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Polished concrete is a process of progressive mechanical grinding, honing, densifying and polishing a concrete surface. This is done to achieve an aesthetically pleasing, highly durable, light-reflective finish.
When I’m wearing my teaching/training hat, I’m known to say, “when you go back for rework, you just forfeited your profit.” But recently, an owner required one of my polisher/clients to do some rework on a polishing job. Consequently, during our conversation, I saw another angle. I had thought of […]
Whether you use a rotary (left) or a planetary (right) grinder to get the job done largely relies on personal preference. Both types of machines can handle light and heavy-duty grinding jobs of any size. Photos courtesy of Zanchettin Brothers Terrazzo & Tile Co. (left) and Superabrasive (right). Jobs always […]
I venture to guess that most of the floor-covering installers reading this tip don’t consider “grinding or honing wet” an option when bidding polished concrete. I don’t blame you. In the floor covering industry, the idea of adding water to the concrete sounds crazy. Most of the time, you already […]
Let’s tackle understanding what happens when slabs curl and why concrete has light and dark areas that never change. (We call these differential curing marks). These are two more common types of damage that wouldn’t exist if you technically mixed, placed and cured concrete. Knowledge is power. What is curling […]
Being proactive early can make or break the success of your project! It’s essential to educate your crew, so these questions don’t cause unneeded anxiety. Knowledge is power when the owner of a site asks the polishing contractor questions like: “Why did my concrete crack and how can you fix […]
In this tip, you’ll learn about craze cracks. These common cracks wouldn’t exist if installers had properly mixed and placed the concrete and allowed it to fully cure. Craze cracks — sometimes called map cracking, mud cracking or spider cracks — all name the same thing. I believe you should […]
Let’s say you performed a mock-up or a Mohs test on a concrete slab. Subsequently, the results determined the concrete slab is soft (scratched at a 6, 5 or 4). Here are a few items not on the “typical packing list” that’ll come in handy. Extra diamonds and high-solids densifiers […]
When producing a coarse aggregate floor directly for an owner or client, most people commonly assume that all you must do is work harder and grind deeper during the first grinding steps. Always begin by doing the Mohs hardness test. The result helps you determine the correct bond to start […]
Capitalism is predicated on the idea that this isn’t a one-size-fits-all world. I might want a sportscar while you prefer an SUV. You play softball with the gang on Saturday afternoons while I like to hike nature trails. The same holds true with concrete flooring. While it’d be nice if […]
Looking for a cost-effective flooring system that’s quick to install and easy to keep clean? Then check out Westcoat’s Grind & Seal, a great-looking alternative for polished concrete. The popular system aims to revive and protect plain concrete in commercial establishments from showrooms to restaurants. Depending on the sealer or […]
