Foundation and yard drainage in Richmond Va
Richmond Concrete Pros - The best concrete contractor in the Richmond area. No job too big or too small. Our Richmond Virginia based operation covers all facets of concrete work from foundations to patios and driveways. We also do stamping, resurfacing, and drainage systems.
Call us at 804-552-0590 for a free quote.
Additionally, we understand the importance of good communication, which sadly is lacking in the contractor industry. We will return your calls promptly, carefully coordinate scheduling, and follow up. We are confident you will be very satisfied with our service.
Call us at 804-552-0590 for a free quote.
Additionally, we understand the importance of good communication, which sadly is lacking in the contractor industry. We will return your calls promptly, carefully coordinate scheduling, and follow up. We are confident you will be very satisfied with our service.
The best foundation and yard drainage in Richmond Va |
Polished Concrete Floors
We are all familiar with the use of concrete outside, but there are also some less well known uses for it inside. One of the more striking used is polished concrete. Polishing creates a very sophisticated, modern look and the polishing process improves the utility of the concrete. A properly done floor is sleek, shiny, and easy to maintain. These floors were originally only found in offices or malls, but now they are common in homes as well. Richmond Concrete Pros is well versed in both polished concrete counter tops and concrete floors. We will discuss the floor process first. The process for polishing concrete floors is fairly straightforward though very labor intensive. The process is similar to sanding wood floors, though concrete requires a lot more passes with the grinder than wood does with the sander. But before the grinding process starts, the floor must be checked for hardness as well as chips or cracks and all blemishes must be addressed. We address chips and cracks by using a special filler or vinyl concrete patch material for larger cracks. The filler material must be troweled perfectly smooth before moving on. At this point the floor needs to be tested for hardness. We use a series of hardness picks, scratching the floor with each one until one is found that does not leave a scratch.. This is to determine exactly how hard the concrete is before moving on with the grinding process. The choice of grinding discs is determined by the hardness level. |
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An experienced concrete worker can determine which grinding discs and polishing pads are proper for a given floor depending on a number of environmental and floor conditions. In addition to grinding, we use a hardener (also called a densifier) between passes with the grinder to prevent any destabilization. As this process winds down, we switch to a burnishing pad, and before the last burnishing pass we apply a coat of concrete sealer over the entire floor. We then check the floor after a couple hours to see if it is tacky to the touch. Once it is completely dry, another coat of sealer is applied in the opposite direction that the first coat was applied with. Both of the sealer coats must be applied very thinly.
Finally, after all this, another pass is made with the burnishing pad going in a direction perpendicular to the last burnishing pass. This insures a nice even shine. We recommend the floor be left unused for a day or two to insure the floor is completely dry.
The finished product will be a stone-like floor that shines brightly and without needing any future application of oils or waxes.
Finally, after all this, another pass is made with the burnishing pad going in a direction perpendicular to the last burnishing pass. This insures a nice even shine. We recommend the floor be left unused for a day or two to insure the floor is completely dry.
The finished product will be a stone-like floor that shines brightly and without needing any future application of oils or waxes.
Concrete Countertops
This process is less involved than floor polishing but still must be done correctly to get the best results. The way this works depends on the texture and look to want to achieve. You can aim for an exposed aggregate look, salt and pepper, or smooth to name a few.
In any case, the frame is built and the concrete poured and allowed to dry. This could take anywhere from a day to a week. The drier and harder the countertop is, the more effective the following techniques will be.
For an exposed aggregate look, enough of the surface must be removed to expose the underlying aggregate in the countertop mix. There are a couple options for introducing the aggregate into the concrete. It can be mixed into the concrete while blending or it can be seeded into the surface after screeding but before floating. A combination of these two techniques is also an option.
A special hand polisher is needed to achieve this look once the concrete is properly prepared.
This process is less involved than floor polishing but still must be done correctly to get the best results. The way this works depends on the texture and look to want to achieve. You can aim for an exposed aggregate look, salt and pepper, or smooth to name a few.
In any case, the frame is built and the concrete poured and allowed to dry. This could take anywhere from a day to a week. The drier and harder the countertop is, the more effective the following techniques will be.
For an exposed aggregate look, enough of the surface must be removed to expose the underlying aggregate in the countertop mix. There are a couple options for introducing the aggregate into the concrete. It can be mixed into the concrete while blending or it can be seeded into the surface after screeding but before floating. A combination of these two techniques is also an option.
A special hand polisher is needed to achieve this look once the concrete is properly prepared.
For a smooth surface (like pictured above), the countertop is smoothed using an orbital sander with a polishing pad. The countertop must be wet while sanding. The sander must have only light pressure applied or you risk stripping the surface of the concrete down to a sand or aggregate level. Then the surface is cleaned the with water and a squeegee. As long as there are no small pin holes or scratches, it is done.
We would be happy to look at your project and give you a free estimate.
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We would be happy to look at your project and give you a free estimate.
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