Flooring with a smooth and high gloss is a popular look for warehouses and commercial facilities in Denver. Not only is it sleek and professional, but it is also easy for your employees and machinery to navigate.
The two main ways to get this look are with polished concrete or grind and seal flooring. In terms of appearance, the two options look very similar, but the methods of achieving them, the resulting durability, and the cost make it important to choose the right one for your property.
Differences Between Polished Concrete and Grind and Seal Floors
Polished concrete relies on using commercial floor sanders with increasingly fine grains of diamond sanding. These diamonds hone a concrete floor to the desired level of gloss, ranging from matte to high gloss. Stain can be applied, if desired, to add color. but the end product is exposed concrete..
Grind and seal concrete floors starts by grinding the existing concrete to make a smooth surface. The next step is cleaning and, if necessary, staining the concrete. A contractor then applies a layer of epoxy over the concrete to seal the floor.
Some of the differences between these two methods and what may make one better than the other for your property include:
- Base Concrete Slab – Polished concrete requires a strong base which not every commercial facility has. A weak base can lead to a polished floor that does not look as good as you envisioned.
- Appearance – Both methods can create a smooth and shiny floor. Grind and sealed concrete offer the benefit of being easily matched throughout your property since it can cover the underlying concrete which may have differences due to separate applications.
- Resilience – Concrete is naturally very durable and polishing or grinding concrete makes it denser and harder. Polished concrete is often better for high traffic areas where it can last for years. Grind and seal floors may need to be resealed every so often after traffic causes scratches and wears away the sealant, but they are non-porous and stain resistant which makes them easy to clean.
- Cost – Polished concrete floors are about three times the cost of epoxy flooring because they require more labor. Depending on the size of your floor, this initial installation cost may be offset by the cost of resealing epoxy floors.
Both polished concrete and epoxy flooring can be attractive and durable options for many types of properties in Denver, Littleton, and Aurora. Colorado Concrete Repair offers these flooring types and others, and is able to use our extensive experience with concrete flooring to help you choose the best solution for your business. Contact us to discuss your needs.
