Polished Concrete
Polished concrete simply means concrete that has been polished to a glossy shine. The equipments used for polishing or sanding concrete are available in the modern markets and your contractor will help you choose which is the best one.
If your house is built on concrete foundation, concrete polishing would be an easy task. Just a simple refining to smoothen out the uneven surface or adding a new layer of concrete to cover some rough spots will do the job. Polished concrete will look better too if you add some color when you add the new layer.
The benefits of concrete polishing are numerous. It is more durable and longer-lasting than wood or carpet flooring. It is less expensive since it will take years before any necessary repair or improvement will be required, unlike with wood or carpet materials. Cleaning polished concrete surfaces is hassle-free to maintain it in fine condition all year round. Lastly, the elegance and style that polished concrete produce is something that any homeowners can take pride of.
Aside from floorings, polished concrete is being used for stairs and countertops. It has become so popular and can be seen not only for industrial structures, but even in all types of homes — from traditional to contemporary types.
So next time you think of concrete, it is not used for sidewalks or pavements or the roads that we often see, but can be applied too to any homes whose foundations are built on concrete, and nowadays, polished concrete is used for different architectural purposes because of its elegance and economical benefits.
Polished Concrete
Polished concrete is becoming one of the newest trends in construction and aesthetic flooring. More and more offices, buildings and even homes are using polished concrete to line their floors, counters and even walls.
Polished concrete is just that: it’s basically concrete and nothing more. But what this means is that you don’t have to spend more for things like tiles or linoleum. And not just new floors; polished concrete can also be used on old floors, saving you tons in reconstruction and renovation.
Adding in to cost-efficiency, polished concrete basically prevents dusting. Polished concrete is non-porous and resists liquid stains and other contaminants. These floors are highly-tight, and does not require any form of scrubbing, rubbing or waxing to retain its shine.
Of course, it can be professionally stained to add depth, glamor and quality to your floors. These floors also hold a strong grip, and has slip resistance. Though it looks shiny, it has the hold of a common, rough floor.
Industrial-wise, it can take the brunt and abuse of man and machine and can last for at least 3-5 years before it needs reconditioning. Home-wise or office, the period of reconditioning can go up to once per 5-7 years.
The process of polishing is smooth, and is led by a professional. It’s highly discreet, and does not interrupt the office system or home life; wherever you plan to use this system of styling your floor. There are many ways to polish your floor, but it all adds up to simplicity, detail, and a sense of art.
There are also many styles to choose from; whether it be simple polishing, coloring, saw cuts, engraving and even stenciled art. It exhibits both aesthetics and durability.
You could even choose to add a marble finish to give it that expensive, snazzy look. This can save you a lot from using more expensive options like marble, granite, terrazzo.
Home Improvement Ideas: Polished Concrete
Are you looking for new design ideas for your home? There is an increasing number of people who are jumping off the bandwagon and searching for unique ways to make their homes look a lot better. It’s a new world out there for brave new designs, and you’ll find most of what you’re looking for in a heartbeat.
Truthfully, the only problem that you’ll find in improving your home is getting the right contractor for the job. And that’s not really a huge problem since there are contractors readily available for almost anything. All you need to do is decide what you want and get on the phonebook to research your best options.
Concrete may sound too hard of an option to choose for your living room floor, but you will be surprised at what people are doing new for this very old material. Polished concrete is growing in popularity and you might actually find it the best option you have.
There are heating tubes you can have installed underneath your concrete floor to make it warmer during cold seasons. You can also have them colored by putting some coloring pigments in the concrete mixture before it hardens. And these are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to design ideas for polished concrete.
So try polished concrete. You’ll get to know why it’s easily the best material available nowadays. It has more benefits than any other material you can think of, unless of course you have something different in mind. In which case, do whatever you want.
Cleaning Concrete Polished Floor is Easy
Concrete polished floor had become quite the popular alternative against the rest of its floor type competition mostly because of how easy it is to maintain it. Usually, a polished concrete floor only requires mop damping, washing and nothing more. Unless of course necessary which could also be because of so many reasons.
If you chose the natural look for your concrete polishing floor style, you will have a bit of a hard time realizing your floor actually needs cleaning because of the way it can hide the dirt. The presence of dust buildup and grime on the surface of a natural colored concrete polished cannot easily be distinguished.
The color of the concrete polished floor should not be the basis of whether to clean it or not. When the floor both colored or gray, starts having dirt and grime build up, must be cleaned at once. This will help in guaranteeing the longevity of the floor’s life.
Before the total clean up necessary for the concrete polished floor, the first thing you should consider is removing the Epoxy residue left during the sealant process. This residue can be cleaned off by burning it with a blow torch. It is also possible that the burning would leave burnt marks. This can be cleaned with bleach.
After removing the Epoxy residue, options of deep cleaning includes the traditional water to parts of hydrochloric acid or phosphoric acid proportions for cleaning. The cleaning agent to be used depends on what is allowed for your floor’s material. With the rest of the dirt, you can always use that usual water and bleach mixture.
