There are ten stages to polishing concrete. The following article will cover the materials, techniques, and benefits of concrete polishing. You can use this information to decide which step is right for your home. To start, choose the grit that you want to polish your concrete. For larger areas, a coarser grit is appropriate. Check out the concrete polishing home page for the concrete services.

Ten stages of concrete polishing

The process of concrete polishing involves different stages. The first is the grinding stage, which removes the rough concrete and prepares the surface for the next step, honing. This stage may also involve the use of bonded abrasives of 100 grit or lower. The next two stages are the honing and grouting stages. The honing stage involves filling in the imperfections on the surface of the concrete with a grout, which is either a mix of cement and water or a chemical that solidifies when forced into the pore structure of the concrete.

Before proceeding with concrete polishing, you should determine the type of concrete you have. Residential concrete is generally made of a low PSI concrete mix, which does not polish as well as commercial concrete. Commercial concrete is made of a higher PSI mix and is machine or hand troweled for a more uniform finish.

Materials

When it comes to polishing concrete, choosing the correct materials is crucial. The process is a multi-step process that requires the use of various tools and equipment. The following tips will help you choose the right materials for the job. First, consider the hardness of the concrete you plan to polish. If the concrete is very hard, you will need a soft bond, while medium or soft-hard concrete will require a harder bond. By choosing the right bond, you will avoid excessive wear and ensure an even finish.

Next, decide what level of sheen you want. A high-sheen finish is achieved by exposing the aggregates that compose the concrete. Aggregates include sand, gravel, crushed stone, geosynthetic materials, and recycled concrete. Once this step is complete, you will need to apply a densifier. The density of the slab will determine how much densifier you need. You can use a combination of sodium, potassium, lithium, magnesium fluorosilicate, or colloidal densifiers.

Cost

There are two main methods for polishing concrete: grind and seal and mechanical polishing. Grind and seal requires more grits, but the cost is lower. Mechanical polishing requires diamond or silicon “sandpaper.” The downside is that a mechanically polished surface can’t get into corners.

Cost of polishing concrete varies depending on the level of glossiness and the amount of work required. High-end finishes can cost up to $8 or $12 per square foot. This is because high-end polished concrete finishes require more surface prep, and they require a more elaborate design pattern. In addition, a higher gloss level requires more polishing. The cost also increases with increased square footage, and the more rooms a project has.