The client was converting a disused early 20th century primary school into a restaurant / sports bar with JLR Contracts. The owner decided at an early stage of the project, that polished concrete was the preferred option throughout the restaurant and bar areas. Aesthetics were high on the list of factors that contributed to the client deciding that a Rustic / Industrial finish was preferred and that it would complement the modern contemporary look and feel the owner was going for. Please see below for more details of the project….
There was a budget in place to which JLR Contracts had to work within to deliver the floor and bar counter that were required. JLR Contracts, firstly installed all the DPM and re-enforcing steel mesh that was required to help alleviate the risk of the floor cracking. We then proceeded to pour the concrete in the restaurant and bar areas at a depth of 100mm. The concrete was finished to a smooth dull powerfloat finish. A high quality powerfloat finish is critical if a Rustic / Industrial finish is required. Expansion joints were also cut into the slab to induce controlled cracking. The bar, situated in Loftus, was then poured Insitu, and hand trowelled several times to try and replicate the finish of the power-trowelled floor.
The concrete chosen, was a local OPC mix, which gave the steel grey colour required to match the Rustic look of the exposed steel and brickwork. The concrete was allowed to cure for a minimum of 28 days. JLR Contracts then returned to carry out all the
polishing works that were required, to produce a Rustic / Industrial finish, low to mid sheen gloss level. JLR firstly carried out a very light diamond micro grind to remove any slight surface imperfections. The expansion joints were filled with a semi-flexible polishable joint filler. The floor was then chemically densified to create an extremely hard-wearing surface.
The diamond polishing stages were then carried out, starting from a medium polishing grit size, then through subsequent finer grit polishing stages until the required gloss level was reached. The polished concrete floor was then sealed and burnished, to help guard against staining and give a final lustre. The same honing, polishing and chemical stages were carried out by hand on the bar counter top, to further compliment the Rustic / Industrial aesthetic look of the bar and restaurant areas. As well as being aesthetically pleasing, the floor would also now give many years of functionality and service in a commercial setting, with only a basic cleaning regime. Contact us for any help with polished concrete floors.
JLR Contracts
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