Concrete Floor
Concrete has an extremely long history. During the Bronze Age, Greeks concocted a blend of volcanic ash, lime, and sand to make mortar. Portland cement – the key of modern concrete – was invented by an English bricklayer in 1824. The material has steadily improved since then but remains fundamentally the same. Today, several types of Portland cement are commonly available, each with different attributes.
At its most basic, concrete is a mixture of Portland cement, sand and crushed stone or gravel (coarse aggregate). But a variety of additives (called admixtures) such a water reducible, pigment and reinforcing fibres. All together blended into the mix to modify its properties for countertops.
Polished concrete, discovered roughly 20 years ago, has etched its way into history as a sustainable, low maintenance flooring option in just about every market segment. We have all walked across a polished concrete surface at some point within the past few years. It is such a popular and fast growing industry, that in many cases it is outpacing consumers and contractors alike with new technology and methods. This fast growth has put the industry in a somewhat volatile state, leaving the consumers confused as to what is and what isn’t polished concrete and what performance aspects of expecting. Polished concrete can be a low maintenance flooring option with an extremely low-cost life cycle compared to other floor coverings. However, to get the best performance, you must be aware of the processes required to produce a quality product.
Reborn Are the Days of Concrete Flooring
The bashful concrete floors that have always played a subordinate role due to the existence of many other alluring flooring solutions like marble, granite and sandstone are witnessing tremendous demand again with the introduction of a great variety of polished concrete floor designs.
Maintaining Polished Concrete Floors
Maintaining polished concrete is easier and more cost-effective than other flooring solutions available in the market. It’s not a rocket-science to learn it! You simply need to clean it regularly (clean it daily if it is in a high traffic area) with a microfiber mop. You may use speciality floor cleaner for cleaning polished concrete flooring in high traffic area. Perform floor re-polishing every 3-4 years. Right polished concrete management will make your flooring live longer and stay glossy!
