Concrete floor polishing is typically the cost-effective option when building a large warehouse or industrial facility. But is it the most cost effective to cleaning a large warehouse? Arguably not, anyone who has been in an industrial facility with concrete flooring knows that rough, uneven surface of the concrete creates a haven for dusts and dirt particles to gather. The porous surface is also prone to absorbing any liquid spills. That is where concrete floor polishing can come in and offer a better solution for a more quality environment.
The Benefits
Polishing smooths out the surface of the flooring. This helps to lower the time it takes to sweep the floor dramatically. Warehouses often use floor brooms to try and remove dirt from the floor surface; it takes a heavy scrape to push the particles in a particular direction, and typically the dust is thrown in the air as a result. With a polished floor you can use a microfiber dust mop that traps particles as it glides smoothly across the floor eliminating the potential of airborne dust. There is far less friction to run a duster mop over the smooth polished concrete surface then a rough pitted concrete floor and the task of cleaning polished floors becomes much faster and more effective.
A polished concrete surface is also denser than plain concrete. It is easier to remove spilled material before it seeps into the surface of the flooring.
Over time, forklifts and heavy machinery can run over uneven and pitted concrete causing additional damage to the flooring. A small concrete imperfection can become a large crack or divot. By polishing the concrete, you make sure the floor is even and smooth across the surfaces. This will greatly reduce the damage caused by dropping things or heavy equipment.
Health benefits of polishing warehouse and manufacturing flooring
Your employees will also be healthier and more productive thanks to your polished concrete flooring. The smooth surface of your warehouse floors gathering less dust and allows it to be removed easier. This means less warehouse dust will be kicked up into the atmosphere as the employees move around the facility.
Taking steps to limit warehouse dust inhalation could lead to a variety of positive effects for employees, including:
- Less respiratory related sickness
- Employees will feel better and have more energy
- Take less antihistamine type medicine that can make them groggy and unproductive
- Have less absences
- Recover faster from other illnesses without the taxation of immune system from dust irritation
- Emotional perceptual effect, there are plenty of studies that say being in a clean environment raises your perception of quality and has a positive emotional effect.
Safety
By removing pitting and uneven surfaces, warehouses and industrial facilities are less likely to suffer accidents. The ability to effectively remove unwanted spills can also prevent harmful chemicals and fumes from entering the flooring.
The Downfalls
While there are many benefits to concrete polishing, it is important to understand some of the negatives of it as well.
Expectations Vs. Reality
The polishing does not make floors look like an automotive showroom. Often the expectation is the flooring to be as smooth as marble and a shiny as glass. The reality is that, while certainly more attractive can have many visual defects.
- Concrete Polished floors can have a cloudy look to it
- Sometimes there are patterns that emerge from previous flooring
- Floors could have different types of concretes poured in different areas causing them to look different from one area to another
- Deep floor stains can be amplified with polishing
Problems with Previous Flooring
If you are removing other flooring such as vct tiles, there may be a glue residue that would need to be properly removed before the concrete could be polished. Depending on the product this can be a lot of additional labor that diminishes the anticipated cost savings of concrete polishing.
As long as you have the right expectations, concrete polishing can add, cost savings, cleanliness, health benefits and an aesthetic value to your warehouse or industrial property.
Below are some nicely done examples of floor polishing. Contact us today to schedule the concrete floor polishing service of your industrial facility!
Concrete Polishing Services
At Commercial Cleaning Corp we offer concrete services in the NJ, PA, and DE area. Our quality services are done with the latest equipment and quality trained certified technicians. Contact us today to speak to one of our knowledgeable account reps can walk you through the process and answer any questions.
Before and After Concrete Polishing
Polishing Equipment
When polishing the floors of a warehouse or industrial facility using the right equipment for the job is key. We like to use the Aztec brand for a lot of our equipment because they are a local family owned business who’s products are made in the USA. It is important to us if something goes wrong with the machines on a job site to have a company with excellent customer service.
One piece of polishing equipment we use is the Ultraedge by Aztec. Propane Powered Concrete and Terrazzo Grinding & Edging machine gives us flexibility with having to worry about cords it is easy to use and had quick grind pad installations.
Watch the Ultraedge in action
Another piece of equipment that we use from aztec is their Refresher. The refresher is also propane driven all in one that can hone, polish and burnish concrete and terrazzo floors with diamonds and pads. It is a heavy-duty machine that is very easy to maneuver. It also has excellent dust control and has easy quick-change pads which make it very efficient.