Average response time: under 24 hours
Polished concrete in a museum or gallery protects fragile exhibits, where mirror-floor glare and construction dust risk paintings and loans. Success rests on substrate judgement before mobilization, reflective and matte zoning, humidity-controlled densification, and acceptance criteria agreed with the owner representative under exhibition lighting.
Scope covers galleries, halls, sculpture courts, corridors, shops and transition strips to tile or resin. Before mobilization the PM confirms slab age, strength, coatings, joints and moisture; failing zones go into the tender assumptions, not site argument.
Gallery slabs are poured monolithically with the structure, so the floor is part of the substrate, not an added layer. Once laitance and weak paste are removed and pores sealed by densifier, the surface sheds no coating dust. The hall mixes three profiles: even-reflection galleries, neutral courts under spots, and corridors and shops where heel marks and trolley wear appear first. A honed grade around CSP 5–6 suits galleries; care is a dry mop and cleaner.
Before crew enter, the PM records every zone in a written survey: slab age, trowel finish, coatings, patches, cracks, joints and repair mortar. Soft, powdery areas are logged for repair before the diamond sequence; a slab reading CSP 1–2 after a light metal pass needs exposed aggregate or repair first. Rooms hold 45–55% RH for artifacts, but work proceeds only while RH stays 75–80% and surface temperature holds 10–30 ℃. Record moisture at probe depth; joints over 3–4 mm are measured.
Museum work runs in closed blocks, not one continuous open floor. Divide the building into zones of roughly 150–300 m² per cluster, each with its own entry and extraction run; corridors and entrances are separate zones because their targets differ. Mark where pictures, texts and cases sit, since the viewing direction decides where reflection is acceptable. Viewing lanes stay matte or honed; quiet courts off sightlines may take a higher resin grade.
Run the sequence metal bond to resin in full-floor passes. Metal starts at 16 or 20 grit to open laitance and find soft spots, then 30 and 40 grit to even out grain; skip a grit only after a straightedge check clears marks. Resin follows 100, 200, 400, 800, then 1500 or 3000; scratches carried to 800 cannot be hidden by 1500. Work lanes keep 100–150 mm overlap; inspect each grit under 300–500 lux raking light. Apply densifier dust-free: 1:64, about 15 ml per litre, first coat, 1:128, about 8 ml per litre, second coat, damp 20–40 minutes.
Gloss is measured at 60° with a handheld meter, one reading per point; glare is judged from the visitor viewing position rather than looking down. Within a zone adjacent areas may differ by up to 5 units and still read even; a difference over 15 units between neighboring slabs calls for rework. The table lists zone targets; each record carries zone, date, reading and sign-off.
| Zone | Finish target | 60° gloss target | Lighting check | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Picture gallery | 800–1500 grit, honed | Low-mid, even lanes | 300–500 lux raking | Per 200 m² |
| Sculpture court | 400–800 grit, honed | Matches walls above | Spot glare from above | Flagged photo |
| Corridor and shop | 800–1500 grit, sealed | ≤5 units vs neighbors | Heel-mark check | Gloss dry clean |
| Edge and skirting | Hand-ground match | No skipped low spots | Check against strip | Edge signed |
Display cases, texts and plinths meet the floor along narrow joints that collect slurry if left open. Grind edges by hand grinder to the same grit sequence as the main floor, then inspect the 100–150 mm strip along walls, bases and thresholds for skipped low spots. Joints over 3–4 mm are filled with matching mortar before resin stages, dressed flush so it does not catch footwear. At tile or resin transitions, build the finish 1–2 mm below transition level; corners behind cases finish early.
Museum work must protect loans and conserved objects. Cover exhibits within 5–10 m of the zone with sealed sheeting, keep slurry in a closed tank, and mop dry at the end of each 3–4 hour block. Foot traffic returns after 24–72 hours; furniture and displays move back after the full sequence, normally 5–7 days from the first pass. A penetrating protector reduces staining; corridors are inspected every 2–3 years, galleries on a 3–5 year cycle.
Frequent disputes are uneven reflection, white haze after densifier, scratches after cases return and edge mismatch; walk the final inspection with the owner representative against the tender schedule, marking defects by number before rework.
At handover, supply the finish schedule, grit sequence, product names and dilution rates, joint details, reading records and a maintenance note. Walk the floor with the owner representative, showing where inspection points sit and how readings were taken. Confirm every zone has a signed record; open items carry a date and owner. The wear layer compacts in 6–12 months; dull patches near entrances are normal wear.
Written and reviewed by JOY TECH - an SGS & BV audited, CE/RoHS certified diamond tools manufacturer founded in 2004, exporting to 50+ countries.
Our factory and quality management system are audited by SGS and Bureau Veritas. Products meet CE/RoHS requirements and every piece is 100% inspected before packing.
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