Four Reasons Why Polished Concrete Is 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.
Polished concrete is maintenance free. Almost, but only because there is no material that’s completely maintenance free. Although you’d be glad to know that concrete is one of those industrial stuff that can withstand plenty of wear and tear and still appear like it’s new.
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.
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.
Polished concrete is slippery. False. When kept dry and clean, polished concrete is an excellent way to maintain traction between your feet and the floor. In case you’re still worried, there are floor conditioners available that you can apply to prevent hypothetical and accidental slips.
These are just some of the many advantages of having your concrete floors polished. If you want to see it for yourself, try visiting some known establishments using the material and see for yourself.
Tips: Creating a Beautiful Entry Way
Patios, driveways, and pathways had long used concrete just the way it is, a simple gray concrete floor. Lately however, these concrete floors have become the target of interior designers, giving it a fresh new look. The unlimited designs possible for it bedazzles these interior designers that concrete polishing and redesigning became one of their favorite subjects to consider in their works.
Driveways, patios and pathways are all entryways that are bound to endure more traffic than any other rooms within the house. So although youd specifically want it to look great, it should have qualities that make it easy to clean, to maintain and must be durable enough for its purpose. Thats where concrete polishing comes in.
There are a number of options that you can choose to do for your concrete floors’ designing needs. You have there the acid staining which is a combination of water, hydrochloric acid and metallic salts compound. The acid stain reacts on the lime found on the concrete thus creating the colorful and beautiful design that still imitates the natural look of the concrete floor.
There a stenciling option too which is a concrete designing technique that gives the artist more freedom to create his stunning designs directly on the floor using the color combination of his will. This however, would require more work for the artist’s part, but it surely does give justice to the phrase, a work of art.
The decorative engraving option on the other hand is a concrete engraving design mostly done on old concretes. Its a means of dressing it up, carving a whole new design on an existing concrete, followed by necessary coloring and styling, and voila! A whole new concrete look. This makes a great alternative solution for redecorating in renovation needs.
Dyes or pigment augmentation are often included during the concrete installation so you have to usually decide whether you would want this for your patio before or during the concretes installation process. If in case the concrete had already been installed but you still wish to dye your floor, then you can choose a staining process for it.
Concrete polishing still stands out to be the most common solution in creating lovely pathways and interior designs for concrete floors. It is the most convenient, cost effective flooring option everyone wants. Its easy to maintain, and the unlimited design and style possibilities makes it the best looking floor option in town.
Curing Concrete: A Concrete Polishing Preparation
When you have decided that you do want to have decorative designs and concrete polishing done on your concrete slab, the next thing to do is to ready the floor for the process. This preparation will add up to the toughness and durability of the flooring area.
Most concrete polishing decors requires its treatments to be attached and absorbed through or on the flooring’s surface. Therefore, you should have the ability to choose the right curing agent that won’t leave marks or residues on top of the concrete floor as this may disturb the installation later. The curing agent to be chosen must also be able to seal off the entire area of the concrete slab.
A few of the common suggestions you can use to guarantee a neat and effective curing option includes the spray on curing method. The spray curing agent easily dissolves thus giving the concrete lesser residue that you want to avoid. Burlap or curing paper can also be used to maintain the moisture during the curing process.
Now if you decide to have stained, dyed or added with any translucent type of coloring treatment on the concrete polished floor, the curing should finish off with a natural mottled look that would add up to the aesthetic of the coloring finish. It should be remembered however that the application of the curing must be well balanced in all areas of the concrete to achieve the best results for the process.
Exposure of the coverage of the curing agent application can gravely affect its output. This can ruin the coloring that will done later on, including fading and discoloration. The plastic sheets that will be used to cover the floor must be evenly fixed, including how it will touch the surface. Irregularities of the curing agent on the surface are often results of uneven plastic placement.
Most curing needs is actually included in the installation package therefore this shouldnt be a problem if you have hired a contractor to do it. However, you should still be there and be aware of whats happening during the preparation. Take note that the durability and output of the concrete polishing and decorative work depends on the curing process the concrete requires.
Quiz Your Contractor for the Decorative Concrete Polishing
When you have finally decided that you can’t do concrete polishing yourself and needs some help, getting a contractor would be the solution. Getting a contractor should be a wise choice too just so you will be guaranteed better benefits and satisfying results. You have to ready yourself with the right questions to ask to help you in deciding which contractor to get.
When you go out and ask a contractor to polish and decorate your concrete floor, he will be required to look at your space so he could give you insights as to what could be expected for the job. Typical ideas that should be brought up while you speak with the prospected contractor are the cost estimate of the project, what you want done like the design and make, and whatever stuffs that the contractor should know.
A good minimum number of contractors to talk to would be at least three individual bids. That way you get a better look at a variety of offers, from which you can choose the best one that would suit your needs. You are supposed to base your decision not only on the price quotation but on the deals that they will be willing to give you.
