Stewart Specialty Services

Benefits of Polished Concrete

Low Maintenance

One of polished concrete's biggest benefits is that it is simple to maintain. Unlike carpet, tile, and other flooring that requires frequent cleaning and maintenance, concrete flooring requires only light mopping or buffing to keep clean.

Energy Savings

Polished concrete conserves energy in several ways: During the summer, polished concrete naturally cools a building; in the winter, polished concrete that is exposed to natural sunlight will soak up radiant heat and release it into the building. Both of these prosperties help save you money on the cost of heating and cooling. Polished concrete also save energy through lighting. This flooring provides a brighter, more naturally lighted space that reduces the need for electrical lighting and lowers energy costs.

Healthier Indoor Environment

Polished concrete flooring does not require the use of VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) adhesives or sealers that can negatively affect indoor environmental quality. In addition, concrete floors require reduced maintenance, resulting in less use of harsh cleaning chemicals.

While other floor coverings — especially carpet — trap moisture, dust, mold, and other allergens, polished concrete has reduced porosity, which greatly decreases the penetration of moisture and the growth of bacteria.

Environmentally Friendly

There are three components that make concrete polishing green and sustainable: the concrete itself, the process of polishing, and the final floor finish.

Green approval is becoming synonymous with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, (LEED) certification. LEED addresses the major concerns of green building including: the use of resource-friendly materials, energy saving design, and providing healthy indoor environmental quality (IEQ); the natural attributes of polished concrete assist in all each of these areas. There is no other flooring on the market that beats polished concrete based on an assessment of eco-responsible and sustainable attributes.

Resource Friendly

Polishing concrete eliminates the need for additional floor covering products, such as tile, stone, carpet, or wood. Traditional floor coverings not only cost more, but also leave a large carbon footprint due to material extraction, manufacturing, transportation, installation, maintenance, disposal, and replacement. Polished concrete is extremely durable, the ingredients for making concrete are readily available, obtaining many of its ingredients does not cause any permanent environmental harm, and there is no toxic off gassing.

Aesthetically Pleasing

Stain options for polished concrete include acid stains and pigmented stains.

Acid staining is a coloring process that causes a chemical reaction with the cement materials. It is extremely durable, fade resistant, and can be applied to both interior and exterior areas. Acid stained interior floor surfaces are quickly replacing those areas where carpet used to be the norm. An infinite number of stunning color effects and unique designs are possible. Acid staining gives your concrete a variegated, marble-like appearance at a fraction of the cost of real marble.

Pigmented stains bond with the concrete and won't fade, peel, or flake. Pigmented stain is an ideal finish designed to add deeply penetrating protection and enduring beauty to driveways, patios, walkways, garage floors, or any concrete surface. These concrete stains are highly resistant to abrasion and are available for exterior and interior