What is Concrete Polishing?

First impressions matter. As a commercial building owner, you know this better than anyone. One way to give your concrete floor a professional sheen is to have the floors polished. This gives your concrete floor a sleek and shiny appearance that looks great. Here’s everything you need to know about performance concrete polishing. 

What is Concrete Polishing?

Concrete polishing is a process in which heavy-duty machines are used to grind down a concrete surface. This is done gradually until it reaches the desired level of smoothness and shine. Think of this as a process like sanding down wood to the necessary smoothness.

The most common places you’ll see polished concrete include:

• Retail stores
• Office buildings
• Auto showrooms
• Office buildings
• Hotels
• Restaurants
• Large warehouses and warehouse outlets

Most structurally sound concrete floors, whether they’re new or old, can be polished as long as proper preparation is done in advance. If you’re unsure, you may want to have a professional assess the concrete floor before moving forward with the polishing process.

Why Should I Get My Concrete Polished? 

Polished concrete is a great and cost-effective flooring option for your business. If the concrete floor is designed, it adds an aesthetically pleasing look to your floor that won’t break the bank. Here are some additional reasons to consider polished concrete:

• Saves you money – While we’ve already mentioned this, it bears repeating. Most concrete polish projects can range from anywhere between $3 to $12 per square foot. Not only is it a cost-effective flooring solution, but maintenance costs are also lower than other flooring solutions.
• High resistance to foot traffic – You only have to worry about maintaining the most highly-trafficked areas in your business. Even then, polished concrete is very easy to maintain.
• Long-lasting – Outside of an occasional wet mopping, there’s not a lot of maintenance needed for a polished concrete floor. There’s no need for waxing or coating, which saves time and money. Also, it’s resistant to normal wear and tear as well as harder-hitting things like tire marks and oil stains. It’s also resistant to moisture, meaning it doesn’t run into the same issues as other flooring options.
• Reflects light well – Due to the level of shine a polished concrete floor produces, it reflects light well, making the work environment brighter. You can actually save money this way as the light reflection means your business will require less lighting to keep an area lit.

Is Polished Concrete Slippery?

Polished concrete may look like it would be slippery, but it’s very safe to walk on, especially when it’s dry and clean. Concrete floors are less slippery than something like polished marble or even linoleum. As a business owner, preventing any sort of slip and fall injury should be a priority in high-traffic areas.

You can keep your polished concrete slip-free by doing the following:

• Keep floors free from standing water, oil, or grease. Clean spills and stains as soon as possible.
• Use an anti-slip conditioner. This will help add extra traction to a polished area and make wet surfaces safer than usual. Applying it is easy since you can mop it on with routine cleaning.
• Apply a coat of sealer with an anti-slip grit additive. Much like the anti-slip conditioner, this will help add extra traction to any area where it’s applied.
• Add rubber mats or rugs to high-traffic walkways. This not only keeps slips from happening but can also help knock things loose from the bottoms of shoes that could cause damage to your concrete floor.

Should I Polish My Concrete Myself?

Polishing concrete is a semi-complex task. Between getting the proper equipment to do it and having a certain level of know-how, it’s highly recommended you hire a professional if you’re looking to polish your concrete floors. While it’s not entirely impossible to do it yourself, it’s quite the undertaking. Hiring a professional to do the job for you is well worth the investment.

Looking for Performance Concrete Polishing? 

If you need concrete flooring polished, then Blair Duron is here to help. With a quarter-century in the specialty flooring industry, Blair Duron is a pioneer. We employ over 75 project managers, estimators, and installation professionals, representing one of the largest skilled direct labor workforces in the industry. While we service the Raleigh/Durham area, we have serviced clients all over North Carolina, as well as assisted in projects in South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia.