How To Polish Concrete Floors: Step-By-Step
- Step 1 - Use The Right Materials ...
- Step 2 - Clean and Patch the Surface ...
- Step 3 - Test The Hardness Of The Concrete ...
- Step 4 - Grind the surface with a grinding disc. ...
- Step 5 - Spray Densifier After Grinding ...
- Step 6 - Buff and Seal the Surface ...
Full Answer
How to polish concrete floors in 3 steps?
THE CONCRETE POLISHING STEPS:
- With most floors you will start with 16 - 50 grit metal bonded pads. ...
- Repeat this process doubling the grit size up until you reach about 60 - 100 grit size. ...
- A liquid densifier or hardener is applied to the concrete at this time to harden and strengthen the cement matrix between the aggregates. ...
How to properly clean polished concrete floors?
Instructions
- Remove Surface Dust and Debris Sweep, vacuum or dust mop regularly to help prevent scratches from dirt and grit.
- Mix Cleaning Solution and Wet Mop Weekly, mix two gallons of warm water and two teaspoons dishwashing liquid in a bucket or sink. ...
- Rinse and Dry Go back over the floor with clean water to rinse away any soapy residue. ...
How do you clean a polished concrete floor?
Instructions
- Remove Loose Debris and Dirt. Start by removing anything sitting on the concrete. ...
- Overall Cleaning. The easiest way to clean exterior concrete is with a pressure washer filled with a solution of trisodium phosphate and water.
- Remove Grease Stains. ...
- Food and Beverage Stains. ...
- Tire Marks. ...
- Rust Stains. ...
- Mildew Stains. ...
How to put the Shine On Your concrete floors?
What to Use to Make Painted Floors Shine
- Basement, Workshop and Garage Floors. Epoxy paints are a good choice for hard-used concrete and masonry floors. ...
- Porch and Deck Floors. Not all homeowners are convinced that porches and decks can be painted only with specially-designated deck finishes, claiming good results with other exterior paints.
- Interior Floor Paints. ...
- Shiny Floor Precautions. ...
How is concrete polished?
The process is performed with large planetary head machines where the main head rotates in one direction and smaller satellite heads spin in the opposite direction.
What is diamond polishing?
The grinding tools are progressive grits of industrial diamonds in a bonded material such as metal/hybrid/resin often referred to as diamond polishing pads. Concrete is not considered well polished before 800 grit, and it is normally finished to either the 800, 1500, or 3000 grit level. Dyes designed for concrete polishing are often applied ...
What is the process of polishing concrete?
Some simply use the word “polishing” for the whole process. Each phase is then broken down into multiple steps, consisting of consecutively finer grit abrasives. Every step is refined to its purest possible form on a microscopic level from one progressively finer abrasive to the next until the desired level of ‘polishing’ is achieved.
What is a slab newly poured based on specifications designed for polished concrete finish?
A slab newly poured based on specifications designed for polished concrete finish will eliminate a significant number of variables and provide improved finish results over an existing finished concrete slab.
Why is polished concrete used?
Simply put, a polished concrete floor system transforms a porous concrete floor into a tightened surface, dense enough to keep water, oil, and other contaminants from penetrating the surface.
What is aggregate exposure?
The Aggregate Exposure of the floor represents the amount of aggregate that will be exposed at the surface. Consider the needs and functions of your building when deciding whether aggregate exposure is appropriate. Grinding the concrete to expose aggregate may be considered attractive for a commercial space, but it can be unsuitable for a manufacturing space where dropped fasteners need to be easily spotted on the floor.
What is a light sand floor?
The light sand exposure is a ground and polished surface, typically exposing only the sand particles in the concrete floor. This finish is considered a “creamy looking” surface and is the most popular choice for Architectural Ground & Polished floors. Salt & Pepper Finish.
What is the difference between sanding and polishing concrete?
Polishing concrete is very similar to sanding wood. Machines equipped with diamond-segmented abrasives (akin to sandpaper) are used to grind down concrete surfaces to the desired degree of shine and smoothness. As when sanding wood, you gradually progress from coarser-grit to finer-grit abrasives. (In this case, grit is the particle size of the diamond.) The result is a glossy, mirror-like finish.
Why do people use polished concrete floors?
