Polished Concrete Floors in Roswell, Georgia

What moves the number on a slab is mostly underneath it. Rion soil drains well across much of Fulton County, but it varies, so we test every site before we quote. From there it comes down to excavation depth, how much compacted gravel base the ground needs, rebar or welded wire reinforcement, forming, and whether the truck can reach the pour or we pump it. A polished finish adds grinding passes, and each pass is labor.

A driveway carries more load than any other flat work around a house. It gets a thicker section, a compacted stone base, and rebar set on chairs so the steel sits in the middle of the slab instead of on the ground. With around 50 inches of rain a year, slope matters as much as strength. We pitch the surface away from the garage and cut control joints early, before the concrete decides where to crack on its own.

Polished floors start with the slab, not the grinder. On new pours we place a vapor barrier, keep the mix consistent and finish it flat, because every low spot shows once it shines. On existing slabs we check for moisture, fill cracks and strip old coatings first. Then we grind through progressively finer diamonds, apply a densifier and polish to the sheen you choose, from satin to high gloss. Residential and commercial floors run the same way.

Most cracks are shrinkage and only cosmetic. The ones worth worrying about are wide, uneven across the edge, or growing, which usually points to settlement or a washed-out base. Hairline cracks we route and seal. Structural cracks in a floor slab get epoxy injection. Where a section has sunk or spalled badly, we saw-cut it out, fix what failed underneath and pour new concrete doweled into the old. Patching over a bad base only buys time.

Sidewalks look simple and fail for simple reasons: a thin base, missing joints, or tree roots nobody planned for. We form straight or curved runs, compact the base properly and tool joints at regular spacing so cracks land where we put them. A broom finish gives grip when it's wet. Where a walk meets a driveway or step, we add an isolation joint so the two slabs move independently. Decorative borders or stamped sections can go in the same pour.

We walk the property, watch where water runs when it rains, and look at what the slab will sit on. Rion soil, which drains well, is the dominant type around here, but it varies from lot to lot, so every site is tested before work starts. We also check truck access and any existing slab. Some polished floors are poured new; others are ground from concrete that is already sound.

Most slab failures start under the concrete, not in it. We strip the topsoil and anything organic, then dig down to firm ground. A gravel base goes in next, compacted in lifts with a plate compactor so it does not settle later. Interior floors that will be polished get a vapor barrier over the base. Skip it and moisture wicks up through the slab, clouds the finish and lifts coatings.

Forms are straight lumber, staked tight and checked with a string line, because a polished floor shows every dip. Inside them we lay rebar in a grid, tied at the crossings and set on chairs. Rebar lying on the gravel does nothing. Welded wire mesh suits lighter residential slabs. We plan the control joints now, too. Concrete cracks as it shrinks, and joints decide where.

Pour day follows the forecast, not the calendar. With about 50 inches of rain a year, we would rather move the date than pour ahead of a storm. The mix is ordered for the job, with the water held low enough to reach full strength. Adding water at the truck so it flows easier is a common shortcut, and it leaves a weak surface. We place, screed and bull float in one steady run.

Timing is the whole job. We wait for bleed water to leave the surface, then work it with a power trowel, pass after pass, until it is hard and tight. Trowel too early and the top layer turns weak and dusts. Polishing comes once the slab has cured: diamond tooling from coarse to fine, a densifier worked in partway through, then polishing to the sheen you chose, from satin up to high gloss.

Concrete gains strength by holding onto its water, not by drying out. Right after finishing we keep the slab damp under curing blankets or a curing compound. On a floor headed for polishing, that compound has to be one that will not stain or block the densifier. A slab that dries too fast on a hot afternoon cracks at the surface. Foot traffic stays light early, and vehicles stay off new driveways until the concrete has gained real strength.

What goes on last depends on the surface. A polished interior floor usually gets a penetrating guard after the final pass, so spills bead up and the shine is easier to keep. Driveways, patios and other exterior surfaces take a penetrating or film-forming sealer once they have cured, which slows water and staining. We tell you which product we used, why we chose it, and how often your traffic and exposure call for reapplying it.