A diamond polished concrete floor is very time-consuming if done correctly, this is due to the fact that there are at least 10 to 15 steps involved. The general rule is to start the initial grinding with a coarse 16- or 30-grit diamond and finish with a 1500- or 3000-grit diamond, depending on the gloss level required. These diamonds are impregnated inside a metal- or resin-bonded segment.
Typically the diamonds’ grit size will double once the first grind has been carried out. The use of 16- or 30-grit size diamonds, then use 60/80-grit diamonds followed by the 120-grit metal bond segments. The polishing process begins with a 50-grit diamond resin pad instead of a metal segment. When using the resin pads the steps may be 100, then 200, 400, 800, 1500 and finally 3000 grit. Throughout the process a densifier is used to harden the concrete surface, which allows the concrete to be polished. A number of densifiers can be used; these consist of a lithium, potassium sodium silicates. A grouting chemical is also used throughout the process to fill in any holes, cracks or imperfections that were exposed from the initial coarse grinding step.[2] The concrete is then sealed with a natural-look impregnating sealer; this sealer penetrates 2–5 mm inside the pores of the concrete preventing any deep staining from oils and spills.