Concrete Polishing Los Angeles Concrete Polishing Orange County, Anaheim, Concrete Polishing Los Angeles, Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, Polished Concrete Los Angeles,Hollywood, Concrete Polishing Los Angeles, concretefloorslosangeles.com, Huntington Beach,Laguna Beach,Laguna Hills,Laguna Niguel,Laguna Beach,Mission Viejo, Newport, Orange, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano,Newport Beach, Seal Beach,Tustin,Villa Park,Malibu,Yorba Linda,West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Brent Wood, Los Angeles, industrial concrete flooring. Polished Concrete Flooring in Orange County. The Irvine Orange County office does polished concrete floors. Diamond polished concrete Los Angeles that is leed environmentally friendly. Polished concrete flooring orange county and concrete polishing Orange County, Los Angeles. Airplane hangars, entire homes featuring Polished Concrete Los Angeles plus garage floors. Although a garage floor coating cannot compare with polished concrete floors for durability. Concrete Polishing leed green as seen at the Costa Mesa green house polished concrete floors and garage floor with a purpose.
| Polished Concrete Los Angeles It’s Beautiful Polished concrete can be mistaken for marble or granite flooring, with its durable, smooth finish. Polished concrete can also be stained in many different color combinations. Enhanced Lighting / Saves Energy $$$ concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa green house Reduced lighting load and better lighting on existing floors are a definite benefit to the end user. concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa green house Many times a 25 – 30 % decrease in lighting load, due to concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa green house polished concretes ability to reflect light is seen. This saves you money on not only lighting costs, but helps reduce the load on air conditioning systems, as they do not have to remove as much heat generated by lighting. concrete polishing Los Angeles green house the GREEN thing to do! |
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Recycle old flooring, by removing old tile or carpeting from an existing concrete floor, and polishing it, rather than covering it, it may help your working toward a L.E.E.D certified project.concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa green house (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Reduced energy for lighting and a very low cost of maintenance are attractive aspects as well concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa green house . Imagine cleaning with a dust mop and cleaning spills with just warm water, no more waxing, spray buffing, and dumping caustic strippers down the drain, polished concrete will look beautiful for YEARS, with minimal care concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa green house. |
| Polished Concrete Los Angeles Concrete Flooring Los Angeles Energy Performance (1 to 10 points). MR (Materials and Resources) Credit 3.1, 3.2 – Material Reuse: 5%, 10%, (one point). EQ Credit 4.1- Low Emitting Materials: Adhesives and Sealants (one point). These credit references are for the suggested applications. The applicant is ultimately responsible for determining the product attributes that will help achieve L.E.E.D. certification. Under the categories suggested, the concrete flooring process can assist in obtaining a maximum of five L.E.E.D. points as long as the overall design meets or exceeds the L.E.E.D. building performance standards. It takes a minimum of 26 points to gain a L.E.E.D. certification. Less Maintenance Most flooring requires time consuming and regular waxing, spray buffing, stripping or cleaning in the case of carpeting to look good. Polished concrete can greatly reduce maintenance and cleaning costs, by cleaning with a dust mop, to keep sand and grit from the floor, and spills are cleaned with just water. Reduce harmful caustic chemical inventory and its potential hazards to humans and the environment. Stain Resistant and Tire Marks are a thing of concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa green house in the past. Due to the concrete pores being closed up during the polishing process, tires can’t leave their mark on a properly hardened, densified, and polished floor. Spills will tend to stay on the surface longer, giving you time to clean them up. Remember, the floor will be stain RESISTANT , not stain proof. Diligent care will ensure a floor that concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa green house floor looks beautiful for years. |
Polished Concrete Los Angeles
Concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa Green House The entire house is built with conservation of the environment in mind.
Concrete polishing leed green inhosin Costa Mesa green house.
From the home orientation to capture solar heating. Polished concrete flooring by marble shooters to filters that pump shower and bath water back into irrigation and toilets for water recycling… to the installation of non-invasive landscape and photovoltaic cells that provide 90-percent of the energy needed to run the Concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa Green House
How much? The asking price… just under $2.6 million.
At Marble Shooters concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa green house we were glad to be a part of this and your concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa green house project Concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa green house Want to know more about it? You can take a quick tour in the video or check out concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa green house for a really detailed look at the concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa green house We are expanding and developing many new techniques concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa green house and products for the Concrete Polishing leed green Costa Mesa green house Industry. The industry is in a crucial point as there are many contractors that do subpar work and call it “Concrete Polishing.” Thus a need for an independent technical institute that “IT IS THE INTENT of concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa green house is to establish standards through accreditation, and to provide quality education and support for Architects, Engineers, General Contractors, Property Owners, Interior Designers, and Concrete polishing leed green house.