There are a number of questions that you can ask the contractor to help you decide. Make sure that his answers will satisfy you. When you feel comfortable, that’s the time you can move on signing the contract or deal.
These questions should include inquiring about what system they intend to use for the project. You should ask for their suggestions as well, just so you can get a bit of useful input for your place. Let them explain what they want for the process, what benefits you’ll get, and whatever things you need to learn about their offer.
Make the contractor compare his system with what the other contractors are using. Let him explain why his style works better than the others, making sure that you find his answers reasonable and beneficial. If something confuses you, you have to clear this up with the contractor.
You can also inquire about the products and materials that he intend to use for the concrete polishing and decoration. You should also know what he would ask from you for the project. Will he need access to water? How much lighting does he require? And what special needs he would want from you.
The last inquiry could include the contractor’s suggested maintenance method to be used on the concrete polishing that he would do. Situations like if ever there will be other constructions done surrounding the floor to work on should also be considered when inquiring on a contractor. His response as to what he would do and suggest could help you a lot in deciding and adjusting for the project. Once that’s settled, you can now choose which contractor you would want to work with for your concrete polishing needs.
A New Look To An Old Room
If you’re planning on a remodeling job for your drab and dreary old bedroom and seem to be running out of cheap ideas, then here are some simple tips to get you started on your very own remodeling project. The options available are staggering, but here are just a few of the easiest.
Try to start out on the small stuff like the choice of fabrics, textures and colors. You can easily replace or change any of these without too much effort. Try getting new pillows for your bed and a new bed cover. Change the drapes to create a new atmosphere inside the room. Try to rearrange, or replace completely the pictures in the frames. Place them all in one wall and put them in different frames instead of sticking to one kind. You’ll find it looking great in no time.
Your furniture can even make for a simple remodeling job for your room. You can sand them and make them look antique or just repaint them completely. If they’re built into the architecture, you can just sand their current color off and the color them with whatever goes well with your room. Try going for the popular Shabby Chic look.
Choosing a new kind of floor may be considered a major redecorating move. But from the hundreds of available options and styles available out there, it’s hardly something that we could consider major. You can try polished concrete for a modern feel or hardwood for a classic feel. Whatever look you’re going for, you can find a contractor to help you achieve it.
You can find more ideas on remodeling jobs for your bedroom with a quick search in the Internet. But no matter what design you stick with for your bedroom, you have to make it as comfortable as you can. Remember that you are going to spend a lot of your relaxing hours here.
Concrete Polish’ Slip Resistance
Just by looking at a concrete polish’ finish, you’ll instantly have that question whether you’ll slide off because it might seem too smooth and shiny to walk to. Especially if what you have on is an stiletto, or a shoes with no rubber traction to it. Being an owner of an establishment meant to be visited by customers, or inside the house with toddlers, slippery floors should be avoided.
Signs like “slippery when wet” won’t necessarily prevent a slipping accident. When kids starts running around and no one is able to control them, they are bound to slip or fall anytime. So are these women wearing stiletto footwear, and men with their no traction soles. Its unavoidable, but can easily be prevented.
Slip resistance is a feature significant to these highly adored concrete polished floors. Slip resistant is term which relates to the measure of a surfaces ability to reduce or prevent the risk of slipping on both wet and dry conditions. Because of the increasing popularity of the concrete polished finish, the issue about its slip resistance becomes a highlight on its must have attributes.
There are a few aspects that contribute to the impact of these slipping risks. This includes the pavements surface finish, the sealer used, and the chosen texture. With the right combination of these three characters, you will be able to achieve the final surface roughness that you desire for your concrete polished pavement or floor.
The key to keeping a concrete polished floor safe and slip free is actually very simple. Besides making sure you have combined all three aspects the right way, all you are asked to do to keep the slip resistance of the floor is to make sure it does not have contaminants on it at all times.
These contaminants are usually the often cause of floors becoming slippery, especially when wet. So all in all, as long as you follow the simple steps, and keeping the concrete polished floor clean, gives you the safety and non slippery feature you want to achieve.
Keeping Your Polished Concrete’s Quality
So, you’ve done it! You have finally converted your concrete floor to a polished one and now it looks amazing. What are you forgetting? You see, although it had been known that concrete polished floors are made to last for a very long time, its longevity still depends on proper maintenance. If left bared without proper care, the quality would always surely fail.
Making sure that a sealer is used over the cracks and gaps of the polished floor is the first step in improving the quality of the floor. The same sealer can be used if after some time cracks are already developing on it. Epoxy is one of the best products to use for this problem.
When you are already sure that you’ve got the sealing done, the next thing to do is to keep the polished floor clean all the time. Unlike most floor types, you are not required to put wax on concrete polished floor as often as the other floor styles require. However, there are floor polishes available that could help somehow in maintaining your concrete polished floor’s condition. This helps in avoiding or risking slipping when wet situations.
