Polished Off Blog

Polished concrete floors are the rage nowadays and are widely used for industrial, commercial, and residential spaces. With an increase in demand for such flooring, more and more contractors are allegedly offering high polished concrete flooring solutions at pocket-friendly prices. This growth in popularity is due to the manifold benefits such floors offer.

Here are 10 reasons that highlight why polished concrete floors are the best option available today.

Very versatile

Apart from being recommended by professionals, who are knowledgeable about flooring systems as well as the environments they work best in, polished concrete flooring is ideal for industrial, residential, and commercial spaces, and are better than ceramic tile or hardwood.

High sustainability and durability

Polished concrete floors are more durable and sustainable than flooring options like concrete tile, vinyl, or linoleum and typically last up to 10 years with minimum maintenance or breakage by an impact.

Eco-friendly

Installation and maintenance of polished concrete floors do not require hazardous chemicals. It prevents accumulation of allergens, mildew, or mold on its surface. They improve indoor air and are energy efficient too as heat accumulated from sunshine can reduce energy consumption resulting in deflated power bills.

Economical option

Polished concrete flooring is cheaper than hardwood, laminate, or vinyl flooring. Its cost per square meter depends on the type and finishes the customer wishes. The costs are minimal if the property already contains slab concrete and only requires polishing.

Sophistication and Aesthetics

Polished concrete floors are unarguably the best flooring option if you want to provide a pleasant and visual appearance to your property’s interior. Apart from reflecting light in an extremely appealing manner, the high gloss look of the flooring provides flair and sophistication to your building. It is nowadays the numero uno choice for high-class residences, theaters, hotels, and museums.

Low maintenance

Easy to maintain, polished concrete floorings only require sweeping, and occasional damp mopping to prevent accumulation of dirt on their surface and maintain their high gloss. You need not worry about re-polishing the surface frequently if the floors are professionally installed and polished. These floors look great for 10 years or more with minimum care.

Mark and stain free

Polished concrete floors are renowned for their anti-stain and anti-scratch properties. This is the reason it is great for residential and commercial floorings. Even owners of warehouses and other facilities nowadays prefer this flooring option above others.

Enhanced ambient lighting

The smooth and shiny surface of polished concrete floors enhance ambient lighting by reflecting the light; thereby, providing 30% more illumination to the room.

Available for immediate use

You can make use the concrete floors immediately after installation, as no chemicals are used in its fixing process. This is vital in places like supermarkets, production plants, and hospitals where blocking an area for several days can prove costly.

No waxing needed

As the surface of polished concrete floors have a high gloss and are stain and scratch proof, they do not require waxing or stripping off their surface. This saves you from maintenance costs.

Where to find professional polished concrete flooring solutions?

If you want to know more about the best professional polished concrete flooring in your locality, look no further than Polished Off… unarguably the most reputable and popular providers of such services in Australia.

Polished concrete floors are durable enough to serve you for over a decade without any repairs. However, they will need the occasional maintenance work to keep their surfaces shiny and attractive. Those who ignore this need will find their floors looking dull and lifeless. The process is nothing to be worried about it will not take much time and energy.

Polished Concrete Floor Maintenance Advice to Keep in Mind

1. Draft a maintenance schedule that you can stick to.

Different places impose different demands on floors. For example, commercial spaces tend to experience a higher amount of foot traffic because of the number of people who pass by. This means more pressure, more dirt, and more friction. This will be concentrated during opening hours, usually between 10am and 8pm.

The drop off will be quick after that. The cleaning schedule should fall early in the morning before opening or late at night after closing. This should take care of any sand and dirt that has stuck onto the surface. The difference will be like night and day.

2. Acquire the necessary products and tools for floor polishing.

The whole process will be a lot easier if you have the right tools to complete it. These will vary depending on whether you are going to do it manually or automatically. With manual cleaning, you will first have to use a dust mop to get rid of dust.

The best ones have soft microfiber heads that won’t scratch the floor. If there are any spills, then wipe the liquid off right away to prevent the moisture from penetrating under the surface. Use a cleaning solution with a neutral PH for stubborn areas.

For faster completion, consider using automatic floor scrubbers with non-abrasive pads. Stay away from hard pads as these will only leave ugly marks on the floor. The wheels should also be made of soft material like rubber. Pads have standardized colors for easy identification. White and beige ones are suitable for polished floors. Others tend to generate too much friction and should be avoided.

3. Steer clear of harmful chemicals.

A lot of people make the mistake of applying wax onto their concrete floor. This is a mistake as it voids the warranty and dulls the shine. The wax build-up is hard to remove. Other things that should not be used on the floor are tapes with strong adhesives, degreasers, and acidic cleaners. Check the label before buying your supplies for polished concrete floor maintenance.

