NCRP offers both a MECHANICALLY POLISHED CONCRETE (comparable to the Husqvarna HIPER FLOOR method), and we offer a coating method commonly known as a grind and seal. We also do honed concrete (for exterior), and epoxy flooring.

Although the process itself does create dust, we utilize high quality dust extractors with HEPA filters and a longopac bagging system that makes for a dustless environment.

Control joints are meant to help control where the concrete will crack, however, this is not always fool proof, but it is surely the best line of defense. Your concreter will be the one who initially cuts the control joints, so that when we arrive to finish your floor, the control joints can then be prepped by re-honing the edges and fill with POLYUREA. When properly installed, there should only be 2 points of contact so that the product can flex with the slab. Keep in mind this product is not CEMITISOUS ( it is a non concrete/cement product) and comes in a wide range of colours that compliment the many shades concrete comes in; much like a frame is to a picture, it compliments. To minimize visual cuts in pre-pour projects, we recommend in the design stage that the control joints are cut where walls will be.

Simply put, our power requirements will be based on accessibility to the space, and which equipment will be most suitable to perform the scope of work. NCRP will either provide a detailed outline for an licensed electrician to install, OR we will supply the power requirements in full via mobile power generator.

It is possible for us to dye the concrete using an acetone or water-based dye, however, the colour uptake by these different slabs will not be exactly the same, but this will be the best way to get them looking similar, but not identical.

1. Mechanically Polished Concrete. This is our most sought after system. The refinement of the floor that includes power grouting which is done mechanically on the entire surface of the concrete which helps to close off micro pinholes that would otherwise hold dirt, bacteria and other contamination that could lead to premature failure. The more were able to grind and profile the floor the better imperfections are able to blend in with the finish, so it goes hand it hand! The floor will then be densified to rejection, this helps to harden the surface this is done between each grit to further strengthen and build up the ware layer. Once your final sheen is reached the floor will be cleaned and sealed using only a penetrating sealer system. 2. Grind and Seal is a system where mechanical steps are taken to refine the floor. The number of steps taken will be determined on what floor will be sealed with. Floors are usually grouted by hand which can lead to unfilled pinholes, and greater colour variations due to products being used. Guards come in many different types which are usually a form of modified polymers with higher solid contents that are film forming, such as Acrylic sealer that can give a similar look of a full mechanical polish. Other sealers like Urethanes are commonly used, and as the system becomes higher build like Epoxies are typically tinted. Therefore, depending on which sealer is applied, will determine the number of steps of Refinement needed to achieve the finish. These being topical help to hide imperfections and in some cases pour quality workmanship to give the surface a finished look.

Mechanical Polish System: the surface has no film filling guard to worry about, and we have reached maximum Refinement so it is easier to spot treat touch ups down the road instead of an entire surface if required. The densifier has also increased the surface strength, and will last upwards of 10 years depending on use and proper maintenance. Grind and Seal System: since the surface has had a topical application, you can expect to have to re-apply thin build guards like acrylics and urethanes in as little as 3 years or less depending the volume of use and proper maintenance. Keep in mind, that grind and seal re-applications require to be on entire floor or they could look like repairs. Epoxy: high build epoxy systems will last longer, but keeping in mind being topical you are more prone to surface wear, scratches and slips especially when wet.

Generally speaking, when adding water, snow or any other liquids we find that it is no more slippery than other hard flooring surfaces. That is why we recommend for outdoor use to do either the Honed finish (matte only) or a Grind and Seal textured finish (matte or gloss). The Honed finish has inherent non-slip properties, and the Grind & Seal finish can have natural anti-slip (traction) when finished. In other G&S applications like epoxy and other high build systems, we can tailor the anti-slip to your needs, meaning that we can add a lot or a little depending on the result you require.

As a rule, Mechanically Polished Concrete is slip resistant – but like many other flooring, options it will be slippery when wet. If you need a flooring that is non-slip, we would recommend doing a Grind and Seal method of polished concrete or another type of coating like an epoxy. With these flooring options, we can add a grit to the top layer, which can give a non-slip finish. These are ideal for wet areas, around pools, outdoor areas and other commercial environments.

Yes, it is possible, but we would recommend doing either a grind and seal with a non-slip compound added which could look different if you choose a Mechanically Polished Concrete finish which we still recommend to have a non-slip mat in the wet area. With the grind and seal the topical sealant will be water tight so no water penetrates into the concrete. We also can provide details for plumbers for drainage as concrete is a pouring material.

As we are processing your floor on site there are a number of factors that determine this timeline such as but not limited to Size and Condition of the floor, Exposure level desired and type of Polished concrete finish. Smaller spaces could take as long as some bigger space and it is best to ask NCRP specifically to your project.

Part of our grouting procedure can actually fill in small cracks helping them blend better, and if you choose a Mechanically Polished Concrete finish, the process actually hardens the top surface by up to 10 times its natural strength. If any cracks do appear, we can generally repair them. However, it is concrete and you can never guarantee that it will not crack.

