There are so many wonderful benefits of polished concrete, however, to get a perfect floor you must start with a perfect pour and a perfect finish. If all parties involved are not prepared for the results, polished concrete floor problems can result.
Expectations of Polished Concrete Floor Problems in New Slabs:
Cream Discoloration in Polished Concrete
1. Stains & Discoloration: If stains, such as oil, rust, etc. are present before the concrete is polished, they may remain in the finished product. It is important to protect the slab from these stains before the concrete is polished. On the other hand, there are many factors that cannot be controlled during the pour of the concrete that may lead to discoloration.
2. Edges: The perimeter edges of a building are different from the field of the floor because they are hand troweled vs power troweled. Because of the difference in troweling the surface is less dense at the edges. When polished, this difference is evident in the color of the concrete. If perfection is what you are looking for, it is important you understand this before you run into this common polished concrete floor problem.
A Wavy Floor is an Eyesore
3. Waves: Floor flatness is important if you want a uniform polished concrete floor. Most high quality specs call for a floor flatness of greater than 40. Floor flatness is measured within 48 hours of finishing the concrete. Though waves may be hard to detect by looking at the floor, once the floor is polished they will stand out distinctly. That is one of the many polished concrete floor problems: once polished, defects and imperfections are amplified. A wavy floor can look splotchy, have uneven aggregate exposure, and may not be what the customer wants.
4. Debris in Floor: During the pouring and finishing process things happen…the wind blows pineneedles into the slab, the finisher drops his sunflower seeds, etc. Leaving these items on the slab to be troweled in is okay if you are putting down carpet or tile, but when polishing a concrete floor these items will leave imprints or be exposed and have to be cut out and patched which leads to a slab with many tiny patches that do not match.
Titus Restoration has seen all the common polished concrete floor problems and most of them cannot be fixed. A professional polishing contractor should inform you of these details prior to beginning the work. For more information contact our experienced polished concrete floor staff today.