How To Have A Shiny Finish On Stained Concrete

Staining your concrete floor with an acid stain is one way to make it look beautiful and last longer. Stained concrete is also easier to clean. To take it a step further, sealing your floors gives it that glossy finish that you have always wanted. In this article, we will furnish you with tips on how to go about that. On the other hand, you can give the job out to a reputable concrete contractor in Richmond, TX that offers concrete polishing services. The choice is yours. Now, why does a shiny finish matter?

A shiny finish will tell on floor texture and durability.  If you plan to cover your concrete with a carpet or rug, then you probably don’t need the smoothest of finishes. This does not mean that you don’t need a good finish at all though. The best-finished floors last longer and you’d certainly fancy one. We should start this discussion about getting a shiny finish with surface preparation, a key aspect of any flooring project.

How Do I Go About Surface Preparation?

The first step is to determine how hard your concrete is. This will help you choose the right grit level for the concrete. As you will soon understand, there are several ways to go about getting shiny concrete floors. The products or abrasives used for this purpose have grit levels. The higher the grit level, the finer the finish you get. The next thing to do is clean your floor thoroughly. It is quite unlikely that your concrete floor is free of dirt, stains, or grime that needs cleaning. Get a good concrete cleaner or degreaser to sort out the toughest stains.

Another crucial task in surface preparation is to repair any cracks and holes. Ensure they dry completely before you continue the process. Applying a concrete densifier or hardener is one good way to fill any pores in the concrete. This also increases the surface density.

How To Get The Shiniest Stained Concrete

Other than sealing your floors, there are other ways to get them shining bright. Diamond polishing is widely employed in malls, airports, and other public spaces. Industrial diamonds are used to smooth, grind, and polish surfaces. This method ensures durability and a reduced maintenance cost.

A mechanical polish is another concrete polishing method that relies on actual concrete. The method is quite sustainable, durable, and does not involve any special chemicals. Better still, this method is suitable for old as well as new surfaces.

A concrete sealer comes in various types depending on the material used to make them. Polyurethane and epoxy sealers are good for heavy foot traffic as they resist abrasion and stains well. However, water-based acrylic sealers are less expensive and often easier to apply. After applying the sealant, acrylic wax adds a protective coat. How do you apply the sealant?

Pour sealant into a paint tray, load your roller with it and apply it evenly onto the floor. Work on small sections of the floor at a time. Overlapping a previous section by 2 inches while the sealer is wet helps you achieve a uniform coat. Wait until the sealer dries for one day. After the day elapses, apply the second coat of sealer and ensure that you overlap each pass. This coat needs to dry too before you apply the acrylic wax.

When applying the wax, use a sponge mop. Apply two to three thin coats of wax and allow the wax to dry for a couple of hours in between each coat. Do not allow foot traffic until the wax has dried fully.

How Can You Maintain The Glossy Finish?

Sweep and mop the floor regularly. Use a dust mop to sweep if you don’t want any surface damage. A damp mop will do the mopping job quite well. Any extra stains can be sorted out with a soft-bristles brush and a mixture of water and dish detergent. Try to avoid using ammonia and vinegar.

We also advise that you seal your floor every three to four years to maintain the glossy finish.