The Importance of Concrete Profiling

March 27, 2023

General Coating & Polishing

A successful concrete coating application ultimately comes down to how well the underlying concrete is prepared before the application. It is a critical step in ensuring the coating lasts as long as possible and looks as good as possible. The concrete surface profile is a key part of this preparation and is often the longest, most intensive step in the coating process. But, what exactly is concrete profiling?

About Concrete Profiling

A concrete surface profile pertains to the surface texture of a concrete floor. It’s an efficient way to measure just how effectively the floor has been prepared for a concrete coating. Getting the right surface profile is extremely important. It needs to be rough enough for the coating to adhere and set properly, but not so rough that it affects the texture of the finished coating. Inadequate preparation can cause the coating to wear faster and/or peel at the edges.

Concrete Surface Profile Standards

There is an industry standard for concrete surface profiles. The ratings use a scale from one to 10, with a higher number correlating to a rougher surface. Thicker coatings generally need a higher concrete surface profile, and some of the higher ratings also involve concrete repair work. Ratings one through five are the most common, and most residential projects fall into this category.

Concrete Preparation Steps

At the Schilling Group, we take our preparation work seriously. We make sure the foundation is set for a successful coating application that lasts virtually forever with proper maintenance. We clean up all residue or existing coatings on the concrete, fill the expansion joints, and grind the edges evenly with the rest of the concrete. We make sure there are no delamination areas. Because concrete profiling is so important, we never cut any corners on this prep work.

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For more information on concrete waterproofing, contact the Schilling Group today!

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8 Ways to Upgrade Your Concrete Floor

There are so many ways to upgrade your concrete floor from polishing to coating to engraving or staining. We love helping our clients pick out the right fit for what they are looking to accomplish. Sometimes it’s a bit overwhelming to choose what to do with your concrete flooring. Here are 8 ways you can upgrade your concrete to protect and/or enhance it with a little explanation about each technique. We hope this helps when deciding what to do with your next project!

Mechanical Polishing

Mechanical polished concrete is a process that takes abrasives (diamonds) and mechanically places scratches in the concrete. This scratching process uses finer grit abrasives to remove and replace the scratches with smaller and smaller micro scratches.

The objective is to refine the floor and take away the small scratches so that you see a reflection in the floor. This process can be achieved with older concrete, new concrete and/or coated concrete.

This process is considered to be the maximum refinement method, and can be considered the best long-term solution for polished concrete.

Topical Polishing

Topical polishing is similar to the mechanically polished floor, but the course of action is shorter, and it leaves the floor at less than maximum refinement.

Most of the time the topically processed progression ends at a 200- or 400- grit step. These grits leave peaks on the top of the scratches that have zero lateral support. A topical sealer is then added and is placed into the gaps left by the scratching process. As the sealer settles and dries, it gives the appearance of being completely polished and is referred to as “polished concrete.”

This process is a much cheaper alternative to the mechanical process. The “topical polish” is exactly the same thing as putting on a coating. This method can be done with a burnisher, a floor scrubber and even a swing machine.

Decorative Epoxy Coatings

Epoxy floor coatings are hard wearing and durable solutions for both commercial and residential flooring. These floor coatings can be applied over concrete floors to provide a high performance and an attractive surface.

New technology now offers you the ability to choose almost any color. Metallic additives create a gorgeous surface and multiple colors can be randomly applied together revealing a swirling effect that is very unique and attractive.

Decorative Overlays

Overlays are a great option for concrete floors that are damaged or distressed. They are extremely durable and attractive. Overlays typically consist of a cementitious product, but some may be a combination of polyurethane and cement. They can be stained, mechanically polished, coated or stamped with any pattern you can imagine. Overlays are a great way to make an old concrete floor look brand new.

Dyes and Stains

The skies the limit when it comes to colorants. Multiple colors and patterns add to the beauty of your polished floor. There are a multitude of application techniques to add interesting effects when applying dyes and stains.

Engraving

We can incorporate engraving into your polishing process to provide borders and logos. Engraving can turn ordinary concrete surfaces into slate, tile, stone, brick and much more.

Hardeners and Sealers

Hardeners/densifiers are products that penetrate into the concrete surface and react with the Portland cement and fills the micro-pores. This reaction creates a very dense surface that helps with ease of cleaning, abrasion, dusting, staining, and overall wear of your concrete surface. These products do not change the appearance of the surface but can generate a sheen after burnishing and actually becomes harder the more you use the surface.

Sealers are an option for some floors. Depending on your needs it may provide a shiny surface that is easy to clean. All sealers will need to be reapplied at some point depending on wear and tear.

Final Notes

Performance Concrete Polishing is focused on providing services that are related to concrete surfaces. These services are appropriate for new and existing concrete. The majority of services we offer are oriented to improving the aesthetic appearance of these surfaces. Decorative concrete services are the hallmark of this company, and we’d love to help you out with your next project!