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BENEFITS
of POLISHED CONCRETE
During the polishing process
an internal impregnating sealer is applied. The sealer
sinks into the concrete and is invisible to the naked
eye. It not only protects the concrete from the inside
out, it also hardens and densifies the concrete. This
eliminates the need for a topical coating, which reduces
maintenance significantly (versus if you had a coating
on it).
When ProTech Designs, Inc. brings the concrete to
a full polish- they never apply a topical coating
or wax - waxing the surface would be defeating the
purpose of a fully polished floor- because the concrete
floor itself is already shining, so there is no need
to put something on the floor that would then need
to be maintained.
Options with Polished Concrete
If the decision is made
to polish concrete in advance of the concrete being
poured, there is a stunning array of available options:
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Colored aggregate
can be applied to the concrete mix or seeded
into the top layer of the mix. The polishing
process will reveal these aggregate. |
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Integrally colored concrete
can be used. |
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Glass can be seeded into
the mix. The polishing process will reveal the
glass pieces. |
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Nails, bolts, computer
chips, or any other objects can be seeded into
the mix and then polished smooth. |
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Of course, any of these
options can be combined together or into a pattern.
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Not Polished,
but Still Awesome
· As noted earlier,
polishing concrete required a series of polishing
steps culminating with the use of 1800-3500 grit diamonds.
Each step in the process increases the shine and reflectivity
of the concrete.
· There are other options, which though they
stop short of 1800-3500 grit diamonds, are still beautiful:
· Two steps of grinding to expose the aggregate,
then applying a topical sealer, might be called the
exposed aggregate, sealed look. While still taking
on a polished look, the polish is a result of a topical
coating (still beautiful, but requiring more maintenance).
· ProTech Designs, Inc. produces a finish they
call a honed finish where they stop at 220 grit diamonds.
This honed finish has some surface shine, but is still
smooth and easy to clean.
· ProTech Designs, Inc. also lets customers
review the floor at the 400-800-and 1800 grit diamond
level of shine if the customer is unsure if they want
a fully polished look (though most clients do want
the floor fully polished).
· Clearly, there are many levels of floors
that stop short of truly being polished concrete,
but are beautiful in their own right.
LEARN
MORE - Concrete Staining & Etching
View
Polished Concrete Picture Gallery
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