Comparative Installation and Maintenance Costs for Polished Concrete Floors Based on a survey conducted by the National Terrazzo and Mosaic Association, the information
below compares the cost per square foot of commonly used commercial flooring materials and polished concrete floors. This recent examination of flooring costs over a 20 year span illustrates not only some of the hidden costs involved in the purchase and installation of various materials, it also illustrates the dramatic difference in the cost of these materials.
below compares the cost per square foot of commonly used commercial flooring materials and polished concrete floors. This recent examination of flooring costs over a 20 year span illustrates not only some of the hidden costs involved in the purchase and installation of various materials, it also illustrates the dramatic difference in the cost of these materials.
Costs per Square Installed Annual Years Replacement Total Exp. Cost PSF
Foot Cost Maint. Av. Life Cost 20 Years /Year
Foot Cost Maint. Av. Life Cost 20 Years /Year
Vinyl Sheet Flooring $2.72 $1.39 9 $3.43 $38.14 $1.91
Vinyl Tile Flooring $1.23 $1.47 15 $1.60 $32.76 $1.64
Ceramic Mosaic Tile $6.48 $1.22 20 $30.88 $1.54
Quarry Tile $5.78 $0.58 20 $30.18 $1.51
Cement Terrazzo $8.50 $0.46 20 $20.10 $1.01
Granit-Glaze $6.50 $0.46 20 $15.70 $0.79
Polished Crete $3.98* $0.00 20 $3.98 $0.19
✓Concrete Polishing Los Angeles
- ✓Defined the functional and aesthetic advantages and disadvantages of ground, honed and polished concrete.
- ✓Defined the flooring options available when processing concrete polishing leed green
- ✓Brought true craftsmanship and professionalism to the concrete polishing leed green processing industry through contractor evaluations, accreditations and training. Concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa green house
- ✓Developed written specifications that provide the desired results for the customer to include the concrete mix design, placement, finishing, joint layout, the ground, honed or polished finish to protection. Concrete polishing leed green house.
Provided tools for concrete polishing leed green house for contractors to further develop their business in sales, marketing, estimating, business operations and development, including meeting the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Continuing Education System (CES) credit requirements. Of concrete polishing leed green house.
Concrete polishing leed green in irvine and concrete polishing leed green in Costa Mesa green house this retail store’s beach and ocean theme was enhanced with a variegated concrete floor. Using a turquoise acid stain, concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa green house Matt Hine Concrete Polishing leed green house Wilmington, NC, was able to incorporate the aqua color of the store’s logo into the concrete polishing leed green house
Concrete polishing leed green house legislation has been increasing in recent years, meaning that new and renovated buildings will be legally required to address the green issue. LEED addresses all of the concerns that have been identified previously, using a comprehensive point system to qualify for one of four certification tiers: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, each equaling points on concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa green house scale. A “Certified” LEED project equates to 26-32 points, “Silver” is 33-38 points, “Gold” is 31-51 points, and “Platinum” is 52-69 points. A casino in Las Vegas is going for a platinum LEED certification, which means if they qualify, they will get a 50% property tax break granted by the state of Nevada, which will quickly repay all extra expenses related to going green. Add to that the ongoing water/energy savings, increased productivity and property value, and it’s obvious that going green is profitable for the bottom line. Obviously, finished concrete flooring can be a major factor in achieving these goals. In conclusion, the following is a reference guide that shows the different LEED credits that concrete flooring helps to achieve Concrete polishing leed green House .
Concrete polishing leed green house, Concrete polishing leed green with finished concrete polishing saves energy in several ways. In the summer time, a concrete polishing slab in contact with the ground draws the earth’s own natural cooling abilities into the building. In the winter, if a building has been designed to expose the slab to natural sunlight, it will soak up this radiant heatconcrete polishing leed green house . Then at night the slab will release the heat into the building to provide a more uniformly warmer interior. Both of these are examples of concrete’s inherent thermal mass capability, which save money on heating and cooling costs.Concrete Polishing Los Angeles is concrete that has been treated with a chemical densifier and ground with progressively finer grinding tools. The grinding tools are usually progressive grits of diamond grinding cup wheels and diamond polishing pads. Typically, concrete is not considered polished before 400 grit, and it is normally finished to either the 800, 1500, or 3000 grit level. Stains and dyes are often applied to enhance polished concrete as well as other options such as scoring, creating radial lines, grids, bands, borders, and other concrete polishing leed green designs, concrete polishing leed green house on Floors are a reflection of your style and taste – the initial impression created when a person enters your home or business – truly a lasting impression. Do your concrete floors reflect the right impression?
