Stone Polishing FAQs
Many suspect a highly polished concrete floor would become more slippery-and thus more of a problem. Contrary to common perception, the degree of polish or shine is not directly related to slip resistance. Just because polished concrete is shiny doesn't mean it is slippery. If the right processes are applied both internally and/or externally, testing has shown that polished concrete will meet or exceed Australia/New Zealand standards for slip resistance. (Please bear in mind any floor finish can become slippery when wet.)
No, topical sealers create a membrane, film, or barrier that prevents the penetrating sealers from absorbing into the surface. Applying a penetrating sealer to a surface, requires any topical sealer to be removed prior to application.
Polished concrete pricing is basically dependent upon how many levels of grinding will be required to get the floor to a suitably smooth surface.
Polished concrete is one of the most sustainable flooring options today. Polishing the structural slab of a building, instead of harvesting resources to cover it, prevents waste and is extremely long lasting.
Concrete surfaces are subject to deterioration and degradation of appearance through traffic, UV rays, moisture, rain, chemicals, and other impurities such as oil, gas, grease, acids and salt. This can easily result in common problems such as cracking, pitting, scaling, spalling, delamination, dusting, discolouration, efflorescence, salt damage, etc. Concrete sealing offers excellent maintenance benefits when quality products are used such as Australia's Deepshield™ deep impregnating sealers.
Polished concrete on its own is quite stain resistant, but many solutions can seep into the pores to create a stain, or even etch the floor. A sealer will line the pores to keep most stains suspended at the surface of the concrete, not allowing the stain to penetrate the floor and further preventing the likelihood of staining.
Your new polished concrete floor, with the proper care, will last a lifetime. But like anything else, your surfaces will need a little attention from time to time to make sure they are holding up against the demands you place on it.
Mechanical, dry-grind concrete polishing is a fairly clean process, grinding will create a slurry, and can get a bit messy, but with the dry-grind process, a vacuum system is used in conjunction with the grinder to contain 98% of the airborne particles. The remainder of the dust is then easily swept up and removed in plastic bags.
Most concrete sealers dry fairly quickly and are usually touch-dry after 4 hours. This is true of both penetrating and topical sealers. Penetrating sealers usually fully cure in 24 hours with topical sealers generally taking up to 48 hours to fully dry.
Polished concrete is one of the easiest floors to maintain, and does not require aggressive cleaners or brushes to lift dirt away. Our technicians and customer service will go through all necessary maintainence options with you and answer any questions you may have.
- The best daily maintenance is simply using a dust mop with some gritless sweeping compound to remove dirt and debris.
- If your polished concrete is situated in a large work area, an autoscrubber can be used with super soft brushes and a gentle cleaner designed for polished concrete, to suspend dirt off the floor and squeegee it dry.
Almost any concrete floor. Floors which are saturated with oil, or are in environments where they will constantly be exposed to acids, are probably not ideal for a polished concrete floor. Whether a new construction or a 100 year old slab, most concrete floors can benefit greatly from the aesthetic, durability, and longevity of polishing.
This will depend on the size of the area; larger jobs can require up to 3 days to polish while polishing a bench-top can take up to half a day. Tile Cleaners® will try to ensure work is completed within the same day to avoid as much disruption to your home or business as possible.
Polished concrete is one of the easiest surfaces to maintain, and does not require aggressive cleaners or brushes to lift dirt away. The best way to keep your polished concrete in good condition is to use a pH neutral cleaner followed by clean water for spills, otherwise a microfibre mop will get rid of dust.
Move all furniture and items off the floor so it is ready for when we arrive.
Tile Cleaners® technicians can help to move items that one person could be expected to move such as furniture with wheels, light furniture, tables and chairs, however as Tile Cleaners® insurance covers our restoration services, we will not be held liable for any damage caused to furniture or property you request our technicians to move.
We recommend that you measure each room separately. The simplest way to measure is by multiplying the width by the length. For example a room that is 3 meters long and 2 meters wide is 3 X 2 = 6m2 in total.
Tile Cleaners® charge per square meter for each separate room. There is a price list on the Tile Cleaners® website for you to review. Before we begin our work we will measure each room individually, confirm the work to be carried out as well as confirm all costs with you.
Here at Tile Cleaners® we understand the importance of your family's safety, which is why Tile Cleaners® prefer to use non-toxic finishing agents as we not only want to protect your floors, but your families health too. Materials and agents that present potential health hazards are not in our product portfolio and never have been.
Your tiles will be restored to their best possible condition. Our tiles restoration services include effective polishing of your surfaces, by employing state-of-the-art equipment and our years of expertise.
Tile Cleaners® technicians use the highest quality polishing machinery providing the best solutions without compromising your surfaces. Tile Cleaners® prides itself on specifically catering for each tile variety and each situation with the highest degree of care. Stone based tiles are usually more porous requiring more attention than man made tiles, which is why its extremely important to use correct products and equipment to restore your tiles to their best possible condition.