Polished concrete is a unique flooring option, and at C*Rock Finishing we know clients are often learning as they go for the types of options. It's durable, low maintenance and can easily be customized to fit any space. Polished concrete can also be finished in a variety of ways, depending on what you're looking for. This guide will help you decide which finish is right for your polished concrete project and why it's such a popular choice for commercial and residential spaces.
Gloss
A high gloss finish is the most shiny and reflective finish. It gives your floor a wet look that can be very beautiful in well-lit spaces, as well as safer for industrial spaces needing good lighting. This is the premium finish that you can find on our page explaining the different types of concrete polishing finishes. This type of finish isn't suitable for all spaces, so it's best to consult with a professional contractor, like us at C*Rock Finishing, before installing this type of flooring.
Satin
Satin is a low gloss finish, which means it has a slightly dull appearance. It’s the most common type of finish for polished concrete floors, as it’s easy to maintain and is a great choice for high-traffic areas like commercial applications. Thus, that's why it's called the 'commercial finish' in our reference page about concrete polishing.
Satin can be used on both interior and exterior floors, but we usually don't recommend concrete polishing for exterior spaces as moisture can make for some hazards if not properly lit, like at night times; similar to a professional basketball court, they are highly slip resistant until they get some liquids on them, then they can be very slippery, so it's a trade off. Often we recommend a slip resistant coating for exterior spaces if you'd like to check out our epoxy coatings pages.
Matte
A matte finish is a low-gloss finish. It’s great for high-traffic areas, such as kitchens and entryways. It’s also a good choice for floors that need to be clean, such as hospitals and schools.
In addition to its low-gloss finish, the matte finish offers durability and stain resistance.
The finish on polished concrete can range from high gloss to a matte finish.
There are several different types of finishes available for polished concrete. The finish can range from high gloss to a matte finish, meaning that your finished floor will have varying degrees of shine.
The glossier the finish, the more durable it is and the longer it will last before showing signs of wear and tear. However, if you want something with minimal shine that’s easy to clean (and won’t get as dirty), then a matte or satin finish is perfectly fine and looks amazing as well!
Design options beyond type of gloss level are staining, you can stain all one color, or stencil items, or do patterns, there's plenty of options with staining. Then there's a few other less used options, such as colored grout fills for cracks and joints, or also doing things like embedding designs with aluminum trim or other types of aggregates.
As far as maintenance goes, this will largely depend on what kind of flooring product you choose and how often you use it; however, most polished concrete surfaces can be cleaned with soap and water or any other household cleaner at least once per week depending on how much traffic they receive in terms of foot traffic or equipment usage (elevators/lifts).
The type of finish you choose for your polished concrete flooring will depend on the look you want it to have and how much maintenance will be required. We'd love to help with your next concrete polishing project here at C*Rock Finishing and look forward to hearing about your project!
