Polished concrete garage floor

[Hilltopmasonry]

So the concrete guys just finished pouring my 1500 square-foot garage this week and did a wonderful job

I was wondering the pros and cons of having the floor polished as opposed to epoxy or other type of coating

. I like epoxy, but I do like to weld and I’m a contractor so I’ll probably have stuff dragging on the concrete so I don’t think epoxy would be the smartest choice.

Does anybody have a polish concrete garage floor that would like to chime in?

 

[bluedog225]

Following. It’s a good look. One of the Costco’s down here did that. It makes a positive impression every time I see it.

 

[36truck]

Work has a polished concrete floor. It has some kind of a clear finish on it. It doesn't hold up well it chairs moving in & out. I don't know if it's worth the cost to do it. It's does look nice though.

 

[ConCretin]

What is your priority for the floor? If it's appearance, polished concrete is an option but it will be slippery and show every wave and ripple. If it's stain resistance and durability, a better option might be a high quality penetrating sealer/densifier. It will give the floor a nice satin sheen, require no maintenance and be far less expensive than polishing.

 

[Garage Flooring]

Grind and polish look amazing, but it is high maintenance. My suggestion would be etch and seal.

garageflooringllc.com/product/etch-and-seal-clear-polyurea-kits/

 

[Shea]

So the concrete guys just finished pouring my 1500 square-foot garage this week and did a wonderful job

I was wondering the pros and cons of having the floor polished as opposed to epoxy or other type of coating

. I like epoxy, but I do like to weld and I’m a contractor so I’ll probably have stuff dragging on the concrete so I don’t think epoxy would be the smartest choice.

Does anybody have a polish concrete garage floor that would like to chime in?

You can learn how concrete is polished and the pros and cons of having a polished garage floor in our article below.

The Facts about Polished Concrete Garage Floors

Learn if a polished concrete garage floor is as durable as you think. Also, how concrete is polished and some alternatives to the polished concrete look.

allgaragefloors.com

 

[MileHighRover]

You can learn how concrete is polished and the pros and cons of having a polished garage floor in our article below.

The Facts about Polished Concrete Garage Floors

Learn if a polished concrete garage floor is as durable as you think. Also, how concrete is polished and some alternatives to the polished concrete look.

allgaragefloors.com

Nice read. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Hilltopmasonry]

What is your priority for the floor? If it's appearance, polished concrete is an option but it will be slippery and show every wave and ripple. If it's stain resistance and durability, a better option might be a high quality penetrating sealer/densifier. It will give the floor a nice satin sheen, require no maintenance and be far less expensive than polishing.

I’ll look into it, thank you

I honestly want a decent looking floor that is easy to clean

It’s not a show garage but I like to keep it clean and not be worried about damaging a concrete floor

 

[junkyardwarrior]

at work our shop floor is polished, no coating. It holds up to mechanic work just fine. Welding beating typical mechanic stuff. The only thing, though, battery acid...etches the concrete and the boss absolutely hates that. There's spots here and yonder from leaky golf cart batteries.

 

[TheClaw]

Perfect timing. I am just getting my foundation poured and debating the different finishes. My initial garage was a mess when we moved in so we repaired it, ground it, layed down Benjamin Moore 2k epoxy and clear coat. It's ok but for the shop thinking of improving on that. I'd like to find something that is DIY I do have a good relationship with my BM rep so I have access to commercial grade materials.

 

[Mike65]

I just sealed the floor in our garage after the concrete cured.

 

[floatinghat]

Perfect timing on this as I am trying to figure out my finish on my new 25x25 shop/garage expecting to install a single 4post lift for storage and some wrenching. My wife will use her bay for parking. We live in the PNW so our climate is mild, driveway will be crushed granite. I had the pour done expecting to have it polished. Now I am wondering if I would be better of doing a DIY light grind and seal as I want a satin finish. Not that I expect anything to be left on the surface for an extended period of time. Thoughts?

 

[Codyboy]

I just sealed the floor in our garage after the concrete cured.

What type of sealer did you use?
I too will be sealing my 40x60 I just had built. It already has a hard troweled slick finish and I think I'm just going to seal it rather than any type of epoxy or coating. Mostly due to the cost.

I don't mind the look of just concrete but do want something on it to help with oil spills or whatever.

I read through what Allgarage floors had linked. I do like the idea of sealing and burnishing.
I'll have to do some more reading on that before I decide though.

 

[Mike65]

I used Foundation Armor SX5000WB clear matte finish. I bought it at Lowes. It works great on oil spills to keep them from staining the concrete. I used the matte finish because I do not like the look of glossy look concrete, plus it would be slippery when it gets wet.

