What does concrete floor grinding and polishing involve?
A grinder fitted with diamond tooling removes the weak surface layer, flattens the floor and leaves a denser surface; the grit is then made finer stage by stage until the floor reaches the sheen you want. The number of stages and the time spent on each are not fixed: they depend on the hardness and flatness of the concrete and on the finish you choose, and are settled on the test patch.
Each finer grit removes the scratches of the one before. Skipping an intermediate grit to save time usually leaves swirl marks that show when light falls across the floor at a low angle. The team brings the dust-extracted grinder, the tooling for every stage, the densifier and the sealer; you do not need to provide any equipment.
| Stage | What it does |
|---|---|
| Coarse grinding | Flattens the floor and removes loose cement paste, ingrained dirt and what is left of old coatings. This stage decides whether the floor shows only the fine paste or part of the aggregate. |
| Fine grinding | Progressively finer grits erase the marks of the previous stage. |
| Densifying | A densifier soaks into the surface and makes the top layer harder and denser. It reduces dusting and helps the floor hold its sheen. |
| Polishing | Polishing pads raise the reflectivity of the floor to the level agreed on the test patch. |
| Sealing | A protective sealer reduces the absorption of water, oil and coffee. It wears with use and needs periodic maintenance. |
Which concrete floors are suitable for polishing?
Not every slab gives the same result. The survey establishes whether the floor is suitable and what has to be prepared before grinding. Each case below needs to be assessed on site by a specialist.
| Floor condition | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Sound and fairly flat | The most suitable case. Any finish from matte to gloss can be chosen to suit the use. |
| Cracked | Grinding does not close cracks. Small ones can be filled first but usually remain visible; large cracks or signs of settlement should be assessed by a structural engineer beforehand. |
| Weak or heavily dusting | The surface may go on pitting and shedding after grinding. The specialist treats a test patch and states what result is achievable before you decide. |
| Coated with epoxy or PU paint | The coating has to be stripped before grinding. The amount of work depends on its thickness and adhesion and is known only after the survey. |
| Long-term oil staining | Oil that has soaked in deep may only fade, not disappear. This is common in garages. |
| Newly poured | The concrete needs time to set and gain strength. Design strength is usually assessed at 28 days; agree the grinding date with your contractor. |
Matte, satin or gloss: which finish should I choose?
Sheen is more than appearance: it affects slipperiness, how much scratches show and how much upkeep the floor needs. The glossier the floor, the more care it needs when water, oil or grit is on it, so near entrances, washrooms and doors to a yard a moderate sheen and a mat are the safer choice. The test patch is viewed under the actual lighting of the premises so that you can choose.
| Finish | Character and usual use |
|---|---|
| Matte | Keeps the raw look and shows fewer scratches and footprints. Suits garages, small warehouses and covered outdoor walkways. |
| Satin | Bright and easy to mop, a balance between appearance and safe footing. The common choice for cafés, offices and townhouses. |
| Gloss | Reflects light clearly and sets off a display space. It needs attention to slip resistance when wet and more regular upkeep. Usually chosen for showrooms and lobbies. |
What is the difference between exposed-aggregate polished concrete and terrazzo?
Exposed-aggregate polished concrete is an ordinary slab ground deeper, so that part of the stone already in the concrete shows. How that stone looks depends on the concrete that was poured and is hard to predict exactly; a test patch is the surest way to see the result in advance.
Terrazzo is a separate layer of stone chips in a binder, laid and then ground flat, with a pattern and colour that are chosen deliberately. An existing terrazzo floor that needs cleaning, honing or re-polishing belongs to our stone floor polishing service.
- Stone floor polishing
- Marble, granite and terrazzo, with the steps for each stone.
How much does concrete floor polishing cost?
