But how can you achieve a polished concrete floor in your home and what are the key considerations for a smooth installation? We take a look. What Are the Benefits of Polished Concrete Floors?

The Motley Fool Ltd. Registered Office: 5 New Street Square, London EC4A 3TW. | Registered in England & Wales. Company No: 3736872. VAT Number: 188035783. Polished concrete floors were originally found in factories for their low-maintenance and durable qualities, but have become a popular solution for those looking to create a wow-factor interior.Polished concrete is made through combining concrete (which consists of cement, sand, water and gravel) with a chemical that increases its density. This ensures that when the concrete is poured and sanded down, it’ll eventually reveal a striking sheen that is the look we know and love. Polished concrete floors make a durable, cost-effective and safe flooring option for your home. Some see polished concrete floors and are alarmed by their slippery-looking surface. However the majority of floors are finished to ensure a non-slip texture that’s still comfortable on bare feet.

Polished concrete floors are ideal for creating a seamless link between inside and out, especially when connecting a kitchen-diner with the garden. The light-reflective and robust material holds up well in high traffic areas, which is why you’ll find it on many shop floors. Considering wood floors for your new home? Read more: Wood Flooring: Your Complete Guide to Choosing & Installing Timber Floors Where Can Polished Concrete Be Used? As well as the striking aesthetic this seamless surface creates, the flooring is an excellent partner for the underfloor heating that has been laid throughout the house. It’s highly-efficient in terms of its thermal mass. Depending on your desired finish, a plain or coloured hardener (known as a dry shaker) is added to the concrete’s surface. This is smoothed using a power float machine featuring a large, round flat disc for rough grinding the concrete. The job can be repeated between four to eight times to achieve the desired effect until you have perfect polished concrete floors.Treatment should start when the concrete is hard enough to hold the weight of the machine and operator. However, it should not be so dry that the power floater cannot trim the high spots or fill the lows effectively. It might surprise you that Burry’s advice recalls Warren Buffett’s best lines. “ My strategy isn’t very complex. I try to buy shares of unpopular companies when they look like road kill, and sell them when they’ve been polished up a bit.”