The short answer is concrete polishing leed green house that it’s the best way to turn a floor that looks like it was poured for a garage into a floor that looks like it was designed for a palace is concrete polishing leed green . Imagine turning a plain concrete surface into a floor that gleams like marble!
Concrete polishing. We spend hours every day researching and applying the latest in lasting durable and beauitful concrete finishes. We have more than one opition for your floor. So we are confident that we can help you to make the correct choice. We will make the garage your warehouse or your living room the easiest surface to clean and perhaps the most beautiful! We are a family owned business and we share over 50 years of working knowledge. Your satisfaction means everything to us. We take pride in our workmanship and count on your referrals for more than 70% of our business. Concrete polishing leed green house We are AA rated with the better bussiness bureau and licensed with the State Of California licensed in concrete polishing leed green house or coatings with concrete polishing leed house one of the most resilient types of construction material but undoubtedly; it is also vulnerable to destruction. In time, there will be damages on its surface that leaves very unwanted and unsafe conditions. As a natural resort, people will replace it with a new one. But wait, innovated machinery and highly improved technology allows us to do things that were not available and possible before. Now, we can repair and improve damages by simply resurfacing it. With this move, we can economize and have a practical solution that is of high-quality and excellent durability on your concrete polishing leed green house At present, establishments in Los Angeles and Orange County are resorting to many innovative methods to preserve their investments. Concrete polishing leed green at the Costa Mesa green house. They want every part of their facilities be made of the best materials and installed with meticulousness. Concrete polishing leed green is very important part of structures because they are constantly exposed to wear and tear. Nowadays, various types of floorings are found in the market and one of the highest in-demand is concrete polishing leed green
Here is the edited text. Concrete polishing at the Cos ta Mesa green house
MARBLE SHOOTERS
THE KINGS OF CONCRETE
The truth of the matter is to make an informed decision you need two things;
Knowledge and Choices. We can provide you both; with over twenty years of
experience in concrete & stone we have seen it all and tried it all. From initial concrete design, to color and pattern cuts, together we will design the perfect floor for you. concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa green house With options ranging from Polished, Stained, Dyed, and Coated Concrete we can provide the solution that is custom tailored to your specific needs. Please review our pictures by clicking on the icons below. If you would like a free estimate or if we can assist in answering any questions you might have please do not hesitate to call or email. concrete polishing leed house It is our pleasure to serve you. Options on concrete polishing leed green at the Costa Mesa green house Polished Concrete: concrete polishing at the Costa Mesa green house
We transform your existing concrete slab into a high shine, low maintenance work of art. Using the latest technological advancements such as: Diamond grinders,
concrete consolidators, dyes, stains, and sealers, we can turn your concrete polishing leed green house into a unique work of art. Offering the look and durability of stone without the extensive maintenance or high price tag. Concrete polishing leed green at the Costa Mesa green house
THE KINGS OF CONCRETE
The truth of the matter is to make an informed decision you need two things;
Knowledge and Choices. We can provide you both; with over twenty years of
experience in concrete & stone we have seen it all and tried it all. From initial concrete design, to color and pattern cuts, together we will design the perfect floor for you. concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa green house With options ranging from Polished, Stained, Dyed, and Coated Concrete we can provide the solution that is custom tailored to your specific needs. Please review our pictures by clicking on the icons below. If you would like a free estimate or if we can assist in answering any questions you might have please do not hesitate to call or email. concrete polishing leed house It is our pleasure to serve you. Options on concrete polishing leed green at the Costa Mesa green house Polished Concrete: concrete polishing at the Costa Mesa green house
We transform your existing concrete slab into a high shine, low maintenance work of art. Using the latest technological advancements such as: Diamond grinders,
concrete consolidators, dyes, stains, and sealers, we can turn your concrete polishing leed green house into a unique work of art. Offering the look and durability of stone without the extensive maintenance or high price tag. Concrete polishing leed green at the Costa Mesa green house
Concrete Coatings: concrete polishing leed green house
When it comes to coatings, not all flooring is created equal. Many competitors
or big-box stores use low grade coatings that are designed to keep costs down
instead of perform or last. We use all industrial grade products that are designed to cover, seal, and enhance your existing concrete slab.concrete polishing leed green house Our 100% solids epoxy is the base of our chip system and is sealed with a two-par Mesa green house, Staining and sealing is the most affordable way of transforming your existing concrete into a finished floor. Using an acrylic color, dye, or acid stain we can quickly convert your old dingy concrete slab to a beautiful piece of decorative concrete polishing leed green at the Costa Mesa green house. You can even choose your finishes; from matte, satin, all the way to high gloss. Sealer choices include: Acrylic, Epoxy, Impregnator, or
Polyurethane. Stain & Sealed Concrete polishing leed green is a must have option for all the bare concrete in your life for concrete polishing leed green house .
