concrete patio vancouver wa polishing is the finish of choice for most owners of new and existing concrete floors. The process is simple to apply with state-of-the-art technology. Low cost, durability and minimal maintenance make this the ideal flooring choice for industrial, commercial and other high-traffic situations. But what, exactly, is diamond concrete polishing?
The diamond concrete polishing process is relatively simple. Abrasive pads file down the top surface of the concrete. Next, diamond-embedded abrasive pads buff and polish the floor until it shines. The glossy surface is then sealed to maintain the appearance and increase the floor’s durability.
appearance of their floors. To change the color of the floor, customers may request shake-on color hardeners or penetrating chemical stains and dyes to change their grey concrete to any number of colors.
Dying is not the only design option for polished concrete flooring. In addition to a mirror-like shine, concrete flooring may be spruced up with embedded patterns, lines, images, grids and other designs. These are embedded into the floor with a saw so the design options are quite flexible.
In combination with or as an alternative dyes or designs, aggregates or other items like coins, nails and colored glass can be embedded into the concrete. The surface is then polished down to a smooth, flat high-gloss finish.
Polishing may be applied to most sound concrete floors. Once they have cured, new concrete installations are easily and inexpensively brought to a shine.
Older concrete benefits the most from diamond concrete polishing. The polish spruces up and evens out wear spots in high-traffic areas. Older floors may first need additional grinding, patching or repairs before it can be polished. But in many cases it saves thousands by allowing customers to recycle their old floors instead of tearing them up and starting anew.
Polished concrete flooring looks much more slippery than it is. The coating applied to polished flooring is shiny but it is thoroughly tested for slip-resistance at all traffic levels.
Concrete is polished with a walk-behind or riding diamond disc grinder. The grinder spins diamond-impregnated discs with various grits. The grinders start with coarse grits and move to finer grits until the concrete is polished to a smooth shine. Because the polishing takes place layer by layer, customers can choose the level of gloss that they want on their concrete floors.
Concrete floors may be polished wet or dry. Customers often have different preferences. Wet polishing creates waste slurry that easily spreads into hard-to-find hard to reach places. It is considered hazardous waste in most areas and must be disposed of according to regulation.
Dry grinding creates a significant amount of dust. Professional contractors control the dust with a high-performance vacuum system. When used correctly, it virtually eliminates airborne dust.
