Polished Concrete Floor

Polished concrete is a versatile material that is easily customizable in its appearance. With the development of polishing equipment and techniques, contractors are now grinding concrete floor surfaces, whether new or old, to a high gloss finish without waxes or coatings.

Contractors can use a series of progressively diamond tools with grinder to ground down the concrete. When grinding the concrete, you should also know what’s the level of exposure polished concrete you desired. That means the amount of the original surface which is ground away and thus how much of the aggregate material is exposed. However, what’s levels of stone exposure for polished concrete floors? Let’s talk about it.

Minimum Exposure Polished Concrete Floor

Minimum exposure is often used for the industrial look as well as garages, restaurants and outdoor areas. It is referred to as the salt and pepper look, given the possible uneven exposure of stone. Contractors can remove the top 1-3mm from the concrete surface with grinding tools, creating a sporadic stone exposure look throughout. After, you can see some areas of no stone exposure, while other areas have a little or a lot stones are showing through. It depends on how the slab was poured. Minimum exposure is also the most cost effective option as it is not as expensive as a full stone exposure or our nil stone exposure.  

Full Stone Exposure Polished Concrete Floor

Full stone exposure is a more decorative and elegant look and is favored for use in homes and showrooms. It is probably the most popular finish and it shows you as much stone as possible through your floor. It provides the maximum stone exposure throughout the floor. To achieve this desired look, it needs more time to grind over the concrete floor. Contractors usually have to remove the entire floor about 2-3 times and remove approx. 4-6mm of the concrete surface. Generally, it relays on the hardness of the slab. Full exposure of aggregate does take time and is a more labour intensive process, and therefore is a little more expensive.        

Whether minimum or full stone exposure polished concrete, it depends on what levels of stone exposure customer preferences. In order to achieve the perfect look, choosing the right diamond tools will help you work efficiency. Our DTS Diamonds company specilizes in manufacturing premium diamond tooling for concrete floor in both minimum and full exposure.

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