Maintenance Best Practices for Polished Concrete
Check out these tips on how to maintain polished concrete maintenance and keep it looking great for years to come.
Key Takeaways:
- A polished concrete floor is a great investment for a home or business for a home or business
- Completing the necessary maintenance will improve its longevity
- Following a few tips makes it easier to maintain
Even the hardiest materials need a helping hand to retain their quality, and polished concrete is no exception. But it’s also #1 when it comes to cost-effectiveness and paying you back for a little care and attention.
Quality contractor work can make a polished floor a real showstopper (just look at some of our previous work). Ongoing maintenance can keep it looking great and performing strongly. Read our guide to learn why polished floors are worth your money and how to keep them in peak condition.
Why a polished concrete floor is a great investment
Cosmetically, they make a great impression in three ways:
- They can look spotlessly clean
- They have a bright – sometimes extremely bright – appearance, depending on the grit level you use and the shine level you select
- Polished floors add elegance and a touch of class to any space.
Polished concrete allows for ease of movement and is also highly durable, they’re able to stand up to plenty of pounding from foot traffic and the weight pressures of static or mobile furniture and equipment. Don’t worry about them being a slip-and-fall hazard, either. They may look slick, but professional polished concrete surfaces adhere to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards and comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
These floors are also cheaper in the long run because they’re so resilient. Other materials cost less to put down, but they’ll require more maintenance over time, which will eat into your budget. And polished concrete is even more affordable if your floor is concrete to begin with!
The easy-clean nature of polished concrete also creates healthier environments. This is because well-maintained polished concrete offers no home for dust and other allergen-causing microparticles that also attract bacteria and mites. Some coats of polish are even specifically designed to be anti-microbial.
These floors are also highly resistant to water and stains. In a nutshell, a polished floor that’s well cared for will give your site decades of practical, cost-effective, and attractive performance. All we have to do is provide some TLC.
Polished concrete maintenance takes teamwork
When property owners, cleaning staff, and concrete professionals work together, these surfaces are the lowest maintenance floors a site can have. With the proper care, it may be years before your site has to be visited by a concrete contractor again.
Installing catch mats at all entry points is a great first step. These affordable solutions can prevent costly damage by helping trap grit, grime, or other abrasive agents people track in on their shoes. These mats will need daily cleaning to ensure they effectively prevent schmutz from being dragged across your polished floor.
If any unwanted stuff does get in, you can use a microfiber dust mop or other non-abrasive tool to remove it. Doing this immediately will maintain polished concrete’s high resistance to surface abrasion, and the same applies to moisture or liquid spills. Never let liquid or particulates lie, as they’ll slowly wear down resistance to abrasion and water.
Polished concrete maintenance requires non-abrasive, pH-neutral detergents that can be combined with hot water and methylated spirits. Never use bleach or anything too alkaline or acidic. These will only harm the surface, so no vinegar or Windex!
Gradually and methodically is the way to go
Slow and steady by section is how cleaning professionals handle polished areas, large and small. They’ll apply a layer of surface cleaner as they go, returning to the starting point at the right time to suck up anything left behind during the process.
This continuous process allows water and cleansing agents to sit long enough on the polish to do their job but not overstay their welcome. If they do, they become magnets for more dust and grime and could lead to mold and mildew. Cleaning solutions also must be lifted at the right time to prevent damaging the floor’s finish.
Polished concrete maintenance is like anything else; the more diligent you are with prevention, the less you ultimately have to do. When you do it isn’t an exact science, but there are still some golden rules that apply to every floor.
How often should maintenance be performed?
There’s no universal cleaning schedule since polished floors have different dimensions and demands. Some surfaces deal with higher foot traffic, weight demands from furniture and equipment, or environmental stressors like direct sunlight.
Take care of any dirt, smudges, or liquids as you find them. Dust and allergen-causing agents are sometimes impossible to spot with the naked eye, so daily cleaning should help keep these problems in check. Don’t forget to clean beneath any stationary objects and to take great care when moving them to protect yourself and the polish. Contact cleaning professionals if you feel furniture or equipment is too heavy or dangerous to move on your own.
Even the best-maintained concrete floors need their polish touched up occasionally. Call a contractor if your surface is looking stained or losing its shine, and they’ll show up to restore it. They may do this by adding another coat of sealant after cleaning, burnishing the floor, or repeating the polishing process, depending on how extensive the issue is.
We’re here to help if you have any doubts about how to maintain polished concrete floors or how to create them in the first place. You can connect with us whether you’re a contractor or a customer, and we’ll do everything we can to help.
Contact the concrete experts with any questions
At Concreate, we bring decades of experience to polishing jobs and many other concrete-based services like staining and surface preparation. It’s our goal to help customers and contractors better understand concrete, so the pros know how to work and the public knows what to expect. Visit our contact page to ask anything concrete-related or discuss your project needs!