Nowadays more and more architects, interior designers, building home inspection memphis and of the general public get involved with environmentally friendly projects, which are supported by: the Canadian government, Ontario rebate programs, non-for profit organizations and media coverage. Polished concrete floors are one of such projects.
The latest diamond technology that gets the concrete surface naturally polished is appealing to people looking for an aesthetically pleasing, minimum maintenance and ecologically sound flooring solution.
Polished concrete systems are designed to grind, cure and polish concrete floors to eliminate the need for environment-damaging chemicals and constant resurfacing with paint or resin. It creates floors with a high gloss, contemporary looking finish.
“Green” approval is interlaced with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, (LEED) certification. LEED addresses the major concerns of green building including: the use of resource-friendly materials, energy saving design, and providing healthy indoor environmental quality (IEQ).
Concrete consists of crushed stone, sand, cement and water. All ingredients are perfectly natural, therefore have a very low carbon footprint. No plastic, no glue, no by-product. 5* ECO rating!
Concrete is always produced within the short distance to the job site therefore utilizes regional materials, resources and local labor supply. There is no need to ship concrete over long distances, which can result in wasted energy. Transportation costs and carbon emissions are reasonably low. Locally produced – locally consumed. No China made – Go Canadian!
Specifically designed refinishing machines use thermo-resistant diamond bits to progressively smooth the concrete floor. As a result, the surface gets polished, highly reflecting sheen by pressurized heated mechanical abrasion, which obviously does not produce harmful Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), chemical fumes or like. A concrete floor will not require the use of adhesives or sealers, in contrast with carpet, wood, stone, tile, and especially VCT. The densifier-hardener does not produce any fumes. The lithium silicate creates a hardening reaction with the calcium hydroxide occurring naturally in concrete. Therefore, the installation of polished concrete is indeed, a pollution-free “Green” process.