How "Polished" is your concrete?

As the popularity of polished concrete continues to rise; due to it's long term durability, cost savings and over all stylish looks; it seems so does the curiosity around it.  While many contractors and architects know what polished concrete is, the language and expectations surrounding the amount of shine or finished looked is as wide ranging as those very experts. 

The first step toward your polish concrete finish is asking, What kind of finish is desired or works with the project? Dull and matte? Low sheen? shiny look that is slightly cloudy? High sheen with high clarity? Depending on the finish you want your certified installer will use different levels of diamond tooling to achieve your finish. 

Next, talk at length with your installer about expectations surrounding aggregate exposure and level of shine. Each floor will have it's unique finish, part of the beauty of polish, however your installer should be able to explain what steps he will take to achieve your discussed expectations. The installer should be able to tell you what grit diamond he will use to achieve your look. For example, if you want a low sheen that from a distance, the floor will start to reflect images from the side your installer might refer to this as a level 2 shine, using up to a 400 grit diamond.

Call Protec Solutions today for more information on different levels of polished concrete finishes, stains or the finishing process. We are happy to provide a complimentary quote or to simply discuss the possibilities of how Protec can bring you solutions.

The real price of Polish Concrete

Thinking about specifying polished concrete on your next project?  Or maybe you've already specified Terrazzo or...dare I say...carpet, it may be time to take a second look at that spec. Cleanliness issues aside ( read about how friendly polish is to the janitor and your sines here) polish concrete can also save big dollars on your project.  A quality polish concrete system such as Retroplate has the lowest life cycle per square foot cost of any floor covering or coating.  While carpet comes at a cost of $17.20-$20.00 per square foot for the lifecycle, Retroplate will cost $4.00 to $6.00 per square foot over it's lifecycle which will be much longer than any carpet. Thinking terrazzo? That will cost your client in the neighbourhood of $19.00 a square foot over it's lifecycle. Betting linoleum, porcelain tile, VCT, and acrylic; floors polished with the Retroplate system will bring cost effective life long beauty...something that will keep any client happy and coming back to you for their next build. 

Of course some situations will call for a coating or other solution. Protec Solutions  is available now to guide you and your client to find the perfect solution for your project.