By keeping your floor clean and dry, you are helping it in keeping that slip resistance attribute that everyone wants from a concrete polished floor. Contamination is one of the major contributor in making concrete polished floor slippery, so making sure your floor is free from contaminants will help greatly.
Polishing your floor will help in filling on the surfaces’ roughness thus providing the grip friction necessary for its slip resistance feature. This however depends on the type of concrete polished style you have on your place. If it has that low surface roughness, lessening the layers of the polish to be applied should be followed.
Remodel Your Bedroom For A New Look
There are literally hundreds of ideas for simple remodeling jobs for an old bedroom available in the market nowadays. The choices can easily be overwhleming. Luckily, here are some simple tips and tricks to get you started on the right way.
Simple remodeling involves getting a new bed-sheet or new drapes. These small changes can make a world of difference on your old drab and dreary room and will give your bed, the center-point of any bedroom, a fresh new look. Even replacing existing artwork inside your room can give everything a bold new look like adding more pillows on your bed or changing the arrangement and frames of pictures in the bedroom can change the whole appearance of the room.
Even old furniture can give your bedroom a fresh new look. You can paint them to match colors with a new wallpaper in your room. Or you can coordinate patterns instead of match colors so they’d show more variety. Try going for a theme like Shabby Chic. If your furniture are built into the room, you can sand them off and color them to get a popular antique style.
Choosing a new kind of floor may be considered a major redecorating move. But from the hundreds of available options and styles available out there, it’s hardly something that we could consider major. You can try polished concrete for a modern feel or hardwood for a classic feel. Whatever look you’re going for, you can find a contractor to help you achieve it.
You can find more ideas on remodeling jobs for your bedroom with a quick search in the Internet. But no matter what design you stick with for your bedroom, you have to make it as comfortable as you can. Remember that you are going to spend a lot of your relaxing hours here.
Marble Tile Installation For Dummies
You can save a lot of cash with your a great looking marble floor if you just install them yourself. It’s not really hard to do and you might even find yourself having fun with all the work, if you like working with your hands. You are only going to need some patience and hard work and you will be able to finish the job completely.
The first step that you are going to take is to prepare everything you’re going to need for the project. You’re going to need clean pieces of cloth, several fasteners, one bucket, a plywood, a level and a trowel. Also prepare some safety goggles, working gloves and a dust mask. Prepare a wet saw for the tiles, sponges and a squeegee for cleaning up after, and, of course, the marble tiles and some cement.
You need to cover up the tiles in masking tape before you cut through it so it won’t crack into pieces when you place it under the wet saw. Remember to cut across the natural fissures of the rock so it won’t break down along them. This makes sure the integrity of the rock is strong while you’re cutting through it.
Lay down the marble tiles firmly. Don’t try to push them or slide them into place. The adhesives underneath and the cement usually gets built up on the sides and this means a lot of trouble for you. Use spacers to keep them equidistant and make sure their joints are straight using a level. After several hours of labor, you can enjoy your elegant new marble floor.
Marble floors are elegantly beautiful. It can easily enhance any room’s appearance. And if you do it yourself, all it’s beauty can be yours in a considerably cheaper price.
Basic Methods of Concrete Polishing
Just by hearing the term polished concrete already gives you that picturesque variety of decorative shiny concrete flooring possibilities. Polished concrete is the generic term for that said floor styling everyone had been adoring lately. Without the need for any other coating of vinyl, carpet or tiles, concrete polishing allows you the ability to expose the concrete floor as it is, but only more stylish.
There are three methods to use on concrete polishing: honing, burnishing, or trowelling. Depending on the design and pattern that you want for your floor, these three options will give you the sought of style that you always wanted. This offered concrete polishing option carries qualities like being energy efficient, dust free and requires low maintenance.
A steel trowelled finish is a concrete polishing process that can be achieved by hand or with a power trowelling machine. Whichever you will use depends mostly on the area to be processed. Trowelling marks are one of the downsides on this option however, if advised, can be fixed and or avoided. It gives off the typical natural grey concrete look, but can be upgraded to a lighter color by incorporating an amount of off white cement.
Burnishing is an option that can be done right after the trowelling process. When the concrete floor has reached that polished glossy appearance, alternative burnishing materials like floor waxes, liquid polishes, and resin based coatings can be applied for the look you are after for.
The honing process, which is the third method in the concrete polishing list, is the toughest or better yet, the one with the most required depth in the process. Through honing, one is required to grind the concrete surface with abrasives. Besides the smooth surface that it produces, aggravates should start to appear at some point adding up to the end aesthetic result.
With a little bit of creativity and a know how in mixing up all the said processes, a delightful, appreciated concrete polished output will be achieved. Include in desired color combination and desired pattern to input and you’ll have the polished concrete you can brag to your friends.