The benefits of polishing a concrete floor are numerous. The end result is a high shine, easily cleaned surface that requires little maintenance. This type of finish can even reduce your electricity bill, as it produces such a reflective final product, light is amplified. Popular in big box retail stores, as well as restaurants and residential homes, a polished concrete floor adds value to any space.
Polishing a concrete floor requires following a very specific set of steps. Done correctly, the end result is beautiful, but there are significant risks if the process is rushed. The beginning stages depend heavily on the state of the existing floor. An existing coating to remove, or adhesive residue to scrape up is often the first step. After removal, you need to assess if the concrete has been chemically treated.
Concrete hardeners and densifiers help concrete floors last longer. Spread evenly onto the slab these chemicals penetrate the concrete, protecting, preserving, and strengthening it. Along with a color additive, this is used in the final stages of polishing a concrete floor. Repairing or re-doing a polished floor will require aggressive tooling to re-open the pores on this type of chemically treated floor.
After the initial cut to open up the floor, move through the tooling progression without skipping steps. Attempting a 3000 grit level polish requires 10+ stages without skipping a single step. Skipping a grit will leave visible swirl marks on the floor. This will force you to go back to the beginning and start the steps over.