If you’re needing an area around your home of warehouse concreted, you have a few options.
Undoubtedly, you’ll be wanting material that is durable, stable and long lasting.
If outside for your own home residence you may want a versatile and long-lasting option to withstand the changing climates, as well as looking good.
For a factory or warehouse, it might simply be that you’re needing a covering that won’t be as susceptible to crack or become worn from machinery.
One of the choices is polished concrete.
As well as looking absolutely stunning, it’s durable, long lasting and cheaper in the long run that some of the other options out there.
This means the style is unlikely to become outdated or dull.
With some types, there may be some additional maintenance, but in the long run, you’re sure to get more bang for your buck.
Table of Contents
Pros and Cons of Polished Concrete
Here are some of the pros and cons of polished concrete.
Cons.
1. Cold
Concrete floors tend not to hold heat very well, meaning that they may become cold to touch or walk on.
This is no different to other flooring variants such as natural stone or tiles.
In order to combat this, you may elect to have heating cables installed in the concrete floors to help limit the loss of heat.
Although this may seem quite costly, it can reduce your power bill as it uses less energy that a forced air system.
2. Hard.
It goes without saying that a concrete floor will be hard, but polished concrete doesn’t have much give in it, which means that standing on it for extended periods of time might not be pleasant.
This is important to bear in mind if you have workers who need to be standing or in the same position for lengthy periods of time.
To rectify this, anti-fatigue mats may assist to some degree.
3. Noise.
This doesn’t mean the floor speaks or makes sound, lol.
It means that sound can appear to be magnified with these floors.
Compare it to rooms with carpet or rugs and the sound in an area with concrete floors will sound louder.
4. Moisture.
Be sure to invest in the services of experienced and reputable concrete polishers to avoid costly damage and potentially long-lasting issues.
If the job isn’t done right, moisture may get into the pores of the floor.
This can lead to major issues such as mould.
Pros
1. Long lasting.
You can expect these floorings to outlast your building, you and even your grandchildren.
At an anticipated life span of over 100 years, it is a once in a life time investment.
This style has more longevity than carpet, tiles, and wooden floor boards.
2. Super easy to clean.
A quick sweep and mop is generally the only maintenance this floor will ever need.
It’s not as susceptible to staining than other types.
Without any cracks or gaps, it won’t have any difficult to remove residue.
3. Various designs.
You’re not limited to a plain or one colour look.
With polished concrete flooring, there is a myriad of different schemes for you to choose from to suit your own tastes and requirements.
4. Inexpensive
It all sounds rather costly.
Costs range from approximately $2 – $30 a square foot.
Considering that you’ll only need to replaced it if you want a change of look, it’s a worthwhile investment indeed.
5. Built tough.
These suckers are highly durable.
They’re built to with stand a lot of pressure and ongoing pressure too.
No need to worry about being gentle with this floor!
6. You can make it non slip.
Although it may look smooth and slippery, this is not always the case.
You may decide to use a non-slip epoxy coating to discourage slipping and sliding.
This will assist in safety and wellbeing of clients, house guests and workers, depending on what the usage of the area is for.
7. Dissipative Static.
Unsealed concrete floors frequently have antistatic properties, although these properties depend on the moisture content of the floor, making them unstable. Concrete floors can be coated with anti-static materials to prevent static discharge from harming equipment that is susceptible to static electricity.
But what different styles are there?
There are quite a few different styles of polished concrete available, depending on which company you decide to go through.
Here are a few of the choices you may have.
1. Salt and Pepper
In this method of finishing, also referred to as “gold” concrete, the concrete surface is softly crushed to expose the tiny particles beneath the surface paste. As the name implies, the surface has a speckled or salt-and-pepper appearance when the finer aggregate grains are exposed.
In contrast to the exposed aggregate finish, which gives the surface a matte appearance, the floor in this type of concrete is polished to offer a high-gloss finish. Additionally, you can alter the appearance to match your favourite colour and gloss level.
2. Cream Polish
This is one of the most basic varieties of concrete flooring, also known as the “Bronze” finish. Here, the concrete’s surface is merely polished using diamond pads to bring out the floor’s natural colour rather than being ground or honed.
The natural variegation and texture of the freshly poured concrete will be seen due to their being no concrete removal from the floor surface, giving it an attractive appearance.
In addition, this style of polished concrete flooring has an extremely natural appearance that is well-liked in residential settings, particularly in contemporary projects. Furthermore, you may simply stain the concrete to further improve the appearance of your floor.
3. Full/Exposed Aggregate.
In this process, the cement paste is ground to expose the larger, uneven aggregate in the concrete slab.
The exposed aggregate surface closely resembles granite.
The colour of the aggregates can vary depending on their geological origin, with earthy brown tones to rose quartz and red granite often seen.
This style of polished concrete is able to withstand extreme weather conditions and heavy foot traffic.