When it comes to coatings, not all flooring is created equal. Many competitors
or big-box stores use low grade coatings that are designed to keep costs down
instead of perform or last. We use all industrial grade products that are designed to cover, seal, and enhance your existing concrete slab.concrete polishing leed green house Our 100% solids epoxy is the base of our chip system and is sealed with a two-par Mesa green house, Staining and sealing is the most affordable way of transforming your existing concrete into a finished floor. Using an acrylic color, dye, or acid stain we can quickly convert your old dingy concrete slab to a beautiful piece of decorative concrete polishing leed green at the Costa Mesa green house. You can even choose your finishes; from matte, satin, all the way to high gloss. Sealer choices include: Acrylic, Epoxy, Impregnator, or
Polyurethane. Stain & Sealed Concrete polishing leed green is a must have option for all the bare concrete in your life for concrete polishing leed green house .
Design: concrete polishing leed green house
Using saw cuts and multiple color schemes we can create a personalized work of
art that will have people second guessing on what kind of surface they are
looking at. concrete polishing leed green house. Patterns and colors can be tailored to make everything from shapes to logos. Helping re-create the beauty and uniqueness of stone that will no doubt leave a lasting impression with everyone that views it. concrete polishing leed green at the Costa Mesa green house.
Using saw cuts and multiple color schemes we can create a personalized work of
art that will have people second guessing on what kind of surface they are
looking at. concrete polishing leed green house. Patterns and colors can be tailored to make everything from shapes to logos. Helping re-create the beauty and uniqueness of stone that will no doubt leave a lasting impression with everyone that views it. concrete polishing leed green at the Costa Mesa green house.
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| 1) They resist pet stains and odors. When the pores in concrete are sealed with a protective film-forming sealer or floor finish, pet urine can’t seep into the floor and leave behind lingering odors and stains. 2) They are easy to clean. Concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa green house. When family pets shed fur or race through the house with rain-soaked or muddy paws, cleaning up after them is no sweat if the floors are concrete. Tell homeowners that they can simply give the floor a few swipes with a broom, towel or mop, and the mess is history. See Caring for Concrete Floors.3) They won’t trap pet dander, fleas or mites. In addition to fur, pets shed animal dander that can aggravate allergies in people who are sensitive. Smooth floor surfaces like concrete won’t trap this dander the way carpet will, making the dander easy to remove during routine cleaning. Concrete floors also won’t harbor fleas or mites that pets may carry into the home. (For more information, watch the video Controlling Allergen)4) They are nontoxic. Synthetic carpets can emit volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, as can some carpet adhesives and padding. Some of the adhesives used under vinyl sheet goods and linoleum can also emit VOCs. Concrete floors, stained with nontoxic pigments, do not release VOCs that can be harmful to homeowners as well as their pets.5) You can heat them. concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa green house Because hot air rises, many homes tend to be colder at floor level. And since that’s where pets spend most of their time, the ability to warm up concrete floors with radiant heating will keep them comfortable while saving the homeowner big money on energy bills.6) They are scratch resistant. Concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa green house. concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa green house Rambunctious pets and their claws can really scratch up hardwood flooring. Concrete floors are inherently scratch resistant, and when protected with a good sealer or floor wax concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa green house on , they are virtually scratchproof. View this chart comparing the performance of concrete sealers.
