Last updated on March 31st, 2022
Cost of sealing concrete floors
Concrete floors offer all kinds of benefits, from durability to easy maintenance. If you’re getting a concrete floor, you need to make sure it’s properly sealed. This helps to protect your floor from spills, stains and UV rays from the sun.
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Concrete floors offer all kinds of benefits, from durability to easy maintenance. They also give you lots of design flexibility, as they can be poured to suit your space and your desired finish.
If you’re getting a concrete floor, you need to make sure it’s properly sealed. This helps with durability, protecting your floor from spills, stains and UV rays from the sun. Sealing also prevents moisture from creeping in, which can cause mould and other problems.
Once your new concrete floor is poured, it can be ‘ground’ with grinding machinery fitted with diamond grit abrasives. This process creates a smooth finish before sealing. You can even get a high-shine polished concrete floor by repeating the process with finer grit abrasives.
In this guide, we’ll look at the cost of sealing concrete floors, with grinding included.
| Item | Unit | Cost (lower range) | Cost (higher range) | Average cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grind and seal concrete floor | Per m2 | £40 | £80 | £60 |
| Seal garage floor | Per 40 m2 | £24 | £40 | £32 |
Our costs are ballpark averages – get a local tradesperson to quote now
Cost to grind and seal concrete floors
The cost of grinding and sealing your concrete floor depends on the size of the room, as well as how ‘polished’ you’d like the finish. You can expect to pay around £40-£80 per square metre, which should include sealing once diamond grinding has been carried out.
However, if you’d like a super high-shine finish or extras such as exposed aggregate or staining, you can expect the per-square-metre cost to increase.
Cost to seal a garage floor
Unlike concrete floors in the main house, which need to look their very best, garage floors are far more functional. You can choose to have grinding and polishing carried out on the floor, but a cheaper option could just be to seal the concrete.
You can do this quite easily and very affordably yourself, with a pot of concrete sealant from your local DIY shop. For just £32, you should be able to buy five litres of sealant, which should cover up to 40 square metres. Or, to save you a job, why not get a quote from a local tradesperson?
FAQs
How soon after my concrete floor is poured can grinding and sealing start?
Ideally, you should wait around 28 days to let the concrete fully cure. After this time, the concrete should be hard enough to hold the weight of the grinding machinery.
Can I grind my own concrete floor?
It is possible to hire diamond grit grinding equipment if you’re confident about tackling the job yourself. However, it may not be a good idea for complete beginners. This is because it’s a process requiring quite a lot of skill and expertise. You also need to know which equipment to use for each stage of the job, along with the right professional sealant products.
If you want the smoothest finish and no risk of accidents or catastrophes, it could be a better idea to bring in the professionals.
Are high-shine polished concrete floors slippery?
Surprisingly, no. As long as they are installed correctly and sealed with the right products, polished concrete floors tend to offer a good level of slip resistance. This is the case even when the floor is wet.
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8/10 homeowners would choose a tradesperson endorsed by Checkatrade over one who isn't*
Claims are sourced from a survey conducted by Deep Blue Thinking on a nationally representative UK sample in November 2021. *8 out of 10 people would choose a trade endorsed by Checkatrade compared to one that isn’t endorsed.
Claims are sourced from a survey conducted by Deep Blue Thinking on a nationally representative UK sample in November 2021. *8 out of 10 people would choose a trade endorsed by Checkatrade compared to one that isn’t endorsed.
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