Hi
Has anyone has polished concrete installed on their house/rental property. It seem that polished concrete is not popular choice. I wonder why? Does anyone have an idea how much will it cost to have polished concrete per sqm?
Thanks
It may be just a personal preference, but I don't think it is a very attractive look at all! To me it just looks unfinished. No idea what it costs.
Don't know if you already have a concrete slab that you would like to polish or are looking to retrofit?
The polished concrete that you see in the magazines isn't the normal concrete that is poured in a slab. Concrete that is intended to be polished has a higher mpa and can have different preparation and pouring/installation techniques. Some polished concrete I saw in a magazine last year was pre-poured in large tiles and polished prior to laying on a concrete base to prevent cracking from movement.
There are plenty of concrete polishers in the metro areas so a price would be a phone call away. I would imagine they vary considerably.
One reason why some people are put off with polishing concrete is cracking (from movement) even the best engineered slab can suffer from stress or settlement cracking. Concrete with an aggregate added can help camoflague the cracking and can even be patched up without too much being visible. If you don't add an aggregate the cracks would be very visible.
Think of the comfort factor as well. If you are in a place with cold winters then exposed concrete will be like tiles, very cold underfoot and takes a long time to heat up.Julie Fisher
Daryl Fisher HomesCracking is indeed the main drawback – but some very nice effects can be achieved. Especially by adding glass, timber borders, aggregate, metals etc etc.
I do disagree with the thermal qualiteis of tiles. Tiles are required under the BASIX now because of their heat bank qualities. tiles in a north facing room will heat during the day and release heat at night. We are certainly going to choose them.
Thanks all
I think I will stick with floorboard then. Tempted to have polished concrete in bathroom and kitchen though. ANy thought for that?
Mortgage Hunter wrote:Cracking is indeed the main drawback – but some very nice effects can be achieved. Especially by adding glass, timber borders, aggregate, metals etc etc.I do disagree with the thermal qualiteis of tiles. Tiles are required under the BASIX now because of their heat bank qualities. tiles in a north facing room will heat during the day and release heat at night. We are certainly going to choose them.
Didn't dispute the thermal properties of tiles Simon, I am a accredited HER for FirstRate so I am well aware on that. The comment was just stipulating that in 'very cold winters' tiles are cold. Not even a north facing aspect could make my tiles comfortable before 10 am in the winter! And by then most of us are already up, at work or at school. And then it is even colder in my non-north facing bathroom which doesn't have a window big enough to allow the tiles to heat up is cold every morning, every winter. I was being general not making a blanket statement as I am trying to spare everyone from my usual long posts.
If I was setting up from scratch with polished concrete or tiles on slab I would install in-slab heating element for just the bathroom areas; I am sure you can buy the kits now and an electrician can install. If you live up north then cold tiles/polished concrete isn't a big deal…it's probably a relief some days.
Good luck.
Julie Fisher
Daryl Fisher Homes.
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