1. Identify the Condition of the Concrete
If you plan to polish an existing concrete floor you must first evaluate the condition of the surface. You will need to determine the hardness of the concrete with a concrete hardness tester.

2. Prepare the Surface
Remove any existing sealers and coatings. Repair/fill any surface cracks. If the floor has only minor blemishes or a very light coating, you can move on to the initial floor grinding process.

3. Begin Polishing
Now you’re ready for the initial rough grinding with metal bond diamond abrasives that prepare the concrete for final smoothing. This concrete grinding procedure is generally a one- to two-step process, depending on the condition of the concrete.

4. Densify the Concrete
After performing the initial grinding, it is beneficial to apply a liquid chemical hardener to the concrete to help solidify and densify the surface and to provide extra protection from water penetration and staining. Hard concrete also produces a better polish.

5. Final Polish
With each successive pass, the goal is to buff out the scratch pattern from the previous pass (lapping). As you gain more experience, you’ll know when to switch to the next-finer grit level by observing the floor surface and the amount of material being removed.

6. Protecting Polished Concrete
Once you get the look and polish you’re striving for, you may want to protect the surface by applying a commercial stain-guard product, especially if the surface will be exposed to grease, oil, or chemicals. Similar to Scotchgard for fabric, these solutions penetrate the surface to make the floor more resistant to stain absorption and dirt. They are usually applied by pump sprayer.