Polished Concrete is a very durable and versatile concrete product thats popularity is ever increasing. It is a process of grinding, honing and finishing concrete, whether it is internal or external, flooring or other.
There are two broad systems of grinding and finishing concrete floors that Transitions have adopted, these are Transitions mechanically polished concrete and Transitions coated polished concrete.
Transitions Mechanically Polished Concrete
Transitions mechanically polished concrete is a complete system of grinding, chemically treating and mechanically polishing concrete slabs, whether new or old. The concrete slab is first ground to expose the aggregate (stone) at the chosen level. This is followed by the use of chemical hardeners to increase the surface density (hardness) of the concrete, creating a high abrasion resistant, dustproof, low allergenic and seamless concrete product.
After the concrete has been hardened, the mechanical honing and polishing process can begin, smoothing the concrete. This creates reflectivity, leaving the surface with a hard wearing shine that eliminates the use of surface coatings and will last for years to come.
Transitions Coated Polished Concrete
Transitions coated polished concrete is created by cutting back, through use of grinding, the surface of the concrete to expose the desired amount of aggregate (stone) and to prepare the surface. Once this preparation is complete, a durable clear UV stable polymer coating is applied to the concrete and crystallised onto the surface, creating a clear crisp shine that will not yellow with UV light.
Coated polished concrete has excellent stain resistant properties and has a serviceable sealer, meaning that if your concrete product needs to be rejuvenated, it can be done quickly and inexpensively. Coated polished concrete is quick and inexpensive to install, however it requires periodic maintenance to keep its lustre looking fresh.
When comparing Transitions mechanically polished concrete with Transitions coated polished concrete there are several variances. Mechanically polished concrete is 20% - 30% more expensive to install, however its longevity and low level of maintenance keeps costs down in the long term. Whereas Transitions coated polished concrete is cheaper and faster to install, but its long term maintenance costs are increased.
See the table below for further comparison between these two polished concrete processes:
| Transitions Mechanically Polished Concrete | Transitions Coated Polished Concrete |
| High Abrasion Resistance | Cost Beneficial |
| Seamless | Seamless |
| Low Allergenic | Low Allergenic |
| Low Maintenance | Servicable Sealer (can be chemically stripped without grinding) |
| Long Life Cycle | Hard Wearing |
| Dust Proof | Environmentally Friendly Sealers |
| Thermal Mass Properties | Thermal Mass Properties |
| Stain Resistance |
Warning - Cut and Seal Contractors
Transitions Polished Concrete or Coated Polished Concrete should not be confused with a disturbing trend within the industry. Contractors are diamound grinding the floor once over and using thick, epoxy or acrylic coatings to seal the floor.
These sealers are typically not UV stable, therefore after a relatively short time the floor will yellow and look dull and lifeless. The solution to rectify these floors is to diamond grind the surface coating off and either reseal or mechanically polish the surface.
The initial cost savings of using the cheaper cut and seal contractors is quickly eliminated with the cost of rectifications.
