Polished concrete floors
Polished concrete is becoming increasingly popular due to its minimalist, practical, sleek and contemporary look. It also comes in a range of colours and finishes, is easy to look after and perfect if you are using underfloor heating.
What is polished concrete?
Polished concrete is much like standard concrete with chemical densifiers added to fill the pores to give a dense, durable matrix. The surface is then ground down with diamond polishing tools to achieve the required level of smoothness, shine and finish specified.
Benefits of polished concrete floors
- Stone-style almost marble like appearance
- Low maintenance
- Easy to clean
- Extremely durable
- Can provide a seamless look between inside and out
- Perfect for underfloor heating systems
- Absorbs and retains heat
- Available in a range of colours to compliment the aggregates used
- Non-slip surface
How much does polished concrete flooring cost?
The cost will depend on the type of finish you require, as well as the amount of preparation needed before the concrete can be laid. As a guide, a new polished concrete floor, poured, finished and sealed, will cost in the region of £120-150 per m².
Can I lay a polished concrete floor myself?
Pouring and polishing a concrete floor is a specialist job and is best left to professionals.The ready-mixed concrete, usually reinforced with steel mesh to minimise the risk of cracking, is normally poured over insulation and any underfloor system, to a depth of 100mm (depending on application). The area will initially be levelled and compacted using vibration to remove any air pockets and surface voids, which could impact on the strength and durability of the finished concrete.
It is recommended to have the concrete coloured to further improve the finished look, this may be integral to the mix, or only the surface. If only the surface is to be coloured then it is done at this stage, usually using a ‘dry shake’ method where coloured pigment powders are applied to the wet concrete surface before being worked in using hand and power floats.
The final surface is then closed off using a hand trowel and/or power trowel machines to smooth the surface until it develops a sheen. The final step is to polish and seal the floor, which must be done at least 28 days after pouring.
Polishing is achieved with a diamond grinding/polishing tools. A specialist sealant that allows the concrete to breathe is then added and needs to be left to cure for 24-48 hours.
Can I polish an existing concrete floor?
As long as the concrete is fairly level, damp-free and in good condition it should be possible to polish. Though if it was not designed to be polished the finished surface could have a more random appearance due to the concentration of aggregate revealed at the surface.
How do I maintain a polished concrete floor?
One of the benefits of polished concrete is that it doesn’t need much looking after! As a natural product it needs to be sealed to give the best performance, much like a granite worktop.
It can be easily swept or vacuumed to remove dirt or dust or mopped with warm water. If you spill anything on the floor, it is best to clean it up straight away to prevent any possible staining.
If the floor needs a deeper clean, a suitable PH neutral cleaner can be used with a soft mop or cloth. Make sure that you don’t use anything abrasive which could scratch the surface and remove the sheen.
Other than that, the floor will need to be resealed every few years, depending on foot traffic and use.
