Concrete floor grinding and polishing. What abrasives are used and what are the advantages of the treated coating?

Grinding concrete means processing it with a special machine. Thanks to the processing, you can level the coating, as well as remove various contaminants from the surface. Grinding is also used to prepare the floor for the next coat. Because during processing the concrete becomes rougher and has better adhesion, which helps the next layer to adhere more tightly.

Grinding of concrete is done with a coarse abrasive. Usually its marking in such cases is 100-150 grains. The higher the number on the grain material marking, the finer the abrasive is.

Abrasive materials are often used from:

• Silicon carbide. Effective in both coarse grinding and soft polishing. However, the grains can become clogged and this slows down the work.

• Wolfram carbide. More effective in removing thicker stains such as paint or glue. The grains are made in such a way that their destruction is minimal and the grinding process is faster.

• Diamond abrasive. Suitable for particularly hard materials. The abrasive can be used as coarse-grained and fine-grained.

When choosing an abrasive material, make sure that it is easy to remove and install on the machine. This gives you complete control and can quickly change different grit sizes.

Concrete polishing is the treatment of a surface with various abrasives to give it a higher gloss. As a rule, they start with coarse-grained abrasives - 100-150. After they move on to smaller ones.

Depending on the degree of gloss and processing, several types of concrete are distinguished:

• Sanded. It is obtained when using abrasives with a grain size of up to 100. As a result, the concrete does not shine, and is quite matte. Such concrete is the initial stage for the next, because it levels and prepares the coating, removing dirt, glue, paint and other contaminants.

• Honed. The next stage in concrete polishing, which is carried out with abrasives marked from 100 to 400. The coating is matte or with a medium gloss, depending on the task.

• Polished. Used to achieve a mirrored concrete floor. Abrasives 800 and above are suitable for this. As a rule, they are polished with 1500-3000 abrasives.

You choose the gloss level and the concrete contractor chooses the abrasive for it. The result is a beautiful floor with just the right shine.

Polished floors look great in both residential and commercial buildings. In addition, polished and sanded floors have their own advantages:

• Appearance. A polished concrete floor looks better and more beautiful than usual.

• Care. The floor does not require special maintenance, and the coating retains its appearance for a long time.

• Training. By grinding the concrete, you can roughen the surface, this will improve the adhesion to the next layer.

• Strengthening the floor. Polishing is carried out using a sealant that fills all the pores in the concrete and makes it stronger.

Polishing and sanding is a great tool to renovate old concrete surfaces. Or give a shiny new look. The floor will not slip as usual, but will look much better.