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– Getting Your Concrete Polished
When people think concrete polishing leed green at the Costa Mesa green house, they often picture a drab, grey material used for the foundation of homes, unfinished basements and sidewalks; but consider the concrete floors that you see in large retail stores and in many industrial areas.These industrial strength floors are durable, decorative, and beautiful. With the help of your local contractor your dreams of having an attractive , very low maintenance flooring option is within your reach.concrete polishing leed green house When you choose concrete for your floors, driveway, garage or patio, you are limited only by your imagination. These floors can look as intricate as stone, as decorative as tile, and as creative as abstract art.Homeowners concrete polishing leed green at the Costa Mesa green house everywhere are beginning to understand all of the advantages that concrete polishing has to offer. With the help of your local concrete polishing contractor, you can take dull and drab concrete and turn it into a shiny and lustrous floor with a long life and durable surface. concrete polishing leed green house Your concrete polishing contractor will use his or her tools and expertise to polish your, concrete polishing leed green house less porous and more beautiful than you ever imagined. Now you don’t have to rip out and replace old flooring every few years – concrete polishing changes all that! Concrete Polishing for concrete floor is a process for turning a concrete floor into a highly abrasion resistant, incredibly dense, smooth and visually appealing surface. Concrete polish.Concrete polishing Floors
Concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa has long been known for its durability and cost-saving features. With modern technologies, homeowners and business owners are finding they can harness these advantages of concrete in their floor along with many other added benefits. Polished concrete is a popular alternative to other flooring materials because of three noteworthy benefits: lower total cost, lower maintenance, and aesthetics.
Polished concrete’s superior durability and performance have made it a top finish for retail stores, warehouses, office facilities, and municipalities. Homeowners, as well, are selecting these smooth, high-luster floors that imitate the look of polished stone.
Polished concrete floors are very economical. Unlike many other floor surface materials, a concrete polishing leed green Costa Mesa green house floor can last up to ten years or longer before it needs to be refinished. Maintenance on a polished floor is also minimal, thereby reducing costs associated with keeping floors clean, durable, and traffic-friendly.
Concrete polishing leed green floors are striking in appearance. The exposure of the aggregate in the concrete unveils a look of stone. There are a variety of colors available on the market to stain or in some other way modify the color and look of the polished floor. There are also various levels of sheen depending on the degree of reflectivity and shine that is desired.
1. Construction of a structure with a stained concrete floor is really no more difficult or demanding than the case of any other flooring as long as a few common sense rules are observed to preserve the natural beauty of the concrete.
2. Do not mark or discolor the floor with paint, siliconeoil, plumbers glue, purple primer, masking tape, gasoline, sheetrockmud, red or blue chalk, grease pencil, magic marker, ink pens, and anything else you would not get all over a hardwood floor.We do have techniques that can remove some of these blemishes, however, this will not yield perfect results, it is costly and should be avoided.
3. Driving nails into the floor for wall braces will result in big ugly holes when you remove the nails. Plan “A” do not drive nails into the floor, plan “B” if you drive a nail into the floor “DO NOT REMOVE IT!!!” We can remove them without making the big ugly holes. We suggest bracing the walls by nailing the foot of the brace to the baseplate of the opposite wall.
4. Never pour acid of any kind on the floor. Acid will neutralize the lime in the concrete making it inert and unstainable.
5. Avoid cutting plywood,siding, USB etc. on a 2×4 laying on the concrete. The blade can strike the concrete when the plywood flexes making ugly irregular scoremarks on the concrete.
6. Never put tape on the floor! Tape will pull up tiny particles from the concrete surface when it is removed. When these areas are stained they will be darker than the rest of the floorand shaped exactly like the piece of tape that was on the concrete.
7. Do not leave nails or other metal objects on wet concrete. The nails will rust and leave nail shaped dark red spots on the floor. Similar blemishes can occur if lumber is left lying on the concrete in wet conditions.
8. Orange chalk should be used to srike lines for laying out walls etc. The good thing about orange chalk is that water washes it away completely. Never use blue chalk as it cannot be removed and can easily be seen through most concrete stain colors. Red chslk is also permanent and should be avoided.
Concrete polishing leed green when it’s done, can add a level of elegance and beauty to your environment living from home or Office. You want to make sure that the company that you decide to go with you help with your project has the knowledge, expertise and the right set of concrete polishing tools to achieve the effects you want. Here are a few tips and ideas to make sure that you will find the contractor right to help you with your concrete polishing leed green.
We do concrete polishing leed green.
Acid stain works by penetrating the concrete surface and reacting chemically with the concrete. This makes it a permanent part of the concrete. The stain does not wear off the surface like a concrete sealer or a concrete paint does, eventually.
All concrete floors accept stains differently. This creates natural color variations that are unique to each floor.
