The steps that make it real
Metal-bond diamonds at 30, 50 and 100 grit cut the surface and set the aggregate exposure. A lithium silicate densifier then hardens the concrete chemically. Resin-bond diamonds from 100 through 3000 grit refine it to the chosen gloss. Anything that skips the densifier or stops at 400 grit is a ground and sealed floor being sold as polished.
Aggregate exposure decides the look
How deep the first pass cuts sets the whole appearance. A cream finish stays in the top paste layer for a soft, cloudy look. Salt-and-pepper cuts a millimetre or two to expose fine sand and is the most popular and forgiving. A full aggregate cut exposes the stone in the mix, which is stunning but demands a well-poured, dead-flat slab.
Not every slab should be polished
A slab that was used as a construction floor, trenched for services, patched, or poured with an inconsistent mix will polish unevenly and show all of that history. We test-grind a one-metre patch before recommending polishing, precisely so nobody finds out after the whole floor is committed.
Maintenance
A damp mop with a neutral cleaner, or an auto-scrubber in commercial spaces. There is no re-coat cycle. Every five to ten years in heavy traffic, a burnish and fresh guard in a single visit restores the gloss at a fraction of what re-coating an epoxy floor costs.
Want this answered for your slab?
Free site visit with a moisture reading, then a written fixed price. Across the BC Interior.