Polished Concrete

POLISHED CONCRETE IS AN INNOVATIVE, ECONOMICAL AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PROCESS OF MECHANICALLY GRINDING AND POLISHING CONCRETE UTILIZING INDUSTRIAL DIAMONDS & IMPREGNATING HARDENERS. IT IS THE PERFECT APPLICATION FOR; COMMERCIAL & BUSINESS FACILITIES, INDUSTRIAL PLANTS, WAREHOUSES, RETAIL LOCATIONS, SHOWROOMS, SCHOOLS, MUSEUMS, AND GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS.

AGGREGATE

EXPOSURE LEVELS

CREAM
FINISH

Mainly paste, with fine sands randomly exposed.

SALT & PEPPER FINISH

Mainly fine sands up 1/8″ aggregate, with paste and large aggregate randomly exposed.

MEDIUM AGGREGATE

Mainly 1/8″ to 1/4″ aggregate, with paste and large aggregate randomly exposed.

LARGE AGGREGATE

Mainly 1/4″ to 3/8″+ aggregate, with paste and fines in between.

SHEEN

LEVELS

MATTE FINISH

A matte sheen absorbs light and enhances the natural tones of the existing concrete.

Grit Level: 100
Gloss Meter: 20

LOW SHEEN

Gives a sleek look, similar to a matte finish, but with a slight shine that provides some light reflection.

Grit Level: 400
Gloss Meter: 20 – 35

HIGH SHEEN

A high level of light reflectivity makes this our most popular flooring service. Color will reflect off of surrounding objects.

Grit Level: 800
Gloss Meter: 35 – 50

HIGH GLOSS

Uniform, glossy appearance will reflect the lighting in the facility, and will mirror the colors from the objects surrounding it.

Grit Level: 3000
Gloss Meter: 50(+)

WHY

POLISHED CONCRETE

PROFESSIONAL APPEARANCE

THE HIGHER GRIT TOOLING USED, THE HIGHER THE REFLECTIVITY – ALL BASED ON THE SHEEN LEVEL YOU WANT YOUR FLOOR TO HAVE. POLISHED CONCRETE RESISTS MARKS OF TIRES, AND STAINING FROM OIL AND CHEMICALS.

EASY AND INEXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN

AS THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR FACILITY UPKEEP, YOU WANT AN OPTION THAT LOOKS GOOD AND IS EASY TO MAINTAIN. INSTEAD OF SPENDING COUNTLESS HOURS TRYING TO KEEP YOUR FLOOR IN GOOD CONDITION BY WAXING AND BUFFING, POLISHED CONCRETE REQUIRES VERY LITTLE MAINTENANCE – AT LEAST 30% LESS THAN VCT TILE. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO TO KEEP THE FLOOR LOOKING GREAT IS TO SWEEP AND DAMP MOP AS NEEDED. BECAUSE THE PROTECTIVE SURFACE WORKS AS A BARRIER AGAINST SPILLS, CLEANUP IS KEPT SIMPLE. POLISHED CONCRETE WILL NOT HARBOR DUST, DIRT, AND ALLERGENS.

GREEN FLOORING

CONCRETE DOES NOT HAVE A HIGH THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY, WHICH MEANS IT WILL TAKE QUITE A LONG TIME TO HEAT UP AND TO COOL DOWN, CREATING AN INSULATING EFFECT AND HELPING TO BALANCE TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATIONS. USING YOUR EXISTING SLAB AND NOT ADDING A FLOORING THAT WOULD NEED TO BE REMOVED OR REPLACED IN THE FUTURE IS A SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION BECAUSE IT NOT ONLY DECREASES MATERIAL USE BUT ALSO THE NEED FOR REPLACEMENT – HELPING BOTH THE ENVIRONMENT AND YOUR BUILDING MAINTENANCE COSTS. POLISHED CONCRETE CAN ALSO BE SEALED WITH LOW VOC (VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS) TO FURTHER DECREASE ANY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. WITH A POLISHED CONCRETE FLOOR, THERE IS ALSO INCREASED LIGHT REFLECTIVITY, PROJECTING A PROFESSIONAL IMAGE AND SAVING ON LIGHTING COSTS. POLISHED CONCRETE WILL ADD MORE LIGHT TO THE AREA WITHOUT THE COST OF ADDING FIXTURES BY REFLECTING LIGHT FROM WINDOWS AND CURRENT LIGHTS. DURING INSTALLATION, DRY, DUST-CONTROLLED EQUIPMENT FILTERS AND VACUUMS FILTER OUT 99.9% OF ALL AIRBORNE DUST. WITH NO ADHESIVES OR COATINGS APPLIED, AND USE OF EXISTING BUILDING SUBSTRATE, IT IS VERY HELPFUL IN LEED PROJECTS.

