Polished Concrete Flooring
Concrete polishing in Portland Oregon and the surrounding areas has quickly become a leading choice in sustainable flooring. Over the last three decades, we’ve polished well over half a million feet of it. Because it’s comprised of a bare concrete slab, the building’s foundation is usually chosen which can be a budget-friendly alternative over tile, carpet or wood.
Advantages
Polished concrete is an excellent choice in almost any environment and has many advantages, including:
- Durability
- Ambient light reflectivity
- Slip resistance
- Variety of design possibilities
- Allergen-free
- Low maintenance
- Sustainable
Incompatible Applications
While there are many benefits to a polished concrete floor, it isn’t the right fit for every environment.
We recommend other fluid-applied alternatives for:
- Kitchens – like wax, cooking oils can build up over time, leaving a dingy and dirty film. Additionally, industrial or commercial kitchens need to use harsh chemical cleaning solvents to sanitize spaces. Many of these cleaners contain acidic properties that will deteriorate the finish.
- Restrooms – or other acid exposed areas- polished concrete is not a suitable option for any area frequently exposed to acidic substances as it will deteriorate the finish over time.
How It’s Done
Transforming the foundation of a building into a high performance, aesthetically pleasing floor involves expertise as well as specialized polishing machines, equipped with diamond-impregnated discs. Similar to sanding wood, the initial grind is often coarse and done to remove dirt or coatings from the concrete. Additional grinding is done using finer grit diamonds to refine the rough floor to a flat, level surface which ensures a consistent polish. Once the desired finish is achieved, we use higher grit resin diamonds to progressively bring the floor to a durable, gloss finish.
Products Used When Polishing Concrete
Along the way we apply densifying products to increase the strength and abrasion resistance of the floor, usually between 100–400 diamond grit polishing stage. Our final step is the application of a penetrating sealer. The penetrating sealer will act as a stain shield and give added protection to the finish of your floor.
Maintaining Your Polished Concrete Floor
A good maintenance routine will ensure the longevity of your floor. An improperly maintained floor will deteriorate quickly. Fortunately, one of the main benefits of a polished concrete floor is lower maintenance.
To keep your floor looking its best, sweep and mop or auto-scrub daily to weekly, as necessary depending on foot traffic, spillage and soil. Mopping should be done with water and a specialty concrete cleaner that matches the pH of the floor. A densifier based cleaner, designed specifically for concrete, may be used to maintain sheen and strengthen the floor over time.
Most importantly, avoid harsh cleaners or chemicals, as they will damage your floor.
Waxing a polished concrete floor is not recommended and will actually make the floor more difficult to maintain. Embedded soil and wax deterioration will affect the natural shine of the polish, resulting in a dingy appearance.
Contact Us
Say Hello!
With over 25 years of experience with concrete polishing in Portland Oregon and the surrounding areas. We will answer any question you may have about concrete. If you are a contractor, business owner, or building a house, contact us for help with your next project.
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