Frequently Asked Questions
What is Polished Concrete?
What is aggregate exposure?
Does my job need to be a certain size for Polished Concrete Floors?
Are Concrete Floors Slippery?
How much experience do you have in this type of work?
Epoxy Coating VS Polished Concrete
- Polished concrete doesn't chip easily.
- Polished concrete is slip resistant.
- Polished concrete is VOC free at installation and throughout lifetime.
- Polished concrete has no cure time after installation.
How much does Polished Concrete Cost?
What areas of the country does Polished Concrete Floors serve?
As defined by CPAA
The act of changing a concrete floor surface, with or without aggregate exposure, until the desired level of finished gloss is achieved by using one of the listed classifications; Bonded Abrasive Polished Concrete, Burnished Polished Concrete, or Hybrid Polished Concrete.
As defined by CPAA
Aggregate exposure - Grinding a concrete floor surface with bonded abrasives to achieve a specified level of exposed aggregate. These are classified as A, B, C and D with varying levels of exposed aggregate (see Aggregate Exposure Chart)
Finished Gloss - Processing a concrete floor surface to achieve a specified level of finished gloss; (flat [ground], satin [honed], semi polished, and highly polished) that is measure in reflective clarity (DOI), and reflective sheen (specular gloss), and haze. Glossy finishes are classified as levels 1,2,3 and 4 with varying degrees of reflective clarity and sheen. (see Finished Gloss Chart)
No, very few jobs are too big or small for Polished Concrete Floors. We're happy to tackle jobs as small as 2,000 square feet up to millions of square feet.
No, it only looks slippery due to the honed surface. It is less slippery than a VCT tile floor or even a hard steel troweled concrete floor. The reason is because of by mechanically grinding the floor it reduces high spots and low spots. Also it closes the surface of the floor so that the concrete is no longer porous so there is more surface contact with the concrete which increases the COF (coefficient of friction).Just because polished concrete is shiny doesn't mean it is slippery. Testing has shown that polished concrete usually meets or exceeds OSHA standards (.50) for slip resistance on surfaces.
Polished Concrete Floors has many years of experience in the industry, working on projects all over Florida. Over this time we have built up a loyal customer base of companies, industrial building owners and have successfully completed thousands of projects of all sizes. We have also supplied flooring preparation and flooring systems to the US military, so we are among the few that can legitimately claim our work is "military-grade." We believe that our reputation now speaks for itself and would be happy to provide you with testimonials from our many satisfied clients. Another testament to our quality is the fact that many flooring installers contract to us to prepare surfaces for them, before they install the new flooring.
Epoxy has its place as a floor finish in areas like food preparation, specialty manufacturing, aerospace, etc. But in many instances polished concrete can provide a floor finish that meets the requirements of the critical flooring, offering a cost effective alternative that exhibits favorable characteristics. Unless a slab is going to be continually exposed to acid, oils, or corrosive materials, polished concrete will often save a company money. Coatings wear away from the surface and must be reapplied frequently to be maintained. Polished concrete has nothing on the surface so is unsurpassed in its ability to hold up to fork lifts, foot traffic, and wheeled carts. Its lifecycle exceeds almost all coatings, and has no VOCs. Also, operations do not need to be shut down for the installation of polished concrete, whereas coatings must be restricted from traffic until they have properly dried and cured.
Look at some of these advantages:
Comparative Installation and Maintenance Costs
Based on a survey conducted by the National Terrazzo and Mosaic Association, the information below compares the cost per square foot of commonly used commercial flooring materials. This recent examination of flooring costs over a 20 year span illustrates not only some of the hidden costs involved in the purchase and installation of various materials. It also illustrates the dramatic difference in the cost of these materials.
Comparative costs based on 10,000 square feet. Your costs may vary based on square footage, preparation needs, coloring, etc.
Polished concrete floors require much less maintainance than most other surfaces. Tile, linoleum, and carpet, terazzo, ceramics, epoxies, all require upkeep and constant surface treatment that can quickly cost as much as the original installation. With polished concrete there is no waxing and stripping as with tile and other finishes. Cleaning polished concrete requires nothing more than water or an occasional mild scrubbing. The luster on finished concrete can be quickly and inexpensively enhanced, leading an extended life that far exceeds other floor finishes.
Polished Concrete Floors serves Florida and all major cities including Miami, Orlando, Sarasota, Tampa, Tallahassee, Jacksonville and more. Due to our success and demand for our services, we have now expanded to offer flooring preparation and polished concrete installation services to clients located in Georgia, Alabama, Texas and Tennessee.
