Why do I need a sealer?

Concrete is porous so unless a sealer, be it acrylic, polyurethane, epoxy or GTA hardener is used then the natural porosity will be susceptible to staining and scratching.

Is it possible to have a polished concrete floor in a domestic house which will not crack and make the polishing ugly? Can concrete be reinforced to avoid cracking?

A structural slab and topping slab or screed should be reinforced but even with these measures there is no guarantee that the concrete will not crack. If your foundations move the slab will move which may cause cracking.

When do you add the colour?

Colours are added by the concrete supplier and are in the mix before the concrete sets.

Our potential builder has said they don't offer polished concrete flooring and if we want it - we'd have to organise after handover - is that a possible option?

Yes it is! As long as your new house is built on a concrete slab it can be polished.

We are opening a cafe. The building we have purchased has lino glued to the floor. We are thinking of removing the lino and going for a polished concrete sort of industrial look. What would you suggest and how long after you have finished can we start?

Depending on the condition of the slab underneath, the size of the restaurant and the desired finish, this can all happen pretty quickly.

Can i have my polished floor repaired i’ve just had it done and it was a bad job?

Can a concrete floor be damaged and subsequently repaired?

A concrete floor though very hard and durable is not completely invincible. A floor can be damaged, for example, should someone hit the floor with a chisel. Sometimes, particularly if a slab was poured incorrectly with too wet a mix, a piece of aggregate (small stone) may become dislodged from the finished surface after a certain amount of time.

Can concrete hearths or steps be polished?

Hearths and steps can be polished. Steps will need to be stripped, hand trowelled and filled on the day of pour.