Concrete Finishing

 Concrete flooring has 3 types of finish. 1. Topical sealed. 2. Diamond polished. 3. Epoxy coated. The first and second process has some options to choose from. It can be acidic stained (several colors) and diamond polished to desired finish or topical sealed. The non acidic colored concrete can be topical sealed or diamond polished and the color would stay gray. The topical seal only is the cheapest and will need more maintenance. 2. Concrete can diamond polished or acidic color stained and diamond polish. The above picture is a concrete floor that was acidic color stained and a high gloss topical seal. 3. Is a epoxy coating which is around 70 percent solids.

The most important thing to understand about how to acid stain concrete is that “acid stained” is actually a misnomer. It should be called “acid etched.” This isn’t mere staining. The process involves using a moderate-strength acid, like hydrochloric acid, to eat away at lime within a concrete slab. That lime makes room for the concrete acid stain colors which will be left behind after the acid finishes. This is important when thinking about stained concrete floors pros and cons.

Acid staining damages the concrete to some extent and will need to receive some form of a resinous coating on top to be usable in most business settings. While it does give it a flashier look than polishing, acid stained concrete will always be subject to damaging easier than polished concrete.

Polished concrete, on the other hand, does very little damage to the concrete. The polishing process, typically with diamonds, is repeated until the concrete reaches a desired level of shine. That shine is effectively permanent. Even if it gets scuffed or dirty from high traffic areas, it is relatively easy to clean and return to its original sheen.

If you’re running a business like a restaurant with relatively low amounts of traffic, and a need to impress guests, acid stain concrete floors are fine. However, for areas with heavier foot traffic, concrete polishing is typically the way to go.