Concrete Flooring Solutions

Most of the homes in Southern California are built on concrete slabs. After the house is completed, the concrete is covered with tile, carpeting, or even wood flooring. A new idea that has been introduced recently is having your existing concrete slab polished.

Don’t shirk away yet until you have seen the possibilities that are out there, and the numerous contractors who have grown their businesses by offering this relatively new idea to their customers.

The process started as a traditional stone and terrazzo polishing technology. It has developed into an entire new procedure of producing chemical, topical-based products that can produce a polished concrete look. The products range from a densified and mechanical polish to a topical polish with a burnishing step that will provide the desired sheen, or shine.

Usually they will use a topical polish along with a hardener, wax or other solids that will be applied on top of the concrete floor, and then burnished to the sheen desired. This floor may provide abrasion resistance and less maintenance depending on the products used.

The mechanical polishing usually starts with a series of metal bond diamond grinding steps followed by a densifier applied to harden the floor. They complete this with a series of resin-bonded diamond polishing steps that polish the concrete. The difference between topical and mechanical polish is that the mechanical polish is in the concrete itself and is normally part of the original construction. It will have the desired shine, and is not a product on top of the concrete that will need to be reapplied in order to keep it in good condition.

Many companies prefer the protection epoxy and mortar systems on their floors because they can be very affordable. However they require frequent re-application and the entire plant must be shut down for the procedure to cure correctly.

When you cover your existing concrete with tile, wood, or fiber carpet, those products wear and may need to be replaced with the old ending up in landfills. That does not happen with the polish concrete floors and there is no waste. With the polished concrete systems, they simply do not wear out.

Polished concrete is durable and stain resistant and is unsurpassed in the market. When it is necessary to re-polish, the cost is significantly lower, and it is done with practically no waste for the landfill.
Find a company that specializes in these methods to decide the best options for your property. The concrete flooring will bring an exclusive touch whether throughout your home or your business.

Stellar Surfaces specializes in concrete polishing Aukland, polished concrete Auckland and concrete floor finishes.

Concrete Grind, Polish and Seal

You may wonder what this service does. We concrete grind, polish and

seal your concrete whether new or existing. By resurfacing your

concrete, it exposes the character of aggregate, or stone, and that

creates a featured floor or wall.<br>

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There are many variations to this process and you may have heard of

names such as ‘Polished Concrete Floor,’ ‘Terrazzo finish,’ or simply

concrete grinding. We take it a step further and seal the concrete to

protect the surface. There is a range of seal finish options for our

customers to choose from, and they range from a natural finish all the

way to a gloss coating.<br>

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Grinding is the process that will resurface the face of the concrete in

order to smooth out uneven high points and will also expose the

aggregate to the desired finish. We achieve the ‘Salt and Pepper

finish’ by not exposing too much of the aggregate as it smoothes and

lightly cuts into the top cement layer. By doing this we keep the

‘concrete’ look and the results show more cross-sections of the

aggregate.<br>

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Polishing does exactly that; and is the process of changing the rough

surface of the concrete to the desired smooth level. We use diamond

surfacing equipment to achieve the sheen surface that results in the

almost mirror finish and gives us the desired effect.<br>

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Our customers must select the level of grinding, or depth of cut, and

we help them determine the grade of polish or sheen. Our technicians

are cautious while <a

 href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polished_concrete">grinding

and polishing</a> and always use protective masking used to cover

the surrounding walls or other flooring until they finish the job. <br>

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There is still one more step to take when you want the deluxe mirror

finish, and the range of finishes vary widely depending on your

concrete and the finish you desire. It is very important that you

understand that every slab of concrete is different, and it depends on

the ingredients used in the original concrete mix. Also important is

the way the concrete was installed, placed, and even the humidity and

temperature on that very day.<br>

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The one question customers always ask is, “How long will it last?” You

can expect a long life as long as the concrete has been cared for

correctly. It must be sealed initially, and then it may require

resealing periodically. Your technician can instruct you on the best

way to care for your surface. <br>

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Without doubt, you will be greatly impressed with the results of the <a

 href="http://www.stelr.co.nz/">Concrete Grind</a>,

Polish and Seal that will fit well in your home or business areas.<br>

<br>

Stellar Surfaces specialize in <a href="http://www.stelr.co.nz/">Polishing

Auckland</a>, <a href="http://www.stelr.co.nz/">Polished

Concrete Auckland</a> and <a href="http://www.stelr.co.nz/">Concrete

Floor Finishes</a>.

Bathroom Grout Getting You Down?

Your grout color can change the way your bathroom looks and feels. Over time, grout can become stained by dirt and grime, preventing it from returning to its original luster despite repeated cleanings.  Brighten up your bathroom by changing your grout color, and apply a tile grout sealer to protect your grout, keeping your bathroom clean and vibrant.

