Polished Concrete Information and Options

• 

You see a concrete floor in a shop, a friend's house or on a TV show like The Block. It is easy to assume what you have seen is 'polished concrete' until you start to look around when you realise there are many options for the look, the finish, the products used, the systems used, the maintenance, the time frames, the recommendations, the suitability, the cost - the list goes on and on.

 

Let us answer your polished concrete questions to ensure the floor you want is the floor you get.

 

With all concrete floors there are pros and cons - just as there are with all flooring options. This is a basic summary, however even these points can vary slightly depending on the exact system, products and finishing levels selected.

 

Cons - Concrete cracks. Steps can be taken to minimise this for new slabs through our recommendations for new slabs, however as a natural product which is usually subject to movement through temperature and ground swelling there will always be a chance that some cracks may appear. Minor cracks do not hinder the performance of the floor, and can be looked at as adding character rather than detracting from the aesthetics. We strongly recommend our slab guidelines are followed to minimise cracking and ensure we can provide a warranty on your floor. These guidelines can be found on our fact sheets.

Pros - Polished concrete uses the thermal mass of the slab to provide a comfortable under-foot experience. As the concrete slab naturally draws its temperature from the ground rather than the outside temperature it tends to be warmer than tiles in winter and cooler than tiles in summer. Floor heating can be installed for extra warmth in winter to give a luxurious element to your polished concrete. Polished concrete also offers the following qualities:

• Dust Free
• Seamless
• Light Reflective
• Hypoallergenic
• Hard wearing
• Stain Resistant
• Easy cleaning
• Design flexibility and aesthetically diverse options
• *Low long term maintenance costs
• *Scratch Resistant

(*Levels may vary depending on system and products selected)

 Chosing a system

There are 3 main systems that are generally referred to as polished concrete. They are real polished concrete, grind and seal (clear coating systems) and a burnished acrylic system. Please select which option you would like to know more about in detail.

 

POLISHED CONCRETE SYSTEM    GRIND AND SEAL SYSTEM     BURNISHED ACRYLIC SYSTEM

Don't forget to visit our photo gallery to see more images of each concrete flooring option.

 

Once you feel you know the system you would like - there are other opportunities to tailor your polished concrete floor into something unique. Here are some considerations.

 

COLOUR OF CONCRETE     EXPOSURE LEVELS     FINISHING LEVELS