In order to obtain smooth floors, ceilings, walls and even countertops, the surface must be converted from its concrete form and exposed to bonded abrasive polished concrete, polished polished concrete, or mixed polished concrete. The result is a dust-proof, glossy surface that is easy to maintain and clean, has a hard-wearing custom brightness, and most importantly looks attractive.

Bonded abrasive polished concrete is achieved by using a mixture of abrasive grains, fillers and bonding materials (such as glass); resin, rubber, shellac, epoxy, magnesite and other bonding materials called plastics to your Surface until the required level of polymerization exposure is reached.

You can also choose polished polished concrete to get luster when rubbed with an abrasive pad on the surface of the concrete.

Alternatively, partial polished concrete or more specifically mixed polished concrete can be used, which simply uses a liquid coating on the surface of the concrete floor.

According to a report made by the market and the market, by 2022, the value of the decoration market will reach 13 billion U.S. dollars. The demand for decorative concrete has increased. This is attributed to renovation and renovation activities, and consumer interest in interior decoration has increased.

The growth in demand for the residential industry also provides opportunities for market growth, especially in the emerging Asia-Pacific and Middle East and Africa regions. Scott Mouritsen of PrepTech systems believes that the polished concrete business is still in its early stages, but the business prospects are promising.

He added that as more and more large factories move their production bases from Asia to Africa, polished concrete will be widely used in the next 10 years.

Darlington Agbiogwu, executive director of JuNeng Nigeria Limited, a polished concrete service provider in Nigeria and other West African countries, said the polished concrete business has become more and more popular since it entered the market in 2010.

Mr. Agbiogwu explained that Nigeria and other African countries tend to adopt modern, refreshing and luxurious interiors, because the floor has many advantages, such as economical, beautiful, hygienic and versatility. As more and more people accept the advantages that this floor structure must provide, the company expects the market to grow.

Glen Wienand, director of Klindex South Africa, said that the African market is growing and untapped. Klindex has participated in large-scale projects such as the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam. The project involves grinding and polishing an area of ​​30,000 square meters.

Brian Clark believes that polished concrete was originally targeted at the residential market, but its acceptance in the commercial (retail) and industrial sectors helped drive growth. Currently, it is a kind of Preference

Brian Clark is a director of Diamond Products Company, the exclusive distributor of Blastrac concrete grinders and polishers in sub-Saharan Africa.

According to a report made by the market and the market, by 2022, the value of the decoration market will reach 13 billion U.S. dollars. The demand for decorative concrete will increase. This is attributed to renovation and renovation activities, and consumer interest in interior decoration has increased.

The growth in demand in the residential industry also provides opportunities for market growth, especially in the emerging Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa regions.

The concrete can be polished using wet or dry methods. Dry polishing is often used in industry because it is faster, more convenient, and more environmentally friendly.

Wet polishing uses water to cool the diamond abrasive and eliminate grinding dust. This is because water can reduce friction and act as a lubricant, thus prolonging the service life of polishing abrasives. The biggest disadvantage of wet polishing is that the resulting slurry can lead to cleaning.

Polished concrete uses a multi-step process and requires the use of appropriate equipment. Mr. Mouritsen emphasized that machine quality, efficiency and service are key elements.

"Having a high-quality machine suitable for the job helps to save time." He added that time should not be wasted due to poor service, but the right partner should be selected for supply.

Preptech Machines has provided concrete grinding equipment in Alexandria, Egypt, Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa, Kampala, Uganda, Nairobi, Kenya and Port Louis, Mauritius.

According to Per Sandström, business development manager at Husqvarna Construction Products, the surface preparation department of HTC grinding and polishing equipment manufacturer Husqvarna Construction Products, which has distributors in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia, said that good training will produce good results. .

Mr. Sandström insists that good training helps people understand how the machine works, which tools to use, and which steps to take to get the best end result.

Another thing to consider is the presence of local distributors and what service facilities and stocks of spare parts, tools and machinery they have.

Husqvarna participated in projects such as the Moses Mabida Stadium in Durban, where they polished more than 100,000 square meters of outdoor areas. They also managed to provide 1,500 grinders in Zanzibar.

Silas Katonyera, director of smart floor Africa, the service provider and official distributor of STI Prepmaster concrete grinders in the United States and sub-Saharan Africa, said that having the right specifications, the right placement, and the right equipment and chemicals are the most important considerations .

