Concrete Finishes-Concrete Finishing Techniques Los Angeles

Concrete  Finishes Types

Concrete is one of the most versatile construction materials. Due to this versatility, it is widely used as a flooring material in various residential, industrial, and commercial applications. Its strength lies on the inside, while its beauty is on the outside.

 This external appearance can be modified through various techniques and materials to achieve your desired surface finish. Here are some methods that can be applied to achieve the desired concrete finish.

Concrete Finishes Los Angeles

The most common form of concrete finish is a smooth surface. This is achieved using screeds and towels. Once the concrete has been poured on forms, the technicians use a screen to even out the concrete surface. Screeds are composed of long pieces of wood or metal, which are then pushed and pulled across the surface. This technique removes excess concrete while filling in gaps on the surface.

 Troweling or floating 

After cooling the concrete using a screed, the finishers use trowels to fine-level and smooth the surface. They can achieve this through mechanical or manual means. 

To do this manually, the concrete finishers use a hand trowel, a flat steel blade and an attached handle.

They then push and pull it across the surface of the concrete. Power trowels are also available, although they are mainly used on large industrial and commercial applications, where hand trowels would be too tedious. When it comes to power trowels, you can use the riding or walk-behind versions.

Concrete edging

Concrete edging is mainly done to provide beveled or rounded edges on the finished surface of the concrete. They are also done to form joints on the surface to reduce cracking.

 Concrete technicians use a specific edging tool to achieve this task. Edging also requires thorough practice before you can master the technique.

 Broom finish concrete

A broom finish is applied to make the surface slip-resistant. Once placement, leveling, and concrete troweling, broom finish follows. After creating a smooth surface, the concrete installer drags a broom across the concrete surface.

This creates small ridges, which enhance traction and grip, especially when the surface is. Surfaces that don’t have a broom finish are pretty slippery and dangerous, especially when liquids are present.

Concrete Texture

Besides broom finishing, numerous other means are available for achieving texture on the concrete surface. Some of the finishes are listed below.

 Exposed aggregate concrete

This finish is widespread on sidewalks, especially in old cities. It is formed when the top layer of concrete is washed away. When this happens, the edges of natural stone aggregates, mixed with concrete, are exposed.
The resulting surface is slip-resistant and attractive.

Apart from using everyday concrete materials, you can also add other materials into the mix.
The result is a unique look. 

Some materials that can be added to the mix include limestone, rose quartz, black or dark grey basalt, blue or red granite, sea shells, and colored glass.

When adding these materials, avoid anything that contains iron since it might stain the concrete. You should also seal the surface after curing it to protect it from wear and tear.

Salt finish

This finish is commonly applied on swimming pool decks. Rock salt is applied on top of wet concrete and washed away in a salt finish. This creates small pits on the finished surface. This application also reduces slipping on pool decks since they are often wet.

Concrete Coloring

Concrete coloring is a standard application in modern construction settings. Decorative concrete is usually applied to match the décor or architecture of the building. 

It can be achieved through post-cure staining or mix-added pigments. The two applications are discussed below.

 Pigment coloring

Pigment coloring is a simple process, usually achieved by adding pigments straight to the concrete mix before pouring. This allows enough time for mixing with the rest of the concrete. 

You can source pigments in dis-solvable bags or liquid form. The dyes are combined with the other ingredients before pouring in each case.

Pigment coloring gives you various color choices, from browns, tans, greens, grays, and blues. Once pigment coloring has been applied, keep the surface sealed throughout its lifetime to prevent water infiltration, which might lead to fading.

Concrete stain and Sealer

You don’t have to stick with gray, dull concrete surfaces. Those days are long gone. You can manipulate concrete’s color using various staining methods. 

Acid application is one of the most common methods for concrete staining.

Similar to the application of concrete pigments, you can only obtain relatively subtle or non-bright color tones.

Water-based, commonly known as acrylic staining, gives a broader range of colors. However, water-based staining is prone to fading.

With acrylic staining, you can even obtain black and white colors. However, it does not stick on the concrete for long, requiring re-touching. Stains can be applied to any concrete, regardless of age.

However, the colors tend to be more vibrant when the staining is applied immediately after placing the concrete. Stain application is followed by concrete sealing to protect the surface.

Polished Concrete Los Angeles

When concrete surfaces have cured completely, they can be enhanced with a polishing effect to achieve a glossy and clean look. Polished concrete surfaces are also easier to maintain. In addition, they are more slip-resistant as compared to non-polished concrete.

The process of concrete polishing is done using concrete grinders. These grinders are usually outfitted with diamond abrasives. 

The grade of the abrasive will determine the result. The surface is stripped of any existing treatment, such as coatings or sealers, during the polishing process.

 After that, all visible cracks are repaired. The polishing process then follows, using either a fine or coarse grade.

During the process, chemical hardeners are also applied to provide a future shield against water infiltration. 

Finer abrasives are then applied until the preferred finish is achieved. 

The final step in the polishing process involves sealing to protect the surface from chemicals, oil, moisture, and staining.

Contact us JK Marble Maintenance 818 984-1195