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Original poster

Anyone have a polished concrete floor/know about them? Help needed!

18 replies

Crumbelina · 03/07/2018 09:04

Can I ask if you ever have any problems with grease stains? We had one poured earlier this year (it looks amazing) but we soon discovered grease stains after a few bits of pastry weren't spotted. We got in touch with the company and it became apparent that they hadn't put enough sealant down. They resealed the floor which we thought would be the end of the problem, but we've now discovered another mark (see attached pic). I have no idea how it got there as we've been really careful, haven't prepared food in the kitchen and have barely eaten in there.

I have seen polished concrete floors put down in restaurants and wonder how on earth they're maintained if they stain so easily? I know that acid stains (wine, vinegar etc.) should be cleaned up quickly but the prospect of such a high maintenance floor with two children makes me wish we'd gone for porcelain tiles and saved money!

Would be good to hear from anyone who has one and whether they've had problems or not? Maybe it's just a problem with ours and we really need to put more pressure on the company to get it resolved.

Anyone have a polished concrete floor/know about them? Help needed!

OP posts:

Haint · 03/07/2018 16:05

i'm no expert but i know they do stain very easily. i think in restaurants etc they very quickly build up a patina (i.e all the stains blend into one another)

SofiaAmes · 03/07/2018 16:17

There are two ways to seal a concrete floor.

With an penetrating sealer. This leaves a more "natural" look, but will not protect from grease (and watch out for acid too).
With a coating sealer that actually puts a coat of sealer on top of the concrete and will completely protect from staining. It used to be that you could only get the coating sealer in a wet look, but these days I think you can get a matte or wet look.

The two sealing methods are kind of like oiling wood floors or lacquering them.

You must wait 30 days after concrete is poured before you seal it.
You should ask the company for the specifications of what they sealed with - material AND application method and then figure out if they did it correctly and/or used an appropriate sealer. You can contact the sealer manufacturer too.

SpecialMoomin · 03/07/2018 16:19

Where did you get yiur floor if you don't mind me asking? I love the look of Lazenby floors but not the ££££ needed for one!

Original poster

Crumbelina · 03/07/2018 19:12

Ahh dear. I was under the impression that polished concrete floors were a low maintenance option (with the caveat around mopping up spills and taking care with acidic substances). If we have the first type of sealant you mention, Sofia then it looks like it's going to be a bit of a pain to monitor crumbs (especially with two young children). It's a fairly big kitchen as well so steam cleaning takes quite a while.

Really appreciate the advice from you all though - thank you.

Oh, and @specialmoomin, we used The Concrete Flooring Contractors. Despite the stain hiccup I think they're an excellent company and would really recommend them. Very professional and reliable, more reasonable than Lazenby and a great quality product.

OP posts:

SofiaAmes · 03/07/2018 19:31

Polished concrete can be low maintenance, but entirely dependent on what you seal the concrete with. Concrete itself (without sealer) is actually very porous as compared to a glazed tile or granite floor.

Original poster

Crumbelina · 03/07/2018 20:03

That's very interesting Sofia and I'll definitely take all your points on board (e.g. asking about the sealer) when talking it through with the company. I really would prefer the second type as we've got another few years of self-renovation to do on this house so I really do need low maintenance!

Assuming we have a penetrating sealer would you see any problem with us asking for a coating sealer, i.e. would it not be effective or spoil the look of the floor? I'd be happy with a wet or matt look as either are preferable to greasy stains.

OP posts:

SofiaAmes · 04/07/2018 00:59

Yes, you can put a coating sealer over a penetrating sealer (but not the other way around). However it's important to make sure that they are compatible. You should ask the company that makes your current sealer what can be put over it. They should have recommendations that will definitely involve brands (usually their own), but can also involve substances (like you can't put water based over oil based...or maybe it's the other way around...I can never remember). You should also ask for specific product recommendations for cleaning the grease stains.

Battleax · 04/07/2018 01:02

). I have no idea how it got there as we've been really careful, haven't prepared food in the kitchen and have barely eaten in there.

