High Gloss Geoshine™. Basalt 90% with white Quartz 10% with black oxide.
When Wonthaggi tradesman Brett Carter planned his dream retirement home, a Geocrete polished concrete floor was an absolute must.
Having worked beside Geocrete founder Paul Warner on numerous jobs since 2010, Brett was well acquainted with Paul’s incredible attention to detail and the exquisite Geoshine™ floors that Geocrete is renowned for, and it was an obvious choice to make one his own.
He asked Paul to craft high gloss polished concrete on the ground floor of his new home, which was designed by leading Wonthaggi architect David Trease and overlooks San Remo’s charming coastline.
The polishing job encapsulated a sizable 240m2 and included a large entrance, lounge, hallway, three bedrooms and toilet, as well as an undercover alfresco area.
Carefully laid by Bass Coast concreter Lou Zanella, the concrete floor has a grey base with a double black oxide tint, using two bags per metre instead of the usual one to create a dramatically dark hue. The glittering aggregate features 90% basalt and 10% white quartz.
Paul then meticulously ground the floor to a full stone exposure, and polished it to a lustrous high gloss sheen. Paul usually recommends a hone and seal finish with anti-slip additives for external polished concrete, but because Brett’s alfresco area is under-cover the high gloss finish could continue outdoors, fashioning a seamless flow from inside to out.
Paul explains that the first secret to creating an exceptionally glossy polished concrete floor is to ensure the grouting and densifying is as close to perfection as possible. “While other polishers grout their floors only once, I grout three times. Concrete is like an Aero bar, and several layers of grouting fills in the voids and imperfections to create an extremely smooth surface.”
Another secret to Paul’s signature mirror-like Geoshine™ floors is the specialised diamond abrasive he began employing several years ago. “Generally polishers finish concrete to 800 grit and some polish up to 1500 grit, but I have added two extra steps – a 3000 grit and an 8000 grit,” he said. “As a comparison, the diamond abrasive used to polish gemstones is only 4000 grit, twice as rough as my floors.”
Paul said that most polishers take the quickest route and recommend mostly matt and satin sheens as it is a simpler process that hides their average workmanship. “A high gloss floor using 8000 grit is my preference and recommendation to all my clients,”Paul said.
While most polishers do one pass for each grit application, Paul executes double passes, each time applying an exclusive blend of house-made surface densifiers, designed to create a much harder, stronger surface. “My method of densifying six times using both potassium and lithium ensures that floors have an extremely glossy and shiny finish, and are so much more durable than other polishers’.” Paul is so confident of the quality of his workmanship that he guarantees Geoshine™ floors for 10 years.
Perhaps Paul’s greatest secret to creating the perfect floor is his passion for polished concrete and his mindset of a perfectionist. “I call it OCG – an Obsessive Compulsive Gift that means I am always trying to improve my work and never get complacent. My mantra is to put as much effort into my floors as humanly possible,” he said.
As for Brett, he absolutely loves his floor and says it’s the first thing visitors to his home comment on, often saying it’s the best floor they have ever seen. “It’s also a very functional floor, standing up to three feisty, long-haired dachshunds and two kids,” Paul said.
If you’re looking to add a floor of unsurpassed strength, durability and beauty to your home or workplace, get in touch with Paul to discuss the possibilities.
