Concrete Polishing

The concrete polishing process employs heavy machines that use progressively finer “grits” of diamond disks to produce a desired sheen on the floor. The process involves three phases grinding, honing, and polishing.

Each floor has its own story, depending on how the floor has originally been poured and the treatments that have been applied. Our experienced and well-rounded crew are skilled at “reading” floors, finding solutions, and bringing out the best possible finish. Undaunted by a rough, gritty, unfinished surface, we will transform the floor into a clean and inviting living space.

Healthy Body, Healthy Environment, and Healthy Economics

Many flooring options allow dust and other allergens to inhabit your space no matter how diligently you clean. Realize the benefits of cleaning a smooth surface. Allergy sufferers find relief as dust is dramatically inhibited and easily cleaned from polished surfaces. In fact, the benefits extend beyond the home environment to the world environment as only low VOC chemicals are required for cleaning. When the floor appears dull, simply clean by applying a ph neutral floor cleaner with a microfiber mop.

Benefits of enhancing a pre-existing concrete floor

low VOC cleaning
fewer dollars are spent on new materials.
high light reflectivity that can help us save on energy bills.
Increased light is an important attribute when creating a safe, clean, home and professional work environment.
lower carbon footprint which can help a project meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification standards

Exposure

Exposure is the amount of aggregate visible after grinding the concrete. The depth of the grind can reveal a cream polish where little to no aggregate is exposed, a salt and pepper polish where a medium exposure is achieved, to a full exposure for a more dramatic effect.

very little aggregate exposed

full exposure for a more dramatic effect

salt and pepper polish with medium exposure

close up of the salt and pepper polish with medium exposure

glass seeding done with recycled gin bottles

We work with what we are provided. The quality of the concrete pour will determine the range of choice one has when choosing a desired exposure. The more level the concrete placement is the more consistent the aggregate exposure will be when polished. Depending on the pour, aggregate can be found as close as 1mm from the surface or as deep as 5mm. When the pour is not level, the exposure will be fuller over the humps and lighter in the valleys of the floor.

Concrete is often poured with the assumption it will be covered by hardwood, tiles, carpet, or vinyl. For this reason, during the time sensitive and rigorous work of concrete placement actions that prepare for excellent finished concrete may seem inconsequential to the placers. If you are preparing to build or pour, contact us so we can guide you to achieve the floor and finish you want.

Controlled Variables

Weight and speed of floor passes
Direction of movement

Abrasives

Diamond configurations
Diamond hardness
Timing of when to switch the level of abrasion

Densifiers

Densifier applied to the floor creates a harder concrete. The benefits include a longer-lasting, durable floor that prevents dust.

Uncontrolled Variables

Imperfections
Surface flatness or levelness
Coatings such as mastics and glues
Compressive strength as measured in Megapascal (MPa)
Concrete mix design and any additives that may affect the concrete’s hardness such as fibers, polymers, aggregates
Concrete placement and original finish, including mechanical or hand troweled, vibrated materials.

Responding to Uncontrolled Variables

While polishing a floor, we revealed a concrete placers footprints. The depressions created by the offending feet were quickly filled in with a creamy surface layer of concrete hiding the occurrence. When the footprint was discovered through the polishing process we consulted with the homeowner and, after approval, artfully applied colour to the floor, successfully disguising the flaw

With dreams of enhancing an existing concrete floor, you might be discouraged when you pull up existing flooring to discover markings and damage left by tack strips, adhesives, and cracking.

Cracking Solutions

Where did these cracks come from? Concrete is a material composed of sand, cement, aggregate and water. After concrete is placed, the evaporation of excess water begins. Depending on how much water was used when the mix was poured, will determine how much shrinking and subsequent cracking occurs. Concrete will always shrink and some cracks will be inevitable. Proactively, we can reduce shrinkage with a proper substrate prep before the concrete is initially poured. Once a slab is poured we can accommodate, and in many cases, control the cracks by placing the saw cuts where we want and in the design we want.

silver arrow cars – cracks before

silver arrrow cars – cracks after

Peoples’ response to cracks in concrete are varied. Some will embrace them and wish to accentuate them as an earthy, rustic design element. To do this the cracks can be filled in and colour applied. Patched cracks can be made darker or lighter than the rest of the floor to create a crackled, marbled, or veined look that is timeless, valued for its history, and at home with both modern and traditional interior designs.
There are those free spirits who will use the cracks to guide their design. Create a fractured look by following the random patterning and create a one of a kind abstract floor.
When the eye of the beholder prefers order and purpose, decorative line cuts in a symmetrical pattern on the floor helps to detract from the random nature of cracks.