Polished Concrete: Is It Right for You?

Concrete is a durable material made using sand and gravel. Floors made of concrete are designed to last but polishing that concrete can take it a step further and ensure your floors can withstand some of the toughest challenges you can throw at them. Just like conventional concrete flooring can be completely customized with a variety of dyes, sands, and gravels, so can polished concretes.

At Blackrock Industrial flooring contractor in Miami, we can further customize your polished flooring with different techniques and finishes to create anything from a smooth, matte-like look to a glassy-mirror like surface. We can even create polished concrete flooring that closely mimics other materials, such as stone, marble, or ceramic tiles, for flooring that is both aesthetic and incredibly long-lasting. Is polished concrete right for you?

The Benefits of Polished Concrete Floors

Cost-Effective

Conventional concrete tends to be dusty due to hydrostatic pressure. This can increase your maintenance costs and erode your bottom line. Polishing your concrete eliminates dusting and reduces overall maintenance costs. It also smooths the surface of the flooring, which decreases wear and tear and abrasion on tires. The process requires minimal downtime and involves no toxic or potentially hazardous chemicals, which means you can get back to work and use your floor as usual as soon as the floors are finished.

Easy Maintenance

You need to scrub and clean most floors, including tile and linoleum. Polished concrete floors are tightly compacted and virtually dust-free. There is no need to scrub, strip, or wax them, and the floors naturally repel water, oil, and other fluids and debris, making them easy to keep clean. Most messes are easily swept or mopped away without the need for further intervention.

Safety

Polishing concrete gives it a reflective shine that improves the effectiveness of your lighting, which in turn increases safety and lowers energy bills. Unlike some types of tile and linoleum, polished concrete is also not slippery despite that high-gloss shine. Concrete alone has a naturally gritty texture and the act of mechanically grinding it further increases the coefficient of friction compared to unpolished concrete. In fact, polished concrete often exceeds OSHA standards for floors when it comes to slip-resistance.

Eco-Friendliness

When you polish your concrete flooring, you reuse your existing concrete surfaces, which eliminates the need for new materials and sealants or coatings. Most polishing techniques require no volatile organic compounds, which results in a LEED-friendly surface. Concrete is incredibly durable, but at the end of its lifespan, it is also recyclable. It is made using natural ingredients, making it easy to break down and reuse.

About Blackrock Industrial

Polishing your new or existing concrete floors is a great way to finish them and create a beautiful, durable surface that can serve you for many years. The mechanical techniques used in polishing can remove superficial imperfections and restore the natural look of the concrete while strengthening concrete and improving its resistance to impacts and abrasion. Contact Blackrock Industrial flooring contractor in Miami today to learn more about polished concrete floors or to schedule a site visit with a member of our team.