Polished concrete is a popular flooring system that has many benefits. These floors have a high gloss finish and a myriad of design options.

You may be wondering how this popular floor is made. We’ll be covering all of the steps of how this floor is created below. Continue reading to learn more about the process for polishing concrete!

The first step in this process is cleaning the concrete floor. Any dirt, dust, or debris built up on the surface will need to be removed to ensure that it isn’t ground into the floor during the polishing. Once the floor is clean, it will be inspected for damage. Your contractor will look for any signs of damage, such as cracking, chipping, or pits.

In the event that damage is found on your floor, it will most likely need to be repaired. Minor damage, such as small pits, may buff out during the polishing step. More extensive damage, like cracks and chipping, will need to be addressed. Cracks will be filled with an epoxy filler that is injected into the crack to prevent it from spreading. Chipping will be repaired with a concrete patch.

After the damage has been repaired, surface prep can begin. Surface preparation is performed by using a floor grinder equipped with a diamond grinding wheel. The grinding starts with a low-grit and continues by progressively switching to a higher grit, usually two to four times. After the prep, the floor will be cleaned once more to remove any excess dust from the prep work.

Staining your polished concrete floor is an optional step that can bring another level of beauty to your space. Your floor can be stained after the grinding during the surface preparation. The chosen type and color of stain can then be rolled out on the floor in your chosen pattern. Once the stain is applied, it will need several hours to dry before continuing with the polishing process.

Now that the floor has been prepared, an impregnator sealer is applied that will protect the concrete, inside and out. This sealer will also harden and densify the concrete, eliminating the need for a topical coating and further reducing maintenance.

Next, the actual polishing begins with a floor grinder fitted with a high-grit polishing wheel, usually starting with a 100 or 200-grit wheel. The entire floor will be polished three to four times while moving to a higher grit polishing wheel each time. The finishing polish will use either a 1500-grit or 3000-grit wheel, depending on the level of sheen you’d like your floor to have.

Your newly polished concrete floor will be ready to use immediately after the polishing is finished. There is no wait time or coatings that need to cure. That is the basic step-by-step process for polishing a concrete floor. If your concrete contractor follows these steps, you should end up with a beautifully polished concrete floor!