Friday, November 4, 2016

Polished Concrete – Portland Garage Floor


One of the most sought after interior floors for residential and commercial is polished concrete.
Portland Garage Floor
This explanation from ppc imaginarium does an excellent job explaining the process. Concrete polishing can also be applied to self leveling concrete. Self leveling cement overlays have evolved during the past few years. They smooth out uneven surfaces or use as an underlayment for tile, hardwood and carpet. 
One the most intriguing aspects of concrete is its finish – it can be rough and raw or smooth and polished. Polished concrete results can differ depending on the level of polishing.
The process of polishing concrete is not dissimilar from sanding wood. Diamond-impregnated disks vary in fineness to progressively grind down the surface of the concrete. Various levels of shine and smoothness can are available.
Preparing to polish concrete requires removing existing coatings using the correct tools.  Coarse grinding blades start at 16 to 20-grit for tough surfaces.
Disks of varying grits may are used achieve the desired result. A high polish finishes uses up to a grit of 1500 or finer to achieve a glossy finish. 
For smaller areas near walls, use hand sanders with polishing pads. Like sand paper, the pads vary in fineness and are ideal for working on smaller areas. 
You can also choose metallic epoxy or a grind, stain and seal floor.
Metallic epoxy coatings are an evolution of stained and sealed concrete. There are many colors available from natural earth tones to vibrant, multi-color marble like effects. Metallic epoxy is popular in offices, showrooms and, retail stores.
Grind and Seal incorporates the polished process with less labor. Floors are grinded and stained in earth tones and sealed with urethanes or clear coat epoxies.
How Much Does Concrete Flooring Cost?
Portland Garage Floor
The cost can range from $2.00 - $10.00 per square foot depending on the condition, size and system.
A simple grind and seal for floors in good condition can be $2.00 - $3.00 PSF for large, wide open spaces.
The same system can be $4.00 - $7.00 for small spaces with columns, floor vents, stairways and other obstacles.
A heavier grind stain and seal can range from $3.50 - $7.00 PSF.
Polished concrete with a liquid densifier and stain can range from $3.00 - $10.00 psf.
Metallic epoxy ranges from $6.00 - $12.00 psf depending on size and color factors.