Polished Concrete

[thegarageguy]

5k is expensive but it's the going rate. I still don't get why it's twice as much to paint a 800sq ft garage floor as it is to paint and caulk a 4k sq ft 2 story house. Oh I know, it's a niche trade.

Because it's not "paint" and you don't need $100,000 worth of equipment to "paint" a floor. Do you think a slab of marble is just dug out that highly polished? You are paying for that work in the end, as you are for a polished, sealed or coated floor. It takes specialized equipment, qualified men and good material to get the proper job done. It may be a niche trade but none of us are becoming Billionaires doing this. As long as you approach it as "paint", you'll never justify the cost of our work.

 

[Full Size 66]

I think he may have thought about the comparable prices for epoxy or polishing. The two prices were actually very close. I could not understand what he was saying either. Maybe he was thinking I had some sort of clear put on, who knows?

 

[vansgarage]

Thought about it but to really get the right pollished look you have to add larger colored rocks to the concrete pour and have the finisher not pack them down much. Not for polished pebble concrete look but it will last for a long time and less maintenance.

 

[Full Size 66]

Yeah this was a standard 3/4 rock, 5 1/2 sack mix. The floor would have looked better to me if it were a finer sandy look. The exposed aggregate look is really nice though.

 

[fiveoboy01]

I love the look, the price is a bit of a deterrent. It's not for everyone but if you have the cash why not? I figure it will cost me a little over 1K to tile my garage. That's more within my budget LOL.

 

[cdenton]

Get on craigslist and buy a buffer.
then go to jon don and buy these:
http://www.jondon.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=39591
Get some densifier from the supplier of your choosing.

You can have the whole thing done for less than $500 plus your labor. One pad will do about 5k sqft.

This is my plan.

I suspect that it might not be as abosolutely perfect as the expensive machines, but I have seen a section of floor done in the local Dallas Jon Don and it is smooth as silk and has a nice sheen. A dust mop would glide along it with ease. They just polished the troweled finish.

 

[Hockeyman]

A bit too slippery for me but beautiful to look at>

 

[Full Size 66]

Get on craigslist and buy a buffer.
then go to jon don and buy these:
http://www.jondon.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=39591
Get some densifier from the supplier of your choosing.

You can have the whole thing done for less than $500 plus your labor. One pad will do about 5k sqft.

This is my plan.

I suspect that it might not be as absolutely perfect as the expensive machines, but I have seen a section of floor done in the local Dallas Jon Don and it is smooth as silk and has a nice sheen. A dust mop would glide along it with ease. They just polished the troweled finish.

Yeah that is a good idea if the floor is sound and solid in every way. The problem is that my floor had areas that needed aggressive grinding with 25 grit to start, to reach solid material. There is always a catch to DIY, I didn't want to spend the money on this but it was the only alternative.

 

[kwb]

Polished isn't as slippery as you would think, it isn't the same as a burned in trowl job.

We have them in our factories and you would think the high shine would have you on your backside when things are wet but traction is better than what we had with the epoxy coatings at doorways before we had them polished.

In the end it has saved a lot of maintenance upkeep going polished over epoxy.

 

[Full Size 66]

Polished isn't as slippery as you would think, it isn't the same as a burned in trowl job.

We have them in our factories and you would think the high shine would have you on your backside when things are wet but traction is better than what we had with the epoxy coatings at doorways before we had them polished.

In the end it has saved a lot of maintenance upkeep going polished over epoxy.

Yeah, not to sing the praises of polished concrete but it is not near as slick as other floors with comparable shine. Noisy with wet feet YES which I don't like but that is what the rug at the door is for.

 

[Fastback]

My floor is glossy from the install technique but its not any smoother than a VCT floor with a wax coat...with a good floor finish you can get a satin gloss with traction aid built in.

Nothing on it but JS Cure & Seal on it here, it did fine for a few years.

I have spilled anything and everything on this floor, I painted that car where it sits and took two years doing it. The over-spray, reducer & thinner spills and all of the clear coat & paint drips cleaned up fine. And I did do a BUNCH of cutting and welding on that thing. All I had was a few coats of "Cure & Seal" on the slab.

