by Five step polished concrete will produce amazing depth of gloss with 30% of the grinding steps it would normally take using traditional diamond abrasives and traditional concrete treatments with very little loss of quality. For the highest quality floors the five steps can be extended to seven or nine steps which is still less than half the number of steps normally taken to achieve high quality polished concrete.
Five steps summary
The secret is in the tools and chemicals technology. From 30/40 grit metal bond diamond grinding the grouting is completed with a Shark 100 grit recovery tool which results in a flawless finish and an excellent start to polished concrete. The grouting is also done with densifier in the solution so there is no need to use a densifier separately. The next step is to grind with Resin bond 100 grit pads to remove the grouting, followed by 200 grit Resin bond diamonds and then up to 800 grit for the final finish.
Step 1
Grind the floor with 30/40 metal bond diamonds making sure it is flat. If a coarser grit needs to be used first follow those with the 30/40 diamonds. All edges and corners should be finished to the same result.
Step 2
Grout and densify the floor with Pore Filler & Densifier which is sprayed in front of the grinding machine to thoroughly wet the floor while the Shark 100 grit hybrid discs which are a mix of metal bond, ceramic bond and phenolic resin bond cut and flatten the floor while pushing the concrete dust mixed with the Pore Filler into the small holes and cracks. This will harden the floor, fill all the voids and leave a smooth, uniform finish. The Shark hybrid discs are pads with hook and loop fixing to attach to backer pads and are manufactured for all machine types.
Step 3
Remove the Pore Filler which contains a heat sensitive polymer with Resin 100 grit diamond discs. The heat from this process will cure the grouting in the holes. Unlike adhesive-based grouts this product is easy to spread, grind and finish with no stickyness and no waiting for the next day to cure.
Step 4
Polish the floor with Resin 200 grit diamond discs.
Step 5
Polish with 800 grit Resin discs. The jump can be made from 200 grit to 800 grit with this system and with these resin pads without most people being able to see a difference. For most applications this is a highly satisfactory finish.
Steps for more quality
Obviously the 400 grit Resin disc step can be added between 200 and 800 grit, then a Mamba 800 pad which is a special kind of resin pad can be used after the 800 grit Resins for extra shine and depth of gloss. For higher gloss levels 1500 Resins followed by 3000 grit Resins will produce a very high gloss, but for that extra dazzling shine go over with one more pass of 3000 Mamba pads.
Anti Slip protection
Polished concrete is not anti slip, but with the addition of a penetrating finish coat it will be anti slip both wet and dry. This is a thinly applied solution that penetrates the surface and can be buffed to a high shine and yet still retain its anti slip qualities. Normally this is applied in three coats, for very high foot traffic it can be applied in six coats and will last a long time. A maintenance product can be added to high traffic city building floors when they are cleaned each night, otherwise in low traffic domestic floors the protection will last for one to three years before a quick clean and micro fibre reapplication.
Stain protection
As part of the finish coat system a primer is applied first to seal the concrete against stains such as red wine, vinegar, oils and most staining products normally encountered. It is also a penetrating primer and is put on before the finish coats.