Polished Concrete
Excellence for Discerning Tastes
Introducing the Cardinal Concrete Floor
Most homeowners, builders, designers and architects have, at some point, considered the possibilities of polished concrete as a flooring surface. Many have tried it. Unfortunately, a lack of information, process specifications, and proper execution has often resulted in the disappointment of unmet expectations.​
If you are like most people, your expectations of stained concrete floors are largely based on the aspect of durability. However, most consumers are not aware that the durability of a conventional stained concrete floor is entirely dependent upon a very thin and easily-damaged coating of clear acrylic, urethane or epoxy on the surface.​
This means that, with conventional stained concrete floors, you are not walking on concrete. You are walking on a painted surface of clear acrylic, in much the same way when you wash your car you are not washing steel. You are washing the coating on that steel.
Now imagine for a moment what would happen to the shine on the hood of your car if every day you walked across it, the kids played on it, and you dragged the dining room chairs across it. It would be heavily damaged rather quickly. Once you have that firmly visualized, you can begin to understand why so many builders who generally offer a one year warranty on all work have begun to advise their clients against stained concrete floors.
A CARDNIAL Concrete Floor from Bel Covo, eliminates these problems. Our Cardinal floor process can be completed prior to or even during the framing stage of construction, without the typical concerns of damage during the remainder of the construction process. Not only does this keep your costs down, but it also speeds up the final stages of construction, which are typically slowed down dramatically by flooring installation at the end.​
Additionally, with our Cardinal Concrete Floor, you are actually walking on your concrete. No, clearcoats to delaminate or scratch. No worries about moisture vapor transmission through the slab. And a warranty unmatched in the concrete flooring industry.
As with most products, there are applications which are inappropriate for the characteristics of the product, and this is true with regard to conventional stained concrete floors. There is a time and place for everything, however. If your budget will not allow for a CARDINAL concrete floor, then staining and sealing your slab can be a cost-effective yet beautiful alternative.
For exterior applications such as patios, porches and walkways, conventional stained concrete works extremely well and can add tremendous curb appeal to the property.
Scheduling
For most polished concrete projects, scheduling should be determined at least two weeks in advance. 30 days is preferable. Deposits must be received seven days prior to scheduled start date unless prior arrangements have been made. Time to completion can vary based on weather, site accessibility, available power and work performed by other trades. For residential projects which are 1200 square feet or less scheduled to start prior to framing, you should allow for 5 to 8 working days to completion. Expedited scheduling and completion times can be arranged at additional cost.
Custom samples and on-site mock-ups can be made available, but will generally require an additional week of time to complete and review, and may incur additional charges.
Finish Options
Selections which will need to be made prior to scheduling would include desired aggregate exposure, color and type of stain, type of densification, level of polish and type, if any, of stain repellents. Additional options are available for crack-fill, patterns, spot repairs, artwork and temporary protective coverings.