Types of Polished Concrete

Depending on the diamond grit you use to polish a floor, you can achieve different ranges of sheen, from matte to a glassy mirror-like finish. There are also different amounts of aggregate exposure, ranging from cream finish with no exposure to a full aggregate look.

 

Cream Polish

A cream polish will give you the smoothest and most consistent sheen possible when polishing the concrete floor. It will accept stains and dyes more readily and consistently.
 
 

Salt & Pepper Polish

A salt and pepper look is probably the most achievable look of the three types, it will except color and stains fairly well and will hold a crisp shine. It may expose cracks and small holes that will be visible in the finished floor.

 

Aggregate Polish

Of the three this is the least sought after because of the cost involved. It has a place when done right and can have a very desirable look.

There can be limitations on concrete floors depending on its condition. For example most times we cannot achieve a cream polish on a floor when glue or coatings need to be removed. The reason for this is that when grinding the coating or glue off it will also remove the cream from the floor. This is the type of consideration that we make the client aware of well ahead of time which helps set the proper expectations.