Polishing concrete can turn that dull and unattractive concrete floor into a beautiful, shiny and smooth floor. You can polish your concrete and save a lot of money you would have spent to install granite or other tiles. Here are the main steps in concrete polishing.
Surface preparation
Preparing a new concrete floor for polishing involves fewer costs compared to an existing one. Concrete preparation involves cleaning the slab and applying a topping layer. The topping layer has decorative elements that will be seen in the final polished floor. You need to seal all cracks and ensure the concrete is completely dry.
Surface grinding
Grinding can be done either wet or dry. Nowadays wet grinding is gaining popularity because of its dustless process. A diamond grinding machine is used to grind the floor. You can increase the grit number until you achieve the desired smoothness.
Surface Sealing
Before proceeding to the next polishing concrete steps, you need to seal all the cracks that may have been caused by the grinder. You can add a densifier solution to the floor to strengthen it. The solution increases the hardness and density of the floor making it liquid-proof and resistant to scratches,
Surface Polishing
You can begin polishing your floor using a 50 grit diamond pad. You need to repeat the cycle like you did during grinding but in polishing, you need to increase the git level pads. You need to achieve the desired gloss.
Polishing concrete is becoming very popular because polished concrete is easy to maintain. It is also considered as a green solution. Polished concrete is resistant to most liquids and it is easy to clean; you just need water and soap to clean it. There are different designs of polished concrete. You just need to talk to your contractor about your most preferred design.
