How Its Done
Heavy-duty polishing machines equipped with progressively finer grits of diamond-impregnated segments or disks (like sandpaper) are used to gradually grind down the concrete. The grinding continues to the desired degree of shine and smoothness.
The process begins with the use of coarse diamond segments bonded in a soft or hard metal depending on the hardness of the concrete. The segments are coarse enough to remove minor pits, blemishes, glues, or light coatings from the floor, giving it a smooth feel. Depending on the condition of the concrete, this initial rough grinding is generally a three- to four-step process and involves several different grits.
The next steps involve fine grinding of the concrete surface using diamond abrasives embedded in a resin matrix. Crews continue to use ever-finer grits of polishing disks until the floor has the desired sheen. The grits will usually range from 50 to 3000 grit for an extremely high-gloss finish.
A chemical hardener, dyes, and stain protectors are also applied throughout the polishing process. The combination of chemicals used to make the concrete harder, and progressively finer grits of diamond polishing is what creates a durable and high gloss finished concrete floor.
Here are a few photos that show the process of polishing concrete:
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