Mechanical Polish

Mechanical polish is the most involved of our concrete finishes, and it produces the most durable one. We work through a sequence of bonded diamond tools, starting with a coarse grind that levels the slab and opens the surface, then moving through progressively finer grits that hone the concrete smooth. The number of passes and the grit we stop at determines how much aggregate shows through, from a light cream finish with almost no stone visible, through to full exposure where the aggregate becomes the main texture of the floor.

Once the honing stages are done, we densify the slab and apply a penetrating sealer rather than a topical coating. The sealer soaks into the concrete instead of sitting on top of it, so there’s no film to wear through, peel, or reapply every few years. That’s part of why mechanical polish suits floors that take heavy or constant traffic, warehouse floors, showrooms, retail spaces, and garages, as well as homes wanting a genuinely low-maintenance living area.

The finish takes longer to achieve than a burnish or a grind and seal, since each grit stage has to fully remove the scratch pattern left by the one before it. For a new slab or a floor that’s in good structural condition, it’s usually worth the extra time. If the existing concrete has heavy damage or you’re working to a tighter budget, burnish or grind and seal are worth comparing first.