After cleaning the paint mess I used leftover cure & Seal followed by "Withstand" floor finish.

Eeekk. That project covered everything! It turns out its cheaper to buy a buffer than it is to rent one for a week.

 

[turbojeff]

Thanks for posting this. I want to do this to my 900 sq ft shop. The shop floor was poured in 3 separate pours and they don't match up perfectly, rolling an engine hoist w/engine over those bumps is a bit scary. The grinding/polishing will level it out at the seams and leaves a nicer look than epoxy. I drag heavy parts on the floor sometimes and I feel this may damage the epoxy finish.

$5k is a bit over my budget but I think I can look around for a better deal, or at least get a quote or two.

 

[nokkieny]

I have a hair salon and need 1250 sqft of concrete done. I am juggling doing a polish/seal/topcoat vs epoxy/topcoat.
Anyways I wanted to chime in on the price thing. to do a polish/densify/seal I have a quote of $3500. He has 15 year experience, talked to the guy for an hour, he knows his stuff.
This quote is for a 800grit finish which he says is like a floor at lowes.
I am thinking I may want it a bit more glossy like 1200-1500, but he says it would be too slippery for a commercial application.

 

[77thor]

Love the look...but as other folks have stated; "It's out of my price range"

 

[jonathan75]

Get on craigslist and buy a buffer.
then go to jon don and buy these:
http://www.jondon.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=39591
Get some densifier from the supplier of your choosing.

You can have the whole thing done for less than $500 plus your labor. One pad will do about 5k sqft.

This is my plan.

I suspect that it might not be as abosolutely perfect as the expensive machines, but I have seen a section of floor done in the local Dallas Jon Don and it is smooth as silk and has a nice sheen. A dust mop would glide along it with ease. They just polished the troweled finish.

How did it work out? Any pictures? I would like to try the same.

 

[rburke65]

This figures out to $5.88 a square foot. At the rate my shop would bang me $10,600.....Wow........I'd love to have one, but......Thats like 212 $50 crack whores! I'll pass.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

The only inexpensive polishing system, that i have knowledge of, is a floor buffer equipped with the Diamabrush Polishing System.

We sell this system routinely and it really works well, according to the feedback we receive from our clients.

http://legacyindustrial.net/cart/diamabrush-concrete-polishing-tool-c-26.html

 

[Dunnburger]

What about high gloss acrylic sealers? Good/Bad??

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

What about high gloss acrylic sealers? Good/Bad??

Our customers who apply acid stain love them . Our garage version has the best performance I have seen from an acrylic including garage chemical resistance, yet.

 

[jhutch]

To answer the question originally presented as why more people don't do it in their garage:

Polished concrete is not really "sealed" therefore oil, and acids can penetrate, discolor, and damage the floor. Polishing is great for garage surfaces with with jack stands, lifts, and other items being dragged across it, that will damage epoxy floor coatings, it's just not sealed.

Epoxy floor coatings protect from oil, salts, etc and are easy to clean as well. In my opinion, are the best solution for most home owners that aren't really "working" on their cars, and just want it easy to clean and decorative.

There is a bit of a hybrid in that you can get the look of polished, but the sealing of epoxy. You just prepare your floor (I recommend 30 grit) and apply a clear epoxy or other sealer, if you want that look, you just loose durability of polished, but add the sealing of an epoxy or floor coating.

Hope that helps!

 

[Rockuf8]

5K? That's just insane. I'll just end up painting mine.

 

[jonathan75]

Get on craigslist and buy a buffer.
then go to jon don and buy these:
http://www.jondon.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=39591
Get some densifier from the supplier of your choosing.

You can have the whole thing done for less than $500 plus your labor. One pad will do about 5k sqft.

This is my plan.

I suspect that it might not be as abosolutely perfect as the expensive machines, but I have seen a section of floor done in the local Dallas Jon Don and it is smooth as silk and has a nice sheen. A dust mop would glide along it with ease. They just polished the troweled finish.

The only inexpensive polishing system, that i have knowledge of, is a floor buffer equipped with the Diamabrush Polishing System.

