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I am not at all knowledgeable about this - just wanted to comment that it sure looks gorgeous. Good luck finding that artistic, skilled, installer. Wondering now if this would be similar to the floor covereing that is sprayed over the concrete in garages? Anyway, do post back if you find out anything. It sure is lovely to look at
Thanks for the comment, Mayvenne. I'm still up in the air. I'm taking pictures of the bare concrete floors today, to send them to two contractors for estimates: the condition of the existing concrete impacts the
cost. Then, I'll have to compare that to tile.
They cannot do the "polished" system - which gives that glass-like finish and shine, in a pre-existing home because working around the edges, cabinets, doorways, etc., increases the cost to where it's prohibitively expensive. That's why you see the photos of very large, open areas; or new homes that had the floors put in as part of the finish.
My husband does this for a living. I can tell you a few hopefully helpful things about polished concrete. The floor has to be in good condition to be polished. Cracks are fine, they can be filled if not too wide but they will always be there. Some people love the cracks others don't. The floor has to be flat if you don't want any of the stones to show through in spots, again some people don't mind that others dislike it. If doing it in new construction make sure the concrete contractor pouring the floor knows that it is vital that he pour a flat floor with the right mix for polishing. Good contractors follow a set system of steps for polishing, it is time consuming and some choose to skip steps leaving you with a floor that is not truly polished. Be careful that you choose the right contractor. There are a lot of fly by nights that use machines that don't really polish the floor well enough to make it easy maintenance. Their are many grades of polishing, each with a unique amount of shine. They can be slippery when snow is on top so rugs at entrances are a must. Water does not make them slippery, only snow. I think they look best in a regular gray concrete color or dyed slightly darker but that is my opinion. Black is a maintenance nightmare. Like any surface the medium shades show the least amount of dirt. You can have professional cleaning done to bring it back to new every few years if you want. You can't say that about most floors and much cheaper than re-sanding a wood floor. All that said they can be a beautiful surface for your floor. I think they lend themselves to the most modern and most rustic styles. I think many people will just love them if they follow these rules. And don't fall for the process of "chemically polished". That is not a real polished floor and will not produce the easy maintenance floor you are expecting with truly polished concrete. Best of luck with your projects.
Last edited by Mntngirl5156; 02-21-2014 at 07:12 AM..
Reason: More info
Hi, We're planning a self-build with an insulated EPS foundation and UFH on top, of the floor slab. Does anyone know if we can polish this floor slab up to make a polished concrete floor? and does this work out cheaper than say, tiling the floor, as we're not doubling up on materials? Thanks
By UFH, do you mean a radiant floor heating system, where pex is installed prior to the slab being poured? Or do you mean one of the above slab systems used to heat hardwood or tile floors?
If you mean a radiant floor system, yes you can have a polished concrete surface finish. If you mean one of the above slab systems, then there is no point in having a polished surface, because you will never see it.
For price, get your GC to give you proposals for both. If you are self-performing the labor, go with tile. A competent DIY/handyman can do a reasonable tile job. A competent DIY/handyman can destroy a slab in minutes with a concrete polisher.
To answer your main question...Yes, someone has polished concrete floors. While I don't know of anyone personally, the odds are very strongly in favor.
A friend has those floors in a polished grey. They look great, but did develop a few hairline cracks over time (slab settling). I don't think anything can be done, but they still looked great and were easy to clean. This is in Texas so the fact that the floors were cold was a plus 9 months of the year.
…but did develop a few hairline cracks over time (slab settling).
I seriously doubt it- in Texas.
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