If you are renovating or opening a new retail space, chances are you will be putting serious thought into the look and feel of your premises.
Comfortable, beautiful retail spaces are aesthetically appealing to customers, helping welcome them inside so your stock, prices, and staff can clinch sales.
But have you considered hard-wearing yet attractive flooring for your shop?
Polished concrete could be the modern, long-lasting solution you didn’t know you needed.
Are polished concrete floors good for retail?
Widely utilised by a range of industries, from manufacturing to leisure, the benefits of concrete floors include:
Super strong, non-slip finish
Although polished concrete floors can be shiny if you choose a gloss finish, they will never be slippery. This is because of the increased friction generated by the installation process – which includes mechanically grinding and flattening the floor, leading to a non-slip finish.
This makes polished concrete an excellent choice for an attractive and much safer option than you might initially expect.
Easy to clean and maintain
The concrete used in the outside world, for buildings and pavements, can be prone to staining thanks to its porosity. Polished concrete floors, on the other hand, are installed with an essential sealing process that transforms the porous concrete we are familiar with into a surface that is extremely dense.
Because of this increased density and finished surface, any spillages or accidents won’t be able to penetrate the surface, preventing stains from forming.
Similarly, polished concrete floors are incredibly easy to clean and maintain, with no aggressive scrubbing required to keep them clean – simply vacuum or sweep up and mop with a mild detergent and warm water when grubby.
Environmentally friendly
Modern flooring is increasingly manufactured to be mindful of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) which are gases that are harmful to human health and when exposed to the air can become dangerous greenhouse gases.
Polished concrete flooring has low VOCs, making it the healthier, greener choice for long-lasting flooring.
Equally, thanks to its extreme durability, polished concrete flooring should never need to be replaced if installed and maintained properly – which removes any potential environmental impact from removal and disposal.
Economical and attractive
Because polished concrete doesn’t stain or scratch easily and can last 20 years or more, it is one of the best value flooring options for hardworking retail spaces.
This incredible lifespan brings excellent return on investment for the polished concrete cost – something you will be very pleased to hear.
Worried that economical means boring?
Polished concrete can be left at its natural grey hue, but it can also be stained, dyed, or coated prior to installation – making it possible to turn plain grey concrete into nearly any colour or shade imaginable.
Perfect for fitting in with business branding or showcasing company colours.
How long will polished concrete floors take to install?
As with all poured flooring estimates, the time it takes to install polished concrete floors depends on a number of factors, including:
- The size of the room
- The temperature of the room (which affects curing time)
- The installation method chosen
Roughly speaking, however, a 10cm thick floor should be left for at least 48 hours before anyone walks on it, and 7-10 days before any heavy equipment or vehicular traffic crosses the floor to ensure it is properly cured and set.
When a member of the Quest Flooring team attends your premises to complete an installation quote, we will be able to give you a more accurate timeline for when you can use your polished concrete floors, based on the requirements of your project and space.
What will a polished concrete floor cost to install?
The cost of a polished concrete floor is also determined by several factors, which include:
- Whether you wish to use new or existing concrete
- The type of finish you would like, i.e., matt or gloss
- Any customisation you require
- The size of the space
However, here at Quest, our polished concrete costs are very competitive, and we are happy to offer no-obligation quotes and advice for all customers – meaning you can thoroughly research and understand what it is you are purchasing before you complete your order.
For more information about our range of polished concrete flooring, or to find out how much polished concrete costs, reach out to the team today.
You can call us on 01925 737 369 or fill in our enquiry form and we’ll be in touch as soon as we can.