FUNCTIONAL BENEFITS:

– HARDER AND STRONGER THAN OTHER FLOOR FINISHES
– DOES NOT LIFT, PEEL OR FLAKE
– DENSE SURFACE HELPS PROTECT AGAINST ABSORPTION OF OIL AND CONTAMINANTS
– RESISTS TIRE
– MORE ABRASION RESISTANT THAN UNFINISHED CONCRETE
– NO HYDROSTATIC / VAPOR PRESSURE ISSUES
– CREATES A FLAT AND LEVEL SURFACE
– TYPICALLY MEETS/ EXCEEDS OSHA RECOMMENDS OF STATIC COEFFICIENT FRICTION OF 0.5

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS:

– DRY, DUST-CONTROLLED EQUIPMENT FILTERS OUT 99.9% OF ALL AIRBORNE DUST
– QUALIFIES FOR LEED PROJECTS
– NO COATING, URETHANE, WAXES OR TOPICAL COATINGS APPLIED
– NO SLURRY AND NO VOC’S
– NO APPLICATION ODORS

ECONOMIC BENEFITS:

– NO DOWNTIME WHILE CHEMICAL PROCESSES CURE
– LOWER INITIAL COSTS COMPARED TO MOST OTHER FLOOR COVERINGS
– ONE-TIME APPLICATION WITH MINIMAL MAINTENANCE
– LOWER MAINTENANCE COSTS WITH LESS WEAR ON CLEANING EQUIPMENT AND CONSUMABLES
– LONG LIFE CYCLE

MOST COMMON PLACES

POLISHED CONCRETE IS USED

AUTO SHOWROOMS

MANUFACTURING FACILITIES

OFFICE BUILDINGS

RESIDENTIAL FLOORS

RESTAURANTS

RETAIL STORES

SCHOOLS

WAREHOUSE FLOORS

POLISHED

OVERLAYS

Galveston Concrete. uses the ARDEX PC-T Polished Concrete Topping System when the concrete is not suitable to be polished or when a more predictable floor finish is desired. Ardex PC-T Self Leveling Topping for polished concrete provides an outstanding canvas for creating unlimited designs and color. Ardex PC-T can be polished is as little as 24 hours after installation. The Ardex PC-T Polished Concrete Topping System may be colored integrally, stained or dyed.

This system

has many benefits:

AMORE UNIFORM AND CONSISTENT LOOK
FASTER INSTALLATION
TIME AND LABOR SAVINGS
EASIER MAINTENANCE
MANY MORE COLOR OPTIONS THAN CONCRETE
INSTALLATION FROM 1/4" TO 1/2" MINIMUM
HIGH COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION FOR SLIP RESISTANCE
LITHIUM FORTIFIED STAIN AND WEAR RESISTANCE
THE FINISH CAN BE HIGHLY REFLECTIVE OR MATTE
INDUSTRY FIRST COMPREHENSIVE PROCESS SPECIFICATION

The floor can be finished with a high gloss or matte finish. The surface is treated with Ardex PC 10 and Ardex PC Finish, a specially formulated lithium densifier and floor finish specifically designed for the use with Ardex PC-T. This system provides much more stain and abrasion resistance, as well as a low maintenance surface.