The clients chose polished concrete for a good portion of their interior floors for a variety of reasons, including aesthetics, ease of maintenance, and light reflectivity. Upon visiting some of their earlier polished floors, we noticed a few problems that ultimately had nothing to do with the quality of the work done by the polishing subcontractor, but instead resulted from the work of the placing and finishing contractor. When polished concrete started becoming popular, specifications were being written inappropriately, setting up the polishing contractor for failure. One specification we came across in particular called for a light salt-and-pepper finish (exposing the sands with no coarse-aggregate exposure), but made no reference to floor flatness (F F) or floor levelness (F L) tolerances. As a result, some of these floors exhibited unlevel, wavy surfaces with raised sections that made it nearly impossible to expose only the sands. These areas showed patches of coarse-aggregate exposure, which the owners did not want. The remedy for this problem was to install the concrete within specified tolerances. In addition, specifying lower-shrinkage concrete materials, combined with tighter joint spacing, would significantly reduce the amount curling the concrete would exhibit.
Why do you use water for polishing diamonds?
Wet polishing uses water to cool the diamond abrasives and eliminate grinding dust. Because the water reduces friction and acts as a lubricant, it increases the life of the polishing abrasives. The chief disadvantage of this method is the cleanup.
How many grit diamonds are needed to polish concrete?
There are not published standards for polished concrete, but it is generally agreed that the concrete must be polished through the sequence of disks ending with 1800-3500 grit diamonds to be considered polished concrete.
What is polishing process?
As with any other specialized technique, polishing is a multi-step process requiring use of the proper tools and equipment to achieve top-quality results.
What grit diamond abrasive to use to remove coating?
Remove existing coatings (for thick coatings, use a 16- or 20-grit diamond abrasive or more aggressive tool specifically for coating removal, such as a T-Rex TM ).
What is Titan XT?
Titan XT Engineered for industrial surface prep, grinding and polishing.
What is the process of polishing concrete?
You must clean and patch the surface, grind it smooth with several passes of a concrete grinder, buff it to bring out the shine, and apply a sealer to protect your work. Note that while there are some similarities to polishing a concrete countertop, this article focuses on polishing concrete floor surfaces.
How many grits should a concrete grinder be?
The set of concrete grinding discs that come with the grinder should range from about 40-grit to 3000-grit. If given the option, choose a set of grinding discs that specifically suits either soft, medium, or hard concrete (based on your MOHS testing).
How to use a 40 grit disc?
Grind the surface in half-circle motions with a 40- or 80-grit disc. Attach the disc according to the grinder’s instructions. To remove sealer, stain, or other contaminants that wouldn't wash off, start with a 40-grit grinding disc. Otherwise, use the 80-grit disc. Turn on the grinder and use the handle to turn the disc back and forth in half circles while slowly moving forward. Go slowly and work over the surface evenly.
What is the difference between 40 grit and 80 grit discs?
Remember that lower grit values indicate coarser discs. In other words, 40-grit discs are coarser than 80-grit discs.
How much does it cost to rent a grinder?
Renting a grinder can cost as much as $1000 USD per week, so this project may not be especially cost-effective if you're only working with a small concrete surface. It may actually be cheaper to hire a pro to do the job.
What to wear when handling a grinder?
Put on protective gear before handling the grinder. Wear a dust mask, thick gloves, safety goggles, and ear plugs. The grinder is loud, creates a lot of dust, and can cause serious injury if used improperly. Therefore, consider the user’s manual to be another piece of required safety equipment.
What is the hardness of concrete?
If, for example, the #7 pick scratches the concrete but the #6 pick doesn’t, estimate that the concrete has a MOHS (Measurement of Hardness Scale) rating of 6.5. The higher the number, the harder the concrete.
How to polish a floor with fine grit?
Switch to a fine grit polishing disk. Use circular motions to work over the entire floor. Avoid overlapping activity. Any residual stains should lift when you polish with fine grit. Your floor surface should look clean and uniform as all stains and rough patches are cleared through the coarse and fine grit action.
How to get rid of rough spots on floor?
Begin at one end of the floor and work systematically, moving upward from side to side until you cover the entire floor. Use circular motions to work over the whole floor with the coarse grit disk.
