Some people may be appalled with the idea of using diamond in concrete polishing. Indeed, the stone is more than just an ornament on our fingers due to its toughness. Although diamond polishing is effective, not many know that the process is rather complicated and tend to involve more than 10 – 15 steps.

 

Generally, diamond concrete polish kicks off with initial grinding step, whereby low grit diamond ranging from 16 – 30 are employed, to give a rough overall furnish. The same process will repeat numerous times with higher diamond grits of 800 – 1000, depending on the overall glossiness that users will like to achieve.

 

Unlike a diamond ring, diamond grit is embedded within metal or resin bond segment; with the segment double the size of the diamond, to facilitate the polishing process. During polishing, chemical densifier is also used to harden the polished concrete. These chemicals may contain potassium sodium silicate or lithium, so that any crack or imperfections found on the concrete surface will be mend during the process.

 

Towards the end of the polishing, a sealer will be overlaid on the concrete floor, creating a 2 – 5 millimeter of penetration to keep oil or spill from staining the concrete floor.

 

Of course, it is not possible for diamond to work alone and this is what wet polishing is all about. During wet polish, water will be used to cool the diamond grit and remove any dust particles. Because water helps in reducing the friction created between concrete floor and the diamond grit, it also aids in elongating the life of this abrasive. As a result, wet concrete polish tends to leave behind a fine furnish product even though one has to clean up the left over water mess, which may slow down the overall polishing process.

 

In the dry polishing process, no water is required and diamond will have to work with the floor polisher that comes with a dust containing system to capture all the mess. Usually, larger diamond pads are more suitable for bigger and flatter surface area while small diameter pads are ideal for working on edges or narrow pathways.

 

Thicker diamond pads are stiffer thus enabling longer use but thin diamond pads are more flexible, gaining a bigger advantage when it comes to polishing curvy surface. Industrial diamonds are most expensive to be used in concrete polishing and they tend to come with a narrower channel, while lower grade diamond tends to have an aggressive but open and wide channel.

 

It is hard for amateur to decide what is best for their concrete floor since diamond pad itself is so varied. Therefore, do not ever neglect the importance of consulting an expert when it comes to solving your polishing needs.