Choose Wisely: The Benefits of Polished Concrete
concretenetwork.com • April 22, 2020
Homeowners, retailers, big-box stores, educational and medical facilities are choosing polished concrete for their floor finish because of the competitive advantage polished flooring offers over other types of floor coverings. Decorative concrete in the form of polished floors has become the logical choice because of the great value it delivers, and because it can compete aesthetically as well.
Residential Polished Floor Benefits:
- Cost savings: Traditional floor covering materials are not necessary when the slab on grade is used as the finished floor surface
- Longer life-cycle savings: Polished floors are not as vulnerable to damage as other materials and do not need replacing
- Easy to clean: Won't harbor dust, dirt, allergens
- Available in wide variety of colors and designs
Commercial and Retail Polished Floor Benefits:
- Cost savings: Using the slab on grade as the finished floor surface is more cost effective, maintenance costs are lower
- More resistant to high foot traffic. A grocer in Tennessee explains that he is able to maintain primarily just the traffic ways within his store, which saves time and money because he does not have to move large display cases to wax and strip the floor.
- Less maintenance and longer service life: Polished floors are easy to clean, requiring only occasional damp mopping. They also eliminate the need for messy waxes or coatings as well as the associated labor, time, and expense to apply them. The glossy surface of polished concrete resists the marks of forklift truck tires and staining from oil and chemical spills.
- Resistant to moisture transmission issues: Polished concrete allows the floor to breathe and eliminates issues that arise with other flooring materials that seal off the concrete, such as tile, etc.
- High light reflectivity: Important for office building floors, hotels, restaurants, and other public facilities that want to project a bright, clean, professional image. Also saves energy by reducing artificial lighting requirements
- Is a sustainable flooring alternative: Polished concrete does not require hazardous coatings, cleaners or adhesives
- Because polishing is a multi-step process, homeowners and business owners can choose the level of sheen from stain to high-gloss that meets their maintenance and aesthetic requirements. This versatility makes polished concrete an ideal flooring material for a variety of applications.
- The most common places polished concrete is used include:
- Large warehouses and warehouse outlets
- Retail stores
- Hotels and restaurants
- Office buildings
- Auto showrooms
- Private residences
Concrete polishing is used more for commercial flooring than residential flooring, but polishing is quickly becoming more popular in residential applications, as more homeowners realize the cost benefit and easy no-wax advantage of concrete polishing. The beautiful shine that concrete polishing creates means that there is rarely a need to wax the polished floor. Some new high-gloss finishes never need to be waxed or have coatings applied in order to keep their shine. The polishing process is similar to sanding. Large machines are used to grind down the the concrete surface to the smoothness and shine desired.
Durability, aesthetics, the high degree of light reflectivity, reduced construction costs, minimal environmental impact and the ease of maintenance are just a few reasons why polished concrete is quickly becoming the preferred choice of many retailers, architects and engineers across the country. As the popularity of polished concrete continues to rise, so does the demand for a sustainable solution to proper concrete maintenance. Polished concrete has numerous advantages over carpet and VCT flooring including its reduced need for constant maintenance, however it still requires a certain level of care in order to keep it looking as beautiful as the day it was polished. Over the years, polished concrete has been sold as a “maintenance free” flooring system. Industry experts say that is a common misnomer, however.