So you can’t realky use your kitchen if you want to maintain the finish?!

It doesn’t sound like a very suitable floor for a kitchen.

SofiaAmes · 04/07/2018 01:13

I (am an architect by the way) would never put concrete in a kitchen unless it had a coated sealer and even then, it's not terribly practical because the concrete is too monochromatic and all the dirt shows.

Another thought...if you do do the coated sealer, make sure it's anti slip or you will break your neck the first time you drip water.
For your next house....there are some lovely porcelain tiles that look remarkably like concrete, but are much more practical.

SofiaAmes · 04/07/2018 01:16

Having said that....I LOVE concrete. I did do limestone counters in my own kitchen and have regretted it ever since (because it's just as impractical as concrete), but still have them because I love the look and have learned to wipe up a lot and live with the patina of stains that have appeared (including the holes from the tenants' maid who must have sprayed oven cleaner or something straight onto the countertops and left it there).

SofiaAmes · 04/07/2018 01:16

The most practical kitchen countertops and flooring is something with lots of speckles so it never looks dirty!!!!

bitofabelly · 04/07/2018 01:24

Sofiames, would you be kind enough to link to those porcelain tiles with concrete look...Tks

SofiaAmes · 04/07/2018 02:00

Sure!. I am in the USA now, but am a huge fan of the Porcelanosa line of products and have specified them both in the UK and the USA. Here's a link to one of their stone look tiles. And here's all their floor tiles.
There are also other companies (Italians are super good at this too) who do this style of tile, but I can't think of ones off the top of my head.

SofiaAmes · 04/07/2018 02:01

PS. I love your user name. In all my years and even at my super skinniest, I have always had a bit of a belly....

Original poster

Crumbelina · 04/07/2018 08:59

Argh, lost a big post!

Wanted to say thank you again for the advice and information, Sofia. I'm hopeful it may be a small area that hasn't been treated with enough sealer as when I steam clean the floor the water pearls into droplets (instead of sinking in) which makes me think it could have a coated sealer after all. Also, it's isn't very monochromatic as it has lots of swirls and colour contrasts between light and dark grey.

Battle, I'm sure these floors are fit for purpose as the company is very well established and polished concrete is very popular. Also, a Google search doesn't bring up anyone having similar problems with grease stains, which is promising. 'Luckily' we haven't finished fitting the kitchen yet (no ovens or running water) so we're not being too precious re not preparing food or using it. If we were then the issue would be more pressing.

Love those tiles you linked too Sofia. We've actually used similar in our bathroom www.mandarinstone.com/product/new-york-brooklyn-porcelain/

As beautiful as they are though, they don't really compare to a polished concrete floor. The look really is amazing. The price was comparable as well as we built an extension ourselves from scratch (obvs hiring in trades) and would have needed a concrete screed layer anyway. Then there's the cost of the tiles and laying them ...

Hopefully it'll all be resolved soon and we'll get to enjoy the floor for many years. It's the forever house for us (because we've killed ourselves renovating it!).

OP posts:

Battleax · 04/07/2018 11:44

I was just wondering whether selling it to you for a kitchen was wrong of them, I suppose,

Original poster

Crumbelina · 04/07/2018 20:35

Battle, I'd guess that the vast majority of polished concrete floors (in the domestic setting) are for kitchen diners (if the pics on Houzz, Pinterest etc. are anything to go by). It's why I'm scratching my head a bit over our sealer. We tend to agonise over every house decision and research everything endlessly, so I'm hoping I haven't made a mistake with this.

OP posts:

Yellownotblue · 01/12/2020 22:24

@Crumbelina

We tend to agonise over every house decision and research everything endlessly, so I'm hoping I haven't made a mistake with this.

Hi Crumbelina, I know this thread is old, but did you get a good resolution in the end? I’m thinking of polished concrete in our new kitchen (to be built next year). I do a lot of cooking and hate cleaning, so the idea of crumbs leaving stains is not good! I would love to know if the sealant resolved your issue. Thank you

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