A polished concrete garage floor is an easy-to-maintain chic flooring used in homes and commercial properties. A very beautiful feature of any room, polished concrete is often chosen for areas that need to withstand a certain level of abuse but also where you want to give a shine.
Polished concrete garage floors, in particular, are known to be resilient and durable. However, they require certain knowledge to keep a polished garage floor looking new.
Here are the best maintenance tips for a polished concrete garage floor:
Tip #1: Don’t Worry About Heavy Equipment
Concrete of any type is incredibly durable. Polished concrete may seem like it’s somehow more fragile than other types because of its trademark shine. However, it can withstand heavy vehicle movement, high traffic, and more.
You don’t need to worry about weight cracking the floor, or scratches, chipping, and dents causing damage. The priority with taking care of a polished garage floor is protecting the top coating of sealant and ensuring nothing affects the aesthetic.
Tip #2: Your Polished Concrete Floor Can Lose Its Shine
As much as polished concrete garage floors require little extensive maintenance, they can lose their shine fairly quickly if not properly cared for. A garage with high traffic will require you to be on the lookout for possible problems.
Fortunately, none of the polished concrete flooring maintenance is hard or time-consuming. It simply requires effort to stay on top of issues that could cause fading, scratching, and similar damage.
Tip #3: Sweep Your Floor Every Day
Dirt and debris can scour and scratch the polish of your floor finish. For this reason, you don’t want to leave debris on your polished concrete garage floor for too long.
Equipment or someone walking can drag something as small as a tiny pebble across the floor and cause permanent damage. If you use your polished concrete garage floor routinely, every day, do a full sweep which should remove all of those little damage-causing elements.
Tip #4: Use a Clean Microfiber Pad
When you go to sweep, dust, or mop, use a microfiber pad. Microfiber is a very soft material and highly effective at doing the job of any broom or mop.
Furthermore, make sure the microfiber pad is clean. A dirty pad or a damaged microfiber pad with a rough surface has the risk of scratching a polished surface, just like debris on the ground. Be careful in what you apply to the floor and how much force you use.
Tip #5: Clean Up Spills Immediately
Do not wait until the end of the day to clean up something spilled on the floor. A spill can penetrate or stain the polished concrete surface if left on for an extended period. Liquid that is acidic, caustic, or citric can do this.
Some garages may leave spills for hours at a time before addressing them. That’s not only a safety hazard, but it’s sure to take some of the shine from your floor. Be sure to jump to it if there’s a spill and remedy it within 10-15 minutes.
Tip #6: You Can Usually Mop With Water
You don’t want to polish or fade your concrete garage floor by applying acidic cleaners or too alkaline ones. To be safe, clean with a clean mop and warm water. This should take care of almost all the messes you may have.
A neutral pH cleaner is strongly recommended if you have to use the product. You may not notice your polished concrete deteriorating, but if you regularly apply inappropriate cleaners, it can wear down the shine slowly over time.
Tip #7: Use an Automated Floor Scrubber
Instead of tackling it with an abrasive cleaner or chemical, use an automatic floor scrubber with a non-abrasive pad for a polished concrete garage floor area that is particularly dirty or in a high-traffic spot.
Combined with a neutralized cleaner, you should be able to clean up any spills and prevent stains on the concrete. An automatic floor scrubber is powerful; additional cleaning effort beyond this will likely be unnecessary.
Tip #8: Do Not Wax Your Polished Concrete Floor
Some garage owners may try to DIY their polished concrete floor and opt to wax it. A polished concrete floor does not need wax. Not ever. If you do end up waxing the floor and the result is damage, it will likely void any warranties you have from the installer.
Also, using the wrong chemicals or wax could mean permanently wrecking your floor. The risks are too big. Call a professional if you want a different look or widespread repairs.
Tip #9: You Can Restore Polished Concrete Floors
If your polished concrete garage floor looks worn down, you can restore it. Professional concrete flooring contractors can strip away dirt and debris, restore floor colour and shine, reapply protectants to guard against staining, and use stain protectors and densifiers to seal the polished surface.
A restoration like this can be costly but will prove to add shine, improve performance, increase wear resistance, and remove signs of weathering.
