July 19, 2019
There are hundreds of flooring options for your business. Concrete may not be the perfect flooring option for every business, but it is an excellent choice for many. It has enormous benefits and with very few challenges compared to other concrete floor options. Today we will share a glimpse of our knowledge of polished concrete and how it can be the best flooring option for your business. WHAT IS POLISHED CONCRETE? Polished concrete is created through the honing and mechanical grinding of a concrete surface with specialized diamond-impregnated tooling. It refines the surface in order to achieve a particular level of gloss and aggregate exposure specified by the client. There are several levels of shine including flat (ground), satin (honed), polished, and highly polished. The aggregate exposure classes include cement fines, fine aggregate, and coarse aggregate, which denotes the surface exposure after grinding to different depths and polishing. There are numerous benefits to choosing polished concrete for your business such as low life-cycle cost, low maintenance needs, and high sustainability. BENEFITS The initial cost of a new floor is inevitable, but that cost can be recovered over time. The life-cycle cost of concrete flooring is not an exact science to calculate, as you can never fully predict the life of your concrete flooring. Knowing that concrete floors are one of the most durable options on the market with a lifespan of over 20 years when properly cared for, you can be assured that your cost will be recouped. They can last significantly longer when they are well maintained since they do not chip, dent, or wear easily like many other flooring options. Plus, when it’s time to sell or lease your space or building, your buyers will see the added value of polished concrete flooring. Polished concrete looks great for any warehouse, commercial space, restaurant, school, or office. Maintenance is a factor for all concrete floor options. They will require some form of cleaning, which includes a time commitment. Polished concrete is far and away one of the longest-lasting flooring options with very low maintenance needed. This means that with a regular maintenance schedule and the correct type of cleaning, polished concrete can last a lifetime. Basic maintenance for your polished concrete flooring should include cleaning up a spill and removing debris as quickly as possible. This will help protect it from staining as the spilled liquid will not have time to seep into the porous surface. Dry and wet mopping on a weekly basis is an easy way to keep your floors clear of dust, dirt, and other grime accumulation. Due to the porous surface of polished concrete, its highly ill-advised to use corrosive cleaning materials such as vinegar, bleach, or citrus which can weaken the bonds of the concrete and lead to further damage which may require professional restorative work. Sustainability of polished concrete is immense. Not only does it use one of the world’s most available materials – limestone – but it also requires the least amount of new natural resources to be produced. Due to its longevity, it will not require full replacement like other options such as carpet or laminate, which can help you save time, money, and resources. Most buildings are constructed with concrete slab flooring to serve as an added structural reinforcement and a blank slate for any flooring that would be added on top. Unlike other flooring options, polished concrete makes use of the existing slab rather than adding additional flooring such as carpet, laminate, and tile which end up in landfills after they’re torn up. These options typically last a few years before they require replacement and they end up being discarded. Another cost and environmental saving of polished concrete is the reduction in heat and lighting you’ll see. Concrete absorbs and stores excess heat which in turn lowers your heating bill. Due to the shiny surface of polished concrete, it can reflect light, reducing the need for extra lighting. RESTORATIVE WORK Regular maintenance can prolong the life of polished concrete flooring. Unfortunately, it cannot protect it from all types of damage like deep scratching or cracking. Professional restorative work from Royale Concrete was designed for these exact situations. As durable as polished concrete is, it isn’t impervious. Restoration and refinishing can revive dull or damaged concrete flooring and bring it back to life. Damage occurs in several ways and produces different types of damage which need to be dealt with in different ways. This means that repairs and restoration will need to be evaluated in order to properly repair and prevent further damage from occurring. Refinishing polished concrete is a task best left to the professionals. HOW IT DIFFERS FROM OTHER OPTIONS Topical products claim to mimic the appearance of polished concrete, but they cannot mimic the other benefits such as durability, longevity, and sustainability. The temporary shine of waxes and sealers needs to be renewed frequently in order to maintain a high level of shine as opposed to the mechanically produced shine of polished concrete. Unlike many other floor options, polished concrete is highly customizable to meet the desired final appearance and function specified by the customer. There truly is no concrete floor option like polished concrete. POLISHED CONCRETE PROFESSIONALS Royale Concrete is passionate about providing a concrete floor option for businesses that not only meets needs but also exceeds them. Choosing polished concrete provides a beautiful, sustainable, and long-lasting floor that can be nearly any color, level of shine, and level of aggregate exposure. Considering other flooring options is time-consuming, but in the end, we are sure polished concrete will often come out on top. Our professional concrete services also include surface preparation, terrazzo polishing, coatings, concrete maintenance, and concrete repairs. Contact us today to learn more about the concrete floor options available for your business!