Polished Concrete Flooring

Process, Features and Benefits

Metro Mix Concrete (Vic) Pty Ltd. http://www.metromixconcrete.com.au/

CONTENTS

Polished Concrete Flooring Intro Process Of Concrete Polishing 1. Grinding i. Wet ii. Dry Few Reasons To Perform Concrete Grinding 2. Polishing i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. Identify The Condition Of Concrete Prepare The Surface Begin Polishing Densification Of The Concrete Final Polishing Protecting The Polished Concrete

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Features Of Polished Concrete Floor Common Places Of Installation Benefits Of Polished Concrete Floor

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POLISHED CONCRETE FLOORING INTRO

Polished Concrete Flooring is the ultimate no-wax flooring material used to obtain glossy, mirror like finish to the flooring surfaces. Machines with diamond-segmented abrasives used to grind down the surface of the concrete to desired degree of shine and smoothness.

The competitive advantage that the polished concrete floors offer over other types flooring options make the homeowners, big-box stores, retailers, medical and educational facilities to choose it to create the aesthetic appeal.

Figure 1 Polished Concrete

Concrete was first emerged in the year 1998, but has been used as a building material for 5000 years. This was originally developed for old concrete surface restoration and the process was developed from marble concrete techniques.

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PROCESS OF CONCRETE POLISHING 1. Grinding i. Wet

In this method water is used to cool the diamond abrasives and the grinding dust is eliminated. Water acts as a lubricant and hence reduces friction and increases the life of the polishing abrasive.

The disadvantage of wet cutting is the cleanup process which leaves a tremendous amount of slurry (semi- liquid mixture of water and cement dust) that should be collected and disposed in an environmentally friendly manner.

ii.

Dry
Dry method is faster, more convenient and environmentally friendly. Dry method doesnt use water and instead dust-containment systems are used by contractors to eliminate the mess. 99% of the dust is extracted by the equipment from concrete polishing and hence the worksite becomes clean and ensures the safe air quality.

Few reasons to perform Concrete Grinding

Removing the surface of the concrete to make it level or even. Preparing it for the application of paint, stain, epoxy or seal. To achieve a polish finish.

2. Polishing
i. Identify the condition of concrete
It is important to access the condition of the concrete surface you are dealing with before the start of the polishing process.
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Look for the spalls at joints, high or low spots, cracks or blemishes, existing paints, sealers or epoxy coatings, adhesives or mastic remains after the removal of floor coverings. Minor surface imperfections and coatings can be removed with the diamond grinding. Only structurally sound concrete floors can be polished and there are few exceptions. With respect to existing floors, Extremely soft and porous floors or one that needs extensive patching. (Use a screw driver or coin to scrape or abrade the surface of the concrete and test its hardness at several spots.) Badly spalled surfaces (Scarifier can be used to remove the surface layer of the concrete)

Figure 2 Concrete Flooring

With respect to the new concrete surfaces, The concrete should be allowed to cure in order to attain sufficient hardness before polishing the new ones.

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ii.

Prepare the Surface

Removing the existing sealers and coatings is the first step involved in polishing the surface of the concrete. The heavy coatings with thick elastomeric membranes, mastics, epoxies and urethanes can be removed with more aggressive grinding head of 16 or 20 grid diamond tooling. For the concrete polishing heads to move easily on the floor, it is significant to fill any cracks and control joints with an epoxy or other semi-rigid joint filler. Initial rough grinding can be started for floors with minor blemishes or very light coating.

iii.

Begin Polishing
This initial rough grinding of the concrete surface prepares it for the final smoothing and depending upon the condition of the concrete the process is split into two or three steps. Start the grinding with 30 or 40 grit diamond segment bonded in a metallic matrix. Repeat the process with finer 80-grit and 150- grit metal bonded abrasives. An average of two passes is required for each diamond grit step depending on the density of the concrete. The polishing process can be started for good condition floors, Clean, leve l and blemish free, with an 80 or 150 grit metal bonded diamond.

iv.

Densification of the concrete

Once the initial coarse grinding process is complete, chemical hardeners are applied on the surface to solidify it and make it dense by altering the basic characteristics of the concrete like the hardness and porosity.

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The chemical hardeners are commonly made of sodium-, potassium-, or lithium based silicates and reacts with the calcium hydroxide present in the concrete to from hard, crystalline structure.

Steps involved in the process

o Saturate the surface with the hardener using stiff-bristled broom. o Allow it to penetrate into the surface for 30 minutes. o Remove the excess with a squeegee or floor scrubber. o Proceed to the next step after letting the hardener cure for 12 to 24 hours or as specified in the container. o The polishing can be started shortly after densification as

recommended by the hardener manufacturers.

v.

Final polishing
In this process start by polishing with 100-200 grit resin bond diamond, or a combination of the two. Then with finer grits like 400, 800 etc., and for high- gloss finish go up to 1500-3000 grit resin bond diamond depending upon the sheen level required. Different grit levels offer different sheen, With 400-grit finish, the floor will softly reflect side lighting 800-level clearly reflect side and overhead lighting 3000-level will be wet and glossy providing a mirror- like finish.

vi.

Protecting the Polished concrete

After the polish and the look are attained, protect the surface with commercial stain- guard product, especially if it is exposed to grease, oil, or chemicals. They are applied using pump sprayer or wax-applicator. The solutions will make them resistant to absorption of stain and dirt. In order to maintain the effectiveness they must be reapplied every few months.

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FEATURES OF POLISHED CONCRETE FLOOR

Easy to install and maintain Long- lasting Increased strength and Durable Decrease in floor maintenance No waxing and stripping Elimination of dusting Little or no down time Increase ambient light reflection Non-slip surface Decrease tire wear and tear Cost-effective and Economical Beautiful and aesthetic Health option

COMMON PLACES OF INSTALLATION

Figure 3 Polished Concrete Floors

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The most common places in which the polished concrete is used include: Private residences Retail stores Office buildings Warehouses and outlets Auto showrooms Hotels and restaurants

BENEFITS OF POLISHED CONCRETE FLOOR

Cost effective More resistant to high foot traffic Longer life-cycle savings Less maintenance Resists transmission of moisture High light reflective Sustainable flooring alternative

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