Steam cleaning is also an option to consider when cleaning your concrete polished floor. It is actually one of the safest means of maintenance that can prevent having unwanted damages on the floor due to inappropriate cleaning materials. This is often preferred when cleaning away coffee, pop, or other beverage stains on your polished concrete floor.
The hardest to clean for most of us seems to be an oil and grease trouble. Who would have thought that all you need to clean this mess up is some sawdust or kitty litter. You just have to spread this over the thick layer of stain, leave it to dry for probably a day or two, sweep it off, add some dry cement mix again on the stain, and that’s it. Goodbye oil and grease stain.
As for the rest of the dirt demands that needs cleaning, you may depend on the traditional cleaning style if it could easily be removed. Add in the regular maintenance required for the benefit of the floor, and that’s all. You will be guaranteed your floor will be able to service you for a very long time because of the way you are taking care of it, no questions asked.
Concrete Polishing and Its Many Benefits
We all dream of having a presentable home that has the best looking design ever without the costing too much. The answer to this home improvement trouble is concrete polishing. Having been chosen for both industrial and private establishments, it is easy to imagine how well this type of floor is appreciated and adored.
The mere fact that even expensive business places and establishments would rather choose having polished concrete floor against any other type of floor easily relays an idea that there must be an advantage to this kind of floor for it to be treated so special. But mostly the basic reason for this option is its being cost effective, and easy to maintain. Whats best about this concrete polished floor type is its efficiency to any kind of surface.
Using the right kind of floor grinding tool, you can manage the degree of gloss you prefer for any type of concrete surface. Being the most innovative flooring in the market today, concrete polished floor had become quite popular because of its many benefits. This includes the low to no maintenance requirement, and its long lasting durability. It also eliminates fork truck tire marks and dusting.
A concrete polished floor is of course fire resistant unlike hard wood flooring. Its finish can shine to a glossy glass like feature that appears as if its wet. This shiny feature brings out the concretes natural aesthetic beauty without the need to use any topical coating on it.
Concrete polishing is offered in any establishment or facility, may it be a warehouse, manufacturing site, automotive shop, showroom, restaurant, garage or home interiors. This floor type technique gives any floor the best look that it can get, making choosing to have a concrete polished floor your wisest decision so far.
Polished Concrete: A Growing New Trend
You know the story. You just moved in on a new house and the everything is perfect. Everything except the floor which is nothing more but bare, cold and grey concrete. Of course you’re considering buying a new coat to cover the ugliness up, or maybe some carpeting to add a little warmth to your new surroundings. But those ideas aren’t exactly groudbreaking. So you decided to stick with the concrete and try and make it beautiful on its own.
Concrete has gone far in terms of being just a common building and construction material. People are developing new ways of using cement as a decorative material by itself. And their discoveries are really something to talk about. Not only have they completely changed the boring face of concrete forever, but they also gave new life to those homes stuck with an ugly layer of cement under their feet.
Polished concrete is literally becoming more and more popular as the best flooring material there is in the market. Advances in technology and the ingenious methods used by different contractors are transforming this drab old material into the non-coated glossy and no-wax flooring material that’s sure to impress millions all over.
If the concrete floor is too unbalanced, or there are too many huge bumps and cracks, then placing a new layer of concrete on top of it is very advisable. The good news about this is, because of new materials like cement pigments and such, while the cement mixture is still wet, you can add some coloring to it and the concrete’s image changes drastically.
If you’re thinking concrete isn’t for you, then you better be on the look out for the many things that make concrete a home decorative option. It’s never too cold anymore once you’ve put in radiant heating cables which are great for when you think your floor is becoming too cold in the winter. If you’re living in a hot climate, then having a cool flooring will definitely save you some air conditioning expenses.
So what are you waiting for? Contact a contractor now so you can enjoy the new side of this old building material. More and more people are really getting into it and so should you.
Five Reasons Why You Should Get Polished Concrete
If you’re thinking of jumping in on the old bandwagon of trends and you’re planning of getting polished concrete for your flooring, then you might want to consider some of the things that could help you decide whether this groundbreaking technique for an old material really is for you.
1. Polished concrete doesn’t need plenty of maintenance. That’s right, polished concrete is so durable that you only need to do a little bit of sweeping here and a little bit of mopping there and it’s already going to shine as good as when it was still new.
2. Polished concrete is relatively cheap. The actual cost is actually between the high prices of marble, slate, or ceramic tiles and more cheaper materials like vinyl tiles and carpets. But if you’re considering the long run, concrete can outlast all of these materials by a hundred years and still look like it was installed yesterday.
3. Polished concrete is flexible. Figuratively speaking of course, because hardened concrete is anything but flexible. What do I mean? Is it too loud or is it too hard on the feet. The truth is it is hard on the foot and it does make this echo effect when sound is produced but there are many ways to get around that like putting rugs to cushion your steps, and putting up curtains to block and absorb sound.
