Concrete Polishing
The Polishing Institute for the further education and accreditation of contractors, and promotion of Mechanically Processed Ground, Honed and Polished Concrete.
Defining the Terms
Concrete Processing, Ground, Honed and Polished Concrete
With the concrete polishing industry still in its infancy, much of the terminology is used incorrectly. “Concrete polishing” is frequently used out of context; most often the correct terminology is “concrete processing,” which describes a process not much different from other industries putting material such as stone, metal and optical lenses through a like process.
Concrete processing is the act of changing an existing concrete surface by means of a mechanical process that involves cutting and/or refining the surface to a desired finish.
The definition of “Ground Concrete” is: the processing of the concrete surface through means of a mechanical process that uses an abrasive medium where each step is refined to its purest possible form on a microscopic level from one progressively finer abrasive to the next until the desired level of “Grind” is achieved.
The definition of “Honed Concrete” is: the processing of the concrete surface through means of a mechanical process that uses an abrasive medium where each step is refined to its purest possible form on a microscopic level from one progressively finer abrasive to the next until the desired level of “hone” is achieved.
The definition of “Polished Concrete” is: the processing of the concrete surface through means of a mechanical process that uses an abrasive medium where each step is refined to its purest possible form on a microscopic level from one progressively finer abrasive to the next until the desired level of “polish” is achieved.
Other forms of processing are concrete surfaces that are mechanically cut and/or refined not necessarily to its purest form followed by an additional procedure such as the application of a sealer, coating, acid stain, etc.