We sell this system routinely and it really works well, according to the feedback we receive from our clients.

http://legacyindustrial.net/cart/diamabrush-concrete-polishing-tool-c-26.html

Which would be best to use? A low speed floor buffer or a high speed floor burnisher? I don't want to use the Diamabrush due to the cost, I would like to try the pads Jon Don offers. But I will need to pick up some dye and something to seal the floor from Legacy.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

If you want to add a sheen to a power-troweled surface apply a guard (our HD40 or equal product) and burnish with the high-speed buffer.

Apply and burnish back to back 3-4x and you will have a nice sheen and protected surface. This is all based on you starting with a nice power troweled finish to begin with.

A rough or hand-troweled floor or will require grinding/polishing for this result.

 

[jonathan75]

If you want to add a sheen to a power-troweled surface apply a guard (our HD40 or equal product) and burnish with the high-speed buffer.

Apply and burnish back to back 3-4x and you will have a nice sheen and protected surface. This is all based on you starting with a nice power troweled finish to begin with.

A rough or hand-troweled floor or will require grinding/polishing for this result.

Here are some old pictures after it was first put down. I can't give you any new pictures because at this time I can't even see the floor. Right now I have a big cleanup job. Can you tell by the pictures what method they used to finish the floor? It does feel mostly smooth now but just some chips around the expansion joints.

When do I put down the stain? And what polishing pad do you recommend and grit?

 

[mdkingsley]

I wonder if the polish with a sealer like the Sherwin Williams would work to make it more resistant to spills. I think a polished concrete floor looks great but seeing how much it costs it is probably out since my floor is 3200 Sq feet.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Frankly, the floor does not look like the mason really power-troweled it to a "burned" finish.

You can color with acid stain or concrete dye (acetone) and either treat with a densifier for a flat (no sheen) coat or apply a few coats of acrylic sealer. Our HD6600 is really nice in a garage setting. Unlike most ours does well against common garage chemicals.
Link: http://legacyindustrial.net/cart/hd6600-gloss-sealer-interior-p-257.html

I don't think running a burnisher over that floor will produce much more than what we see now. Of course, you are closer to the floor than I am.

Give me a call to discuss it further if you like: 973-885-1082.
Maybe a test is in order.

 

[jonathan75]

Frankly, the floor does not look like the mason really power-troweled it to a "burned" finish.

You can color with acid stain or concrete dye (acetone) and either treat with a densifier for a flat (no sheen) coat or apply a few coats of acrylic sealer. Our HD6600 is really nice in a garage setting. Unlike most ours does well against common garage chemicals.
Link: http://legacyindustrial.net/cart/hd6600-gloss-sealer-interior-p-257.html

I don't think running a burnisher over that floor will produce much more than what we see now. Of course, you are closer to the floor than I am.

Give me a call to discuss it further if you like: 973-885-1082.
Maybe a test is in order.

And can I or should I fill the huge cracks? They are a little bigger then the nice control cuts I have seen others have.

I was also looking at these products. Can you tell me the difference or advantages between Legacy and Consolideck?

Polish:
http://www.jondon.com/unitex-stone-care-pads-17-inch-various-grits-1.html

Stain:
http://www.jondon.com/consolideck-gemtone-stain-bronze.html

Seal:
http://www.jondon.com/consolideck-ls-premium-sealer-8.html

Gloss:
http://www.jondon.com/consolideck-lsguard-glossy-6.html

Video:

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

You can pre-fill and grind flush.
The difference is we are willing to answer our potential customers questions on a Sunday after church.

 

[jonathan75]

You can pre-fill and grind flush.
The difference is we are willing to answer our potential customers questions on a Sunday after church.

Good point. Customer service is a big plus! But why does their system have two steps to seal then polish and Legacy seems to be just the one? I like the simplicity of one step if that is all that is required.

If I pre-fill and grind flush will it accept the stain or will it stay the same color?

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

We offer a guard as well, Hd40.
Grind/polish to 400 grit, color and densify, continue to desired gloss level, apply Hd40, burnish and repeat(hd40-burnish) as many times as desired.

 

[Jsf721]

Is a polished floor slippery when wet?

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Yes. A highly polished floor is smooth with a low COF.

 

[soapii]

I have also get my floor polished by a professional few months ago

Any contact info on the company you used?

--Joe