Bond Abrasive As The Best Choice
Since the CPAA recognizes that bonded abrasive polished concrete yields the most durable of finishes and requires the least maintenance, it is the best environmental choice.
Floors polished with other methods will not last as long and may not share all the same characterstics.
Polishing concrete is similar to the process of sanding wood: You start with the most aggressive bonded abrasive diamond, just like wood sanding starts with the coarsest sandpaper.
The lower the number of the bonded diamond abrasive, the most aggressive it is.
This first cut will go as deep as any part of the process, while the rest of the process will serve to smooth the texture of the concrete and take it all down to the depth of that first cut.
The grit that you start with depends on how rough the starting condition of the floor is.
A 50-grit abrasive is a common starting point, but there are also 30-grits, 16-grits, and 8-grit abrasives as well as pads that utilize diamond impregnation technology.
After the first cut is done with a 50-grit abrasive, follow the same procedure with a 100-grit and then a 200-grit abrasive.
After the 200-grit abrasive has been used, a lithium densifying chemical is applied to the floor with a microfiber mop.
This densifier penetrates into the concrete (the pores and softer particles) and dries.
As it dries it makes the concrete denser.
After the densifier has dried, a propane burnisher is run over the surface to cure and harden the densified concrete further through heat.
After the floor is densified it can be polished with up to a maximum of a 3,000-grit pad.
After the 3,000-grit diamonds have been used the floor is so flat that it has a wet look.
If all of the steps were followed properly someone should be able to count the number of light bulbs in the ceiling by looking at the reflection on the floor.
Floors polished with other methods will not last as long and may not share all the same characterstics.
Polishing concrete is similar to the process of sanding wood: You start with the most aggressive bonded abrasive diamond, just like wood sanding starts with the coarsest sandpaper.
The lower the number of the bonded diamond abrasive, the most aggressive it is.
This first cut will go as deep as any part of the process, while the rest of the process will serve to smooth the texture of the concrete and take it all down to the depth of that first cut.
The grit that you start with depends on how rough the starting condition of the floor is.
A 50-grit abrasive is a common starting point, but there are also 30-grits, 16-grits, and 8-grit abrasives as well as pads that utilize diamond impregnation technology.
After the first cut is done with a 50-grit abrasive, follow the same procedure with a 100-grit and then a 200-grit abrasive.
After the 200-grit abrasive has been used, a lithium densifying chemical is applied to the floor with a microfiber mop.
This densifier penetrates into the concrete (the pores and softer particles) and dries.
As it dries it makes the concrete denser.
After the densifier has dried, a propane burnisher is run over the surface to cure and harden the densified concrete further through heat.
After the floor is densified it can be polished with up to a maximum of a 3,000-grit pad.
After the 3,000-grit diamonds have been used the floor is so flat that it has a wet look.
If all of the steps were followed properly someone should be able to count the number of light bulbs in the ceiling by looking at the reflection on the floor.
Source:
The Environmental Prefer-ability of Polished Concrete by Whit Beverly
The Environmental Prefer-ability of Polished Concrete by Whit Beverly