When Oasis Pool Supply renovated their new location in Kennett Square, PA, they considered different flooring systems but chose to stain and polish their floors because of beauty and minimal maintenance. This was no easy project: the floor was riddled with holes, cracks and rough areas.
Shot Blast Inc. followed the process that we do for most flooring jobs.
- Tile is removed, and then the floor is diamond ground with planetary diamond grinders to flatten and remove high spots.
- Next all cracks and holes are cleaned and filled with a two component Polyurea polymer mixed with sand and concrete dust to aid in blending the surface.
- The concrete is then ground with 30-40 grit metal bond diamonds to eliminate any grinding marks from the previous grind.
- Then the floor is ground with 60-80 grit metal bond diamonds, followed by grinding with 150 grit metal bond diamonds.
- Next, we grind with 50 grit ceramic transitional diamonds.
- We then grind with 100 grit resin bond diamonds.
- We follow that by grinding with 200 grit diamonds.
- Then a colored stain is applied to the surface and allowed to penetrate into the slab. If the color is weak, we will do a second application of the color stain.
- The floor is scrubbed and a lithium densifier is applied and brushed into the surface for at least 45 minutes. The lithium silicate treatment reacts with the concrete to produce insoluble calcium Silicate hydrate within the concrete pores. This process makes the floor harder and denser.
- Next we jump up to the 400-grit resin bond diamonds to continue honing the concrete surface.
- Then we jump up to 800-grit and apply two coats of a penetrating sealer, which protects the surface from being stained.
- The floor is then burnished with a diamond-flex 1,600 grit pad on a high speed burnisher.
Take a look at some photos from this job to watch how the process works.
