Polished concrete floors are made by a mechanical process of both grinding and polishing then proceeding to apply sealants and lithium densifier. This is time taking process which requires specialized tools & equipment.

How to make polished concrete?

Polished concrete look is obtained through working thoroughly on the surface. There are many ways to bringing this surface effect & give it a polishing. However whatever method is chosen, the ways to go about it is usually the same:

• Grinding Process - For polishing concrete surfaces, grinding machines are deployed at site and are equipped with diamond segmented abrasives. The machines help to grind down concrete surface till the shine & smoothness of the floor is achieved. 
  
  As the grinding proceeds, so does the usage of finer-grits. Grit is the particle size of the diamond. Most of the grinding process starts from value of less than 100.

• Concrete Polishing Methods – The concrete can be polished in 2 different methods:
  1. Wet Method – During the grinding process, water is used to cool the diamond abrasives. This results in less dust during polishing process. This also reduces friction and the water acts as a lubricant, thus increasing the life of polished concrete flooring.
  1. Dry Method – No water is used during this process. The dust gathered from this method is vacuumed and this clears the mess along with this process. The dry method is used in industrial applications as this is more convenient, fast & environmentally friendly.

Procedure to concrete polishing

Step by step process to obtain polished concrete:

1. The first step is to prepare the concrete surfaces by grinding. If any existing coatings on it has to be removed using 16-20 grit diamond abrasives.
2. If cracks or joints are present then it must be sealed with fillers.
3. Once sealed, the surface is grounded with 30-40 grit. This is followed by a metal-bonded diamond grinding of 80 grit. Then with 150 grit metal bonded diamond.
4. After a series of grinding, the surface is treated with chemicals and densifier.
5. Polishing is being done with grit ranging between 100-200 grit.
6. Next polishing is done by the use of 400 grit followed by 800 grit resin bonded diamond.
7. The final finishing is performed by 1500 or a 3000 grit resin bonded diamond
8. Jn order to maintain the surface, a final coat of stain guard is applied on the floor.

Note: The different levels of grit values chosen depends on the smoothness and polish required by the manufacturer or the owner for the concrete surface.

Benefits of Polished Concrete

1. High durability
2. Creates non-slippery surface as it has a high coefficient of friction
3. Low maintenance
4. Insect attack and mold growth are not encouraged
5. Helps improve natural lighting
6. Use the existing materials for construction, hence are sustainable
7. Polished concrete can be easily cleaned by water or neutral cleaners
8. Polished concrete can withstand extreme industrial environments
9. The concrete surface is improved by polishing
10. The appearance of the concrete surface is improved
11. 3D forms can be easily achieved by concrete polishing compared with natural stone.