Enquire today about Polished Concrete for your home in Perth or South Western Australia. We offer a wide range of cuts, polish levels, and products that gives the perfect look that you’ve have always dreamed of.

There are many different types of concrete slab floors available for home builders, including on-ground, suspended, and insulated slabs. While conventional concrete is still the most common material used for slabs, there are several new materials available now that will give you energy efficient concrete floors with a reduced ecological impact.

Here are some of the benefits of concrete slabs:

Thermal comfort

Concrete slabs have thermal mass, which is the potential of the material to store and release thermal energy. Materials with high thermal mass can help to regulate the indoor comfort of your home by absorbing heat, thus having a cooling effect on your home.

Durability

Concrete slabs are highly durable. If placed and compacted properly to ensure that there are no voids or porous areas, the slabs can have a nearly unlimited lifespan. To ensure the longevity of concrete slabs, avoid cracks by ensuring proper preparation of the foundation, appropriate water content in the mixture and proper placing and compaction.

 

Designing With Concrete Slabs

When designing a home with concrete slabs, you need to consider the acoustics. While these slabs are good at reducing sound from music or conversations from one level of the home to another, some impact noises may still be transmitted, such as high heels on a tiled floor. Using an acoustic barrier in the ceiling can help to reduce these noises.

In addition, you should design the floor plan to close off spaces from each other as needed. Large flat ceilings tend to transmit too much noise, so adding dropped bulkheads, sloped ceilings or cupboards can help to absorb sound, especially if lined with a softer material.

If you are renovating your home and want to incorporate concrete slabs, you can trying using slab-on-ground or suspended slabs. If the rooms you are renovating have timber floors, it may be possible to replace the timber with concrete slab to add thermal mass and reduce noise.

Finishing

For the concrete’s thermal mass to work effectively, it must be able to interact with the interior of the house. You can cover the slabs with various types of finishes that provide insulation, such as carpeting or polished concrete.

It is important to remember that the design of concrete structures should always be undertaken with the consultation of a qualified person, such as a building contractor a structural engineer, and should not be undertaken by a person who is unfamiliar with the work.

It can be exhausting to grind and polish a concrete surface without making use of a coating; however, the Klindex super concrete makes the process both fast and efficient. Groundbreaking research in the construction industry reveals that it is possible to transform a typical concrete floor into a damage resistant, hygienic and amazing looking floor.

Numerous factories and manufacturing firms across the globe are now embracing the system in both commercial and domestic apartments.

Qualities of the super concrete system

• High resistance and improved abrasion
• Stain proof
• Ability to resist wear and tear from foot traffic, and movement of heavy equipment such as forklifts
• Smooth and flat surface
• High hygienic standards with zero VOC emissions
• A broad range of visual appearance and finishes

The durable floor solution

Klindex flooring systems are ideal for covering up vintage floor systems. This procedure will significantly boost the strength and longevity of your remodelled floor. The super concrete layer hardens leaving behind a hardened surface that is capable of withstanding extreme conditions.

Suitable for truck movement

This flooring system masks tyre marks very well. Tyre spins, especially those from heavy earth-moving trucks, can leave behind ugly marks on your floor surface. Repairing such a surface is both costly and time-consuming.

Eco-friendly solution

This flooring method is desirable because it makes use of existing surfaces thus eliminating the need to introduce alien coatings that can cause damage to the environment. Carpets and tiles are not appropriate because they wear out frequently and are easily disposable.

Notable features of the super concrete system

• Lack of odor or harmful chemical emissions
• The product does not cause any allergies to users
• No dust emitted during installation of the floor
• No air pollution due to solvent evaporation

One key selling point of the super concrete is that it allows moisture to evaporate through its top layer thus limiting the chance of bacteria and fungi growth.

Easy and cheap to maintain

Super concrete floors are incredibly easy to maintain. You only need to sweep or dust using cleaning equipment such as pads, brushes and brooms. With such a floor you will rarely be in need of stripping and waxing services.

The installation process

First, you need to strip off the initial layer, and then proceed to fix any gaping holes or patches on the surface. Next, you need to Grind and inject hardening substance into the concrete. Finally, polish with Resibond diamond discs, seal and dry using a white pad.
For new concrete surfaces, you can follow the above procedure by using a coloured concrete of your choice.

How does this option stack up against other flooring systems?

Paint and wax coatings can deliver a sparkling surface, but their downside is that they are short-lived and require repainting every once in a while. All in all, super concrete systems are not only ideal but are economical in the long run.