Types and Wonderful Benefits of Polished Concrete

Polished concrete floors are used for a great variety of purposes. Because of its many beneficial features, polished concrete has emerged as an attractive choice for various commercial, industrial, and residential spaces.

Polished concrete works wonders to create beautiful driveways, shiny commercial floors, and industrial grade garage floors. It has emerged as a first option for high-level construction because of the availability of a wide variety of concrete finishes and great look. According to a report by Research Dive, the global market of polished concrete is going to soar high in the upcoming years.

Following are some of the popular concrete floor types that are used in many different parts of your new home or renovation of your home, commercial showroom, or even at your industrial space.

Salt and Pepper Polish

Salt and pepper polish is one of the most commonly used and most easily attainable type of polished concrete floor out there. Other features of this type of concrete floor is that it accepts stains and give the floor a shining look. Sometimes, after applying the polish, little cracks and tiny holes may be visible in the floor. However, this is not something to worry about as these little imperfections always enhance the look of end product.

Cream Polish

Cream polish is the smoothest and most reliable finish that can be achieved in polished concrete floors. Cream polish readily accepts dyes and stains with higher consistency than the other polishes. Thus it helps to get a nice colored concrete finishes.

Aggregate Polish

Aggregate polish is lesser of an option compared to the cream polish and salt and pepper polish. This polish comes with some higher cost. Nevertheless, with the expertise of professional workers, an aggregate polish floor may look astonishing and wonderful. This polish can be used in a wide variety of space and setting.

Benefits of Polished Concrete

In the beginning of this write-up, we’ve mentioned that the demand of polished concrete is rising and end-users are seeking out for polished concrete because of its beneficial features. Some of these benefits are mentioned below:

1. Cost-Effective

First, polished concrete is budget-friendly. If you are working with your existing concrete floor and renovating your home, there won’t be any new charges for wood, tile, carpet, linoleum, or numerous other types of floor covers. Polished concrete is durable, and this contribute to the fact that it reduces the expenses related to cleaning, repairing, or replacement associated with other surfaces. This also eliminates the costs related to have the hardwood floors waxed, the carpets steam cleaned, or the chipped ceramic tiles changed.

2. Enduring

If not affected by natural factors, proper care and good maintenance can keep the polished concrete healthy for a life time.  

3. Low Maintenance

A weekly practice of using a dust mop or broom is enough to keep the polished concrete floor clean and glossy for a long time.

4. Versatile

Another benefit of polished concrete is its versatility. There are limitless design opportunities for concrete floors. Any types or numbers of colors, stains, dyes, and decorative elements can be used to give the surface a wonderful and unique look.

5. Durable

Durability is another benefit of using polished concrete for bigger structures. Polished concrete doesn’t get scratches or breakage in normal situation. This is why, polished concrete is used for spaces with heavy traffic and equipment. Coatings makes such concrete even more resilient.

6. Attractive

Polished concrete floors way more attractive than the raw concrete floors. Reflective surfaces are in demand nowadays for many home and business owners. This is because reflective surfaces help in brightening up the space, reducing the expenditure on utilities.

7. Environmentally Friendly

Polished concrete doesn’t need any hazardous coatings, adhesives, or cleaners. There are many instances where, polished concrete projects qualify for LEED certification. Hence, it’s crystal clear that they are harmless to the environment.

Polished concrete can undoubtedly be your go-to option for any residential, commercial, and architectural aesthetics.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis on the Polished Concrete Market

The coronavirus pandemic has affected the manufacturing and industrial companies drastically. Because of the lockdown imposed across the nations in the early months of 2020, the polished concrete market also experienced a negative impact. The supply chain was disrupted because of the restrictions in travel and the availability of raw material brought the construction industry to a temporary halt, which severely impacted the global market of polished concrete during the pandemic. In India, the construction workers moved to their native places at the onset of the pandemic panic. These aspects greatly affected the construction industry.

However, some of the key companies of the polished concrete market came out to help the society wit new strategies. For instance, in September 17,2020, the International Standards and Training Alliance (INSTALL) had made an emphasis to work with architects and designers with specific flooring guidelines to ensure safety during the pandemic. For instance, the porous surfaces are more prone to bacteria and germs, including the COVID-19 virus. Hence, contractors recommend the use of semi-porous sheet flooring or non-porous flooring. As polished concrete flooring provides non-porous surface, it is an effective flooring solution during the coronavirus crisis.

Such strategies are creating many opportunities in the global polished concrete market despite the coronavirus pandemic restrictions.

About the Author(s)

Princy A. J

Princy holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the prestigious Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. University at Chennai, India. After a successful academic record, she pursued her passion for writing. A thorough professional and enthusiastic writer, she enjoys writing on various categories and advancements in the global industries. She plays an instrumental role in writing about current updates, news, blogs, and trends.