Polished concrete floor tiles | buy at a cheap price
Polished concrete is achieved by mechanically grinding, honing, and polishing concrete floor tiles with bonded abrasives to remove the surface of the concrete
With each successive cut, the required degree of look is achieved
In addition, a penetrant chemical known as a hardener is utilized throughout this procedure
The concrete densifier/hardener penetrates the concrete and causes a chemical reaction in order to aid in hardening and dust-proofing the surface
Concrete polishing needs the use of increasingly finer grinding instruments to refine the surface in a series of phases (generally, polished concrete requires at least four grinding steps of processing)
Industrial diamonds of progressively finer grits are placed in bonded materials such as metal/hybrid/resin to create diamond polishing pads, which are the grinding tools
Polished concrete is a “green” flooring technology that is LEED-approved
Prior to 1600 grit, concrete is not considered polished, and it is commonly completed at 1600 or 3000 grit or above
Polished concrete can be colored with concrete polishing dyes and other techniques, such as scoring, creating radial lines, grids, bands, borders, and other patterns
A floor is honed if the grinding is performed with a grit of less than 1600
In the valley of the Jordan River, in the city of Jericho, the earliest polished concrete has been discovered
According to the Bible, Jericho was destroyed in 1200 B
C
Since then, several concrete levels from previous settlements have been discovered
Among the layers, a polished concrete floor could be found
When the polished concrete floor was discovered, it was being removed to make room for a new racetrack
In 1886 and 1887, retired professor Malinowski from Gothenburg, Sweden, with expertise in concrete, and Israeli archaeologist Garfinkle collected samples of concrete
They determined that the concrete was around 7000 years old BC
According to Malinowski, the subfloor was composed of 6 to 8 cm thick lime concrete
According to him, the concrete was beige-brown in hue with a highly polished surface
Simply simple, concrete polishing is comparable to sanding wood
Using strong polishing equipment, such as a concrete grinder, surfaces are gradually reduced to the desired degree of brilliance and smoothness
Polished marble or granite would be the most comparable material
There are two categories for the installation of polished concrete floors: new floors and retrofit floors
There are a few factors to consider before polishing a new concrete floor, but new floors often need less labor and are thus less expensive
First, the mix design of the concrete must be at least 3500 psi
To obtain the full structural strength of the concrete and to prevent cracking, it must always be poured to the maximum depth
Concrete usually requires professional power trowel finishing and a seven-day water cure
Prior to the concrete’s complete curing, polishing should not commence (generally 28 days)
The ornamental particles in the concrete slab are capable of producing a variety of aesthetic effects
The majority of aggregates are 20mm in size, however, almost anything may be used
To facilitate the polishing process, the finished concrete surface must be polished to a high standard
The Global Concrete Polishing Institute recommends an FF grade of 50 or higher
During the finishing phase, any decorative aggregates, including seashells, glass chips, and even metal car pieces, can be scattered onto the top of the concrete
If the concrete is to be polished, builders must be notified as soon as possible for the best possible finish
A diamond polished concrete floor takes at least six to twelve steps of real grinding, which considerably increases the amount of time necessary
According to the aggregate exposure level and desired gloss level, the typical rule of thumb is to start the initial grinding with a coarse 30/60-grit diamond and finish with a 1600-grit or higher diamond
These segments are composed of metal or resin-bonded segments containing diamonds
Upon completion of the initial grinding process, the grit size of diamonds often doubles
As opposed to a metal section, a 50-grit diamond resin pad is utilized to start the polishing procedure
When utilizing resin pads, the levels maybe 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, and finally 3000+ grit
Throughout the process, a densifier is used to harden the concrete’s surface, allowing it to be polished
There are several densifiers available, including lithium, potassium, and sodium silicates
In certain cases, a grouting chemical is also employed to fill any holes, fissures, or faults that the original coarse grinding stage exposes
Concrete can also be treated with a natural-looking impregnating polish protection that penetrates 2–5mm deep into the pores of the concrete to prevent oil and liquid stains
Furthermore, it is porous and not a sealant (as a sealer actually totally seals the concrete and does not allow vapor transmission)
Diverse types of diamond abrasives are utilized to cut the concrete slab
You can either dry or wet polish
In the United States, however, wet refining methods or the use of industrial vacuums are being advocated owing to new OSHA limits on crystalline silica and protecting skilled trades in the concrete, masonry, and brick industries
A densifier can be applied once the concrete has been exposed and is ready to absorb the chemical
The application of the densifier is determined by the slab’s hydration
There are several types of densifiers, such as colloidal, lithium, magnesium fluorosilicate, sodium, potassium, and potassium
After the densifier has had sufficient time to dry, cure, and attain the desired hardness, the floor is polished using one or more abrasive cuts to get the desired reflectivity
Polished concrete is a form of sustainable flooring since it utilizes a product that has previously been installed
Among the advantages of polished concrete floors are: Polished concrete requires little upkeep and may be cleaned with water or a solution with a neutral ph
In addition, several cleaners designed exclusively for cleaning polished concrete are widely available
Wax is never required since it dulls the surface finish
It is not slippery because of the high coefficient of friction
Dust-proofing mitigates dust mite and allergy problems and avoids mold development
Reducing the need for artificial lighting, highly reflecting polished concrete may increase ambient lighting by enhancing natural light
Prior until today, it was believed that polished concrete floors had a very long lifespan, however, this relied on usage
Under heavy usage, the polished concrete floor begins to degrade
Today, advanced new technologies such as Odus Flooring have replaced polished concrete
Although it resembles polished concrete in appearance, it is substantially more durable and will last at least 10 years
Both new and old concrete surfaces can be utilized
To find out more about the polished concrete flooring tiles contact our sales managers