Most acid stains mimic earth tones like tan, brown, terra cotta, blues, and green. They are also translucent, meaning the condition of the concrete they are applied to has to be taken into consideration before staining using concrete polishing leed green
Finding an epoxy coating that is compatible with a high pH can be a challenge—and if we were in a bar I would give you a couple of names—but the rules don’t let me tell you manufacturers names here. Suffice it to say, if they are foreign sounding and very expensive they will probably work. There are also some pretty impressive “domestic” technologies that involve treating concrete slabs with lithium penetrants that plug capillary pores and neutralize alkali’s that then get top-coated with epoxy coatings. What we have learned the hard way is that acid neutralizing does not work nor does using calcium silicate-based penetrants. The acids leave salt residues and the calcium silicates don’t completely react leaving behind the alkali’s we were worried about in the first place. On a positive note, calcium silicate-based penetrants do clog up the capillary pores—i.e. cause “arterial sclerosis” for concrete and do reduce vapor emissions—but they should be limited to concrete slabs that do not get covered with impermeable floor finishes. So they are pretty good for exposed concrete floors that will remain exposed concrete polishingl eed green
One of the most difficult (if not the most difficult) problems in the industry is edge work. Anyone who has done any concrete polishing will tell you that there is still no good solution for edges. Oftentimes, the edge work will end up being done by hand, and it is an art in itself to learn to blend the edges in with the rest of the floor. Many contractors won’t take jobs with relatively small amounts of square footage if there will be a great deal of edge work. You definitely want to take into consideration the amount of time you will spend doing edges in relation to the square footage of the job. Also, make sure the customer understands the nature of the beast with edges, their impact on price, and what to expect as far as aesthetics. Installing epoxy on the edges is often a great alternative to polishing them, but even with epoxy, you will still have to do some light grinding on the edges and prep them.
Most existing concrete has been abused. Chips will not go away entirely unless you grind away a great deal of concrete at a great deal of expense. Concrete in poor condition will require more labor and will have more flaws. Concrete in poor condition will also be rough on your tools. These flaws won’t necessarily look bad. They are what I consider to be part of the natural element in concrete, like the natural elements in a slab of marble or granite. However, the customer needs to know exactly what to expect, and you can’t price these jobs too low.
The waviness of the concrete will very much affect the ease of polishing and the outcome of your job. Wavy concrete floors are nothing rare. Some spots will be hard to reach, and your floor will require more work to be finished and will still not have an even look at the end. Unless you have a controlled pour, let the customer know that aggregate will vary a great deal throughout the floor. Expect to see large aggregate pieces in the joints and high spots and smaller aggregate in the rest of the floor. Make sure the customer understands this before you agree to do the job. The higher your high spots, and the more you need to grind them down, the larger the visible aggregate will be in those areas. Steer away from dealing with exposed aggregate on wavy floors.
Laser-leveled concrete is much easier to polish. You can charge less for these floors. Most of the new concrete poured for industrial or commercial use now is laser-leveled. It is in renovation work that you are more likely to run into wavy floors.
Some of the concrete floors poured now are also power-troweled to the point of being overtroweled for polished concrete. Some concrete is so overtroweled that it is almost burned, and it is either extremely difficult to polish or cannot be polished. Make sure you don’t make a commitment to polish a floor that cannot be polished.
When VCT (vinyl composite tile) is taken up, it often leaves ghost lines. These lines may not go away. Your customer will need to be aware of this ahead of time.
Soft concrete will cost you more to polish than hard concrete. You should perform a hardness test before pricing any job. Soft concrete will require hard metal-bond diamond tooling. That tooling will still wear out faster, so you’ll go through more of it — in some cases, a great deal more of it. This holds true for your metal-bond and your resin-bond diamond tooling, adding cost to your job.
If your customer is requesting an exposed aggregate floor, make sure they understand the aggregate will not be evenly exposed. What already lies within the concrete, as it lies there, will be exposed. Also make sure you charge considerably more, as more labor and tooling will be required. If the concrete floor is uneven or wavy, this will become even more of an issue. If it were me, I’d have a customer sign off on such work. In today’s environment, it is wise to make sure that everyone is on the same page. You don’t want to end up in a lawsuit over unrealistic expectations. It’s always better to underpromise and overperform.
Take into consideration dust as well as possible labor expenses for cleaning. Whether a vacuum system can make concrete grinding and polishing 99 percent dust-free is questionable. There will be dust, and quite a bit of it. In a setting such as an airport, retail store, or anywhere else where the public will encounter the dust, you must make sure you minimize this issue. You may have to clean at the end of every day. Understand that the last thing the end user needs is a lawsuit, not to mention the appearance of a very dusty environment. Also make sure your employees have dust masks available to them. Concrete dust can cause silicosis.