Smoothing The Way To Fine Commercial A breakdown of the concrete polishing process to achieve lustrous floors. By: Wade Christensen Image courtesy of Metzger McGuire FLOORS F Wade Christensen is the vice president for Niagara Machine Inc. He can be reached at Wade@ NiagaraMachine.com. Niagara Machine carries the top brands in the industry and has tools and equipment available for purchase or rental. Plus, Niagara also offers training and equipment repair services both in-house and on-site. For more information on the complete line of shot blasters, scrapers, grinding machines, pol-ishers and abrasives available to help you achieve high-gloss, slip-resistant concrete floors, please visit www.NiagaraMachine.com. From warehouses to showrooms and from office buildings to malls, approximately 80 percent of American commercial flooring is concrete. For facilities managers experiencing problems with aging and wearing floors — or for those with new floors who wish to minimize costs — an effec-tive, economical solution is concrete polishing. Concrete Polishing Is Beneficial Most contemporary commercial buildings are erected on concrete slabs. Grinding and polishing an existing concrete floor produces a high-quality surface that doesn’t require covering; equally important, it’s a floor that lasts. Traditional coverings such as carpet, hardwoods, tile and finishes, sealers and other epoxy coatings must be periodically removed and replaced with resulting costs in material, transportation, labor and disposal. However, properly maintained polished floors can deliver five to 10 times the life expectancy of tile. Polished concrete is also incredibly strong, even in high-traffic areas. Its abrasion resistance is excellent, and a high coefficient of friction (COF) ensures that polished concrete is not slippery. Wet or dry, polished concrete floors meet and often exceed U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards for slip resistance. Furthermore, in terms of floor performance and durability, the highly-polished, resin-free surface virtually eliminates tire marks from vehicles and fork trucks, creating less drag on tires and floor cleaning equipment. When it comes to environmental compatibility, polished concrete floors are both green and sus-tainable. Polishing produces a floor that qualifies for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) credits as a green construction alternative to traditional floor coverings. Moreover, the polishing process is not harmful to the environment. Once it’s in place, polished con-crete reduces dust mites and allergens and is not conducive to the growth of bacterial molds. These features make polished concrete an ideal flooring choice for hospitals, pharmaceutical com-panies, laboratories and foodservice operations. Polished concrete floors require minimal main-tenance compared to traditional coverings that demand frequent stripping, sealing, finishing and occasional replacement or repair. Sweeping and scrubbing to remove dust and debris from the surface are the only maintenance functions that must be routinely performed. Depending on the type and degree of traffic, pol-ished concrete requires only periodic re-polishing or buffing to maintain its original luster. The refinishing process is efficient and economi-cal, requiring little to no commercial downtime. The durability and minimal maintenance needs of polished concrete are complemented by its aes-thetic appeal. 16 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • May 2013
CMM – Archives May 2013: 16
