Surface finishes in concrete floors

Autor: Ramon Planas Masip

The equation functionality and aesthetics

Generally, a quality industrial floor is composed of a properly compacted base, a reinforced concrete floor (preferably with fibers) and a layer that hardens the surface based on cement and minerals, at rate of between 4 and 7 Kg / m2?sprinkled on the surface, or between 12 and 18 Kg / m2 applied in hydrated layer fresh on fresh, in those cases where the demands of impact, wear, uniformity of color, etc., are greater than normal.

Once the concrete has been spread, puts the hardener and the first steps of the floor are taken, you can choose several finishes, depending on the use of the floor, its location (interior or exterior) and the aesthetic preferences of the ones who will operate it:

• Polished finish: It is the most common in the interior slabs of any industry, and is achieved by continuing the smoothing process until the pore is completely closed.
• Polished shiny: Used in interiors of places where high reflectivity of the floor is intended, and where it does not matter to have a relatively high slipperiness value. It is very common to rehabilitate old slabs, but it can also occur in new ones when you want to improve these values. It is achieved with a mechanical roughing with the slab already hardened, based on resin stones with pavers adapted for this function. In the case of a new slab, it must be taken into account that this is a process added to the normal finish, which has its additional cost.
• Semi-polished finish: Very common in exterior industrial floors where the grip should be improved. It is achieved by stopping acting after the first stage of polish.
• Textured finishes: Almost exclusive to exterior floors, they are achieved by texturing concrete with different methods. The most common:

1. Textured scratching: Applying a texturing comb perpendicular to the passage of vehicles
2. Fine scratching: Sweeping with broom in the same way
3. Stamping or printing: Texturing with molds when the concrete is at the optimum point. This finish allows to use molds to imitate or mark almost anything (tile, paving stone, wood, corporate logos, etc.)
4. Deactivated: Leaving the aggregate seen and textured on the surface.

In the market there are many types of finishes available texturing the surface:

https://www.rinol.es/sistemas/urbadeco

In general, the function to which the pavement is intended should be the first element to take into account for the election, but under equal conditions, nothing prevents us from taking into account other values such as economy or aesthetic preference: a fine scratching or A semi-polished one has very similar performances, so, in that choice, the personal preference of the designer matters.