Polishing concrete is similar to sanding wood. Using progressively finer grits of diamond polishing pads or diamond impregnated pads, the concrete is steadily ground down to the desired degree of polish. A polished concrete floor has a sleek, reflective finish to it. The reflectivity of the floor, as well as the color, patterns and designs of the floor can be controlled by different levels of polishing.

Polished concrete has numerous benefits, which is why it has become so popular as a flooring choice for businesses, warehouses and commercial buildings. Its durability, cost-effectiveness, and quality is nearly unbeatable. Polished concrete is one of the safest floor options due to its slip resistance is better than unpolished concrete. It is also one of the lower maintenance options over the lifetime of the floor. Another major benefit of polished concrete is the cost savings it can provide. The reflective properties of polished concrete can naturally increase ambient lighting which means fewer lights can be used.

The tool most used in the polishing process is a concrete grinder. The concrete grinders come in many configurations, and select the right grinder for polishing concrete floors according to different requirements. Diamond tools are used by all grinders as a sort of abrasive to grind or polish the concrete. Some of these grinders run on electricity but a growing number of them are beginning to use alternative fuels and do not use electricity as their main power source.

Using a concrete grinder to start the work, a concrete floor is scored with a range of diamond abrasive grits. Depending on the situation, the process can be performed dry or wet. After this a densifier is applied. Once the densifier has dried and cured, one or more resin bond diamond tools will be used to polish the floor to the desired gloss. After this an indensifier or concrete microfilm is used to work into the surface. This provides the glossy look of the finished floor, it also strengthens the floor. The floor is then given its final gloss and the surface is cleaned.