Few features in your facility work harder than your floors. It’s easy to take your floors for granted, but they’re always there, allowing all occupants and equipment to travel from point A to B safely and efficiently. This constant pressure can take a toll on any floor, including the most durable commercial concrete flooring, which is why regular maintenance is key. However, any time and money spent on floor maintenance is time and money that could have been used elsewhere -- wouldn’t it be better to invest in flooring solutions that minimized the amount of maintenance and repairs needed over their lifetime? The answer is a resounding “yes” for facilities of all kinds, and concrete polishing delivers such a solution.

Let’s explore the many advantages of polished concrete flooring for facilities everywhere.

Longer-Lasting Floors

If you want a safer and more efficient facility, you want to outfit it with floors that stand the test of time. When properly installed and cared for, polished concrete floors boast a life cycle of approximately 20 years. That’s two decades of low-fuss, glossy flooring in your facility. Other flooring solutions offer comparable lifespans, but they often involve more rigorous periodic maintenance measures to retain their integrity and beauty for such a long period of time, which we’ll discuss next.

Lower Maintenance Costs

Commercial floor maintenance refers to a host of tasks aimed at keeping floors in their best shape possible in terms of safety, functionality, and aesthetics (i.e., cleaning, buffing, resurfacing, preventative measures, repairs, etc.). The complexity, amount, and frequency of said maintenance tasks are directly related to the overall cost of flooring maintenance. In other words, if your floors require frequent and thorough maintenance, you’ll need to budget a significant amount to cover these costs. Fortunately, polished concrete floors are among the lowest-maintenance options. You’ll still need to clean your polished floors (usually on a weekly basis) to keep them bright and fresh, but you often won’t need to invest in more rigorous maintenance measures than this. As such, polished concrete floors will save your business and your people both time and money.

Less Invasive Cleaning and Maintenance Measures

Many types of flooring require relatively extreme maintenance at least once a year to ensure their ongoing performance. Tiled flooring, for instance, usually needs to be stripped and waxed twice a year, and concrete floors with commercial epoxy floor coatings may require resurfacing every 2-3 years. These periodic maintenance measures are both time-consuming and costly. Moreover, materials like commercial floor wax should be applied by professionals (another additional cost), or else you risk making a serious mess that requires remediation (even more expensive). Polished concrete floors don’t necessitate stripping, waxing, or sealing to retain their appearance or strength.

Resistant to Moisture and Mold

Moisture intrusion is one of the prevailing threats facing all types of facility flooring. Water can make its way into your floor’s pores from above (usually from spills or leaks) and below (leaky pipes, vapor from underground, etc.) -- over time, this invading moisture can cause your floors to fracture due to thermal expansion and contraction. Moreover, the presence of moisture allows fungi to thrive, leading to mold, mildew, and/or rot. The presence of mold in your facility can become problematic for those with severe allergies, asthma, and other respiratory concerns. Regular commercial floor care is meant to prevent these negative outcomes, but no amount of maintenance can completely prevent moisture intrusion. The best thing is to invest in floors that are inherently resistant to moisture intrusion and mold, and polished concrete floors fit the bill.

Useful for Both Indoor and Outdoor Applications

Polished concrete isn’t just durable, low-maintenance, and cost-effective -- it’s also versatile. While some floor types better lend themselves to either an indoor or outdoor setting, concrete polishing works wonders for interior and exterior spaces alike. Knowing this, you can create continuity in your facility, allowing your polished floors to span across your entire property. Polished concrete floors also offer visual variety, allowing for different colors and design options via stains, dyes, and effects. These aesthetic options make it easier to tie your flooring to your brand and assume more control over your facility’s atmosphere as a whole.

Environmentally-Friendly

Last but certainly not least, polished concrete floors are among the most eco-friendly flooring solutions available. For starters, the aforementioned minimal maintenance required to care for these floors means you won’t need to invest in so many materials over your floor’s lifespan to keep them in great shape. More to the point, harmful chemicals that may be present in the stripping and waxing process are non-factors for polished concrete floor maintenance -- neutral, eco-friendly floor cleaners work just fine. On top of all this, the high glossy finish afforded by concrete polishing makes for brighter, more reflective interiors, reducing the amount of energy output necessary to properly light your facility. Even if environmental stewardship isn’t your business’ top priority, note that eco-friendly measures are often cost-saving measures in the long run, so these actions are mutually beneficial.

Achieving a More Polished Facility

There is no shortage of flooring solutions and possibilities for your facility. That said, polished concrete is worth considering if you’re looking to save time and money, protect your occupants from various hazards, enhance your facility’s appearance, and establish a more environmentally-friendly workplace. At The Budd Group, our commercial flooring contractors specialize in a host of commercial floor care operations, including concrete polishing, maintenance, and repairs. To learn more about our services and values, give us a call today at 800-221-8158!