Salt And Pepper Polished Concrete Floors
The salt and pepper polished concrete floor.
Salt and pepper polished concrete floors. The process of achieving salt and pepper and full aggregate finishes is very different and involves a process that is progressive in nature removing layers of concrete surface initially revealing the finer sands and stone for salt and pepper before reaching the larger stone below for a full aggregate finish. Salt pepper finish polished concrete the salt and pepper finish leaves you with a subtle and fine aggregate exposure. Concrete must have been laid correctly by experienced concreters. Polished concrete is cost effective and affordable when compared with alternative floor finishes.
Often referred to as a salt and pepper finish a light random polished concrete floor is where minimal exposure of aggregate is sought after. Scratch marks are then progressively removed to produce a fully polished concrete floor. This finish leaves a lighter overall finish which maximises the surrounding natural and artificial light. Depending on the mix of the concrete this type of finish is easily obtained with polished concrete.
Also referred to as surface polish or salt and pepper finish. Concrete must have been laid perfectly by a very experienced concreter and is often susceptible to minor blemishers such as low spots and screed marks. Today specifications for polished concrete are now including specified gloss readings determined using gloss meters see table. With its ability to help reduce a home s heating and cooling requirements a concrete floor s durability fire resistance sound insulation value for money and huge variety of decorative finishes are second to none.
In the salt pepper finish we lightly grind the surface of the concrete to reveal the fine stone and sand hidden just beneath the surface. Polished concrete floors can have a salt and pepper finish which exposes fine grains of sand and stone all the way to a large aggregate exposure which exposes up to one inch stone. This option is commonly used in established homes and premesis where polished concrete wasn t considered during the original concrete pour. This is where the least possible exposure of aggregate and sand is sought.
Any areas of floor which are not level will remain un level and any attempts by the applicator to level uneven surfaces by grinding will result in patches of exposed stone. Polished concrete has become extremely popular as it is a low maintenance flooring system that can also lead to reduced energy costs. The salt and pepper look requires approximately 1 16 inch surface cut depth and has fine aggregate exposure with little or no medium aggregate exposure in random locations.