What can we help you with?
Technical flooring, delivered directly
- ESD flooring, urethane cement, terrazzo, and polished concrete
- In-house W-2 installation crews and experienced field leadership
- National service coverage with project-specific staffing plans
- Testing, documentation, and defined project closeout
- Dedicated support for corporate procurement and multi-site contracting
Phone: +1 (844) 687-1961
Existing Concrete
Craftsman evaluates existing concrete before recommending a polished concrete finish. We inspect the slab, identify repair and preparation needs, and use a mockup on the actual floor to establish the proposed appearance. That process helps define the scope of work and gives the project team a sample to approve before full production.
Previous flooring can leave adhesive patterns or stains, and removing a covering does not guarantee a uniform surface beneath it. We assess those conditions before committing to the finish.
Our polished concrete guide for builders covers the wider sequence of approvals, preparation and acceptance.
Assess the slab and previous coverings
Before committing to a polished finish, we survey the existing slab for cracks, stains, curling and surface damage to set the repair scope, and assess the exposed concrete for patterns previous coverings may leave visible. Where old flooring, adhesives or coatings may contain hazardous materials, the required assessment comes before removal or surface preparation.
Survey the slab and establish repair scope
The Concrete Polishing Council (CPC) recommends a condition survey by the polishing contractor before estimating the amount and cost of surface repairs. Its Position Statement #6 recommends a time-and-materials allowance for those repairs, with unused funds retained by the owner.
Under ACI SPEC-310.1-20, examine conditions that could prevent the specified polished finish, including cracks, stains, curling and surface damage.
The CPC guide specification also calls for examining flatness, curing methods and compressive strength against the applicable cast-in-place concrete requirements. The cracks, surface repairs and joints guide covers the repair work that may follow the survey.
Check what previous coverings have left behind
Removing old flooring does not guarantee a uniform surface underneath. Adhesives, coatings and previous coverings can leave stains or patterns that remain visible after polishing. These marks are often called ghosting or shadowing.
We assess the exposed concrete and test the proposed preparation method to establish what can be removed and what may remain visible.
Our adhesive, coating and contamination removal guide covers removal methods and their limitations.
Assess hazards before disturbing old flooring or coatings
The Resilient Floor Covering Institute’s January 2018 removal guidance warns against sanding, dry scraping, drilling, sawing and other listed methods of disturbing existing resilient flooring and adhesives because they may contain asbestos fibers or crystalline silica.
Where existing coatings, adhesives or flooring may contain hazardous materials, the required assessment must be completed before Craftsman begins removal or surface preparation.
Check hardness and absorbency separately
| Check | What it establishes | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Surface hardness | Helps select diamond tooling. Where ACI SPEC-310.1-20 applies, §3.1.4.1 requires slab-surface Mohs hardness greater than 4 before polishing. | Compressive strength or complete substrate readiness. |
| Water-drop or water-spray check | Shows how the cleaned surface wets and absorbs water. PROSOCO requires surfaces receiving Consolideck LS to wet uniformly under its spray check. | Slab moisture content or the identity of a contaminant causing uneven wetting. |
ACI’s threshold is greater than 4; a reading of 4 does not meet it. Our surface-hardness guide covers the requirement and tooling considerations. The absorbency and water-drop guide explains the separate wetting checks.
Prepare the surface and resolve conditions
The receiving surface is prepared to remove curing compounds, residues and other incompatible contaminants, and removal methods are tested before the whole floor is treated. Where ACI SPEC-310.1-20 governs, conditions that would affect polished appearance are reported in writing and resolved before work begins, and starting work in an area accepts its surface conditions.
Prepare and test the receiving surface
ACI SPEC-310.1-20 requires sound concrete prepared to remove curing compounds, residues and other contaminants incompatible with polishing or the selected treatments.
Test removal methods before treating the whole floor. W. R. Meadows recommends a small test patch when removing resin- or wax-based curing compounds, starting with the method least detrimental to the concrete. PROSOCO likewise calls for testing and warns that some removers can damage existing protective treatments or dyes.
CPC recommends performing the polished-concrete mockup on the actual slab rather than off site. Our mockup planning and approval guide covers that review step.
Resolve unacceptable conditions before starting
Where ACI SPEC-310.1-20 governs, notify the Architect/Engineer, Owner’s Representative or both in writing of conditions that would adversely affect polished appearance. Work can begin after either:
- Unsatisfactory conditions are corrected in accordance with the Contract Documents.
- The Architect/Engineer, Owner’s Representative or both approve a remediation plan in writing.
ACI and the CPC guide specification treat starting work in an area as acceptance of that area’s surface conditions. That is not acceptance of the finished polished floor or of areas where work has not started.
These provisions apply when incorporated into the project documents; project-specific requirements govern conflicts with ACI. The substrate acceptance guide covers the detailed examination, notice and approval requirements.
Project Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
Establish the slab’s defects, repair needs, contamination, hardness and surface absorbency. Assess hazards before disturbing previous coverings, and review a mockup on the actual slab. These checks address different conditions; no single test establishes complete readiness.
CPC recommends a polishing-contractor condition survey and a time-and-materials allowance for needed repairs. The owner retains funds that are not used.
No. Concrete can remain stained or discolored after cutback adhesive is removed. Removing the adhesive does not establish whether subsequent grinding and polishing will remove the remaining marks.
No. Surface hardness and wetting checks do not replace examination of defects, contaminants and other conditions required by the project specification. ACI’s Mohs threshold also does not establish compressive strength.
Under ACI SPEC-310.1-20 and the CPC guide specification, where adopted, starting work accepts the surface conditions in that area. It does not accept the finished polished floor or untouched areas.
Polished Concrete Knowledge Center
Resource links
Performance & Safety
Design & Aesthetics
Installation Guidance
Economics & Sustainability
Maintenance & Aftercare
Comparative & Decision-Making
Blog
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