Deciding to build a granny flat is simple, designing and building the extension can be a lot harder. You'll have a lot of questions to answer along the way. Can you use a general contractor or is is better to use one who has built a lot of granny flats before? Is a template design better than a customised one? Should you let the person who'll live in the flat have a say in what it looks like? Luckily, I'm here to help. My name is Maria. We moved my Mum into a purpose-built granny flat last year, so I've had to answer all these questions and more. I thought it'd be useful for other people to see how we managed the process, so here we are — get reading!
How To Make Your Concrete Have Designer Quality
Many offices and homes have areas where concrete makes up the majority of the floorspace, from corridors to garages and everything in between. If you are sick of feeling like you are trudging through a warehouse, then there is a way to make your floor look it was made by a designer and not simple poured concrete. This can be a great option to give your workplace a little bit more class and impress clients or customers who are walking through. All it takes is a little bit of concrete polishing to turn your concrete floor into a beautiful feature.
What Is Concrete Polishing?
Concrete polishing is a technique used in construction and finishing to make your concrete shine and look very reflective, almost like a mirror. No longer will it look like a rough-edged workspace, but instead it almost looks like it could be the foyer of a museum or other high-society installation. All it takes is a simple machine that has several pads on the part that touches the surface. You attach varying levels of grit to these pads so that the floor is made smoother and smoother and all paint is removed. Intermittently, you also use sealant to ensure that the concrete retains its durable quality. Eventually, you simply finish with sealant and your floor will have that mirror-like quality.
Are There Any Professionals Who Can Do This?
There are several contractors who offer concrete polishing services, especially for those who are not confident enough to rent out the equipment and do it themselves. Concrete polishing is generally done as part of the overall construction of a building, but if you change your mind at a later point or want to upgrade an existing building this can also be done. On the day of the polishing, it is important that everything is removed from the proposed area and that you allow several hours for the process to be completed. This is important because you will not be able to walk through the area during or immediately after the concrete polishing, so plan accordingly.
Is It Toxic?
No. The chemicals used in concrete polishing are not toxic once applied to the floor. That is why you need to wait a certain amount of time before walking over the floor, because the sealant needs to do its job and get set. It is important that if you have small children you keep them away from the affected area during construction and lock all pets away so that they do not accidentally get in the way. Once the procedure is completed, there is no harm in letting them explore the beautiful new floor.
Contact a concrete polishing service today to learn more.