What is the purpose of articles being reviewed?
To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience.
Can you polish concrete floors?
A concrete floor makes for a spectacular finish, indoors or out. To keep your floor looking its best, regular cleaning and occasional polishing are common practice. In addition to making your surface look great, a proper polishing regimen can extend the longevity of your concrete floor. To effectively polish your floor, ...
Can you use a floor grinder to polish concrete?
Use the floor grinder to apply concrete floor polish over the whole surface. Doing so should give you an extra sheen. Your concrete floor is now looking its best. Warning: Exercise caution and follow all instructions provided when using the floor grinder.
How many penetrations are there in a grocery store?
In a grocery store, there are a lot of penetrations for drains, cleanouts, electrical stubs, and refrigeration lines: more than 200 penetrations at the Birmingham store. “The biggest difficulty was with the concrete placement,” says Paul Albanelli. “If you are tailgating the concrete and using a laser screed, that size isn’t a problem but with all the penetrations we couldn’t use the laser screed and had to place it by hand. It took a 10-hour pour, although we were ready for it and got it done. Whole Foods insisted that the important central sales area was placed in a single placement with no construction joints, only saw-cut contraction joints.”
How many square feet is Birmingham Whole Foods?
The polished floor at the Birmingham Whole Foods is 30,000 square feet with a deep exposed aggregate grind and polish. The back of the store was placed first and polished as a mock-up that Szymczak approved.
What is the key to a concrete floor?
The key, all parties agreed, is getting everyone together early and working out the details in a way that put the ultimate goal first : a successful and beautiful polished concrete floor. “Having an owner who knows what he wants is important,” says Paul Albanelli. “The owner came to the preconstruction meeting with a list of items to consider and we talked through them.”
Who is the representative of Whole Foods?
Whole Foods representative Jim Szymczak was impressed by the way Albanelli Cement Contractors and Applied Flooring approached the project. “It was the way they worked from the start. They knew what they needed to do the job right and they stood their ground with the GC and told them if you do this we can’t give you the quality you are expecting. They worked well with the plumbers and electricians. There was no arguing.”
Who is the general contractor for Whole Foods?
“We had the right team members, it was a well-put-together project,” says Brad Baker, vice president, construction operations for C.E. Gleeson Constructors , the general contractor on the job. “The best thing about this project was the communication and coordination among the concrete contractor, the polishing contractor, and the other trades.”
Does applied flooring use retro sealer?
Applied Flooring did not use any sort of guard on the floor, just finishing with a treatment of RetroPel penetrating sealer. “We don’t use a guard, says Parker, “it tends to wear off with foot traffic. In East Lansing after more than a year, the slab still shows no signs of wear, although that’s partly a result of the great job they do maintaining it.”
Who is Bill Palmer?
Bill Palmer is former editor-at-large of Hanley Wood’s Commercial Construction Group , which includes digital and print versions of Concrete Construction, Concrete Surfaces, The Concrete Producer, Public Works, and Masonry Construction. Previously, he worked for the American Concrete Institute for 10 years as engineering editor and director of educational programs and was the executive director of the American Society of Concrete Contractors (ASCC) and of The Masonry Society. He has been the editor in chief of Concrete Construction for 16 years. Bill is a Fellow of the American Concrete Institute and is a licensed professional engineer in Michigan and Colorado. He lives in Lyons, Colorado. Follow on twitter @WmPalmer.
How many grits for concrete polishing?
THE CONCRETE POLISHING STEPS: 1. With most floors you will start with 16 - 50 grit metal bonded pads. These pads are very aggressive and will clean and even out the surface before the polishing begins. Move the machine forward and backwards in a straight line setting over the width of the grinder with each pass. 2.
How to move a grinder forward and backwards?
Move the machine forward and backwards in a straight line setting over the width of the grinder with each pass.
What are the two methods used to polish concrete?
There are two methods used to polish concrete, wet vs dry. See POLISHING CONCRETE METHODS for an explanation of these two processes.
Is it worth learning how to polish concrete?
If you would like to learn how to polish concrete it would be worth the money to take a course. The grinding machine isn't difficult to run, but knowing the grinding process like how fast to go and when to change grits requires experience for a successful job.
