Wet and Dry Concrete Polishing
The concrete polishing industry continues to improve rapidly. New methods, tooling and liquids are being introduced regularly to provide the best solution at the lowest cost while reducing waste and the impact on the environment. Wet and dry concrete polishing are two of the main concrete polishing methods.
Dry Concrete Polishing
Dry polishing is how it all started. Contractors figured out that if you densified the concrete and then ground it with your large grinders you could get a nice shine out of the concrete. It typically takes around 6 – 9 steps to get the maximum shine out of your concrete. It really depends on your concrete.
- Dry concrete polishing creates a lot of concrete dust and concrete waste that must be disposed of.
- The dry polish takes longer than a wet polish and will use more tooling.
Wet Concrete Polishing
Wet polishing requires a water source and a plan to manage the slurry. What are you going to do with the concrete sludge that is generated during the process? This can sometimes get tricky. If you have water and can handle the slurry properly then wet polishing is a great option. You eliminate any silica dust concerns and speed up the timeline of the project.
- Wet polishing can be done with the same grinders used for dry polishing.
- Wet concrete polishing can be completed in as little as 4 steps.
- Wet polish keeps the diamond tooling cooler and therefore cuts the concrete better, allowing you to eliminate some early cuts but still giving you the same results.
Wet Concrete Polish with Ride On Concrete Trowels
Another innovative solution is a wet polish utilizing ride on concrete trowels. These can be used in large areas to complete a lot of sq ft in a hurry. In order to use this method, you need larger areas, I would say 50,000 sq ft minimum, and you will need a lot of water. This process uses probably over twice the water as wet polishing with your grinders. The extra water means extra slurry, so you really need to have the manpower and solidifying chemicals to handle the volume. You will also need a forklift on site to move the trowel and lift it for diamond changes.
+50,000 sq ft minimum
A lot of water
heavy manpower and solidifying materials
Forklift on -site
If you are considering polishing your concrete give us a call. We are very experienced in all three methods and can help determine what is best for your facility.
Contact Us
Liquid Floors, Inc. offers epoxy coating installation, wet and dry polishing and will help you find the solution that is best for you and your industrial needs. Just give us a call at 704-543-7565 or email us at info@liquidfloors.com and we can set up a free consultation to go over price ranges and enhance your concrete surface and floors.
