How to Polish a Concrete Floor

A concrete floor makes for a spectacular finish, indoors or out. To keep your floor looking its best, regular cleaning and occasional polishing are common practices. In addition to making your surface look great, a proper polishing regimen can extend the longevity of your concrete floor.

To effectively polish your floor, you will have to work the floor in stages, using disks of different textures. Follow these steps to get the most out of your polishing efforts.

Step 1 - Sweep

Clean the floor before you apply polish. Use a broom to sweep away any dirt and debris. Gather everything for removal with either a dustpan or a vacuum.

Step 2 - Mop

Fill a mop bucket with water and add a mild detergent. Mop the floor's surface as a means to clean any residual dust. Mild stains should also come off when you mop. Make sure you allow the floor to dry or wipe the floor dry before you begin to polish.

Step 3 - Polish With Coarse Grit

Use a coarse-grit polishing disk (one that measures 500) to polish the floor. Coarse grit is more effective at getting rid of stubborn stains and rough areas on the floor surface. Begin at one end of the floor and work systematically, moving upward from side to side until you cover the entire floor. Use circular motions to work over the whole floor with the coarse grit disk.

Pay extra attention to stains so that you get rid of these as much as possible, and be careful to avoid overlaps as you proceed.

Step 4 - Polish with Fine Grit

Switch to a fine grit polishing disk. Use circular motions to work over the entire floor. Avoid overlapping activity. Any residual stains should lift when you polish with fine grit. Your floor surface should look clean and uniform as all stains and rough patches are cleared through the coarse and fine grit action.

Step 5 - Polish with Extra-Fine Grit

For the final stage, use a polishing disk with the finest grit, such as 1,500. It will give your concrete floor a nice, glass-like sheen. At this point, any staining or blemishes should be totally gone, so this pass is all about getting a beautiful finish.

You will need to overlap in this stage. Use circular motions to work the grit over the entire floor. Be sure to overlap your circles as you proceed.

Step 6 - Apply Concrete Floor Polish

Use the floor grinder to apply concrete floor polish over the whole surface. Doing so should give you an extra sheen. Your concrete floor is now looking its best.

Warning: Exercise caution and follow all instructions provided when using the floor grinder.