No, we generally just do the polishing or grinding, however we do have some concrete finishers that we work closely with and can recommend to you.

Tim Sjoersdma SRT Construction 1.226.883.0455 srtconstruction804@gmail.com Nathan McIntosh Huntsville Concrete Forming 1.705.229.1010 Huntsvilleconcrete@gmail.con Brett Henh John Henh Construction +1.519.889.3262 brett@johnhehnconstrucion.ca

We do not recommend that heating be placed directly in between the slab (concrete > heating elements > concrete), it is preferred that the heating be placed directly on the bottom, and the concrete on top (heating elements > concrete). There is a few reasons for this, but mainly, this eliminates the chance of heating tubes floating up and being damaged. We strongly recommend that the heating elements not be turned off until after your floor is fully finished, or at least one week prior to our arrival. We have found that in slabs where the heating elements are on while we are polishing, that the concrete gets pretty dried out, and that the surface of the slab sucks up densifiers & sealers more, causing extra work to get the desired finish. It also makes it more prone to cracking as well as staining during the curing process being that it is more POROUS. Once the project is complete, turn the temperature of the in-floor heating up by one degree Celsius per day to prevent the concrete from cracking. We also recommend not exceeding 30 degrees Celsius (water temperature). Keeping in mind that we grind off anywhere from 1-6mm, so there needs to be plenty of concrete thickness between the heating cables/pipes/etc. and the surface of the slab.

To the best of our knowledge, the builder can begin to put framing up after a minimum of 3 days, however, this is of course subject to the weather, as constant rain or high humidity is likely to prolong the curing time and same goes for colder temps therefore push this timeframe out. Please confer with your concreter for more detailed information.

We have been advised 48 hours should pass after pouring that the slab before it is walked on, as this can alter the aggregate placement (push the stones further down into the slab), creating for bald patches despite grinding down to the furthest possible exposure level. The cost of a mechanical finish is about 30% more up front, but over the life time of the floor is a lot less when you consider cost of re-application of a guard, which require the client to move everything out of the house and re-application of product and more of a mechanical process to re-apply. A mechanical system penetrating sealer can be re applied easily, and only leaves a residue that comes up with a microfiber. As an added feature to our mechanical polish system, we also offer a hybrid sealer to help add an extra layer of protection.

We recommend contacting your concrete supplier and specifying that the slab is intended for polishing – they should be able to alter the mix to a 32/10/80 mix for minimum/random or full stone exposure polishing. For cream exposure, polishing you should pour 40MPA if possible. Most suppliers have their own decorative mixes specifically designed for polishing. If you are using a standard concrete mix, ensure you request fresh water over recycled water to minimise the risk of discolouration in the concrete & finish.

If there is a footprint made in the concrete while the slab is still wet, this can be rectified by filling it in with concrete mix (containing aggregate). Try not to use just the cream of the screed as this will still result in a bald patch in the shape of a footprint that may still be visible after the floors are polished (depending on exposure level).

There are not many slabs that absolutely cannot be polished, so if you have an existing slab, or a slab you had poured that may not be to the exact specification NCRP recommended, we will still be able to grind and polish it. It may just mean that you do not end up with the exact finish you initially intended – i.e. with damaged concrete or improperly placed slabs cream or minimal exposure may not be achievable.

NCRP recommends the use of a smooth silicone fillet, corrugated puck board or plexiglass for all noses of stairs, that way we can finish them in the same stone exposure as the floor otherwise you may end up with full exposure if we are to grind them to put a bevel on them. In addition, the risers need to be heavily vibrated to settle the slurry against the formwork otherwise you will end up with large aeration holes which can ruin the look of your stairs. The design of you steps is very important – if it has lots of intricate parts or angles, we may not be able to get our hand tools in to grind/polish them so please check or send you step designs to us to look at prior to pouring.

The short answer is no. Although with years of experience, our technicians are able to read a floor pretty well to consider where they might arise.

This is a common and a very sought after look usually only reserved for floors that have been placed with this in mind. With CREAM and even our Minimal exposure finishes we are dependant on the placement of the floor we domestics find that floors are worked unevenly have the chance for stones to show out in the finish.

With our new build clients, we have designed custom mixes to choose from and work very closely with suppliers that supply a vast range that will be available in your area. NCRP is able polish a wide range of different mixes when designing a slab from scratch. Please get in touch for further details. If you are renovating and using the existing slab, you are more bound by whatever colour cement and aggregate is in your floor – the only real option if you want to change the colour is to use a concrete dye. We find most customers are happy with the natural look a polished concrete finish entails. We always say every slab is unique to each placement and tells a story and in the end, you have a one of one floor.

Floors that have been placed for full aggregate should be no deeper than 5-7mm from the surface. Floors that have not been specifically poured for full aggregate may require additional grinding than the 5-7mm for exposure, this may be at an additional cost.