Polished concrete
Polished Concrete Newcastle: Floors for Homes, Shops and Warehouses
Polished concrete in Newcastle can go on a new slab or an old one hiding under carpet. Tell us which you have and the look you are after. Book it with us and we'll send a local polishing specialist to quote.
Book with us and we'll send a local polishing specialist to quote. The work is done by independent contractors, and it costs you nothing to ask.
Where can we help you get polished concrete?
New homes and extensions
Planned before the pour, so the mix and the finishing suit a polished floor.
Renovations
Existing slabs uncovered after carpet, tiles or vinyl come up. Old glue comes off first with concrete grinding.
Shops, cafes and offices
Hard-wearing floors that suit fit-outs, often done after hours.
Warehouses and workshops
Large areas where a dense, dust-free, easy-clean floor matters more than looks.
Garages
A polished or sealed floor in place of bare, dusty concrete.
Outdoor areas
Honed concrete for patios and pool surrounds: ground smooth, sealed and left matte for grip.
Which polished finish do you mean?
Four different floors get called polished concrete. Tell us which you want and we can send the job to the right operator. Stuck between two? Read honed or polished: which suits your floor.
| Finish | How it's made | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanically polished | Ground, hardened with a densifier and polished through fine grits. The shine is in the concrete | Living areas and commercial floors that need to last |
| Grind and seal | Ground, then coated with a clear sealer. The shine is in the coating | Tighter budgets; the coating wears and needs redoing over time |
| Honed | Ground smooth and sealed, with a matte surface | Outdoors and wet areas where grip matters |
| Burnished | A new slab trowelled hard and smooth as it sets | An industrial look on new builds, decided before the pour |
How is a concrete floor polished?
A mechanical polish is a series of passes, each one finer than the last.
- 01
Coarse grind
Flattens the slab and cuts down to the amount of stone you want to see.
- 02
Fill
Pinholes and small cracks are grouted so the surface is tight.
- 03
Densify
A liquid hardener soaks in and makes the surface denser.
- 04
Hone
Medium grits remove the scratches from the coarse passes.
- 05
Polish
Fine grits bring up the sheen: matte, satin or gloss.
- 06
Protect
A penetrating sealer helps the floor resist stains.
What the job changes
Most of the change comes from what's taken off. Glue, paint and the weak top layer are ground away, then the surface is hardened and polished. The stone you end up looking at was in the slab all along.
Drag the handle on the picture to compare before and after.
Grinding makes silica dust, so ask how it will be controlled. SafeWork NSW sets the rules contractors work to. For jobs over $5,000, look up the contractor's licence with Building Commission NSW.
- BeforeAfter
Floor grind and polish
Old glue and coatings ground off an existing slab, which is then hardened and polished through finer and finer grits.
What affects the cost of polished concrete?
Polishing is priced by the square metre. These are the choices that move the rate.
- The finish
- A full mechanical polish costs more than grind and seal. It's a lot more passes.
- Stone exposure
- Cutting deep to show full stone takes longer than a light cut that leaves the surface creamy.
- Gloss level
- Each step up in shine is more passes with finer tooling.
- Condition of the slab
- Old glue, cracks, patches and soft concrete all add prep. Cracks may need concrete repairs first.
- Area and layout
- Open spaces are quicker. Lots of small rooms mean lots of edge work.
- Timing
- Polishing before walls and kitchens go in is easier and cheaper than working around them.
Polished concrete questions we get asked
General guidance, reviewed November 2026. Your contractor will advise on your site.
Related
Can my existing slab be polished?
Usually, yes. What it will look like depends on the slab. Old concrete can show patches, cracks, colour changes and marks from where walls or tiles used to be. A contractor can grind a small test area to show you before you commit. If the slab's cracked, start with our guide on whether to repair or replace cracked concrete.
Is polished concrete slippery?
Dry and clean, an indoor polished floor has good grip. Wet is a different matter, so ask about slip resistance for bathrooms, entries and commercial floors. Outdoors, go for honed concrete.
What are stone exposure levels?
How much of the stone in the concrete shows. A light cut leaves a creamy surface with almost no stone. A medium cut gives a fine salt and pepper look. A deep cut shows the full stone.
I am building. When should I mention polished concrete?
Before the slab is poured. The mix, the stone and how the surface is finished and protected during the build all affect the result. Tell your builder and concreter at the start.
How do you look after a polished concrete floor?
Sweep or dust-mop it and wash it with a pH-neutral cleaner. Wipe up spills, especially acidic ones like wine and citrus, before they mark the surface.
How long does polishing take?
Depends on the area, the finish and the state of the slab. A few rooms can take several days, because every pass covers the whole floor. The contractor will give you a schedule.
Tell us about your polished floor job
A minute on the form. We'll send a local polishing specialist and they'll call you to quote.