The world's foremost resource on decorative concrete
Polished concrete is a process of progressive mechanical grinding, honing, densifying and polishing a concrete surface. This is done to achieve an aesthetically pleasing, highly durable, light-reflective finish.
It has become pretty clear that polished concrete is the hot market in decorative concrete right now. There was no shortage of equipment and chemical manufacturers touting the latest and greatest at the show, with each making a case for why their system was the best option on the market.
The substrate that is used in a work of art has a lot of control over the finished product. Polished concrete is no different. We have seen the beautiful pictures of floors that show fantastic color, reflectivity and clarity. What we don’t see are the shots of poorly finished column block-outs or spalled control joints that were cut with dull saw blades.
Is the solution to polished concrete maintenance educating the customer on proper procedures, or is it developing better sealers to provide the customer?
As business owners, as soon as we open our eyes each day, we begin to think and search. Where are we going to find more work for our crews? Besides the usual options of bidding on new construction projects, refurbishing old polish jobs or removing epoxy coatings, there must be other ways to make money with our equipment and skills.
The introduction of dye into the polished concrete industry has expanded the market enormously. The business is brimming with potential. However, we still face the significant hurdle of maintaining the integrity of an exposed concrete polished floor while protecting the dye in it against staining and moisture travel.
We all wish that we could tell our customers, “Screw you! I did the work. Pay me!” I know that in my career I have gotten just about every excuse in the book as to why I wasn’t getting paid for my work. By its very nature, the decorative concrete industry that we love so much allows customers to play with our money.
Although Diacon Decorative Polished Concrete is only six years old, polishing contractor Adrian C. Henry’s years of experience, not to mention his infectious enthusiasm for both installing and teaching polished concrete, have made him something of a rising star in the polishing world.
I would bet that when you think about concrete, humor is not the first word that comes to mind. Then again, you aren’t Gordon Young.
There are two types of F-numbers, which measure floor flatness and levelness respectively. Industry expert Allen Face is the creator of the F-number system, as well as the inventor of several measurement instruments and a principal inventor of superflat floor technology.
What is ground and polished concrete? How do we determine the difference between a topical-polished floor, in which a product has been applied to the floor to seal it, and a mechanical polish with bonded abrasives?
