Guides
What we tell clients before they choose a finish, and after it is down. One question per guide.
What is the difference between honed, satin and high-gloss polished concrete?
The finish schedule: polished concrete in plain language and measurable values
A polished concrete finish is two choices, not one: how much stone you expose, and how much the surface shines. This is how we specify both, with the numbers a builder or architect can write into a schedule.
How often does polished concrete need resealing, and how can I tell when mine is due?
When does polished concrete need resealing? The water test and the reseal matrix
A two-minute water test tells you whether your sealer is still working. The matrix tells you roughly when to start testing, by finish, setting and traffic.
What should my builder or concreter know before pouring a slab that will be polished?
Pouring a slab for polishing: what to decide before the concrete goes down
Most of what makes a polished floor good or bad is decided on pour day. This is what homeowners, architects and builders should settle at plans stage - strength, flatness, finishing, curing, joints and protection.
Why does my polished concrete floor have small holes in it, and can they be fixed?
Why does polished concrete have small holes? Pitting explained
Small holes are the most common surprise when people first see their floor. They are air pockets that were always in the concrete. Here is why they appear, which ones can be filled, and how to reduce them on a new slab.
Can my existing concrete floor be polished after the tiles or carpet come up?
Can you polish an existing concrete slab? What to expect in a renovation
Often, yes - but an old slab has a history, and it shows once the surface is opened. What can be under the covering, how we test, and the realistic finishes for a renovation.
Should outdoor concrete around a pool or patio be honed or polished?
Honed or polished concrete outdoors? Slip, sun and coastal sand
Outdoors, honed almost always wins. Why matte concrete is the choice for pool surrounds, patios and entries on the coast, and what sun, salt air and sand do to any sealed surface.
Why do polished concrete quotes vary so much, and what changes the price?
What affects the price of polished concrete?
Two quotes for the same floor can be a long way apart. Usually they are not quoting the same thing. Area is only one factor - these are the others, and how to get a quote you can compare.
How should a slab be protected during the build if it will be polished later?
Protecting a slab for polishing during the build
Between pour day and polishing day, every trade walks across the slab. Most marks they leave are permanent. What does the damage, how to protect against it, and when to grind.
Tell us about the slab.
Still at plans stage, slab poured, or a floor that is already down - send what you have. Plans, photos or a rough area. We come back with what the slab can do and a day count.