Concrete floors have regained their popularity because of the new and improved grinding techniques and beautiful new polishes. Property developers prefer the material because it is adaptable to new environments and can also be used in commercial settings. However, just like all the other flooring materials, polished concrete comes with its own unique set of challenges. The four common issues that arise about concrete floors are stains, edges, waves and dirt on the floor. Below are some tips on how to fix these problems.
Stains and discolouration
If your concrete has stains from substances such as oil, dirt and rust before polishing is done, the stains will remain after the completion of the process. After the concrete has been poured, you should do your best to make sure that you protect the concrete from getting stained. In case contamination happens, scrub the floor thoroughly to remove all stains.
Edges of the concrete floor
The edges of a polished concrete floor tend to get a different colour from the rest of the floor. The difference in tone happens because the middle parts of the floor are power trowelled, but the edges are hand-trowelled. After the polishing, the sides end up looking a little different from the middle of the floor. It can be prevented by choosing a concrete finishing pattern that will hide the disparity.
The presence of dirt on the floor
You should never start polishing a concrete surface which has debris all over. Common sources of debris include things we ignore such as pine needles getting blown in through the windows, or other dirt on the floor. If you polish a floor with debris, it will leave ugly scars, and you might be forced to cut them out and do patchwork. This patchwork leads to a slab with a poor colour match.
Waves on the floor
When a concrete slab has been created, it will be challenging to determine whether it has the right degree of flatness. However, these hard to detect waves become very distinct when the concrete is polished. When a wavy floor is polished, it ends up looking very splotchy, and at times, you might feel tempted to redo the entire floor.
These are four common issues to worry about before polishing your concrete. The best way to avoid these issues is to hire competent flooring contractors who understand the problems. They will help you create the polished concrete floor of your dreams.
Share26 January 2018
Pouring concrete isn't necessarily as straightforward as it looks. Depending on the land, you have to make multiple adjustments ranging from laying a layer of gravel to putting in moisture barriers. Then, depending on the size of the concrete pad, you may need to add steel reinforcements. After the concrete has dried and cured, you may decide to add sealants, do an acid wash or play with other finishes. Then, of course, there are differences between pouring concrete inside or outside. In this blog, I hope to cover all those issues and more. If you're looking for tips and ideas, take a look at these posts. Whether you plan to hire a concrete contractor or do the work yourself, it can help to know this information.
