A GUIDE TO POLISHED CONCRETE FLOORS IN THE HOME
If you’re looking for flooring that makes a big impact, polished concrete is a great choice. Polished concrete floors in homes first started to appear around a decade ago, and since then they’ve been growing steadily in popularity. This good-looking, durable flooring is equally stunning indoors or out, as an elegant setting for dining, or a practical choice for the kitchen.
The DirectStone team of flooring specialists has been installing polished concrete flooring in homes, retail, hospitality, and refurbishments for more than a decade now. We love the process of transforming an industrial material into a floor that is guaranteed to wow guests. In this guide to polished concrete floors in homes, we look at what polished concrete is, the types of finishes available, and the most popular locations in the home.
WHAT IS POLISHED CONCRETE?
‘Concrete’ really does apply to the industrial material used in construction. The transformation occurs when you grind back the surface paste to reveal the aggregate beneath. Once polished, it produces unique patterns and colours enhanced by a high gloss, or matte finish. It’s flooring that will last for decades, and – in many cases – it’s already in place in your home and simply needs diamond grinding and polishing to look stunning.
THE BENEFITS OF CHOOSING POLISHED CONCRETE FLOORS FOR YOUR HOME
The shimmering, mirror-like polish that is characteristic of polished concrete flooring is just one of the many benefits you can expect to enjoy.
- Tried and Tested. Polished concrete has been used in airports and shopping centres for decades because of its durability, simple elegance, and natural light reflecting qualities.
- Sustainability. In many new build homes, the concrete slab is already in place. Rather than adding tiles, wood or laminate, it can be ground and polished sustainably.
- Durability. A tiled floor will normally last for around 2 decades. By contrast, regularly maintained interior polished concrete floors last between 30-50 years, at least.
- Low Maintenance. Polished concrete should be kept dust and grit free. All it needs is regular sweeping and mopping. Acidic spills should be wiped up straight away.
- Non-Slip. Worried about a highly polished floor being a slip risk? No need, in fact polished concrete has greater non-slip qualities than some flooring tiles.
Types of Polished Concrete
1. Bronze Polished Concrete
This is a celebration of the natural textures and colours to be found in your concrete slab. In most polishing processes the surface paste is ground back to reveal the aggregate beneath. The Bronze concrete flooring effect leaves the surface paste intact, and this is what is polished using diamond pads. The resulting creamy gloss draws out the unique colouration of the concrete.
This finish is only available where the slab is strong, undamaged, and absolutely flat.
2. Silver Polished Concrete
This produces matte flooring with exposed aggregate patterning. The surface paste is ground back to a depth of 1-3mm, until the larger pieces of aggregate used in the composition of the concrete are revealed. The surface is treated with grout, a strengthening densifier and a professional sealant to protect the surface from staining.
3. Gold Polished Concrete
The surface paste of your concrete slab is ground back to a depth of 1mm. This exposes your flooring’s unique patterning of sands and stones. The surface is treated with a densifier and sealant, before being polished, to a high gloss gold finish, or your desired sheen. All our polishing processes used HEPA filtered extraction to remove the dust caused by our diamond grinding machines.
4. Platinum Polished Concrete
The platinum finish is the signature gloss for polished concrete. Its brilliant shine reflects the natural light in your home to enhance the airiness of your living space. It looks stunning indoors, or out, and can be used in wet rooms, kitchens, living spaces or on patios or around pools. Despite its shiny finish the floor is not a slip risk.
5. Coloured Concrete Floors in Homes
If there is a particular colour palette which you would like your polished concrete flooring to reflect, there are plenty of options to choose from. DirectStone uses dry shake colour hardeners when floating a concrete slab to create beautifully intense surface colouration. Alternatively, our microcement installation option can be colour matched to any RAL shade, at no extra cost.
WHERE DO CONCRETE FLOORS IN HOMES WORK BEST?
Residential polished concrete floors work particularly well in your kitchen where the low maintenance requirement really comes into its own. The high gloss finish is particularly popular for dining rooms requiring an elegant setting for evenings with friends, or for open plan living/dining room combinations. If you have a hall that houses bikes and boots, you’ll find that polished concrete is easy to keep clean and looking pristine.
Polished concrete bathroom floors are easy to maintain, and look stunning, especially with the enhancement of luxurious underfloor heating. It’s also an excellent choice for patios, and can be used to extend your living area through to your garden.
WORKING WITH DIRECTSTONE LTD
We’re a family-run business located at Wrest Park in the heart of the beautiful Bedfordshire countryside. DirectStone flooring specialists have been creating stunning hand-finished concrete floors in homes for nearly 20 years now. We work with residential and commercial clients throughout the UK mainly in London, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.
If you are interested in polished concrete floors in your home and have any questions, or you would like a project priced, call us direct on 01525 20863920. We offer free no obligation quotes, no matter the job size.
