Plain-English terms
Concrete polishing glossary.
57 terms explained without the jargon, from aggregate exposure to slurry.
- 57 terms
- Plain English
A
- Aggregate
- The sand and stones mixed into concrete. How much shows depends on how deep the floor is ground.
- Aggregate exposure
- How much of the stone and sand is revealed by grinding: cream, salt-and-pepper or full aggregate.
B
- Burnishing
- Buffing a floor with a high-speed machine and a soft pad to raise gloss and renew the guard.
C
- Calcium hydroxide
- A by-product of cement curing that densifiers react with to harden the slab.
- Control joint
- A planned cut in a slab that gives cracks a place to form.
- Cream
- The smooth, paste-like surface of concrete with little or no aggregate visible.
- Curing
- The process of concrete gaining strength after it is placed, which needs moisture and time.
- Curing compound
- A liquid sprayed on new concrete to hold moisture in. Some interfere with polishing.
D
- Dehumidification
- Removing moisture from the air, which can help slabs dry before finishing.
- Densifier
- A silicate liquid that hardens the pores of concrete from within.
- Diamond abrasive
- Industrial diamond particles in a metal or resin matrix that grind and polish concrete.
- Diamond grinding
- Heavy grinding with diamond tools to remove coatings, level and open the slab.
- Dry polishing
- Polishing with dust extraction instead of water.
- Dye
- Fine pigment that soaks into concrete to add color.
E
- Efflorescence
- A white, powdery salt deposit that can appear when moisture moves through concrete.
- Epoxy
- A two-part resin used for coatings and for filling cracks.
- Etching
- Dulling of the surface by acid or other chemicals.
F
- Flatness
- How free a floor is from local bumps and waves.
- Floor guard
- A protective treatment applied at the end of polishing that resists stains and adds sheen.
- Full aggregate
- A look with larger stones exposed across the floor.
G
- Gloss meter
- An instrument that measures how much light a surface reflects.
- Grind and seal
- Grinding a slab and sealing it, a simpler option than full polishing.
- Grit
- A number describing how coarse a diamond tool is. Higher numbers are finer.
H
- HEPA vacuum
- A vacuum with a high-efficiency filter that captures very fine dust.
- Honing
- Grinding that leaves a smooth, matte-to-satin surface.
J
- Joint filler
- Material, often semi-rigid epoxy or polyurea, that fills saw-cut joints.
L
- Lippage
- A small height difference between two sides of a joint or crack.
- Lithium silicate
- A type of densifier with small molecules that penetrate well.
M
- Metal bond
- Diamond tools with a metal matrix used for coarse grinding.
- Metallic epoxy
- A coating with pigments that swirl like liquid metal.
- Mirror finish
- A very high gloss that gives crisp reflections.
- Moisture vapor emission
- The amount of moisture moving through a slab, which affects coatings.
N
- Neutral cleaner
- A pH-neutral floor cleaner that does not harm the guard or the surface.
O
- Overlay
- A thin cementitious layer applied over an old slab to create a new surface.
P
- Planetary grinder
- A floor grinder with heads that rotate around a central axis for a flat cut.
- Polishing
- A multi-step process of grinding to finer and finer diamond grits to reach a chosen sheen.
- Popout
- A small crater where a piece of aggregate has popped out of the surface.
- Power trowel
- A machine that finishes fresh concrete to a smooth, hard surface.
R
- Relative humidity probe
- A sensor placed in a drilled hole in the slab to measure its internal humidity.
- Resin bond
- Diamond tools with a resin matrix used for the finer polishing steps.
S
- Salt-and-pepper
- A speckled look where fine sand and small stones are visible.
- Saw cut
- A groove cut into the slab with a saw, for joints or decoration.
- Scratch pattern
- The marks left by one grit, which the next finer grit removes.
- Sealer
- A liquid that protects the surface, either by soaking in or by forming a film.
- Sheen
- How much light a floor reflects, from matte to high gloss.
- Silica dust
- Fine dust from cutting concrete, which is a health hazard when breathed.
- Slab on grade
- A concrete floor poured directly on the ground, common in Florida.
- Slip resistance
- How much grip a surface offers, especially when wet.
- Slump
- A measure of how wet or stiff fresh concrete is.
- Slurry
- The mixture of water and concrete fines created by wet grinding.
- Spall
- A chip or flake that breaks away from the surface of concrete.
- Stain guard
- A treatment that helps a polished floor resist oil, water and spills.
- Static crack
- A crack that no longer moves.
T
- Terrazzo
- A floor of stone chips set in cement and polished, whose look full aggregate polishing echoes.
- Traction treatment
- A surface treatment that adds grip with little change in appearance.
V
- Vapor barrier
- A sheet under a slab that slows moisture rising from the soil.
W
- Wet polishing
- Polishing with water as a coolant, producing slurry.
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