With polished concrete becoming a dominant force in the commercial flooring industry, there are a few things to note when looking to get your floors finished:
Does your business handle materials that stain? Both systems can potentially have excellent stain resistance. As the polished concrete floor is sealed and has densifier applied, a chemical reaction occurs, causing the concrete to harden and create a floor that is dense enough to repel liquids such as water, oil, and grease.
Does your business handle chemicals? Although polished concrete that has been treated with a densifier has excellent stain resistance, it doesn’t compare to the chemical resistance of having a resinous floor installed. Many products in today’s commercial industry are caustic, which if spilled and left for too long, break down porous concrete and will cause permanent damage. While polished concrete is limited on this type of resistance, resinous flooring has many options available to fit your business-related needs.
Is Your Business Static Sensitive? It was thought for many years that bare concrete (a floor that has no sealer) had the best anti-static properties. However, with technologies of today, we know that bare concrete is porous, and has the ability to take in moisture, and while it may be true that when bare concrete is dry it may be non-conductive, the wet parts of the year actually produce dangerous levels of conductivity. Polished concrete can be treated with an electrostatic discharge (ESD) sealer, that can create reduce the conductivity in the floor. While treated polished concrete can be sufficient for certain businesses, it still doesn’t compete with anti-static qualities of a resinous floor specifically designed to do so.
Will Your Business Be Able to Shut down? While it may not seem like it would affect your choice, this question may actually end up being your deciding factor. Every day that a business isn’t able to function, that business incurs numerous expenses. For example, on May 29th, 2018, Starbucks made a decision to close all of its U.S. Based stores, more than 8,000 locations across the country, for just an afternoon, which could have incurred up to $12 million in losses. Not all businesses can afford to shut down to have their floors refinished, which is where polished concrete may be a better candidate. Polished concrete can be performed during, or after, business hours as it produces minimal contaminants when done correctly.
Let New England Floor & Wall answer these questions and any more that you may have today!