Is Polished Concrete Worth your Money?
Polished concrete is worth your money once you factor its long-term benefits. The initial costs of polishing concrete floors are relatively high compared to other flooring options. But the overall cost of concrete polishing on your floor should include both your initial investment and its value through time.
The Average Cost of Polished Concrete in the Philippines
Updated prices of polished concrete in 2024
In 2020, the average price of concrete polishing in the Philippines was at Php650 per sq. meter. This means if you had a 200sqm property, you would need to prepare at least Php130,000 for the concrete polishing service alone.
As of 2024, the average price of polished concrete ranges from Php850 to Php1,000 per sq. meter because of inflation and the recent increase in labor prices. The Philippine government has mandated the increase of labor costs for construction workers across the Philippine wage market.
So, if you need to polish a concrete floor with an area of 200sqm, you should prepare at least Php170,000 to Php200,000 for concrete polishing services alone. You also need to prepare a budget for the mobilization of workers, which can range between 30,000 to 40,000 per lot. Here is a sample estimate for a 200sqm polished concrete project:
- Concrete polishing service: 200sqm x Php900/sqm = Php180,000
- Mobilization cost for bunkhouse and facilities: Php40,000
- Total estimated cost: Php240,000
The above price figures are estimates since there are other factors to consider, which require an actual site visit by our engineer or project manager. These factors include:
- The amount of preparation needed to ready your concrete floor
- The kind of sheen level you want for your concrete floor
- The location of your project
- Future labor cost increases
Floor preparation and desired outcome
A floor with wide areas of soft and damaged concrete, for example, may require you to place a new layer of concrete. A floor with wide areas of soft and damaged concrete, for example, may require you to place a new layer of concrete. Before polishing a concrete floor, contractors also check for surface damages such as cracks, crazing, and holes.
The total cost of concrete polished floors often gets lower when the concrete slab is already hard enough to be polished (i.e. A hardness of 3500 psi or higher is ideal for polishing a concrete floor). This means there is less need for the polished concrete contractor to do large repairs on the concrete slab.
Also, a high-gloss finish is more expensive than matte finish because it needs much finer diamond grits and more time for grinding and polishing.
The location of your project
Your location would also influence the final quote especially when it is positioned in hard-to-reach areas. Concrete polishing machines are heavy and needs significant manpower and equipment to transport. Any mobilization costs would also include funds needed for the workers’ barracks throughout the duration of the project.
Future labor cost increases
Labor costs also play a huge role in pricing. As of 2024, the Philippine government, through the Department of Labor and Employment, has required wage increase for skilled workers across the country. To meet this legal requirement, concrete polishing contractors are also forced to increase their price per square meter of polished concrete.
The price of polished concrete is expensive compared to other flooring materials in the Philippine market. So, how is it possible to say that polished concrete is worth the money? Because long-term savings matter for your project, the cost of maintaining polished concrete overtime is significantly lower that its counterparts. For more accurate figures, we can prepare you a customized quotation for FREE. Send us a request for free estimate through the link below.
Since polishing concrete floors are a big investment, always ask for detailed breakdown of costs for your project. Also seek information about the coverage of the contractor’s services and the duration of their warranty for your polished concrete floor.
Long-term Value of Polished Concrete
Polished concrete is the best no-wax flooring solution to any type of concrete floor. With the use of floor hardeners and grinding equipment, contractors grind and polish concrete surfaces to achieve the client’s desired sheen for their polished concrete floor. To know what polished concrete looks like, here are sample projects we completed:
When calculating the cost of polished concrete, it is important to look at its long-term benefits such as durability, aesthetics, cost-efficiency, and environmental impact. Before discussing these benefits, let’s talk about where polished concrete flooring is used.
Polished concrete for commercial and industrial spaces
Polished concrete in the Philippines is used in large warehouses, hotels, and malls. In the metropolitan centers like NCR, Iloilo, Cebu, and Davao, many establishments are choosing polished concrete for their flooring because they are very durable.
Here is an example of a completed project by DARIV for CitiHardware’s warehouse in Bahada, Davao City.
Polished concrete for residential spaces
Residential polished concrete floors are on the rise due to the durability and aesthetics they provide. Many homeowners today are also choosing polished concrete, including rest houses. Here is an example of a project DARIV finished for a rest house in Palawan.
Can I DIY my polished concrete floor?
Because the cost of a polished concrete floor is high, many think of the possibility of a DIY concrete floor. In a world where almost everything is learnable through online tutorials and video demonstrations, one question is whether or not polished concrete is doable as a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) project for the sake of saving money.
It is possible to polish your concrete floor on your own provided you have the concrete polishing machine or machines needed for this kind of project. You also need to have the knowledge and time to do the rigorous processes need to complete a high-quality polished concrete floor.
