When making the decision on new flooring there are a lot of factors to consider. You have many choices to choose from including wood, carpet, laminate or tile. The convenience of these options are that they are quick to install and it only takes a few hours to complete. Once they are done, they are pretty much good to go; however, convenience ends after installation.
The longevity of floorings like carpet or laminate is very short, especially in an area with high foot traffic. While you may be saving on convenience during installation, you will be paying for it in the long run with maintenance, cleaning, repairs or replacement after a few years.
If you’re looking for a flooring that may take a bit longer on installation, but will absolutely stand the test of time when it comes to wear and tear, polished concrete should be your number one choice. There are many benefits to a polished concrete floor and very few cons.
Once you’ve finally decided to go with a polished concrete floor, here is how you can start to determine the length of your project.
Size
It is obviously very important to take into account the size of your project when trying to determine the amount of time installation will take. This doesn’t always mean that a larger room will take a lot longer than a smaller room, but taking into consideration if there are multiple rooms that need to be done. This means more time concrete floor installers will need to take to do demolition of the previous flooring and prep on multiple different areas. There are many steps that need to be taken during prep and pour that can increase installation time if they need to be done in multiple rooms and areas.
Complexity
Another obvious element that you should consider when carving out installation time for your business is the complexity of the project. Disregarding the sheer size element, but looking at how difficult the space is can make a big difference when it comes to installation. If you have an area with many turns, angles or cutouts, it may take longer to prep the area, pour, smooth and be sure that the entire surface is covered.
Accessibility
If your space isn’t easily accessible to the concrete floor installers it can greatly increase the amount of time it will take to install your concrete flooring. This means that there may not be a convenient entrance and exit to the space, or materials need to be transported throughout an entire building to get to the space. This can obviously increase installation time because it takes longer to get materials in and out and it may be more difficult for installers to move around in the space.
Condition
The condition of your existing flooring is also a factor to consider when determining the installation process time. In many cases, it will take some time for the concrete floor installers to remove the previous flooring that is in place. On some occasions, you can save some time during installation by simply repolishing an already existing concrete floor, or you can look into other options like an overlay, which cuts down on time by placing the new flooring right on top of your existing flooring. If you’re looking for a less intrusive replacement, this may be something to look into.
Repairs
If you already have concrete floors, sometimes they will need to undergo repairs before being polished and finished up. While you may think your project only consists of a sealant and polish, your flooring may actually need to have some significant repairs that will take some time.
Protection
During the prep process, things like floorboards, walls and the surrounding areas will need to be protected from the installation process. This means that time needs to be carved out to remove, cover and protect those surrounding items.
Dry Times
Let’s face it, there is no way to speed up the dry time. After about 48 hours, poured concrete should be fine to walk on, but before you can begin grinding and polishing, it needs to be at a sufficient hardness. This can usually take between 14 and 28 days. While this seems like a long time for installation of flooring, most clients find it worth it based on how low maintenance and durable the flooring ends up being.
If you are looking for a durable, low maintenance flooring and have the time to dedicate to a thorough installation, polished concrete could be a wonderful investment for your business or organization. Dedicating time to install your flooring properly will benefit you in the long run by preventing repairs and high-cost maintenance.