Concrete flooring has long been an industrial staple, but only recently has it become more mainstream as part of home design.  ConcreteCraft can grind and polish your existing floors, or create new durable and sleek kitchen- and bathroom floors to create an ultra-modern look. It can also be laid in bedrooms or living rooms for an unusual effect. A concrete floor also has practical advantages: it’s easy to clean, hardwearing, and looks even better as it ages.

There are NUMEROUS options available to make concrete the perfect flooring solution for you.

Concrete can be laid with underfloor heating, and can be used for a continuous, wall-to-floor finish. Concrete doesn’t have to look third world, either: for a softer, more glamorous look, choose concrete with a glossy, polished finish, and it will look more like stone tile. Homeowners, retailers, schools and medical facilities are choosing polished concrete for their floor finish because of the competitive advantage.

Cost savings – Using the slab on grade as the finished floor surface is more cost effective, maintenance costs are lower

Longer life-cycle savings – Polished floors are not as vulnerable to damage as other materials, and do not need replacing.

Easy to clean – Won’t harbor dust, dirt, allergens.

Less maintenance – Polished floors are easy to clean, requiring only occasional damp mopping. Eliminate the need for messy waxes or coatings and the time and labor involved. 

High light reflectivity -Important for office building floors, hotels, restaurants, and other public facilities that want to project a bright, clean, professional image. Also saves energy by reducing artificial lighting requirements

Is a sustainable flooring alternative –  Polished concrete does not require hazardous coatings, cleaners or adhesives

You are welcome to.  A lot of our time is spent fixing DIY mistakes.  Because of densifier, grinding, polishing, epoxy sealing products and methods available you might want to consider using a service like ours.  It would probably end up cheaper than attempting DIY.  We use only quality products from proven expert suppliers such as ABE (Self-leveling screed), Cemcrete (RenoCrete, CreteCote, Exposed Aggregate, Countertop products), Mactool (Polished Concrete, Densifiers, Mechanical Grinding & Polishing Tools, Pinhole Grout & Burnishing supplies) and Teracoat (Seamless Flooring Solutions). 

 https://www.abe.co.za/flooring-products/

https://www.mactool.co.za/

Short answer, yes.  There are a few factors to consider, but a CemCrete CreteCote or TeraCoat finish can be applied over an existing tile floor.  Contact ConcreteCraft for a no-obligation visual inspection and quote.

Depending on the diamond grit that is used, different ranges of polish and different levels of sheen, from matte to a wet and glassy mirror-like finish can be achieved. Here is an overview of the different levels:

Level 1 polish
Polished concrete is usually categorised in levels ranging from 1 through 4. A level 1 polish usually can be obtained by stopping at the 100-grit resin bond. When you look directly down at the floor, it will appear somewhat hazy with little if any clarity or reflection. This is a good grit to apply topical sealers.

Level 2 polish
A level 2 polish is obtained by stopping at the 400-grit resin bond, producing a low-sheen finish. When you look directly down at the finished floor and at a distance of roughly 30m, you can start to see a slight overhead reflection, although it is not crystal clear. The grit level produces a low-lustre matte finish.

Level 3 polish
A level 3 polish, achieved by going up to an 800-grit diamond abrasive, will give the surface a much higher sheen than that of a level 2 finish, and you will start to see good light reflectivity. At a distance of 9-15m, the floor will clearly reflect side and overhead lighting. Many big-box commercial stores stop at this finish level because of concerns that a higher degree of polish could produce a slippery surface, especially if the floor becomes wet.

Level 4 polish
This level of polish produces a high degree of shine, so that when standing directly over the surface, you can see your reflection with total clarity. Also, the floor appears to be wet when viewed from different vantage points. A level 4 polish is obtained by going up to a 3000-grit resin-bond diamond or by burnishing the floor with a high-speed burnisher outfitted with specialty buffing pads.

If you have existing concrete, you can look at anything from R300 to R800 per m² for exposed aggregate floor solutions. This will depend on the size of the floor and condition of the existing concrete base. Obviously, per square meter, a 100m² floor will cost more than a 1000m² floor.

Colour hardeners, densifiers and CreteStain / RenoCrete / CreteCote solutions also run in this price range.

That would depend on the outcome you want – a variety of factors would determine whether an existing floor would be suited. We would first assess by means of visual inspection and by using  specialised equipment determine the density, hardness, moisture levels and more.  We would recommend a chat to Danie Venter and our team to see what is possible!

A Concrete floor is probably one of the most practical solutions.  Yes, it can be acoustically louder than a carpet or wood floor, but no more than a tile floor.  And a bit of furniture immediately absorbs sound, making it work in small spaces. 

Concrete floors are not just a timeless option, they are popular because they are hygienic, easy to clean and very low maintenance, making the long-term costs negligible.  

A damp cloth or mop and soft soapy solution or water is generally enough to keep any floor clean, and a properly sealed floor is stain-resistant and durable.