Concrete polishing is one of the best Eco-friendly options to protect and care old concrete floors. Moreover, this serves as a superior sustainable design flooring choice, which the users/owners can make use of the flooring materials already present. Also, if you want to protect your floor, you can also try garage floor coating in Minnesota. It gives better option and best protection with epoxy floor coating. The main highlight of this is it is dust free and has low odour.
Let us have a brief look about the polished concrete flooring, their Eco-benefits in residential and commercial areas, common places of usage, and the basic methods of fabricating a polished finish on concrete floor.
Objectives of polishing concrete floor
Even though concrete floors were before preserved for commercial and industrial areas, but now they are growing as a popular trend in loft apartments, studios and high-end condo units. In recent years, polished concrete floors have become more common and are usually present in single family homes either in their garage or in their basement.
The main advantage of concrete floors is that they are durable. Certainly most of the people think that they do not need more maintenance. Although, they are not a high maintenance floor but still they need some regular cleaning, polishing and care to make them seem more shining or new.
Eco benefits of residential polished concrete floor
1. Improves natural lightning. Most of properly maintained concrete floors improve natural lightning because of its reflective properties. This helps the user to save on energy costs, by which, they can support a green Eco-friendly building.
2. Cost savings. With grinding and working for smooth sets of flooring bits, the slab on place is utilized as the finished floor surface. Thus, the process stays as a complete Eco-friendly option, and there is no need for the owners/users to buy more flooring material.
3. Longer life. They are not susceptible to damage as like other materials. Moreover, there is no need to replace the flooring material, and the user can opt to polish as per requirements.
4. Easy to clean. Polished concrete is one of the best methods to fight allergies, and also this does not catch pollen, dust, dirt, mold and allergens. Typically, it is easy to clean and keep up. After the installation process or polishing the concrete floor, the user can notice a mirror-like shine with no sticky dust particles on the surface.
5. Affordable services. The polished floors are available in decorative concrete forms in wide variety of designs and colors. As it delivers a great Eco-friendly value, it has become a legal option for most of residential users.
Eco benefits of retail and commercial polished concrete floor
1. Cost savings. Maintenance cost is lower than compared to other flooring options. This flooring does not need any tough or hard chemicals in the cleaning process; moping/wiping with warm soap water once a week is the only maintenance required. Additionally, it is more cost-effective to polish by using the flooring materials already present on site.
2. Fights against moisture transmission issues. Polished concrete permits the floor to breathe, which cuts other issues (seal off the concrete material) that have risen with other flooring materials like tiles.
3. High light reflectivity. It is highly used in office buildings and other commercial areas that project a clean, professional, bright image to the interiors. Thus, it also helps to save energy by dropping the use artificial lighting fittings in the working area.
4. Serves as a best sustainable flooring alternative. Polished concrete flooring does not need hazardous cleaners, coating or adhesives in the entire coating and maintenance process. Furthermore, the glossy surface resists stain from chemical and oil spills.
5. Flexibility of polished concrete floor. As polishing is a multistep process, business owners and home owners can choose the height of polish from stain to high-gloss as per their esthetic and maintenance requirements. Polished concrete flooring is used in warehouse outlets and large warehouses, retail stores, hotels and restaurants, auto showrooms, private residence and office buildings. Lack of exact flooring in business area can put a pounce in consumer’s steps.
Methods used in producing a reflective polished concrete floor
Below given are the basic methods used in polishing the concrete floor.
1. Steel trowelled. Generally, normal grey concrete is used for the smooth basic flat finish. With incorporating on white cement, it can be used to carry out a more consistent and lighter color.
2. Burnished. It offers a durable hard-wearing finish with surface shine. Products such as resin-based coatings or liquid-polishes can be applied to the outside surface and burnished by using polishing tools.
3. Honed. It provides a most-versatile and most-durable polished finish. This polished surface is fabricated by grinding the concrete floor with abrasives. This is one of the economical methods practiced in larger areas.
Conclusion
Increasingly, it has become important to consider polished concrete floor when constructing or renovating towards greener Eco-friendly solution. Polished concrete floor is one of the best Eco-friendly options for home and business owners who cannot afford granite or marble floors. It offers the same mirror-like brilliant finish with protecting the environment.
