Grade 1 – Preserve Natural Character – Grind Depth 0 to 0.25 mm
Goal: Preserve the natural character of the concrete by polishing the “cream” or cement paste of the concrete.
Expectations: If the concrete slab is not flat or smooth, imperfections will remain after the floor is polished and some low or rough areas may not receive a polish. The final polish is highly dependent on the concrete finish.
Grade 1 to 2 – Remove minor imperfections – Grind depth 0.5 to 1 mm
Goal: Preserve most of the “cream” or cement paste of the concrete but some sand aggregate will be exposed in an effort to get a more consistent shine.
Expectations: If the concrete slab is not flat or smooth, some deeper imperfections will remain after the floor is polished.
Grade 2 – Sand aggregate priority – Grind depth 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm
Goal: Expose sand aggregate. Large aggregate exposure is kept to a minimum.
Expectations: Some low areas may NOT get polished since NOT exposing large aggregate gets priority.
Grade 2 to 3 – Flatten floor priority – Grind depth 1 mm to 2 mm
Goal: Expose mostly sand aggregate but exposing large aggregate to flatten the floor is acceptable.
Expectations: The amount of large aggregate exposure will vary depending on the flatness of the concrete, but the shine will be more consistent.
Grade 3 – Heavy aggregate exposure 2mm to 5mm
Goal: Consistent heavy aggregate exposure is priority.
Expectations: Some inconsistency in aggregate exposure may exist due to how the concrete is poured and finished.
CLASS OF SHINE
The final shine of the floor is influenced by the concrete’s psi, hardness, porosity, mix design, curing, damage or repairs, and how the concrete is finished.
Since concrete is an imperfect product it is important to understand that the final look of polished concrete floors including depth of grind, amounts of exposed aggregate, and level of shine, may vary depending on concrete condition such as concrete’s psi, hardness, porosity, mix design, curing, damage or repairs, and how the concrete is finished. Areas of the concrete that have been patched or trenched may have a different color, texture, or gloss. We will polish the concrete to a specified, pre-determined grade of grind and class of shine. Since wall edging must be done with different equipment, you may observe some variation in these areas. Some areas in corners or around equipment may not be reachable for polishing. It is the Owners responsibility to clean any a/c filters during the job if it is required. Trim carpentry is not included in the bid unless specified.