Making the Most of Concrete and Cement Finishing

Making the most of concrete and cement finishing leaves a lasting impression on customers

By Kelly Shetsky, Anchor/Reporter

Making the most of concrete and cement finishing will add to the beauty and value of your business as well as protect your surfaces. Painted, colored, stained and personalized concrete floors have risen in popularity, showing up in restaurants, stores, warehouses, hospitals and offices.

The design and color options of concrete finishes are nearly limitless. As cement finishing equipment technology advances, contractors can give new and old floors a high-gloss finish that doesn't need coatings or waxes. In addition to looking great, polished concrete floors are simple to clean and maintain and only require a damp mopping to clean.

1. Use cement finishing to create a clean, nearly maintenance free floor

2. Look for ways to stand out when finishing cement inside or outside your business

3. Make concrete and cement finishing last as long as possible with proper care before and after the work

Consider the cement finishes available to determine the best for your surface

The possibilities of cement finishing are endless. Contractors use epoxy coatings on interior surfaces; acrylic and sealant coatings and acid staining can go inside or outside; and dry polished concrete is a finish only used on interior surfaces.
Try: Artistic Concrete Finishes will tranform old, stained and cracked concrete with a variety of cement finishes including epoxy and acrylic coatings. Learn more about interior cement finishing at ConcreteNetwork.com. Check out the photo gallery to get ideas for your business.

Use a specialized concrete finishing technique to truly stand out

Whether it's painted, microtoppings, stained or textures are applied, you can personalize concrete floors to match your business perfectly. Consider a concrete finish called stamped (imprinted) concrete to create the look of brick, tile, stone, slate, flagstone or even wood. You'll pay between $6 and $8 per square foot for basic stamped concrete. More advanced designs can run upwards of $15 per square foot.
Try: Look through A-One Cement's stamped pattern choices. They include cobblestone, slate and tile designs. Design your own customized floor through Perfect Polish's design studio. Enter floor specifications such as the polish method, aggregate options, decorative options, color and sheen level and Perfect Polish will give you a quote on the job.

Stay on top of concrete repair to extend the life of the cement finish

If the concrete you want to finish is falling apart, it's going to be more difficult, time consuming and expensive to get the cement finish you're trying to achieve.
Try: Goldenseal will add antifreeze in to the mixture when polishing cement that will have to withstand below freezing temperatures. You should add this if you're finishing an outdoor area or a freezer floor in your warehouse. Learn how to repair concrete through Aubuchon Hardware.

Talk to the contractor who did the concrete finishing job for specific care instructions. Usually it requires soap and water, with a non-abrasive brush, to clean.

Making the Most of Concrete and Cement Finishing