 

[Codyboy]

I used Foundation Armor SX5000WB clear matte finish. I bought it at Lowes. It works great on oil spills to keep them from staining the concrete. I used the matte finish because I do not like the look of glossy look concrete, plus it would be slippery when it gets wet.

O cool thanks for the reply. Do you just mop/brush it on? Any prep other than making sure there's no dirt and junk on the concrete before applying it?
I'm 60 and looking for easy. Lol.

And yeah I want something that's not like an ice rink.
My garage floor (not the one ill be finishing)now is not too slick for boots or tennis shoes but if you walk on it with wet crocks you'll bust your ***. And it's just slick finished concrete with nothing on it.

 

[Mike65]

I am 67 years old, and I was 63 when I did the sealer, so I also wanted easy. I used a paint roller to apply it. After the concrete cured, I got a cheap pressure washer & cleaned the concrete floor completely then gave it a week to dry completely. Then I applied the sealer.

 

[Armorpoxy]

Polsihed concrete is normally not a great finish since it's not resistant to fluids and salt if you are in a winter area. You can get that look by using our SPGX clear coat but with incredible protection.

 

[Codyboy]

Polsihed concrete is normally not a great finish since it's not resistant to fluids and salt if you are in a winter area. You can get that look by using our SPGX clear coat but with incredible protection.

No road salt around here in SE texas.
I dont even need shiny.
I just don't want spills soaking in and easy to sweep. O, and cheap.

 

[lchaney]

Just finished mine recently

 

[That Guy Scott]

I did mine with a floor buffer and diamond pads from concretefloorsupply.com. I also used a densifier and some kind of sealer. It’s been great. A little slippery when wet but no big deal in socal. It’s been hassle free for 6 years now.

welding, mechanical work on cars, trucks and tractors with minimal stains

 

[bornbadbob]

Polsihed concrete is normally not a great finish since it's not resistant to fluids and salt if you are in a winter area. You can get that look by using our SPGX clear coat but with incredible protection.

What are the prep proceedures?

 

[Shea]

What are the prep proceedures?

Degrease and then etch the surface. Let it dry completely and then apply the SPGX. It goes on like paint out of a can. No pot life issues to worry about and no mixing of two components. You can find their SPGX here.

 

[Shea]

I did mine with a floor buffer and diamond pads from concretefloorsupply.com. I also used a densifier and some kind of sealer. It’s been great. A little slippery when wet but no big deal in socal. It’s been hassle free for 6 years now.

welding, mechanical work on cars, trucks and tractors with minimal stains

Looks great! I bet it's a stain guard that you applied. They can buff up nicely with smooth concrete. It's similar to a project someone from the GJ did quite a few years ago using Legacy Industrial products.

Densifier with StainGuard gets a Polished Garage Floor Look | All Garage Floors

See how this garage floor obtained a glossy and polished look with just a densifier and high speed buffer in this nice garage build project.

allgaragefloors.com

 

[lchaney]

The guy that did mine which was a new pad ground it with diamond pads to 800 grit then applied Convergent densifier 244+ and then their Petra Guard and then burnished it in with pads.

 

[nanan00]

At my previous job they polished and sealed the floor in the new shop bays and well it looked great until early springtime when foggy mornings would turn the floor into an ice-skating rink from a mixture of the moisture condensation and the fine mist of oil that covered the floor from the CNC machines.

 

[bornbadbob]

Slippery in the garage is not what I am looking for, love the look of polished concrete though

 

[CMB41]

Make sure you have no efflorescence before applying epoxy sealer to a polished concrete floor. Ask me how I know. Had to re-grind it. Not fun

 

[Hilltopmasonry]

I did mine with a floor buffer and diamond pads from concretefloorsupply.com. I also used a densifier and some kind of sealer. It’s been great. A little slippery when wet but no big deal in socal. It’s been hassle free for 6 years now.

welding, mechanical work on cars, trucks and tractors with minimal stains

That looks great, this is probably the route. I am going to go with as well when I can finally get around to it.

 

[cobraguy19]

I did mine with a floor buffer and diamond pads from concretefloorsupply.com. I also used a densifier and some kind of sealer. It’s been great. A little slippery when wet but no big deal in socal. It’s been hassle free for 6 years now.

welding, mechanical work on cars, trucks and tractors with minimal stains

Do you know what grit diamond pad you started with? The floor looks great! If you remember the steps you did I would love to hear them, I want to do this soon to my slab. Thanks.