Polished Concrete Transforms Wisconsin Grocery Store

When a highly respected Wisconsin grocery store corporation was looking to update and remodel their Wauwatosa, Wisconsin Grocery Store facility they turned to a Waukesha, Wisconsin design and engineering firm to help them with the project.

Floorcare USA, Inc., out of Waukesha, Wisconsin has a long-term relationship with the Grocery Store Design and Engineering firm and helped them decide on Polished Concrete as being the very best flooring system for the grocery stores floors. This particular grocery store was about 60 years old and has had numerous installations and replacements of unsightly VCT – Vinyl Composite Tile flooring which is reasonably priced to install, but very expensive to maintain.
This Wisconsin Grocery store owner was looking for a better way and for a concrete flooring system that would meet the eclectic – cool -urban design theme that the design and engineering firm was looking for. Polished Concrete was the perfect fit for this project and this client, providing for a floor that is: beautiful, durable, safe, high traction, easy to clean and maintain and met with the design criteria and theme for the overall store look.
Floorcare USA first mechanically scraped all the VCT – Vinyl Composite Tile from the floors to expose the surface and then performed a multiple step process of grinding off the glue, patching and repairing defects in the floors surface, repairing joints and voids and then performing a multiple step polishing process until the desired sheen level was reached.
The concrete floors were hardened and densified twice. Then they were polished to a high sheen and concrete guard was applied. The final concrete burnish step was performed to provide for a beautiful concrete floor that is:

• Glossy
• High Traction under wet conditions
• Durable
• Easy to clean
• Sustainable
• Beautiful
• Unique

What made this particular project all the more impressive is that Concrete Polishing Team at Floorcare USA, Inc., out of Waukesha, WI had to perform over 30,000 square feet of concrete flooring rehab while the store was in operation, with a 3rd shift working schedule of 11:00 pm to 6:00 am; with all concrete flooring production having to be performed in this strict time-frame so that the store could stay in operation and provide the great service and products to its Wauwatosa, Wisconsin community. The polished concrete process that Floorcare USA, Inc. performed for the Wauwatosa, Wisconsin grocery store will provide the following benefits:
The life-cycle costs of the “green” polished concrete floor process can be significantly lower due to drastic reductions in maintenance costs when compared to other flooring options, according to findings released by the independent Environmental Building News (EBN). Polished Concrete has been shown to reduce maintenance costs by up to 65 percent, especially when compared to the ongoing surface treatments needed with epoxy coatings, vinyl composition tile, linoleum, cork, and other floor finishing systems. The EBN report compared polished concrete to other commonly specified floor systems, noting: “With some flooring options, the cost of maintenance can exceed the installation cost during the first year! Polished, densified concrete has very low maintenance cost….” The polished concrete floor system offers the lowest life cycle costs when compared to other flooring options, the report’s author added.
Research by EBN showed the cost per square foot over a 10-year life-cycle to maintain a polished concrete floor system can be as low as $4 vs. sheet vinyl which can be as much as $25 per square foot. In addition, epoxy coatings costing up to $20 per square foot to maintain and must be reapplied every third year compared to the more than 10 year life expectancy of the green polished concrete floor system. In addition, the Polished Concrete process is VOC-free, and contains no epoxies, polyurethanes, waxes or strippers, and no caustic or acidic cleaning compounds are needed for cleaning. This leads to improved indoor air quality and the potential for points toward the LEED Green Building Rating System by the US Green Building Council.
A finished polished concrete floor resists moisture and rot in order to eliminate concerns about the growth of hazardous mold and mildew. The proprietary fluids used to chemically hardens and densifies the concrete surface. This permanent treatment safely and dramatically increases the durability and life expectancy of the concrete floor, while also having minimal impact on the environment.
Once a polish concrete floor has undergone the polishing process, the floor finish provides a safe, high-traction wax-like sheen which is easily maintained with simply water and mild cleaning and conditioning detergents. Polished concrete is certified “High-Traction” by the independent National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) and complies with ADA and OSHA requirements and regulations. Unlike carpeting, the Polishing process (or densified concrete floor) leaves the floor completely fire resistant, brominated flame retardants do not have to be applied for fire resistance, and the finished floor cannot contribute to flame spread.
Polished concrete flooring system also can increase reflectivity by as much as 30 percent, further reducing a building’s ongoing energy costs because of a reduction in electric lighting use. The cost of maintaining light fixtures and replacing light bulbs also is reduced due to less need for their operation once a highly reflective surface is installed in schools, warehouses, retail stores, or other commercial buildings. Further evidence suggests that the acoustic benefits to a densified concrete floor are far superior to the lower sound reflectivity from soft floor coverings such as VCT or carpeting.
Upon completion, this Wauwatosa, Wisconsin grocery store has a beautiful floor that will deliver years of reliable service if properly maintained.