Polished concrete is slowly rising in popularity as more and more businesses look for efficient and inexpensive ways to upgrade their industrial flooring. If you’re considering concrete, here’s what you should know.
Kinds of Polished Concrete
– Bronzed Polished Concrete
It is also referred to as the “cream” finish because it takes full advantage of the natural texture and color of concrete. The material doesn’t go through any kind of grinding and instead the top layer is just polished with diamond pads. As a result, you get this creamy polished concrete flooring with a glossy finish. While this might seem like an easier option, however, note that the concrete floor surface must be perfectly even and undamaged. If the flooring is uneven, there might be a need to grind down the surface or choose a different polished concrete installation.
– Salt and Pepper Polished Concrete
This is perhaps one of the most common polished concrete floors available in the market today. The slab is polished until you can see the aggregate surface that has this unique salt and pepper polish. It takes some time because the concrete has to go through several polishing stages before being ready for installation. Once done, the pattern has this very classical look that’s perfect for all industries.
– Silver Finish
Polished concrete floors take a lot of polishing as the silver sheen is achieved by grinding to a depth of to 3 mm. This leads to the exposure of the large stones found under the concrete slab. This long-lasting flooring system doesn’t come with a sheen. Instead, you leave it with a matt finish, perfect for areas where friction is a necessary aspect of flooring safety.
– Platinum Finish
Finally, you have the platinum finish which is ground in the same way as the silver finish. The difference is that there’s a polishing process to it so that the resulting appearance has a glossy look. The resulting pattern is also incredibly beautiful and perfect for high-traffic buildings that want to improve their customer impression.
Benefits of Polished Concrete
Of course, just because it’s decorative doesn’t mean you should have it installed in your building. The good news is that a polished concrete flooring system comes with additional benefits that make it ideal for your flooring project. Here’s what you should know about this floor type.
– Decorative Surface
There’s the most obvious reason of course – polished concrete has a very appealing look. It’s perfect whether you’re using it in an industrial building or a commercial one. There are also different types of coating finishes such as Industrial Coatings, Industrial Epoxy Flooring and MMA Flooring and Coatings that can be done on the floor, depending on your personal preferences. This makes it easy to match the polished concrete with the general vibe of the interior or to complement existing concrete.
– Environmentally Friendly
Concrete flooring is one hundred percent recyclable. It’s made of a combination of sand, cement, gravel, and other materials – all of which are abundantly available. A concrete floor also takes a long time to break down. In fact, if properly installed, concrete flooring will last a lifetime. Generally, buildings today already have concrete underneath the surface carpet. Hence, some office systems only need the added polish to create a sealed concrete flooring.
– Additional Ambient Lighting
Thanks to the polished coating, concrete flooring reflects lighting beautifully. It helps the light bounce off the surface so that it spreads better across the room. This means that you don’t have to use as many lights in order to keep the building well-lit. This adds to the eco-friendly nature of the floor as you save on energy costs through simple commercial concrete.
– Health-Conscious Commercial Flooring
One of the most notable advantages of concrete flooring is its safety. Concrete is actually HSE-compliant because you don’t get any dust residue from the polished concrete floor. This makes it perfect both as industrial or concrete flooring because there’s no danger of breathing in dust. For employees who spend most of their time on the office floor, the lack of dust limits the chances of environment-related hazards associated with spending hours each day in the facility.
– High-traffic Durability
If properly sealed and made, concrete flooring can last for a lifetime! They’re built to be walked on but also withstand the weight of heavy equipment. It’s not surprising that you’ll often find concrete on warehouses and facilities that house heavy materials. Compared to tile, concrete flooring is less prone to cracks and very easy to maintain.
– Cost-effective Flooring Options
Aside from the fact that it helps reduce energy costs, a concrete floor also offers additional efficiency solutions for your space. It’s very low maintenance and shows little wear and tear. All you really need to do to maintain the sheen is to apply waxing products on a routine basis – and that’s very affordable compared to other types of floor maintenance.
– Resistant Commercial Concrete Surface
Of course, there’s also the fact that durable commercial concrete can resist practically all kinds of spills or damage on the floor. Industrial buildings use this for their interior space because it is resistant to chemical solutions so liquid can fall off and it wouldn’t cost much damage. Slip and slides on concrete flooring are also unlikely – especially if you get a matt finish on the surface. Unsurprisingly, business companies that are invested in their employee’s safety make sure that they’re exposed to concrete flooring systems.
Polished Concrete Floors for Different Industries
Where should you use polished concrete? Is it good as commercial flooring or should you keep its use within a business setting? The good news is that thanks to the different benefits of the material, you can actually use it in different settings – whether interior or exterior. Here’s are some of the most common industries where it is used:
– Industrial and Commercial Floors
Industrial and commercial companies take full advantage of the benefits of this material for their floor. Instead of tile or carpet, concrete has better chances of withstanding the heavyweight of machinery placed inside a building. A manufacturing process that usually involves the use of large equipment needs a facility with flooring that can be relied on to remain even and stable all through projects. This helps create a safer environment for the workers and therefore reduces the possibility of workplace liability.
– Service Industry Projects
When exposed to dirt, the floor system can be easily wiped off so that it looks as good as ever! This is definitely one of the benefits of the floor in service buildings where high foot traffic happens often. Think restaurants, hotels, or even government offices. Including this in the project structure makes expenses for maintenance cheaper.
– Chemical Manufacturers
As mentioned, concrete flooring is highly resistant to chemicals. You can spill corrosive solutions onto the surface and it wouldn’t cause any stain or damage upon contact. Obviously, you’re not encouraged to start spilling items onto concrete. However, the existing resistance of the floor creates safer spaces for the chemical industry. By extension, you can also find concrete coatings in the food industry where it makes routine maintenance easier.
Final Word
Factored over time, the overall cost of using concrete helps you better manage commercial overhead and project costs. There’s also something about commercial concrete floors that helps add to the reputation and image of a business. Remember though that all these benefits are only possible if you contact a reliable provider of concrete flooring solutions like Extreme Industrial Coatings. Request a free checkup to assess your existing concrete commercial flooring and go from there. Nothing wrong with a free consult so take advantage of this offer and upgrade your concrete floor.
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