The director of his company that has been actively involved in projects such as polishing the 15,000-square-meter Murago Hospital in Uganda added that it needs to be placed correctly so that the floor finishes are not wavy, and have the appropriate equipment and chemicals to perform the work correctly.

There are two types of surface treatment; a new concrete slab and an existing concrete slab. The new concrete slab will involve less cost because the mixing and pouring of concrete already includes some initial steps of polishing, such as adding decorative finishes.

MACTOOL sales director Geoff Mclea said that when deciding to polish the concrete, the condition of the concrete is extremely important. He added that if it is new concrete, or if it is an existing slab, then the strength of the concrete mix should be considered. At least 25MPA strength is required.

MACTOOL is the official distributor of Scanmaskin concrete grinding and polishing equipment. Their products are shipped from South Africa and supplied throughout Africa.

Geoff added that it is also important to develop a polishing system that specifies the stages and chemicals to be used to obtain the best results.

South Africa’s Evolution Concrete Floor says it’s best to get the company involved from the beginning so they can advise you on how to best place the concrete.

Evolution concrete director Willem Eiman said that when pouring concrete, 70% of the results will enter the first process of pouring concrete. Once the concrete is placed in an even and flat manner, they will wear off 3 to 6 mils.

After completing this operation, they will put in a permeable filler or anti-fouling filler that can be used for five to ten years. Although Evolution concrete floors are located in South Africa, the company already provides services in Zambia and Botswana. The company recently closed 1,130 square meters and 1,142 square meters in South Africa.

Once the top is hardened and ready for processing, the grinding process starts with a diamond grinder and is repeated gradually, increasing the fineness of the grit each time, until it reaches a metal segment of 120 grit.

Mr. Clark said that before sanding, the prepared surface should be free of dust and oil, and should be wet but dry. He further added that a good guide is to see how quickly splashing water is absorbed. If immediately, it is too dry.

After the first grinding with 120-150 diamonds, thickeners can be used in large quantities to saturate the concrete without forming puddles. After the compacting agent dries, the polishing process can begin.

Diamond products have been served in Mali, Ghana and Nigeria, and Blastrac grinders have been supplied to Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Namibia, Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi.

Pavlos Gakis, Metabo South Africa's sales manager, said that the most important thing to consider before grinding is the desired finishing. He further added that depending on the type of finishing they want, different detachable diamond discs from coarse to fine can be used.

Metabo hand-held concrete grinders and polishers provided their equipment in Botswana. Hand-held concrete grinders are ideal for polishing and grinding walls and ceilings. Grinding and polishing can be performed by dry or wet methods.

During the grinding process, before polishing, a sealing solution is used to fill any cracks, holes or deformations that may have been created on the surface during the initial grinding.

Add thickener hardener solution to the concrete surface to further solidify and strengthen the surface. Klindex's Glen added that it is important to use metal bonded diamond to lace the concrete for at least one week before and after grinding.

After the metal is polished to the surface smoothness, polishing is started. The polishing cycle is gradually repeated like grinding.

After the metal is polished to the surface smoothness, polishing is started. The polishing cycle is gradually repeated like grinding.

Paola Rota is the sales manager of Achili, a manufacturer of concrete floor grinders. The company has distributors in North Africa and Kenya and sells directly to Zambia, Congo, Ghana and Uganda. He said that ground grinding is done with grinding tools, including four Two stages: leveling, roughing, closing and finishing.

Paola further added that the floor is smooth after the operation, but it is still opaque and needs to be polished. Polishing is usually divided into two stages.

The floor should be polished using a vibrating machine. "Proper oscillation will ensure the best flatness of the surface," she added.

An important reminder is to perform the first pass in the vertical direction and the second pass in the horizontal direction, each time working on about 2 square meters of space.

Although polished concrete surfaces can be very durable if improperly maintained, they can easily lose their luster. However, the maintenance process is easier than any other type of decorative concrete floor.

Some basic maintenance tips include regular cleaning of polished concrete surfaces with a clean mop and water. Whenever you dust off a polished concrete surface, we use a microfiber mop. Another maintenance tip is to make sure you remove any spills and stains as soon as they appear.

Don't let the cleaning agent dry out, or it may increase your effort to clean the floor. Also remember to use a cleaning solution with a neutral pH.

Thank you for explaining that dry polishing is usually used because it is faster. I want to know what is better for my basement floor. On the one hand, I like the idea of ​​it being faster. However, I will let the experts decide because I don't know much about this process.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time you comment.

When the comment is approved, notify me via email.