4. Polished concrete is too slippery. This is false. As long as it’s kept dry and clean, there is no reason for anyone to slip on concrete. It’s non abrasive yet tough enough to allow for enough traction between its surface and your feet.
5. Polished concrete is beautiful. What else is there to say? The designs that you can find for this trusty old material are endless. You can pattern it or color it, however you want it and it would still retain its aesthetic attributes.
So I hope these little things help you in choosing polished concrete for your floor. Although, with all the practical advantages of the material, it would be surprising if you haven’t already done so.
Is Polished Concrete For You?
So you’ve finally decided you want your old concrete floor to be as good as new. Or at least look a heck of a lot different from its ugly self ten years ago. You can try to explore the advantages of having a polished concrete floor with some of the pointers below:
1. Polished concrete doesn’t need plenty of maintenance. That’s right, polished concrete is so durable that you only need to do a little bit of sweeping here and a little bit of mopping there and it’s already going to shine as good as when it was still new.
2. Polished concrete is relatively cheap. The actual cost is actually between the high prices of marble, slate, or ceramic tiles and more cheaper materials like vinyl tiles and carpets. But if you’re considering the long run, concrete can outlast all of these materials by a hundred years and still look like it was installed yesterday.
3. Polished concrete is flexible. Figuratively speaking of course, because hardened concrete is anything but flexible. What do I mean? Is it too loud or is it too hard on the feet. The truth is it is hard on the foot and it does make this echo effect when sound is produced but there are many ways to get around that like putting rugs to cushion your steps, and putting up curtains to block and absorb sound.
4. Polished concrete is not too slippery. Actually there are many available floor conditioners which increase the friction between the floor and your feet which makes concrete, even polished ones, a lot safer. Although, if kept dry, concrete is not at all slippery to begin with.
5. Polished concrete is decorative. True. The possibilities are endless. You can add some coloring pigments in the cement mixture and it will make a big difference when the concrete hardens. You’ll even be more impressed once the floor is polished.
So I hope these little things help you in choosing polished concrete for your floor. Although, with all the practical advantages of the material, it would be surprising if you haven’t already done so.
How To Choose A Polished Concrete Contractor For Your Project
Are you finding it too difficult to find a contractor to polish the concrete in your home? Well don’t worry anymore because here, I’m going to tell you some of the ways on how to find the best man for the job. This is a crucial decision. Why? Well, you wouldn’t want your floor to be messed up by an idiot of a contractor right? I thought so, too! So let’s get started.
First things first, do you know what look you want for your project? You have to decide on what you really want for your floor. Yes, of course, I know you want polished concrete, but you have to research colors, textures and all those small details that would make everything a lot clearer when you’re out there looking for the best contractor.
Now, you need to get in touch with all the contractors that can answer to the call of your needs. E-mail, calls, texts, telepathy, whatever you can do to get a hold of them, do it. You’re going to want to note down their response time too because we all know, the early bird gets the worm. Or in this case, the early contractor gets the job.
Next you have to put all the details that the many different contractors gave you side by side so you can compare them to see which one is best. You need to consider the amount of materials that they would use, the amount of time and money, how many men would they be willing to assign to job, all the details. You want the best for your home so don’t rush this one.
After all the choosing, all you need to do would be your due diligence. Yes, research about your choice on the Better Business Bureau, anywhere you can find information on. The more information you have, the more easier the decision making process gets.
The last thing is as simple as looking at their samples and signing the contract. Of course, you have to keep your payments in time. If you’ve done all those easy steps, all you need to do now is sit back, relax, and enjoy your new polished concrete.
Easy Steps in Getting A Polished Concrete Contractor
Probably, the hardest thing to find, once you’ve already decided that you want polished concrete on your home, is a contractor. With so many options out there, how can you find the right one? Luckily, there are some simple guidelines to help you in choosing the best one for your project.
First things first, do you know what look you want for your project? You have to decide on what you really want for your floor. Yes, of course, I know you want polished concrete, but you have to research colors, textures and all those small details that would make everything a lot clearer when you’re out there looking for the best contractor.
Now, you need to get in touch with all the contractors that can answer to the call of your needs. E-mail, calls, texts, telepathy, whatever you can do to get a hold of them, do it. You’re going to want to note down their response time too because we all know, the early bird gets the worm. Or in this case, the early contractor gets the job.
After that, try and compare prices and estimates from all the contractors. Compare everything. When I say everything, I mean everything. If your decision hinges on the fact that you don’t want smelly guys running around your living room, then by all means choose the contractor who issues cologne for their workers. You might want to compare the materials, their quality and all those other things as well.
Then all you have to do next would be to just research a little bit further to cover up your bases. Just your common due diligence, like checking with the Better Business Bureau or other licensing companies. We wouldn’t want any contractor who has some issues with pretty basic stuff, correct? Moving on.
If you’ve done all your homework, then everything is up to the contractor now. Don’t forget to pay them according to your agreement. Then just call your friends and let them die of envy from your beautiful new polished concrete floor. What do you know, maybe you can recommend your contractor to them too.