concrete finish

[lufkin]

What type of finish would be best for concrete flors in a grocery store with moisture in the air and high traffic areas?

[Grizzly]

I would have to say NONE, look into concrete polishing. I know that this is not the way you want to go but I have never promoted finish on concrete.

Bill

[evetsclean]

Ooooohhhh, I LOVE this topic. In the grocery chain I clean for, all new stores are required to have the back room concrete floor sealed. Now, I'm not talking about the sales floor, just the warehouse area. I think sealing it looks great...for about a month. There is NO concrete sealer on the market that can withstand the traffic of a grocery store, and maintain a nice appearance, and be low maintenance. Having said that, Lufkin, if you happen to be in Ontario Canada, or even a border state near Ontario, I know a guy who can provide you with all the expertise, material, even manpower to coat your floor with industrial grade epoxy/resin something or other. (It's not exactly my field of expertise, although I have done some jobs for this guy) It's the same treatment used in factories, and it's almost indestructible. HOWEVER, it gives the floor a greenish look, and requires a major operation to apply it. I'm talking respirators, tyvek suits, extra ventilation, and no store staff allowed onsite while it's being applied. And it's pretty expensive.

Having said all that, I agree with Bill, concrete polishing is awesome...provided it's done right. My local Home (Depot) Desperate recently had someone do their floor, and whoever did it, used a machine that was too large to get close to the edges, so about 8 inches on each side of every aisle, is still dull, while the rest of the floor is shiny. It looks terrible. I know for a fact that you can order a diamond block (not cheap) for a swing machine. That would be my personal choice. Again this method can be costly, BUT, there is never any need for sealing, stripping, scrubbing, etc. You polish to a nice high gloss, and that's it. Done.

Now, if you really want to seal the floor, this can most certainly be done. But it will wear over time, and need to be repeated. It does make dust mopping easier, I will say that. If you choose that route, Buckeye makes a decent concrete sealer. I can't remember the name, but it's not bad.