Polished Concrete

1. Introduction

Polished concrete, discovered about 14 years ago and has taken its path to history as a sustainable and low-maintenance paving option in almost all market segments. We have all walked on a polished concrete surface in recent years. It is such a popular and fast-growing sector that, in many cases, is outperforming consumers and contractors with new technologies and new methods. This rapid growth has put the industry in a very volatile state, leaving consumers confused about what is and what is not polished and what aspects of performance to expect. (Burns, 2015)

The Concrete Polishing Association of America (CPAA) was formed in November 2009 to create standards for concrete processing with a glossy finish and help define these processes so that architects, designers and consumers can better understand the selection process. CPAA's leadership consists of manufacturers and contractors to provide continuity in the creation of these standards and procedures.

The CPAA defined polished concrete as; The act of changing a concrete floor surface, with or without additional exposure, to achieve the desired level of glossy finish . There are three basic versions of polished cement according to the CPAA. They are abrasive polishes bonded to concrete, burnished polished concrete and topically polished concrete.

The polishing process can divided into three sections. Those are grinding, densifying and polishing. (wine, n.d.) There are many flooring systems in the market and big competition also there. So, evaluation and made modification should need to polished concrete for survive in industry.

2. Grinding

When considering floor restoration, that not all types of flooring will be similar to glass. Concrete grinding occurs before the polishing process, making it a simpler option and one that takes less time when ultra-bright surfaces are not required. The resulting grinding texture is a gritty abrasive that is halfway between an opaque appearance and a low-level gloss, a classic appearance of steps or exterior surfaces.

The rectified cement can also be sealed with a urethane sealant to achieve a finish similar to cement smoothed in fewer steps. In fact, a floor sealed with urethane can work better in many environments than a polished floor.

Since concrete processing is a series of steps, the level of resistance, durability and brightness improves as much as you cut and remodels the concrete. This is the reason why the ground cement is not as bright as its polished counterparts; polishing requires a significantly higher production. Both, however, offer a professional look, so the type of concrete we choose depends entirely on our preferences. (O'Shannessy, 2015)

Grinding Steps different exposes of Aggregate (polished-concrete-the-complete-guide-2017, n.d.)

Light Sand / Cream Finish

Exposure to light sand is a ground and polished surface, which generally only exposes sand particles to the concrete floor. This finish is considered a creamy-looking surface and is the most popular choice for polished floor and architectural floors.

Salt & Pepper Finish

Salt and pepper exposure is a smooth, polished surface, which usually exposes fine aggregate spray to the concrete floor. This finish is chosen more frequently to give the appearance of an aged surface. Depth of rough cut of 1/16 inch surface.

Medium Aggregate Finish

Average exposure to the aggregate generally exposes the largest amount of average aggregate in the concrete floor with low or no aggregate exposure in random locations. Approximate depth of the cut of the surface by 1/8 of an inch.

Large Aggregate Finish

Large aggregate exposure is a more cut surface, which usually exposes the largest amount of the largest aggregate in the concrete floor. The finish is the most chosen when the substrate has been planted with customized aggregates. On some floors, including the restoration of old concrete, there may be limitations in the depth at which the floor can be cut. Depth of rough cut of 1/4 inch. (polished-concrete-the-complete-guide-2017, n.d.)