If you don’t have the equipment and the knowledge to do polished concrete, the best way to have a polished concrete floor is working with a polished concrete contractor.
DARIV has multiple concrete polishing projects around the Philippines, with completed projects ranging from residential polished concrete floors to industrial polished concrete floors. Check out our concrete polishing projects in DAVAO region.
Quality is not cheap
Frankly, polished concrete floors do not come at a low expense. Avoid contractors who offer to work on your concrete floor at very low prices. These low prices often come at the expense of the quality of your project. In many cases, low prices may also mean the workers who will do much of the physical labor are being paid well.
Long-term Benefits of Polished Concrete
When calculating cost, you also need to see the benefits of concrete polishing in the long run. Here are key benefit you need to consider when asking “how much is polished concrete?”
Durability
Concrete is the most durable flooring material on the planet. Tiles can easily break and crack. Wood is weak and prone to pest and mold. Vinyl is toxic and highly flammable and can easily wear off.
But polished concrete can withstand heavy traffic from people or light vehicles that pass on it every day. It is not vulnerable to pest and mold, and not flammable. Plus, a polished concrete floor can last for decades or more when properly sealed and maintained!
Design
At DARIV Concrete Polishing, we have a wide variety of color and sheen levels for polished concrete floors. You’ll have enough versatility in terms of architectural design and aesthetics. Here’s an example of a rest house floor with high-gloss sheen and exposed aggregate finish.
Ease of maintenance
Most flooring materials require delicate care when cleaning. Polished concrete floors, on the other hand, only needs neutral pH cleaners to maintain its luster and durability. It does not need waxing and regular replacement. Here is one example of polished concrete flooring we completed for a school building.
Cost-efficiency
As a property owner, you should consider both short term and long term effects of your flooring strategy. In the short-term, concrete polishing can add to your upfront expenses. But because of its low-maintenance and durability, you’ll spend less on your flooring and more on other important costs.
Long-lasting and shiny concrete floors do not come without cost. Many property owners make the mistake of sacrificing quality for price, and often end up working with contractors with no proven record of completing quality polished concrete projects.
Because your floor is foundational to your property’s overall strength and appeal, you will save a lot more when you get a contractor who can really give you value-for-money results.
Customized polished concrete floor projects
To help our clients with their concrete polishing needs, DARIV offers customized polished concrete solutions. Here is an example. When we visited Citihardware’s store in Marbel, Koronadal City, their manager showed us a rough and soft concrete floor prone to extreme dusting, cracks, and surface damage.
Several contractors tried restoring and polishing the concrete floor. But because of poor floor conditions, these contractors were unable to solve Citihardware’s flooring problem.
Citihardware also tried putting wax to seal their concrete floor. Yet the floor remained dusty because of regular usage by clients, suppliers, and staff. The movement of stocks and shelves, machinery, and other heavy items also made their floor dull, rough, and cracked.
Citihardware approached DARIV to give them a good-looking and durable concrete floor. At the same time, they wanted to keep their store open to keep serving their customers.
DARIV crafted a customized method to address both Citihardware’s concerns. We began the concrete polishing process by testing the compressive strength of their concrete slab. With a rebound testing hammer, we got a result of less than 20R (2000 psi) which meant the concrete floor was weak and soft.
Since Citihardware would still serve their clients during daytime, we scheduled our operations from 7 pm to 7 am. We isolated the sections we would work on by placing dust protection covers on their product racks, walls, and other items that dust and debris can damage.
Having secured the areas and items that cannot get damaged by the concrete polishing process, we proceeded with grinding and repairing the weak and soft concrete floor. We used a #30 grit diamond to remove unnecessary surface materials. Afterwards, we patched up cracks and pin holes, and placed grout on large cracks in the concrete floor.
After repairing the floor, we treated the concrete surface using special hardeners and densifiers. Our concrete surface treatment hardened the soft and worn out sections, and gave the floor a polished look.
Once the densifiers seeped through the concrete and dried up, we continued polishing the concrete floor up to Citihardware’s desired finish. Lines from grouting works remained visible on the polished floor, which is normal because of repairs done on weak and damaged concrete. The large aggregates, exposed through deep grinding, also helped beautify the final finish.
What's your Verdict?
Polished concrete is one the best flooring options for your home or business. Once dusty, rough, and cracked, your concrete floor can become clean, sturdy, and stunning.
Of course, polished concrete is not the perfect solution for all establishments. But when durability, design, ease of maintenance, and cost-efficiency are primary considerations for your property, concrete polishing is definitely worth your money.
Request a quote to know how much you need to spend on your concrete polishing project.
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