Polished concrete floors look amazing. The truth is when you own a professional cleaning business or are a floor restoration specialist, polishing concrete is a wonderful service to offer because it
a) polished concrete floors look great, and
b) polished concrete floors last a long, long time.
To do this properly, though, you really need the right concrete floor grinder.
Grinding and polishing concrete floors may be a relatively “recent” phenomena, but it is quickly becoming one of the preferred options among many commercial facilities and retail outlets and businesses.
For good reason.
Concrete is Durable
Concrete, as a surface, can last for decades. Your average linoleum tile commercial floor might get 10 years, at best, especially under high traffic. With the proper floor buffer machine, you could stretch those decades-long beyond your tenure as a manager, supervisor, or even primary owner.
Polished Concrete Can Look Like Almost Anything
The way you finish the concrete surface will determine what it looks like, precisely. Some create a mosaic style floor, appearing like small ceramic tiles in a pattern or design. Others use solid colours, like brown, black, or even green. Some even make polished concrete look like hardwood flooring!
It’s amazing what you can do with polished concrete, and the best part is you don’t need to convert the entire concrete floor surface!
You can choose one area, such as a lobby or near the main doors to grind down the concrete and polish the floor surface.
So, How Do You Choose the Right Concrete Floor Polisher?
Well, for one thing, you could invest in different machines. First, you could certainly consider a concrete floor grinder. This machine grinds down the concrete, much like a sander would do to wood.
Once you work the concrete surface down to a smooth finish, then you can apply whatever style, paint colours, or designs you might want (if any) to the concrete floor. Think of this as staining or priming wood floor surfaces.
Then you will need a concrete floor polisher to make the surface shine. This is very similar to a buffer and waxing machine you would use with a regular tile floor, except the dynamics of concrete are different, which means you might need different machines for these tasks.
Might?
Yes, might. What this means is if you decided to use a certain company for your machines, they may require you to purchase different machines for every task. That can get costly.
You might also still require different diamond tools, heads, pads and attachments for each of those unique machines.
That all seems like a colossal waste of precious financial resources, especially when you realize that Centaur Floor Machines makes some of the most durable and versatile machines on the market for a wide range of purposes.
What About Single and Dual Disc Grinders?
That all depends on how many square meters the floors you’re working on are. If you have large floors and many facilities to cover, you may need a dual-disc grinder to save time. However, most commercial facilities are limited in their size and, if you are fine with about 100 square meter coverage per hour, then single disc grinders are more than up to the task.
What About Edge Grinding?
That’s a wonderful question! Most regular concrete floor grinding machines can only grind down to within a few centimetres of the walls, which means you would need something that could work along these edges. That would be an edge grinder.
That could be a completely different machine, unless, of course, you chose Centaur for your concrete floor grinder and polisher unit.
That’s because Centaur offers the attachments and add-ons that are optimal for a wide range of uses, including edge concrete grinding.
What About Machine Speed?
The speed of the machine (or rpm – revolutions per minute) can range based on the type of machine you use. Which speed is suitable depends on a couple of factors, including what type of floor restoration work you’re doing.
The higher the RPM, doesn’t always mean it’s better for concrete grinding. That’s because you could wear off sections if not done properly, creating pits and gouges. It’s usually best to use a lower RPM (like a machine that runs at 175 rpm) and that has high torque for jobs like concrete grinding and polishing.
Finally, Consider the Accessories
As noted, even though you may purchase different machines for different purposes, you will still be required to obtain a range of diamond tools and accessories to do the job right. That includes keeping it clean, polished, and looking its best, even long after the grinding is done.
Or, you can choose an all-in-one concrete floor grinder, scrubber, and polisher, complete with the versatility of speed and edging capabilities.
When you want to simplify the buying process for a new concrete floor grinder, the best place to start is at the Centaur.