How to Polish a Concrete Floor

A concrete floor makes a spectacular finish, whether installed indoors or used for outdoor spaces. To keep your floor looking its best you need to do regular cleaning. The floor will also benefit from application of polish occasionally, to give it lustre and improve its appearance. Polishing also helps to keep the floor in good shape for longer. To effectively polish your floor, you will have to work the floor in stages, using disks of different textures. Some patience is called for, especially if the floor surface area is large, but the results are well worth the labor and effort. Following is a guide on how to polish your concrete floor.

Step 1 - Sweep

Clean the floor well before you apply polish. Use a broom to sweep away all the dirt and debris. Gather the dirt with a dustpan. Alternatively, you can vacuum to clear away all dirt from the floor.

Step 2 - Mop

Fetch some water in the mop bucket. Add a bit of mild detergent and mix well. Use a mop over to get off any residual dust. Mild stains should easily come off when you mop. Make sure you wipe the floor dry before you begin to polish.

Step 3 - Polish with Coarse Grit

Use a coarse-grit polishing disk, such as one that measures 500, to polish the floor. Coarse grit is more effective in getting rid of stubborn stains and rough areas from the floor surface. Begin at one end of the floor and work systematically, moving upwards and from side to side until you cover the entire floor. Use circular motions to work over the whole floor with the coarse grit disk. Pay extra attention to stains, so that you get rid of these as much as possible. Be careful to avoid overlaps as you proceed.

Step 4 - Polish with Fine Grit

Switch to a polishing disk with a fine grit. Again, use circular motions to work over the entire floor. Avoid overlapping activity. Any residual stains should come off when polishing with fine grit. Your floor surface should look clean and uniform as all stains and rough patches should have been cleared through the coarse and fine grit action.

Step 5 - Polish with Extra-Fine Grit

For this final stage, use a polishing disk with the finest grit, such as 1500. It will give your concrete floor a nice, glass-like sheen. You will need to overlap in this stage. Use circular motions to work the grit over the entire floor. Be sure to overlap your circles as you proceed.

Step 6 - Apply Concrete Floor Polish

Use the floor grinder to apply concrete floor polish over the whole surface. This should give you an extra sheen. Your concrete floor is now looking its best.

Looking for a new polisher? Check out our Polishers Buyer's Guide.