However, if you don't notice any damage to the floor, it's possible that you can restore shine simply by cleaning with a microfiber mop and a concrete floor polishing agent which can break down surface dirt and grime. To clean concrete floors, stat with small areas to ensure there is no dirt or grime left behind.
Use Epoxy to Get a Silky Smooth Surface with High Sheen
You can also apply an epoxy resin coating to the surface of the concrete.
For mopping, use warm water and a microfiber-style wet mop. Never use cleaners such as Pine-Sol, ammonia, vinegar, or bleach as they will dull, discolor or etch polished concrete and stained concrete floors. Ameripolish Rejuvenating Floor Cleaner is specifically designed for polished concrete.
Virtually any structurally sound concrete floor can be polished to a very hard, durable, and nearly maintenance-free finish. While the grinding and polishing add significantly to the cost, these outlays are easily recovered in the years to come from considerably lower maintenance costs.
As a general rule, 400 to 800 grit resin-bonded diamond discs should be chosen for low-sheen polishing and for high-shine polishing, choose between 800 and 3 000 grit abrasives. If you're keen to learn more about how to polish your concrete floor, you should talk to the friendly experts at Concrete Hire.
One way to enhance the appearance of concrete is by applying a sealer that will give a clear, glossy, wet-look finish. Not only does this type of sealer enhance the appeal of your concrete, it also protects against water, stains and more.
Cleaning concrete with vinegar or baking soda is a good option if you are looking for a natural cleaner. While cleaning concrete with bleach or detergent can be effective, it can also be toxic to plants.
To make the sparkle even more prominent, he recommends integrally coloring the concrete mix. This metallic aggregate from Pacific Palette Concrete Products comes in black and white. Sparkle Grain is recommended where you want a decorative, hard, nonslip surface.
Even though concrete floors can be durable and attractive on their own, applying a sealer to them enhances both of these capabilities greatly. These sealers come in a variety of colours, types and gloss levels to better meet the needs of those with concrete flooring.
Bleach. If your concrete is dull and sprouting weeds or mold, bleach is your best option for cleaning and brightening concrete. Mix a cup of bleach into a 5-gallon bucket of warm water, then spray or pour over concrete. Rinse thoroughly with water.
Use a 150-grit metal-bonded diamond for grinding (or finer if desired). Densify the concrete by applying a chemical hardener. Using a resin-bonded diamond of 100 or 200 grit, or a combination of the two, polish the surface. Use a 400-grit resin-bonded diamond to polish the surface.
If there are white spots or a cloudy light gray or deeper color tone on your concrete after applying a sealer, you will probably need to use chemical products like acetone or xylene. These products are similar and can help with the type of sealer issue.
Almost any structurally sound concrete floor, whether new or old, can be polished. However there are some exceptions, for example with new floors no special mix design is required to achieve good results – although the floor should be in place at least 28 days before polishing begins to ensure adequate curing.
Bleach, Soap, and Water Mixture
Mix one cup of bleach with one cup of powdered laundry detergent, then add 15 cups of hot water. Pour your mixture over your driveway's dirty areas, such as the parts that contain oil stains. Work your mixture in using a bristle brush and scrub for approximately 20 minutes.
You just mix up some sand, a little hydrated lime and Portland cement and trowel this onto the concrete. To get this stucco to bond permanently to the spalled concrete, the old concrete must be clean and solid, with all the loose concrete chipped away.
If you need to get rid of rust from concrete, your best bet is to use some WD-40 Multi-Use Product, and some elbow grease. WD-40 is specially formulated to be a penetrant, so when you spray it on a rusted surface, it gets to work right away by getting under the rust.
In addition to sequestering carbon, an advantage to adding baking soda is a faster-setting concrete mix that can allow formwork to be removed earlier, reducing the time required to complete a structure, says Admir Masic, the study's lead researcher and an associate professor in MIT's department of civil and ...
Dish soap and water: Dish soap is a degreaser, and it works well to clean oily and grimy concrete. Create a cleaning solution of warm water and few drops of dish soap and apply it to the surface. Let it sit for a while, then mop the patio and rinse it with fresh water. Repeat the process as many times as needed.
It also makes the mortar smoother and more workable. Liquid detergent acts as an air-entraining admixture. During mixing, the detergent forms tiny air bubbles that are distributed throughout the mortar. These air bubbles lubricate the mortar, making it workable for long periods, even as the water evaporates.
Wet look concrete sealer is a type of sealer that gives concrete a glossy, wet look finish. It is usually made from a polymer or resin and provides a durable, high-gloss finish that is resistant to staining and fading.
Dry delivers more shine
However, dry polishing will always give the floor a much higher level of shine than wet polishing. It will provide a much higher level of light reflection and a classier-looking floor. Dry polishing will also always work better on a soft concrete floor.
Some good cleaners include Castile soap, liquid dish detergent, stone cleaners and mild floor cleaners. Mix a solution, apply to floor with a wet mop and then rinse with a mop dipped in clean water.