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Polished Concrete Floors
POLISHED CONCRETE FLOORS PROVIDES A STUNNING ARCHITECTURAL FLOOR WITH A LIFESPAN AS LONG AS YOUR BUILDING

Polished concrete floors

Polished concrete flooring creates a very flat and smooth surface, which is aesthetically beautiful, sustainable and eco-friendly. Polished concrete floors are used in a variety of different settings and is typically chosen for its decorative qualities, low maintenance and durability.

After polishing concrete, dirty grey floors are transformed into stunning, easy to clean, environmentally-friendly and durable surfaces. A polished concrete floor provides an extremely high-quality finish similar in appearance to marble or terrazzo. With a life cycle cost of up to 60% less than any traditional floor covering,

With over 20 years experience polishing and finishing concrete you can be guaranteed we have the knowledge and experience to realize your dream projects.

Thank you for the fantastic Polished Concrete job completed in Park West. Your staff were most accommodating and are excellent ambassadors for your company. The finished result is flawless and will be a great example to show prospective clients.

Brian Brady, Accura Diamond Tools
Smart Box Polished Concrete Floor by PMAC

Service

Polished concrete floors

A STUNNING ARCHITECTURAL FLOOR WITH A LIFESPAN AS LONG AS YOUR BUILDING

What is Polished concrete?

Polished concrete floors are achieved by removing the very top layer off a concrete slab, exposing the aggregate underneath.

Removal is achieved by grinding away between 1 mm and 4 mm off the surface with diamond disks.

Once the desired grind is reached, the concrete can be honed and polished until the surface becomes hard and smooth, with a matt or gloss appearance.

Briefly, the concrete polishing technique involves:

  • Grinding the concrete down until the desired amount of aggregates appear.
  • Consolidating the concrete with a special impregnator. This process causes a chemical change with the result of a higher hardness of the floor.
  • Honing and polishing to produce a high gloss shine on the surface.

Each step in the process increases the shine and reflectivity of the polished concrete surface. As it is a multi-step process, you can view the floor at the various stages of grinding to determine the level of shine required.

What are the different finishes that can be achieved with polished concrete?

Bronze Finish

This involves polishing, not grinding away, the top layer of the surface paste. Typical of the industrial setting, this finish reveals all the variations in colour and texture. No aggregate is exposed, just a sandy and often uneven finish. Because the imperfections aren’t being ground out, it is crucial the concrete placement is smooth and has an even surface. It is still smooth to touch and hardeners are applied, however it will be more susceptible to staining. The bronze polished concrete floor can be brought up to a matt or high gloss.

Silver Finish

First step is a deep grind which reveals the variations in sand, gravel and aggregate underneath the sandy layer. Giving a Terrazzo like look. Hardener is then applied. After the first grind, progressively smaller diamond disks are used to remove the scratches made by the previous grind. Floor is treated with an impregnating seal after the final grind. The silver finish is left with a matte or satin look.

Gold Finish

For a Gold finish, the initial grinding and polishing step is finer. Because the grind is not as deep into the concrete, less aggregate is exposed. This gives a smooth, salt and pepper polished concrete look with a highly reflective surface. Typically, 1 mm of the surface is ground away, so there is no room for error or variations in levels. This finish can only be achieved if the concrete has been power floated and is completely smooth before the grinding commences.

Platinum Finish

The platinum finish gives the floor the best characteristics and is often opted for in a domestic situation. It involves more grinding steps than the other options, bringing the floor up to a 3,000 grit. The result is an unbeatably durable floor, with a highly reflective finish. Between 2 mm and 3 mm are ground off from the surface. The polishing process closes the pores in the concrete, facilitating its resistance to staining. The more it is polished, the more pores are closed. Platinum finish is generally considered to be the ‘Rolls Royce’ of polished concrete floors.

Example of a Bronze finished concrete floor
Example of a Gold finished concrete floor
Example of a Silver finished concrete floor
Example of a Platinum finished concrete floor

Benefits of a polished concrete floor

  • RESISTANT
    Highly resistant to wear, scratches and most chemicals, with a long life-span.

  • STRONG
    Hard and strong.  No unnecessary vibrations. Perfect for truck traffic.
  • NATURAL
    Natural, dust-free and hypo-allergenic. Doesn’t harbour bacteria, mould or fungi. No need for harsh solvents or coatings.
  • REFLECTS LIGHT
    Natural or artificial light bounces off the surface of polished concrete projecting a bright clean environment.
  • STYLISH
    Fantastic and versatile with a high-gloss or contemporary matt finish. Decorative elements such as coloured aggregates, crushed glass or marble chips can be added for a unique stunning look.
  • ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
    Locally sourced materials, your concrete foundation slab acts as your finished floor. No harsh chemicals are required and your concrete will last the lifetime of the building.
  • CLEAN
    Low maintenance costs. Easy to clean with sweeping, vacuuming or mopping. No cyclical waxing or sanding required.

Specifying concrete suitable for a polished concrete floor

The most crucial element of a polished concrete floor is the quality of concrete and the pour. It is vital the slab mix, placement, finish & curing are done correctly You should always work with an experienced contractor. Your concrete slab is your final floor finish and should be treated with this in mind. Standard concrete slabs and old concrete can be polished, the final outcome is determined by the colour and mix of aggregate in the concrete screed.

Polished concrete floor for industrial purposes

Despite the smooth look of polished concrete, it is no more slippery than other types of flooring.

Polished concrete floors are very easy to keep clean even in heavy traffic areas.

The flat surface of a polished concrete floor greatly decreases the vibrations that otherwise occur with forklifts. An absence of a electrical isolating covering reduces the stress on electronic components caused by ESD-disturbances.

Easy maintenance, even with heavy use

The easy maintenance of polished concrete is key in high-traffic areas where trolleys are used – such as airports, hotels, supermarkets and warehouses – eliminating the need for waxes. Non-allergic properties are important for hospitals, private residences, schools, etc.

Its glossy surface resists the marks of forklift truck tyres and staining from chemicals and oil on industrial floors. This versatility and toughness makes the concrete an ideal and ultimate flooring material for most floor applications.

Maintaining the shine requires only minimal effort. Just clean the floor regularly with a damp mop to remove grit, and use a suitable cleaner to enhance the shine. With basic cleaning, the floor will keep its lustre for years.

In high-traffic areas, sometimes buffing the floor with a floor pad will be required. Should more intervention be required, the floor can be lightly re-polished after a couple of years.

Get in touch

Our legacy is quality projects we can be proud of. At PMAC, we value the inputs of our customers, our team and our supply chain in reaching positive outcomes. Health and safety to our people and the public is a priority for us and without compromise.

If you are working on a similar project we would love to hear about it. Dont hesitate to call us or send in the details of your project through our contact page at  https://pmac.ie/contact-pmac/

We are registered on both the RIAI and Heritage contractors and links to their sites can be found below.

https://www.riai.ie/

https://heritageregistration.ie/heritage-contractors-listing/

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