PROBLEM
Unsightly Concrete Floor
The owner of a busy chiropractic office in Ava Maria, Florida wanted low maintenance floors. After doing some research, he decided polished concrete would be the best option and called CEI Surface Pros for a FREE consultation and estimate.
Upon inspection, they noticed that where there had once been floor coverings, the concrete had been cured with different stains and shade variations. The technicians at CEI Surface Pros explained that concrete polishing would dramatically improve the appearance of the floor, but that the concrete would still retain its unique and imperfect character. To help the owner visualize what they were talking about, they showed him before and after pictures of similar jobs. Impressed with what he saw, the owner immediately scheduled services.
SOLUTION
Concrete Grinding, Dyeing, and Polishing
CEI Surface Pros used their industrial concrete grinder to remove the carpet glue and mastic tile adhesive.
There were several places where the concrete was cracked. These needed to be sealed to prevent further deterioration. They used an OSHA rated HEPA Vac to remove any loose material from the cracks. Dust control is incredibly important for health reasons and to reduce dust accumulation on the job site. Their skilled technicians saturated the concrete with a primer and masonry sand, filled the cracks with a polyuria material designed to match the color and texture of the surrounding area, and added another layer of masonry sand. The final step was to use a trowel to smooth the surface of the repair site. After the cracks fully cured, they used a grinder to remove any excess sand mix.
To help give the concrete a more consistent, monolithic appearance, they applied an acetone dye stain. They also applied a densifier to harden and strengthen the concrete in preparation for the polishing process.
To achieve the desired level of gloss and sheen, the step by step process used by CEI Surface Pros involved changing from metal based grinding discs to epoxy matrix based polishing discs. First they used progressively finer metal diamonds to smooth each successive grit and then they switched to a series of progressively finer epoxy impregnated diamonds to erase the previous diamond marks and achieve the desired sheen.
Their final step was to apply a water and oil resistant impregnating sealer, and in the case of color stained concrete, a protective guard type sealer is necessary.
As you can see, professional concrete polishing makes an incredible difference. Now this floor exudes a welcoming atmosphere and beautifully reflects the high standard of professionalism one might expect from a chiropractic office.
