Can Old and Worn Out Concrete Be Polished?

Refurbishing your home can be a really fun and exciting activity. If your family does so frequently, then there won’t be much to do, especially if everything is maintained properly. However, not everything must be maintained frequently, and can only be fixed once some damage has occurred.

Over time, however, things will get worn out, especially if they are outdoors and exposed to wind and water frequently. The concrete on your patio or driveway, for instance, can be run down- yet with polish, can look as good as new. Read on to discover how and when you can polish your concrete.

Restore the Concrete

Before you polish it, you must restore the concrete itself. If it has parts that are chipped or broken, then polishing it will only give the solid pieces a shine and leave the rest not looking as fresh. There are many affordable ways to restore it though, including recementing areas that have chipped away over time, and using concrete floor paint to make it look as good as new. Both methods may come in handy if there is excessive damage to the concrete. In some cases, people recement the entire area as the damage is sometimes too apparent to simply cover.

Polishing Tools

There are several polishing tools that you will need after you’re done restoring. You will need a scrub brush to fully clean the floor, a polishing pad, a cleaning detergent, a chemical hardener, resin, and a grinder to make the concrete surface shine and get to the level you want. These concrete polishing tools will depend on your surfaces, their sizes, and whether they were previously polished before or not. In order to get the best results, you will need to look for premium polishing tools so that they do not deteriorate quickly over time.

Exceptions

Exceptions to polishing concrete floors are limited, but they do exist. The first exception is time; you will need to wait about two to three weeks after you have restored the concrete in order for the resin to settle in smoothly. Generally, refurbished floors are the exception, however, if done neatly and left to be cured for a lengthy amount of time, then it will not be difficult to redo. Another way may be to remove a full layer of concrete instead of adding more on. That way, you can get the stability you need in no time, but it may cost more to remove that surface.

To answer the question, yes, old and worn out concrete can definitely be polished. Essentially, as long as the concrete itself is refurbished and redone, it can be polished without a hitch. You can take one of two steps- either to get a professional to redo your patio or driveway floors, or learn how to go about this yourself. Whichever route you take, be sure to do enough research on the matter to get your floors looking exactly the way you want them to be. Be sure to hire and/or purchase the most optimum company and tools for the finest results.