our concrete polishing, cleaning and restoration page by clicking here.

Concrete polishing contractors scope of work

When the crew arrives at your location, you should have already had everything cleared out of their way. Concrete polishing contractors come in ready to work, it is imperative that your team has the floor ready for their arrival. It might get a big messy or dusty at times, so it is best not to have any inventory laying around that could get damaged. Before the crew arrives, you will be contacted for an assessment of the work area and a schedule will be put in place.

Concrete polishing steps can consist of the following:

• Sweeping the area to clear out any debris, trash, dust.
• Use auto-scrubber to wash the area thorough with a neutral cleaner agent to get the stubborn mud and dirt up.
• The following steps will depend on what shape is the floor in. If the floors are very worn down, then the grinding steps will be needed. If they still have decent shine but just look dull, polishing them up should do the job.
• Badly worn down floors would get started on with low grit grinding to remove surface imperfections by shaving off the top layer slightly.
• Densifier gets applied to close out the pours and improve the durability your concrete floors. Properly densified floors have a much deeper color, better shine and great durability.
• Polishing the floors back up with multiple step cross-passing system for the best shine.
• Sealing your concrete floors with sealers of your choosing.
• The final step will be using a high speed concrete burnisher to heat up the sealer and give it a high grit polish for the best shine.

After the job is done, the area will be professionally cleaned and there should be no concrete mud or dust present before crew’s departure.

Making your concrete floors last

A major tip for maintaining your newly polished concrete floors is to clean the floor as often as possible. Of course, the frequency of cleaning should be typically determined by the amount of traffic the floor receives. That said, the high traffic areas of the floor will definitely need frequent cleaning as opposed to those areas that are hardly used.  Nevertheless, one of the most important things to keep in mind is cleaning up spills as soon as they occur. Depending on what is spilled, it could cause permanent damage to the floors.

Acidic spills such as juice, bleach, fruits, battery acid, etc. can lead to permanent damage which would require restoration. Acidic spills do not cause stains, they cause etches occur on your floors. Regular concrete polishing cannot remove etches since they must be grinded out with heavy machinery. By any means, do not let spills sit for prolonged periods of time.

Proper Concrete Floor Cleaning Procedure

Polished concrete cleaning procedure does not have to be complicated. Just follow the following steps and you’ll extend the longevity of your concrete.

• Use a microfiber pad to dust mop your concrete floors on a daily basis. This will remove dust particles from the floor as well as larger debris. Proper floor sweeping before washing the floors will prevent from water streaks being left behind your auto-scrubber squeegee and will reduce possibility of vacuum clogs.
• Ensure that you use clean water and clean mops whenever you want to wet mop your floor. A mop and a bucket is highly recommended when cleaning smaller areas of your polished concrete floor, whereas an automatic floor scrubber equipped with a nonabrasive pad is ideal for larger surface areas.
• Remember to use dedicated concrete cleaner or neutral floor cleaner. If you do not have either one of these, you should resort to using water only.
• It is imperative to clean off all spills and stains from the floor as soon as possible. The sooner you clean it up, the less chance it has to get absorbed into the surface of the floor.
• We strongly recommend to have your concrete floors polished (high grit concrete polishing) once a month for the best shine. You can hire out concrete polishing contractors to do this for you on a scheduled basis. They will apply concrete treatment agents which prolongs the life of your floors.

If you are looking for a concrete polishing contractor near you, AM Facility Services is currently servicing Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Contact us today!

Have experience in concrete work and are looking for new opportunities? You can apply for a concrete polishing or concrete restoration position by filling out this application.