Generally floorings were made of materials like wood which needed a lot of upkeep and maintenance. They had to be waxed regularly. These were replaced by granite – which unfortunately was out of the budgetary reach for most. Tiles then commonly replaced other floorings. However, the disadvantages with tiles are that they tend to scratch, are not always stain resistant and tend to break. Tiles too are cold to the touch and normally require carpets to be placed on them, especially when one walks barefoot. Another alternative was the use of linoleum. This does not feel cold to the touch but there are dangers of scratching, cracking and tearing. Another common flooring material in use is concrete. However this was not preferred as it lacked the gloss and finish of tiles. However, the recent advances are ground concrete which gives a high gloss finish.
Advantages of Polished Concrete Floors
Polished concrete floors are durable as well as perform better for warehouses as well as for commercial complexes. This is now gaining popularity among home owners as well. The reasons for it’s appeal is that it is a better alternative to the traditional granite, marble, tiles or linoleum. These floors do not need carpets and therefore, the home user can save money rather than investing in expensive carpets. The floors are scratch resistant and also tear resistant. They do not crack as well. They do not need to be replaced and are easy to maintain. These floors can be stained so that they resemble polished stone and due to their smoothness and luster, they have aesthetic appeal.
The polishing can be based on the requirements of the user. Some may opt for a satin sheen while others may want high gloss finishes.
When One Needs to Polish Concrete Floors the Following Steps are Needed:
One needs to evaluate if the current floor is carpeted, has a coating, or else if it is glued or painted
One needs to evaluate the concrete condition. The conditions could be if it is old, pitted, cracked or if it is newly laid
One should evaluate what is the extent of polishing one desire. The level of polishing is proportional to the expense one will incur. The higher the level of gloss, the more expensive it is.
The area that needs to be polished needs to be evaluated as well as the amount of corners and edges. The edges and corners are very painstaking tasks and take longer to accomplish.
The power that is available – large grinding machines require more power than the smaller ones
The grinding going to be wet or dry. Wet grinders generate a lot of slurry and need a wet vacuum to clean up the place. Dry grinders generate a lot of dust.
The next step is to match the correct diamond tooling for the concrete job to be done.
In order to select the correct tooling, one needs to see the finish of the concrete. Concrete which has a broom finish indicates that the concrete is soft. Another indication is if the slab is pitted or if it is dusty. Gritty or rough surfaces normally indicate that the surface layer of the concrete is soft.
How to Determine Whether the Concrete is soft or hard?
One can also lightly scratch the surface of the concrete. If it brings up dust it indicates that the concrete is soft.
Based on the softness or hardness of the concrete the correct diamond bonds can be ascertained. There are:
Hard Bond Diamonds
Medium bond diamonds
Soft Bond Diamonds and
Resin Bonded Diamonds
Accordingly, one can find that there are many concrete polishing professionals who can be consulted with, to get the best shining and glossy concrete flooring option.
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