Shining up a concrete floor is a great way to give it a fresh new look, but there are multiple ways you can go about it. Depending on the needs of the floor, you can either resurface it or have it polished. There are benefits to both, but you may not be able to use one method or the other depending on certain qualities of the floor.
In case you want to know more about concrete floor resurfacing and concrete floor polishing, let’s go through a complete breakdown of both methods of shining up a concrete floor and see which one might be the best fit for the floor you’ll be working on.
Interior Concrete Floor Resurfacing
Resurfacing an interior or exterior concrete floor has many benefits. First, it’s great for floors with visible damage like extensive patchwork, spalled areas, and carpet tack holes. Any type of structural damage to a concrete floor will disqualify it from being polished, so in most cases, resurfacing is the only option for damaged floors.
Resurfacing offers more in the way of artistic variety as well, with a wide range of options for different textures and overlays. You could have a heavily textured or ultra-smooth floor. You can also have your overlay stamped to look like stone, slate, brick, or even styled with a terrazzo-like design achieved by seeding the aggregate with decorative elements.
Polishing vs. Concrete Floor Resurfacing
If you want to polish a floor, it has to be structurally sound and free of flaws that would still show even after polishing. As previously mentioned, carpet tack holes, spalled areas, and extensive patchwork are all disqualifiers for polishing. What you will get when you polish a concrete floor is a high-gloss sheen that has a glass-like, smooth surface. Polished concrete floors are also able to be decorated with some variety of dyes, stains, and stencils, but the options for different textures and overlays are not there with polishing as they are with resurfacing.
It basically comes down to what the creative and artistic intentions are for the concrete floor and what condition it is in. If a high-gloss sheen and incredibly glassy, reflective look are desired, polishing will be the right choice to make, provided the floor is in the right condition for it.
If the floor is damaged or a wider variety of creative options in regards to overlays and textures is desired, resurfacing would be a better choice. Either way, there’s plenty you can do for a floor before and after resurfacing or polishing as well.
Whether You Polish or Resurface a Concrete Floor Depends on Its Needs
At the end of the day, the decision of whether to resurface or polish a concrete floor should come down to a few different factors. If the floor is damaged or structurally unsound in any way, it should not be polished. Polishing a cracked, soiled, structurally unsound floor will not cover up those flaws.
Resurfacing is a good option for floors which are to be decorated more heavily with potential for wide variety in overlays and textures. It’s also good for concrete floors with flaws that need to be covered up and can provide a durable, level surface on which to display designs. Whichever type of job you end up completing on concrete flooring, using the right cleaners and associated concrete products is essential.
