Like most things there are more than one way of achieving a similar outcome. 2. & 3. An existing slab can be polished or a screed of concrete can be laid and polished (over an existing slab). Both are acceptable. Concrete can/does crack hence they add expansion/control joints and suchlike to control the cracking. 4. is tricky to answer without being on site as there is too many variables. 5. More than likely to be slippery as it's a 'polished' surface. Even outdoor tiles with a course surface can be slippery. 6. Polishing is time consuming. The machinery is that grinds the surface is expensive. It is quite popular so theres a few companies doing it so shop around and look at the different options. Polished concrete looks great but you won't really know the outcome until actually completely ground and sealed. Have a look on YouTube too see how it's done.

we have decided to go with concrete floors in our new build. the foundations have just been done, and the team came through and power floated the floor. It rained the next day, which showed us the full effect of what the floor will look like (the builder said its good for it to rain too as means less likely to crack) and we LOVE it! so much so that i rang the builder and asked him to be careful on the hallway floor too as we want to continue the concrete finish up there as well. We arnt going for a ground floor as i find it a bit too busy and we are wanting a more relaxed industrial look. This is the photo i supplied the builder and it looks pretty much the same. The finish is achieved as soon as concrete foundation is poured. they "buff" the concrete, which "burns" the top, giving it quite a organic look. once this is done, the floor needs to be protected from chips etc while they build, then all that needs to be done is sealing once the build is finished. it came in alot cheaper than tile, or wood, but more expensive than carpet. our house is north facing with a lot of glass on that wall. the architect told us that the thermal mass from the flooring will be awesome! keep us updated on what you choose. :)

Hi Chris The cheapest option is Grind & Seal, but we usually recommend Mechanically Polished Concrete for inside of a home. This is by far a better option, if you were to go for a Matte or Satin finish it is less expensive than a higher gloss finish. Mechanically Polished Concrete does not have a top coat sealer requiring drying and curing time and does not need re-applying in the future which will save time and money in the long run. Because Polished Concrete does not require drying or curing time it can be used as soon as the process is completed unlike the Grind & Seal option. All floors are slippery when wet, a non slip agent can be added to a top coat sealer which would be the Grind & Seal method which we do apply in a shower area if there is not a shower base. Polished Concrete in Matte and Satin finish does have a very good slip rating, has no grout lines as with tiled floors where dust can get trapped therefore it is a wonderful easy to clean flooring solution. Hope this helps, I have provided some details regarding the 2 main processes below There are 2 different finishing processes / methods that are commonly called Polished Concrete, they are very different so it is important that you know the difference & which process/method you want and which is being used on your concrete Polished Concrete - 12 to 17+ step process During this process the concrete is ground to the desired level of stone exposure. After grinding the concrete surface, the Polished Concrete process begins. This process has a densifier applied in multiple stages that is absorbed into the concrete which hardens and strengthens the concrete. A Polished Concrete Floor is Polished in Multiple stages in a Refining Process using diamond tooling & resin pads. A penetrating sealer is applied in the final buffing stage to complete the process The "Polished Concrete" process has "NO TOP COAT SEALER" applied therefore there is no drying or curing time required so your space can be used as soon as the process is completed Grind & Seal (a 3 to 4 step process) This is NOT Polished Concrete. Grind & Seal is often referred to as Polished Concrete, this is the cheaper substitute that gives a "Polished Concrete Look" With the Grind & Seal method the concrete is ground to the desired level of stone exposure and a TOP Coat Sealer is applied such as water based, solvent based, urethane, acrylic or epoxy requiring 5-7 days to dry & cure

Make your decision well before the concrete slab has been costed and planned. I have seen some shocking floors where clients have decided to polish an existing slab that has had patchy aggregate exposed (or not exposed consistently), hairline cracks and old plumbing locations that have been patched up. One of my clients hated the patchiness of their old slab after the expense of polishing it so much that they ended up paying to have it tiled over! As long as you are clear with your decision well beforehand there should be the proper attention paid to the right aggregate and its location. You have just as much chance of chipping a tooth on a porcelain tiled floor as these tiles are just as hard as a concrete slab. Like a porcelain tile they are very unforgiving on any dropped crockery which will smash. You should also pay careful attention to the threshold height difference between your old floor and your new slab. Ideally there shouldn't be a difference between old and new when the polishing has finished, but this can be hard to achieve neatly.