Make it work for you
MARJOLEIN’S CHOICE: CONCRETE FLOORING Fallen hard for Marjolein’s industrial-inspired concrete flooring? Find out if it ticks every box with our guide
“Choose a specialist installer with a good track record – the floor should offer good depth of tone and lustre, with a hard-wearing finish ” jonathan reid, Director, greymatter Concrete
Hard-wearing, easy to clean and dust-mite resistant, it’s little wonder polished-concrete flooring is so popular. The industrial look is very on trend too, plus it works brilliantly with underfloor heating. Q What is polished concrete?
Flooring made from concrete, either raw or coloured, which has been polished and sealed to create an industrial-style, non-porous surface. The concrete is treated with diamond-polishing tools and is often finished to a grit level of 800, 1,500 or 3,000 (the higher the grit, the shinier the floor). Costs vary from £80 to £450sq m, depending if it’s levelled by machine or trowelled by hand.
Q How is it installed?
Techniques vary but most polished-concrete floors are poured in a single layer, 10cm-thick. The next day, expansion cuts are sawn into the floor, encouraging inevitable shrinkage cracks to form in a neat line. These are then filled with an expandable, colourmatched sealant. Finally the floor is cleaned, polished and sealed.
Q Does it take long?
It depends on the size and temperature of the room, plus the installation methods chosen, but allow around seven to 10 days for a 10cm-thick floor. It will also need to be resealed in time to keep it waterproof. Q Will it crack?
There’s always the possibility, but many people love the pattern and imperfection of fine lines. Shrink-reducing additives and anti-crack reinforcing help to minimise larger cracks. Sudden temperature changes are the main cause so it’s important to introduce heating, particularly underfloor, slowly. Q Can you retro-fit it?
It’s far easier to install polished concrete in a new-build or extension, before doors and skirting boards are fitted. Laying it in an existing room will require the flooring to be ripped up and skirting replaced. Doors may also need to be re-hung. A micro-concrete floor, in a thinner 5-7mm layer, is another option.