Glossy Floors has prepared a polished concrete comparison chart so you can easily compare Polished Concrete with some of the most common flooring materials used today.
Decorative polished concrete offers a number of advantages that other flooring materials can’t match, particularly when it comes to durability, performance and sustainability. Here, we compare polished concrete floors with some of the most popular alternatives.
A good polished concrete comparison chart will help you decide which flooring option is best for you.
We realize that each scenario is different. A polished concrete floor may not work for everyone. Our goal here is to help you learn about the many value added benefits polished concrete has to offer. We get many calls about flooring and surprisingly, many of you don’t realize just how decorative polished concrete can be, just how beautiful polished concrete can be, or just how long polished concrete will actually last.
Don’t forget to have a look at our polished concrete image gallery and see what we can do to make your concrete floors last forever.
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Polished Concrete Comparison Chart: In addition to adding color with dyes and integral pigments, you can use the polishing process to reveal colored aggregate and other decorative embedded objects. You also have a choice of sheen levels, from a subtle gloss to a brilliant, mirror like shine.
- Carpet – Yes
- Ceramic Tile – Yes
- Vinyl or Linoleum – Yes
- Wood or Wood Laminate – Yes
- Natural Stone (Such as slate or marble) – No
- Polished Concrete – Unlimited
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[toggle_content title=”Longevity and Performance” open=”no”]Polished Concrete Comparison Chart: Polishing produces an extremely dense, abrasion-resistant surface that will last a lifetime with proper care. Carpet, tile and even wood floors eventually need replacement, which uses up resources and creates disposal problems.
- Carpet – Poor
- Ceramic Tile – Good
- Vinyl or Linoleum – Good
- Wood or Wood Laminate – Good
- Natural Stone (Such as slate or marble) – Excellent
- Polished Concrete – Excellent
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[toggle_content title=”Ease Of Maintenance” open=”no”]Polished Concrete Comparison Chart: Not only are polished floors easy to clean, requiring only occasional damp mopping, they hold up well under heavy forklift and foot traffic. The glossy surface also eliminates the need for waxes or coatings while resisting stains.
- Carpet – Poor (Needs frequent vacuuming; Stains easily)
- Ceramic Tile – Good
- Vinyl or Linoleum – Good (Linoleum may need occasional waxing)
- Wood or Wood Laminate – Good
- Natural Stone (Such as slate or marble) – Good
- Polished Concrete – Excellent
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[toggle_content title=”Can radiate heat and store solar energy”]Polished Concrete Comparison Chart: Concrete flooring is often a central component of passive solar home designs, because the slab absorbs the heat of the sun during the day and releases the stored heat as needed at night. Concrete is also ideal for use with radiant floor heating systems.
- Carpet – No
- Ceramic Tile – No
- Vinyl or Linoleum – No
- Wood or Wood Laminate – No
- Natural Stone (Such as slate or marble) – Yes (Depending on the material)
- Polished Concrete – Yes
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[toggle_content title=”Vulnerable to humidity and moisture damage”]Polished Concrete Comparison Chart:
- Carpet – Yes
- Ceramic Tile – No
- Vinyl or Linoleum – Yes
- Wood or Wood Laminate – Yes
- Natural Stone (Such as slate or marble) – No
- Polished Concrete – No
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[toggle_content title=”Can harbor mold, mildew, dust mites and other allergens”]Polished Concrete Comparison Chart: Concrete is a great alternative to carpeting for people who are allergic to animal dander and dust mites. Concrete also is an inorganic material and won’t support the growth of toxic mold.
- Carpet – Yes
- Ceramic Tile – No
- Vinyl or Linoleum – No
- Wood or Wood Laminate – Yes (Mold and mildew, if the floor becomes wet)
- Natural Stone (Such as slate or marble) – No
- Polished Concrete – No
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[toggle_content title=”Is a sustainable flooring alternative”]Polished Concrete Comparison Chart: In addition to using sustainable materials, polished concrete does not require the use hazardous chemicals, coatings, adhesives or cleaners. Another green advantage: Polished floors are highly reflective and can save energy by reducing artificial lighting requirements.
- Carpet – No
- Ceramic Tile – Yes
- Vinyl or Linoleum – Maybe (If using linoleum made from all natural materials)
- Wood or Wood Laminate – Maybe (If made from reclaimed or FSC-certified wood)
- Natural Stone (Such as slate or marble) – Yes
- Polished Concrete – Yes
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[toggle_content title=”Average Cost Per Square Foot Installed”]Polished Concrete Comparison Chart: Depends on the level of finish, decorative options and complexity of the project. Polished concrete is an economical alternative for homeowners or businesses that can’t afford marble or granite but want the same mirror like finish.
- Carpet – $3.38 – 6.61
- Ceramic Tile – $11 – 22
- Vinyl or Linoleum – $2.64 – 5.64
- Wood or Wood Laminate – $8 – 10
- Natural Stone (Such as slate or marble) – $20 – $50
- Polished Concrete – $3 – 7 (For a 3,000-grit finish and an impregnating sealer)
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[toggle_content title=”Average Lifecycle Cost”]Polished Concrete Comparison Chart: With low maintenance costs, savings in energy costs, and a super-long lifespan, polished concrete is one of the least costly floors you can own over time
- Carpet – High
- Ceramic Tile – Low
- Vinyl or Linoleum – Intermediate
- Wood or Wood Laminate – Intermediate
- Natural Stone (Such as slate or marble) – Low
- Polished Concrete – Extremely Low
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For more information on our polished concrete floors services, please feel free to contact us at any time. Thank you for viewing our polished concrete comparison chart. For your added convenience, we have an online appointment scheduling system so you can have one of our owners call or come by on a day and time that works best for you.
If you would like to see how your floor would look with polished concrete, visualize your polished concrete floors with our polished concrete visualization tool.
Glossy Floors proudly offers the following services: Polished Concrete, Stained polished concrete, epoxy flooring, coating removal, surface prep and concrete leveling.
We serve the following cities (In Arkansas) Rogers, Fayetteville, Arkansas, Springdale, Arkansas, Rogers, Arkansas, Bentonville, Arkansas, Bella Vista, Arkansas, Eureka Springs, Arkansas, Fort Smith Arkansas, Siloam Springs, Arkansas, (In Missouri) Neosho, Missouri, Joplin, Missouri, Springfield, Missouri, Branson, Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri, (In Oklahoma) Muldrow, Oklahoma, Tulsa, Oklahoma (In Texas) Houston, Texas, Dallas, Texas and anything in between. As long as the concrete project is in Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma or Missouri, we would be honored to work on your concrete project.
Glossy Floors is the premier concrete contractor for Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri and Kansas and we want to be your concrete polishing company. Let us help you with your next polished concrete floor. The polished concrete comparison is for informational purposes only.