Mia
Several medium and large-sized businesses have concrete flooring that needs to be cleaned every other week or month. However, you can’t just scrub a concrete surface like you mop up a marble or granite floor. Polishing a concrete floor is way different from cleaning any other type of surface. You can barely get the dirt off of it by hand. Dedicated concrete polishing machines are the way to go. Thus, with a concrete floor polisher, you hire not only the worker but also the various cleaning gadgets that they bring along.
You will need diamond-segmented abrasives, dust repellents, wet and dry floor polishers, and chemical hardeners to effectively polish your concrete floor. It is not as much the skill of the polisher that counts as the efficiency of the appliances. On the other hand, any layman cannot simply get the job done with the best concrete polishing machines. Hence, it is important to understand the process of concrete polishing before finding the right polisher for your business.
General Cleaning
Before machine-cleaning the cement body, you should ensure that any overlying sediments are completely eradicated. Scrubbing the concrete floor with a dry cloth will do the trick, and just to be doubly sure, use a wet cloth to clean it thoroughly as well. Don’t forget to dry the area before moving ahead with any further cleaning processes, because concrete cleaning machines may eventually amass rust after sucking in moisture.
Concrete Grinding
Concrete grinding involves using a grinder, but not a regular one. There is a special concrete grinder available in the market that looks like an oversized version of a basic vacuum cleaner. It also sometimes resembles a lawn trimmer depending upon the brand. You may want to visit website pages that can give you more insight into the best surface preparation material. That is because concrete grinding isn’t simply about flicking the machine on and cleaning away. There are a few factors that you need to consider before placing the grinder on the floor and giving it your best shot.
Factors to Consider
1. Ensure that the Main Suction Covers the Floor
The main base of the concrete grinder should sit on your floor so that there is no lingering air space through the sides. It should be perfectly vertical. However, since the shape of the grinders isn’t usually upright, you may need to adjust the position accordingly.
2. Apply Pressure
After switching the grinder on, apply the right amount of pressure to ensure that all the dust gets collected into the vacuum bag or storage container. However, don’t press it too much, otherwise, the system might just explode because it already exerts a lot of pressure to remove the concrete sediments.
3. Have Patience
Grinding a concrete floor is similar to sanding hardwood. You need to make a few passes through the floor with the concrete grinder before you can see a noticeable change. Typically, concrete floors require twice or thrice the sanding reiterations. Furthermore, it will be ideal if you wait for about five minutes before beginning that next grinding, because the dust needs to settle.
Stuff to Couple with the Grinds
You cannot simply dry grind the concrete floor. It won’t be as effective. We recommend applying a hardener or spraying a densifier; it will ensure that all the underlying residue is loosened, thus rendering improved suction to the concrete grinder. Also, don’t forget to replace the grinding disc with the burnishing pad that usually comes included with the grinder. If it’s not present in the box, then you may need to purchase it separately. That is because the grinding disc simply removes the dust and debris off the concrete floor, but the burnishing pad ensures a smooth finish.
While these processes are enough to make your concrete floor shine as good as new, you may want to consider another layer of a concrete sealer post-cleaning. It will spruce up your floor so much that you may literally see yourself walking upside down on it! An additional gleam will be reflected off the concrete, so much so that it may double the brightness of your premises.
That said, you cannot really hope to get all the aforementioned things done on your own. You have your own business to take care of after all. Hence, make sure that you hire a concrete floor polisher who promises everything, right from general cleaning to applying additional layers of shine. The average rate for polishing concrete floors sits somewhere between $5 to $10 per square foot. On the lower end of the spectrum, you may need to compromise on general cleaning and the final finish. So it’s better to hire a concrete floor polisher at or around the $8 mark.
