Polished Concrete and Stained Concrete Info
Why Choose Polished Concrete Floors?
Polished concrete floors allow the natural beauty and luster to shine through without hiding or masking imperfections. Diamond abrasives deliver deep, crisp, clear finishes on concrete floors that are the hallmark of a diamond polished concrete.
Our polishing method mechanically refines every concrete surface by removing the top cement layer and exposing more of the sand and rock layer beneath. The existing concrete is prepared with diamond grinding machines of various sizes and weights. The result is a floor with an evenly polished surface that is of high quality, and both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
The method in which to achieve this mechanical polish is by using diamond tooling in several steps, with gradually moving to a finer grit, similar to how you would use sandpaper. The process consists of grinding, refinement, impregnation (concrete hardener), and finally polishing. This procedure gives the surface a nice luster and all the qualities which characterize an Austin Stained Concrete Floor. See our photo gallery of Polished Concrete Floors in Austin, Texas.
What is a Concrete Overlay?
Available in a variety of colors, designer overlayed concrete floors are in high demand because of their versatility and durability. However, unlike polished concrete floors, they do require a bit more care.
Concrete overlays are created by using a self-leveling cementitious product of 1/4-3/8″ thickness. We profile the surface with 16 grit diamond tooling to prepare for an epoxy and sand broadcast used as the binding agent. We then pour the cementitious concrete throughout the designated areas of the home or commercial building.
- Typical installations are generally much faster than tile.
- Compared to other flooring products, concrete overlays are durable with a 9/10 for chemical resistance like spills etc. and a 5/10 for scratch resistance. Overlays require a wearable surface with greater scratch resistance, such as a polyurethane with a resistance of 7/10.
- Installation time depends on the size and surface preparation needed, with a minimum of 2-3 days for a small area, not including any required demolition of the existing flooring.
Concrete overlays should not be confused with “micro toppings” a process frequently used by builders as an overlay or polished concrete look-alike.
We recommend annual professional maintenance be performed to keep your floors in peak condition.
What are scored concrete floors?
As you can see, there are many flooring options for decorative concrete floors. Scoring is another choice that adds appeal. Scoring is the process of mechanically adding geometrical lines directly on to the concrete surface. They can add character to a floor by giving them an old world appearance, as well as symmetry for a modern or minimalist decor.
Why would I choose Stained Concrete Floors?
Stained concrete floors offer the consumer a variety in color options. Mixing and blending allows the customer to create a unique personal style. Stained and polished concrete floors offer many benefits.
- Stained concrete can be used on the interior as well as the exterior. Exterior stains have UV stabilizers added to them.
- They help reduce allergens in the home such as pet dander, dust, and molds.
- Greener by design. Concrete is sustainable and durable. With proper care concrete floors can remain beautiful for years to come. Eliminating the need for frequent replacement as with carpet, tile and wood flooring.
- Easy to maintain with simply a microfiber broom and mop. No harsh chemicals or detergents needed or desired for these types of floors.
We recommend annual professional maintenance be performed to keep your floors in peak condition.
What are Garage Coatings?
As the products improve, so does the desire for luxury garage flooring systems. A durable and all around aesthetically pleasing choice, our epoxy garage flake system is a beautiful option with its variety of color blends and chip sizes.
Installation times depend on the size and preparation needed.
See the Garage Coatings page of our website for more information.
Why is the floor preparation so important?
Every good project starts with good preparation. That is why flooring demolition and preparation are so important. We make sure your new polished, stained, or overlayed concrete floor begins with a smooth clean surface. With our state of the art diamond polishing system, we begin with a coarse grind to remove items commonly found beneath floor covering such as glue and mastic. Depending on the type of concrete flooring you choose, we go through a series of steps and various grit grinding pads until we reach the luster selected or simply prepare the surface to receive a new floor covering such as tile, wood or carpet.