High Gloss Concrete Is Beautiful and Easy To Maintain

Besides being beautiful to look at, concrete is easier to maintain than other flooring. BSCs use a grinding and polishing process to create a very smooth, high-gloss surface. The smooth surface reflects a tremendous amount of light and is very clean and bright. It is a frequent choice in retail operations and other large spaces, such as airplane hangars.

The high gloss is achieved without utilization of a conventional sealer. In the past, urethanes and epoxies were applied to concrete to create high gloss floors.

High-gloss concrete created through a grinding process is an advantage since most traditional urethanes and epoxy coatings are beyond acceptable levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In fact, some states have outlawed them altogether. Urethanes and epoxies are very expensive and proper floor preparation before their application is demanding.

The water-borne alternatives to urethane and epoxy have acceptable VOC levels and are a little more affordable, but they do not have the performance characteristics of oil and solvent-based products. They are not quite as glossy and lack the durability and chemical resistance of their predecessors.

Lower maintenance costs are also factors in the popularity of concrete flooring. Concrete is not always the cheapest floor to install (because of the extensive preparatory steps involved in the process), but it is less expensive to maintain.

Concrete does not require frequent stripping and recoating. Dry and wet cleaning are still required, but buffing is not a frequent requirement. In fact, many concrete floors do not require buffing at all.

Compare this to VCT, which is an inexpensive floor to install. However, the periodic stripping and recoating, plus frequent dry and wet cleaning quickly add to the cost. Buffing is usually necessary, as well. All these functions add up to an expensive and labor intensive maintenance program.

Over the lifespan of the floor, concrete usually offers the lowest maintenance cost and does so without sacrificing appearance. That is the goal of most decision makers.