Concrete floors, like stone floors, can be polished to a glossy finish. This is a lesser known fact about concrete surfaces. Industrial floors and other concrete surfaces are increasingly being polished. This is possible with diamond concrete polishing pads.
The process is similar to polishing Any stone floor. The floor polishing machine is loaded with abrasive grits. The operator then moves this machine along the floor surface, replacing the grits as the polishing process progresses. Concrete polishing is done in the presence of water as material removal medium. Key to effective polishing of concrete surfaces lies in laying the concrete properly. Once laid and cured, the floor surface becomes ready for polishing.
There are many different finishes and levels of polishes which can be achieved on concrete surfaces. These are dependant on the grits of diamond used in concrete polishing. They are:
- Level 1: This is Achieved by stopping the polishing process with 100 grit. This will give a matte finish with very low reflectivity
- Level 2: This is a honed finish. This is achieved by polishing upto 400 grit. This will give a shiny matte finish
- Level 3: This is a medium gloss polish. This is obtained by polishing upto 800 grit. This will give a glossy appearance to the concrete floor when viewed over head or at an angle.
- Level 4: This is an ultra high gloss polish. This can be achieved by polishing the floor upto 3000 grit. Following it up with a burnishing or buffing pad will bring out more shine
Apart from the above listed levels of polish, the amount of grinding will give different finishes to the floor. This depends on how deep the surface is cut and material is exposed. Some of the finishes are
- Cream Finish: This comes with very little Aggregate exposure at random spots. Since the material removal is very minimal, this finish may not remove any surface blemishes.
- Salt and Pepper Finish: This exposes fine aggregate with little or no medium aggregate exposure.
- Medium aggregate: This exposes medium aggregate at random spots on the floor surface. This involves more grinding and material removal
- Large aggregate: A large aggregate finish is one of the most beautiful finishes achievable. This involves deep grinding and may directly impact project cost. This also exposes deep crevices or dents in the surface which may need filling.
High gloss finishes are not reserved just for stone floors. Industrial floors can also benefit from polishing using diamond abrasives to achieve high gloss finishes. Our range of floor polishing pads can be used to polish concrete surfaces to high gloss and sheen. Get in touch with us to discuss your concrete polishing needs now.