UpClean does not apply one rate per square metre to every floor. Hardness, flatness, cracks, old coatings and the sheen you want change the amount of work considerably, and the number of grinding stages and the preparation needed are known only after the survey and the test patch. The on-site survey is free. For an initial assessment you can first send photos or a video and the approximate area by WhatsApp or Zalo on 0773 521 104. The written, all-inclusive quote sets out each stage, the area, the approved sheen and the working time.
| Factor | How it affects the quote |
|---|---|
| Area | One wide, continuous floor is usually more efficient to work than several small areas with many edges and corners that need hand-held machines. |
| Condition | Flatness, hardness, cracks to fill, oil stains, and old paint or adhesive to strip. |
| Grind depth and sheen | Paste only or exposed aggregate; matte, satin or gloss; with or without a sealer. |
| Site | Floor level, lift, the route for the machines, power supply, how much has to be moved and how much protection is needed. |
| Working hours | The construction hours set by the building or residential area. Working outside business hours or over several visits affects the duration. |
Is concrete grinding dusty and noisy in a home or an occupied building?
Dry grinding of concrete produces fine dust, so the grinder is connected to a dust extractor, and doors, ventilation gaps and furniture are covered before work starts. Dust is collected throughout and the area is cleaned at the end of each session.
The machines are loud. In an apartment, shophouse or office inside a building, the work is registered with building management and kept to the building's permitted hours; it can be divided into several sessions. Specialists wear appropriate protective equipment. You, children and pets should stay out of the work area until handover.
Light foot traffic is usually possible once the densifier and the sealer have dried. How long to keep water off the floor and avoid dragging heavy items is stated at handover, because it depends on the product and the site.
Polished concrete for a home, café or showroom: which part does UpClean do?
A polished concrete floor involves two separate jobs: pouring and finishing the slab, then grinding and polishing it into the surface you use. UpClean does the second: grinding, densifying, polishing and sealing existing concrete, whether an old floor being renewed or a slab your contractor has just poured and that has reached strength. We do not pour concrete. If you are building or renovating, the specialist can discuss the right time to grind with your contractor.
The service is for floors. For concrete walls, worktops or furniture, send photos first; we take such work only when there is a method that suits it.
| Premises | Usual approach |
|---|---|
| Townhouses and villas | Living room, kitchen and garage in a minimalist style; matte or satin is usually chosen to limit slipperiness. |
| Cafés and restaurants | The floor carries heavy foot traffic and needs a sealer against coffee and cooking oil. Work is scheduled outside opening hours, between 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM. |
| Showrooms and offices | An even reflection matters most, to set off the products on display. Working hours are registered with building management. |
How do I maintain a polished concrete floor?
A ground and densified floor is fairly easy to look after. How long the sheen lasts depends on foot traffic, grit and the way the floor is mopped.
- Sweep or vacuum before wet mopping; fine sand is the main cause of scratches and dulling.
- Mop with clean water or a pH-neutral floor cleaner, and avoid acidic and strongly alkaline products.
- Blot and wipe up engine oil, coffee and soft drinks at once.
- Fit felt pads under furniture legs and lay mats at the doors from the yard and the garage.
- Have the sealer checked periodically in busy areas; the specialist proposes the interval at handover.
Do you polish factory and warehouse floors, and which areas do you cover?
The service is aimed at garages, showrooms, shophouses, offices, cafés, restaurants, villas, townhouses and small warehouses. Factories, large warehouses and other industrial premises are accepted after an on-site survey. Their floors carry forklifts, pallets and machine oil, so flatness, low dusting and easy cleaning come before sheen; grinding combined with densifying gives a harder, denser top layer that sheds less dust in operation.
At the survey the specialist assesses the slab, cracks, oil-soaked areas, any old epoxy coating and the production schedule before proposing a plan. Production does not usually have to stop altogether: the work can be divided by zone and fitted between shifts, and a zone being ground is cordoned off until it is handed back.
Regular service areas are An Khanh (Sala, Thu Thiem, Thao Dien), Binh Trung, Cat Lai, Phu My Hung (Tan My and Tan Hung wards), Thanh My Tay (Binh Thanh), the former Districts 1, 3 and 4, the former Phu Nhuan and Nha Be commune. In Districts 5, 6, 8, 10, 11 and 12, Go Vap, Tan Binh, Tan Phu and the former District 9, the survey date is confirmed when you book. Wards replaced the city's districts on 1 July 2025, but the old district names are still in everyday use. Quotes, confirmations and the Up Report, the before-and-after photo record sent after the job, can all be in English.
- Factory cleaning
- How we work inside production sites, including site safety and induction training.
- Request a survey
- Send photos or a video of the floor and its approximate area.
