Polished Concrete Floors

Picture your grandmother in the kitchen at your parents house. She’s dialing in your favorite matzo ball soup. You catch her tapping her foot along to a funky little 70s jam. You’re pulled back to reality by your own kiddo tugging at your pants, and there you are, standing on the same floor nearly 50 years later. 

From the rustic farmhouse look to a functional, commercial design, there are endless flooring options when building or renovating your home or business. Polished concrete is a great, long-lasting flooring option for your business or home.

What are polished concrete floors?

Ground to a high-gloss finish, polished concrete is quickly becoming a preferred aesthetic in high-end warehouses and luxury homes. Polished concrete’s flexibility enables it to amplify the design of any room from any era. Polished concrete is a no-wax flooring option known for its durability and high performance. 

To create the polished concrete slab, heavy duty machines grind down a poured concrete surface to a set expectation of shine and luster. 

Where can you use polished concrete?

Chairs on a concrete floor

If you’re still searching for dynamic, anti-slip flooring, look no further. Polished concrete can be used in warehouses, hotels and restaurants, show rooms, private residences and more. 

Structurally sound concrete flooring, processed by a professional team, can enhance your space and offer a distinguished, modern look.. There are minor limitations to what types of concrete can be polished. Connecting with your flooring expert and contractor can give you better insight on your exact needs.

What kinds of concrete can be polished?

Home owners rave about the high quality advantage of polished concrete versus typical flooring surfaces. If you’re utilizing polished concrete in your home, you’re looking at cost savings instead of price gouging. 

Polished concrete is timeless, making it a more popular option than its classic competition. 

What are the benefits of polished concrete floors?

Polished concrete floors are not only malleable, but tactile and offer a variety of choices. It’s user-friendly when it comes to cleaning and offers a wide range of patterns, designs and colors to choose from.


For residential flooring

Residentially, folks who choose to give their homes the gift of polished concrete can expect an extended shelf life, and a floor free of dust and allergens. With the absence of traditional floor covering resources, your cost savings will skyrocket.


Commercial and retail benefits of polished flooring

Open floor business space

In a commercial or retail setting, polished concrete offers environmentally conscious, safe surfaces for employees, distributors and guests to move easily throughout the space. Because of its endurance, polished concrete floors can resist harsh conditions and lots of trauma.

Planning out your polished concrete flooring

When planning your polished concrete project, you'll want to consider placing and pre-placement and finishing. Your blueprints will offer you the guidance necessary to pull it all together.

How will you design your concrete flooring?

Designing your concrete flooring can consist of determining which level of aggregate exposure suits your preference and style. You’ll need to identify things like form, budget, fitting and slip resistance. All of these elements determine how effective and resilient your polished concrete floor will be.

What is the average cost of polished concrete flooring?

Weighing in at one of the most affordable flooring options, you can budget about $3-$12 per square foot of polished concrete. That base price will depend on the complexity of the project, it’s scale and other contributing factors.

How does it compare to other flooring options?

When considering other flooring options, you’ll want to determine things like price, durability, and process. Because polished concrete is so versatile, it makes it the easiest call.

Additional information about polished concrete flooring

There are plenty of ways to go about fine tuning your polished concrete flooring for your home or business. Keep an eye on color swatches, space capacity and be flexible in your design plan.

Applying dyes to polished concrete

You have a variety of options when it comes time to choose the proper dyes to stain your concrete floors. Acid based and water based concrete stains are the most popular. With an acid base, you'll work with a smaller range of colors. 

That color will last longer than water based stain, and may be the best option for heavy foot traffic. Water based stains have limitless color combination opportunities and are easier to apply and maintain.

How do you clean polished concrete floors?

You can clean your polished concrete with a dry mop, followed by a neutral cleaner or cleaning agent developed specifically for your flooring. Specialty cleaners reinforce a dirt resistant film, creating a stronger, longer gap between your next mop session.

Dry vs wet polishing

You'll want to consider the condition of the concrete floor in question, the space it resides in and the hope for the finished product. Wet grinding and polishing allows for solid aggregate exposure and takes out high and uneven spots. Dry polishing delivers high shine and elegance. The softer the concrete, the better the dry result.

Get in touch with a contractor

For professional polished concrete floors, contact Old Crow Painting today! Each project is handled with personal attention and care, and estimates are always free. Give us a caw!

Travis Nolan