Traditional polished concrete is the polished concrete that is first ground and then sealed with a topical sealer. This is hte best option for softer types of concrete like 20 and 25MPA. This is also a type of polished concrete and the DIYer can achieve themselves. YouTube is your friend !!! Once all the grinding is finished its time to choose a sealer. There are literally hundreds of different sealers on the market how do you choose? Its important to break it down on the area of application first. Is it inside or outside? IF outside you are going to want to use a more impregnating sealer otherwise it will be super slippery when wet. Inside you choice is wider. Do you want it glossy or more of a satin finish? Do you want a sealer that darkens the concrete gives it a wet look or do you prefer the more natural colour?
GRIND AND SEAL WHICH SEALER DO YOU CHOOSE?
Diamond Polished Concrete; What is it?
The term polish concrete incompases a few different ways to finish a concrete floor. Dimond polished ocnrete refers to the method used to polish the floor, that is diamonds and diamond impregnated resins and used to progressively polish the floor/concrete like you would a marble floor. This method is a green approach to polished concrete and is ideal for a variety of situations ;
Why concrete placement is so important
Why is placement so important? You can just grind it out and fix it right .....?
You can see in this picture marks left behind by the screed being left/pushed on the concrete slab. Is this a big problem? Your going to helicopter over the top right it will end up all smooth and even so its not a problem right?
WRONG !
Requirements for polished concrete floors
For every type of polished concrete there are sublte differences on what is required to achieve a polished finish. Have a look at our Buyers Guide to Polished Concrete here.
The main three finishes where this is important is for a cream polish (aka burnished concrete), partial aggregate exposure (aka hit n miss or salt n pepper) or full aggregate exposure.
For Cream Polish or Burnished Concrete the following special requirements apply for concrete surfaces;
CASTING
For the floor to have a uniform appearance, the casting is of the greatest importance. (A poorly cast floor will be costly to grind, and even if the function of a polished floor can be achieved, the finish will be affected by uneven aggregate, cracks, etc.) The appearance of the finish is totally dependent on the concrete's appearance. Colour differences in the surface are to be expected. It is important to protect the slab during the building process from spills and staining as these cannot be removed.
WHY COATINGS FAIL
Did you know that in over 73% of cases, coatings fail because of poor surface preperation/insufficient bond profile?
