Polished Concrete Floors

[ZEAK]

Am going to be doing some reno's on a condo and would love to have polished concrete floors, just not sure if there are many contractors in Thailand that are skilled at the craft.

Any suggestions or recommendations?

Should I contact a professional design firm?

Cheers

http://www.concretenetwork.com/photo_libra...ior_floors3.htm

[stevejones123]

I'd say go for tiles. Painted concrete floors don't look that great. If you are going to have them you need to make sure the base is good. In Lanka it is normal to have a brick base on top of your concrete floor slab, and then to pour the top layer of concrete on to that. Otherwise, you run the risk of the concrete cracking.

[backflip]

What sort of surface finish do you plan? I agree with a previous poster that painting is not a great idea. I believe that a better plan is to:

- clean thoroughly

- acid etch

- colored stain

- polished paste wax

Small cracks do not affect the structural integrity of the floor, and add character. Concrete is porous, no matter how much it is "polished", and a good base of paste wax will prevent accidental staining.

[ZEAK]

What sort of surface finish do you plan? I agree with a previous poster that painting is not a great idea. I believe that a better plan is to:

- clean thoroughly

- acid etch

- colored stain

- polished paste wax

Small cracks do not affect the structural integrity of the floor, and add character. Concrete is porous, no matter how much it is "polished", and a good base of paste wax will prevent accidental staining.

Hey there. I have no intention of painting the concrete, I want it stained and then polished like some of the photos in this link;

http://www.concretenetwork.com/photo_libra...rior_floors.htm

You seem to know about the different options with concrete, can you recommend a good contractor in Thailand?

Cheers

[backflip]

Unfortunately, I do not. If you can, check out "Fine Homebuilding" - a magazine that covers exactly what the title is. I'm sure it has an online index, and they had a great article on concrete floor finishing, perhaps 3 years ago. I'm a skilled DIYer, and it's something that I'd attempt myself but, since the floors in my condo have teak planking, I'm not willing to rip it up, just for the exercise. ; )

Too, the look is a tad "industrial", and it might not appeal to someone else.

[cdnvic]

What sort of surface finish do you plan? I agree with a previous poster that painting is not a great idea. I believe that a better plan is to:

- clean thoroughly

- acid etch

- colored stain

- polished paste wax

Small cracks do not affect the structural integrity of the floor, and add character. Concrete is porous, no matter how much it is "polished", and a good base of paste wax will prevent accidental staining.

If the floor is properly densified after the 200 or 400 grit stage of polishing then it's very difficult to stain. A final sealer like HTC Superfloor after the final stage of polishing makes it pretty much impervious to stains. Waxes are troublesome and get slippery. A good sealer can give you a non-slip surface without sacrificing the polished look.