No coating at all: the concrete is ground through progressively finer diamonds, hardened with a lithium densifier and polished to a satin or high-gloss finish. It's the floor in big-box stores and modern lofts, and it lasts as long as the slab.
Polished concrete is a mechanical process, not a product. We grind the slab with metal-bond diamonds to expose the aggregate you want (cream, salt-and-pepper, or full exposed stone), apply a lithium silicate densifier that reacts with the concrete to harden it, then polish through resin-bond diamonds up to 800, 1500 or 3000 grit for the sheen you want. A stain-guard finish protects against spills. Because there's no film, there's nothing to peel, chip or hot-tire.
It's the standard floor for warehouses, retail and restaurants because it's bright, tough and cheap to maintain, and it's increasingly popular in modern homes and basements. It needs a sound, reasonably flat slab without heavy patching — polishing reveals everything, including old repairs — so we'll assess the concrete honestly before recommending it.
For slabs that aren't polish candidates, a grind-and-seal (grind smooth, apply a clear coating) gives a similar clean look at lower cost.
There's no coating to fail — the shine is in the concrete.
Dust-mop and occasional auto-scrub. No stripping, waxing or recoating.
Cuts lighting costs in commercial spaces and makes basements feel bigger.
Lasts the life of the slab with periodic re-burnishing.
Concrete dyes add gray, tan, black or bolder colors before polishing.
Hard, flat and smooth for rolling loads.
Every SwiftHand floor follows the same sequence. Skipping a step is how coatings fail, so we don't.
Measure the space, check the slab for moisture and old coatings, pick a finish. You get a written price — online in minutes or in person.
We grind the concrete with dust-controlled diamond grinders to open the pores. Never acid etching, which is why our floors don't peel.
Cracks, pits, spalls and control joints are filled with polyurea joint filler and mender, then ground flush. Moisture is tested before anything goes down.
A pigmented polyurea/polyaspartic base coat is rolled on and wets into the ground concrete for a mechanical bond.
Vinyl flake is broadcast to full rejection (or metallic, quartz or solid color applied), then scraped smooth once set.
A clear polyaspartic topcoat locks it all in — chemical, UV and hot-tire resistant. Walk on it that evening; park on it in about 48 hours.
Polished concrete runs roughly $3–$8 per square foot depending on the level of aggregate exposure, sheen and dye. Large open commercial floors price at the low end; small residential areas with dye and high gloss at the high end. Grind-and-seal is typically $3–$5.
Financing: 0% APR for up to 12 months and $0 down through Wisetack on approved credit — a $3,000 floor is $250 a month, interest-free. Financing details.
Representative photos of the systems on this page. Photos of SwiftHand projects are added as jobs complete.
Technically, but polished concrete doesn't resist hot tires, salt and oil the way a coating does. For garages we recommend a coating; polishing is for interior and commercial floors.
Yes — polishing is honest. Repairs can be color-matched but not hidden. If the slab is heavily patched, a coating hides it better.
Polished concrete meets standard slip-resistance ratings when dry and clean; wet it's comparable to tile. Stain-guard finishes with a slip additive are available.
Multi-step grinding and polishing takes longer than a coating — plan on two to four days for a typical commercial floor, one to two for a basement.
Answer a few questions about the space — size, condition, the finish you like — and our instant quote tool builds a written price on the spot. It takes four to five minutes, not sixty seconds, because an accurate number beats a fast one. Prefer a person? Book a free consultation and we'll measure in person.
Get an instant online price in a few minutes, or book a free in-person consultation. No pressure, no sleazy sales pitch — just a written price.
