From Classic to Cutting Edge: Concrete Ideas and Inspiration

Understanding the Process of Polishing Your Concrete

Polishing of concrete is about grinding the surface to give it a smooth and shiny appearance. You can incorporate different colours into the polish for decoration purposes. However, the process is not as easy as it sounds, and you'll need to hire concrete polishing services to get the job done correctly. It involves various steps as highlighted below: 

Preparing the Floor Surface with Rough Grinding 

During this initial stage, the concrete floor is prepared for final smoothening by removing any blemishes. These blemishes could be stains, pits and coatings, which are removed by grinding the floor continually with course material. And the material is made of coarse diamond segments that are bonded in a metallic matrix. Experts in concrete polishing might need to repeat the grinding process three or four times until all the blemishes are removed. 

You can opt for either wet polishing or dry polishing. However, many people prefer wet polishing since it is not only faster but also more convenient than its counterpart. The wet process also gives less dust. Furthermore, the water not only reduces friction but also lubricates the grinding machine. However, this method produces slurry that can be hard to handle. The slurry must be collected and disposed of during the process.

Dry polishing uses a vacuuming system onto which a floor polisher is attached. Some contractors use dry and wet polishing methods together. In that case, they carry out the dry polishing first and switch to wet polishing as your surface becomes smoother. 

Fine Grinding or Lapping 

The floor acquires the desired sheen by grinding it with fine grits. Here, the experts use polishing disk grits for grinding in a process called lapping. Otherwise, the smoothening is achieved using diamond abrasives that a contractor embeds in a resin matrix. The grit can be varied in size to achieve any desired smoothness. The experts will know which grit to use depending on the smoothness you require. Sometimes the process involves using grits of different fineness one after the other. 

Sealing the Polished Surface 

A sealant protects your floor from external damage and hardens it. Though the sealant is basically invisible to your naked eye, using a polishing compound will give the floor a more shiny appearance. This compound also removes any residue that still sticks to the surface, leaving behind a clean concrete surface. 

You must select the correct concrete polish that matches the hardness of your floor. Failing to do so might lead to premature wearing of the floor as it heats up and glazes abnormally. Professional concrete polishing services help to avoid these and many other errors in concrete polishing.

For more information, contact a local concrete polishing service.