Care & Maintenance • Polished Concrete

Care & Maintenance
Polished Concrete

Mechanically ground, honed & polished concrete floors are one of the most beautiful, durable and functional surfaces on the market today. Your care & maintenance schedule will depend on the flooring environment and individual circumstances.

 

CLEANING

Regular dry and wet cleaning is the basis of your program. How well a program is established and followed directly affects how long before buffing, burnishing or extended maintenance is needed.

1. Vacuum or dust mop floors daily. A microfiber dry mop works best.

• Walk-off floor mats placed at exterior entrances help alleviate abrasive dirt, salts, etc. from being introduced onto the surface. Walk-off mats should be maintained and kept clean.
2. Deposits from spills should be removed as soon as possible.

3. Wet clean floors with recommended cleaner at least once a week. Heavy traffic floors will need to be cleaned more frequently.

• Use automatic floor machines if possible, for best results. Only soft bristled brushes, white buffing pads or diamond impregnated pads should be used. Turn off ionizer switch to avoid early deterioration of floor.

• Loop end wet mops are excellent for damp or wet mopping. Microfiber wet mops also work well.

• Use recommended cleaning product for best results. Never use Pine-Sol or products containing ammonia, bleach, citrus or vinegar. Never use acidic or highly alkaline cleaners on your polished floor. Do not use “Swiffer Wet-Jet” type cleaning equipment.

 

BUFFING & BURNISHING

For better results than a cleaning program only, you can periodically buff or burnish your floor.

1. Buffing with a (175 rpm) floor machine fitted with a white or diamond impregnated pad can be used to prevent early deterioration and maintain the gloss.

2., Burnishing with a (1500 rpm) floor machine fitted with a diamond impregnated pad can be used on the floor to remove microscopic scratches and improve the gloss.

 

EXTENDED MAINTENANCE – CHEMICAL & MECHANICAL

At some point because of neglect or heavy traffic your polished concrete floor may dull and abrade beyond the capabilities of a cleaning program with periodic buffing and burnishing.

1. Chemical – Reapplication of protective treatments will prevent early deterioration and the need for mechanical refinement.

2. Mechanical – A planetary grinding machine fitted with diamond-bonded polishing tools can be used to restore a visibly worn floor that is in need of mechanical refinement.