Polished concrete
In this step, low grit diamonds (e.g. 16- to 20-grit) are used to grind down all uneven surface until the floor is flat.
Patching ensures that all cracks, pinholes, and micropits are covered with grout before the concrete polishing process continues.
[3] Densifying solutions also seal the floor from problems like rebar expansion, mildew, and mold.
Here, the floor is polished with much finer grit in order to achieve the desired sheen level, such as matte, satin, semi-gloss, and high-gloss.
Polished lime mortar was discovered in the city of Jericho, in the valley of the River Jordan.
Malinowski stated that the lower part of the floor consisted of lime concrete with a thickness between 6–8 cm.
In simple terms, the process of polishing concrete is similar to sanding wood.
Heavy-duty polishing machines, for example concrete grinder, are used to gradually grind down surfaces to the desired degree of shine and smoothness.
The concrete should always be professionally finished with power trowels and cured with water for seven days.
During the finishing phase, any decorative aggregates such as seashells, glass chips or even metal car parts can be dropped into the surface of the concrete.
If the existing floor slab is in poor condition, it can be cut, or ground and the natural aggregate can be featured as the "exposure level".
In some cases, a fine grout is also used to fill in any holes, cracks or imperfections that were exposed from the initial coarse grinding step.
The "shine" is topical and generally wears easily, requiring high maintenance and reapplication of the material.
However, it does provide a similar look to polished concrete and may be appropriate in small spaces with little expected foot traffic or wear on the slab.
While there may be some level of surface preparation this is a topical (chemical spray or rolled on) solution and will wear off and need to be replaced depending on floor traffic.
Even though polished concrete doesn't peel off like Epoxy and PU floors, damage may happen:
