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People have been unhappy with certain characteristics of concrete floors for as long as they have been around. They often "dust", they are porous so they stain easily, the plain gray color is flat and unappealing, and they can wear from heavy foot or vehicular traffic. Until recently, the only way to address these problems was to cover the concrete floor. Rugs, tile, hardwood flooring, paint and epoxy have all been used with varying degrees of success to cover the concrete problems. The cost of these toppings varies widely. The location in the house partially determines what can be used and what can't. For example, you would not cover a garage floor with carpeting or hardwood flooring. But people have used paint or pigmented epoxy for years to brighten the room, stop the dusting, and make the floor easier to clean and harder to stain. |
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The problem with paint as a concrete covering is that it quickly peels off and requires yearly re-coating. Epoxy does better, but it is a topping that can still delaminate if moisture is coming up through the floor. It is much like plastic; it can scratch easily and melt if welding sparks lay on it. |
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This is where concrete polishing fits in. It gives all the benefits of a good epoxy floor, but it does not have any of the problems associated with coatings. Lighting engineers say that the high shine and reflectivity of a polished concrete floor brighten a room by about 35% (considerably more than an epoxy floor). There is no coating that can fail; the floor still breathes. The densifier that is added during the polishing process chemically makes the concrete surface much stronger and more resistant to any wear. It also locks in the dye that you can use to improve the appearance of the floor. |
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Even concrete floors that are covered with things like linoleum or tile can be dyed and polished after removing the covering. The new floor will be easier to clean and more durable than the old covering. |
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CONTRx polishing machines have also bridged the gap between the small residential and large commercial polished floors. The strip mall is a perfect example. You will often see medical offices within a strip mall type setting. These offices will have many rooms and narrow hallways dividing the floors into small areas where larger industrial polishers won't work. The CONTRx dual-disc polisher works very efficiently in this setting, and our single-disc polisher will work in even the smallest of rooms or closets. |
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Restaurants and bars are using polished and dyed concrete floors more all the time for that "old world" look that is extremely easy to clean. The artistic appearance achieved from a polished and dyed floor lends itself perfectly to specialty retail shops where you often see interesting lighting and works of art throughout. |
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The entrance area to a commercial establishment lends itself to logos or unique designs that can be done with dyes that are applied to the polished floor. Through the polishing process, old worn concrete can be rejuvenated to a new bright and highly reflective floor that won't wear like the original. |
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So what is the perfect job application for your new CONTRx Polisher? Any residential or small commercial concrete floor- new or old, smooth or worn, currently covered or exposed. Your market is huge and virtually untapped.
Photo courtesy of Craig Cowan
Variegate Concrete Art
Denver, CO
303-598-2647 |
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CONTRx Systems represents a Simple & Systematic Approach to Products AND Services designed to ensure success for any contractor. |
