Dry Concrete Polishing: Pros & Cons

Painting contractors can polish concrete using wet or dry methods. Some may use a combination of both ways. For this article, though, we will discuss the benefits and the downfalls of dry concrete polishing, since it’s the method that we use. But first, let us mention a few benefits of polished concrete finishes, in case you need convincing.

The Benefits of Polished Concrete Floor Finishes

Durability, beauty, and cost savings – that’s what you can expect when you polish concrete floors in your home or business. Polished concrete is gaining followers in these recent years, and it’s easy to see why.

The first benefit has to do with cost savings, and who doesn’t love that? When you decide to polish your concrete floors, you can expect at least a decade before you have to start thinking about refinishing. Concrete floors are durable and can withstand high levels of foot and machinery traffic without damage. It’s also almost impossible to crack or chip concrete that’s been poured properly and adequately maintained. With that kind of resilience, you won’t have to worry about getting new flooring (and spending more money) every few years.

Polished cement floors can also help you save money on your energy bill thanks to their high levels of light reflectivity. This reflective quality also gives them quite a beautiful appearance and creates a clean, crisp, and professional look anywhere they’re installed.

Additionally, you can expect improved safety at your facility if you opt for polished concrete. Although it looks sleek and shiny, polished concrete is quite skid-resistant, even when it’s wet!

Dry Concrete Polishing Pros and Cons

Like we said before, you can use either wet or dry methods for polishing concrete. Here at Lakeside Painting, we only use dry polishing methods because we think they are the most efficient. But just so that you’re fully informed before you call to make an appointment, check out our list of dry concrete polishing pros and cons.

PROS

Requires no water. Unlike wet polishing, dry concrete polishing requires no water. That means that no messy slurry is produced.

High levels of shine. When dry polishing, you can achieve high levels of shine, similar to that of marble. Wet polishing does not produce as shiny results.

Practically no clean-up. You can attach a dust extraction system to dry grinders and polishers and clean them while you work. This means that you won’t have extensive cleanup at the end of the project, and workers won’t be inhaling dangerous silica dust.

Safe. Using the dry method is safer because you won’t have debris, water, or slurry on https://blog.bartellglobal.com/the-importance-of-choosing-the-right-dust-extraction-equipmentthe floor when you’re done.

CONS

The equipment can get expensive. That’s not relevant to the customer, but it’s the only “con” we could think of. The machinery and floor get pretty hot whenever you’re polishing concrete. Water in wet polishing cools down the whole process, but there is no water in the dry process. However, new technology is allowing manufacturers to create tools that withstand high temperatures without melting or glazing over.

If you’re contemplating cement floor polishing, give the experts at Lakeside Painting a call. We do industrial and commercial work throughout the Midwest and residential work in southeast Wisconsin. We can answer any of your questions and give you a little more information about what you can expect from polished concrete floors. You can also fill out our online form, and one of our professional painters will come out to your facility and provide you with a free estimate.