Polished concrete

Polished concrete turns the slab you already have into the finished floor. Crews grind the surface flat, then step through finer diamond tooling until the concrete reflects light. A densifier hardens the surface along the way.

One tooling supplier describes a typical polish as running through grits in this order: 30 or 50 to grind and level, then 100, 200, 400, 800, 1500 and finally 3000 to bring up the gloss.

For owners, the draw is upkeep. There is no coating to peel, wax or strip. Routine care is dust mopping and a neutral cleaner.

Results depend on the slab. Age, mix, cracks, stains and past coatings all show up. Before you commit, ask for a sample area. Test slab moisture too, since a wet slab can cause trouble, as covered under moisture barrier.

Polishing is not the same as a coating. If you want color, pattern or chemical resistance, compare it with an epoxy floor coating.