Is My Existing Slab a Good Candidate for Polishing?

Most slabs polish beautifully

The good news: most Austin slabs are candidates for Polished Concrete. Including older slabs, slightly damaged slabs, slabs that have had old coatings, even stained slabs. The diamond grinding process removes the surface layer and reveals the concrete beneath.

What we look for:

• Slab is structurally sound (no settling, no widening cracks)
• Surface is reasonably level (or can be ground flat)
• No deep, oily contamination that has soaked through the slab
• Aggregate quality (if you want salt-and-pepper or full aggregate exposure)

When overlay is needed first

Some slabs are better polished after a thin overlay:

• Heavily cracked or spalled surfaces where extensive grinding would weaken the slab
• Slabs with extreme color variation that won’t disappear in polish
• Slabs with too much depth difference that need self-leveler to flatten

In those cases we install a Concrete Overlay first, then polish the new overlay. Same final finish, just an extra step.

We evaluate the slab during the quote. Send a few photos with your inquiry and we can usually tell you very quickly whether you’re a direct-polish candidate.