Keeping Your Kitchen Clean

Your kitchen surfaces need more than just a wipe down to ensure proper sanitation.  Cleaning tile grout is very important to maintain proper hygiene. Over time, the grout seal begins to wear away and the porous surface of the grout absorbs bacteria, dirt and mold.  A thorough steam cleaning and applying a tile grout sealer can prevent your grout form absorbing these elements and keep your kitchen clean and safe.

Get Creative With Your Floor Surfaces

Adding a unique touch to your floor surfaces could be as easy as pulling up that old wood or carpet and exposing your concrete floor.  Through the process of concrete grinding, diamond technology is used to even the surface of the concrete, exposes its beautiful character.  The concrete can then be polished an sealed, ranging from slightly glossy to an almost mirror like finish.  These Terrazzo Floors are a great compliment to any home, office or art studio.

Get Stains Out of Your Driveway

If you are a homeowner, there is a good chance you have concrete staining in your driveway left by oil, dirt or wear and tear from the environment.  If you want to restore your concrete instead of replacing it, consider an acid concrete stain treatment.  This eco-friendly method lifts dirt and soils from your driveway and restores the original concrete color.

Restore Your Dull Concrete - Don’t Replace It

Replacing your concrete driveway, floor or path can be expensive and in many cases, unnecessary.  To avoid this, we suggest a concrete color staining, which is a process that restores your concrete by stripping the surface and exposing the pores.  Once prepared, the concrete color stain is applied using two coats to ensure the concrete color is even and colored properly.  With several finishes and colors to choose from, restoration can leave your concrete looking brand new and at a fraction of the cost.

Concrete Coloring, Staining & Restoration

Concrete Coloring provides the service of restoring and re-coloring concrete.
Wether your concrete is old, worn and faded or simply new and plain we offer decorative color staining and restoration. Common areas our services are carried out are driveways, backyards, patios, poolside terraces, stamped concrete, interior floors all these on commercial and residential properties.

With over 80 colors to choose from and different finishes available such as solid color staining, translucent (or watercolor staining) staining , two-tone staining and decorative faux and antique finish staining your creative options are endless. We can even provide custom made colors for your concrete for a slight additional charge - all we need is your desired color on a paint color chart so our pigment machine can match your exact color.

Our recoloring service impregnates the stain into the surface, it does not 'build up' ontop of the concrete so it does not delaminate or peel off  like paint does.
The system is designed to be maintained with periodic re-colors, our clients generally have a maintenance recoloring service carried out every 5-10 years depending on wear and traffic specific to the environment conditions on each property.

Many of our clients were considering replacing their concrete completely at huge expense and inconvenience, and to their relief they discovered our fast efficient color staining restoration reinstated their concrete surfaces to a better than new presentation. With over 18 years in the business we are the trust choice for your next concrete restoration project.

Concrete Paver Sealing

Concrete Paver Sealing is something that we highly advise property owners to invest in, as in most cases pavers are installed in 'landscaped' areas or high traffic areas. In either case the pavers are susceptible to being heavily soiled and becoming permanently stained.
Often people think they can simply 'pressure wash' (or water blast) pavers as a remedy to soiling, but this actually deteriorates the surface by removing a small layer of cement with each pass.
Instead it is highly recommended that pavers are sealed correctly - this not only protects the surface of the pavers from erosion but also ensures the pavers are easier to clean. The sealer acts like a barrier between the soil and the paver and stops the soil from penetrating into the pores of the surface.
Sealing pavers also protects the surface of paver and grout from mold and lichen damage.
If Pavers have been damaged they can be restored and sealed by way of Paver Grind and Seal, this is a fraction of the replacement cost.
If the color of the pavers have faded, dulled or deteriorated a Paver Color Staining & Seal achieves outstanding color restoration results.

Tile Cleaning & Sealing

Tile Cleaning & Sealing is a must. Tiles need periodic cleaning and sealing. 

Tiles are porous in nature and can attract dirt, stains, liquids or any type of soiling that comes into contact with the surface so you need to protect your tiles. 

Once tiles get stained it can be permanant so Protecting tile  from this happening should be of high importance in your household or commercial property. If your tiles are not already sealed, they are in need of sealing! Call Stellar there are various tile sealing options and finishes to choose from - give your tiles the protection they need.

Concrete Clean & Seal

If you have concrete areas in your home that are starting to look old and soiled, it may be time to Concrete clean and seal these areas. If your concrete isn't sealed it is vulnerable to soiling and staining  that can penetrate deep into the concrete and may become permanant. Stellar has many different types of sealers like natural and penetrating sealers, and also have epoxy sealers just to name a few. Different sealers offer different types of protection and also can give you different appearances as well...some enhancing the surface and some not changing the look at all. Which sealer you want can determine what you are looking for or which part of the home your concrete is in, but no matter what you want or what area of your property you want it, Stellar can meet your needs and give you exactly what you have been looking for. Call us to book in your Concrete clean and seal areas now.

Graffiti Guard protection

Graffiti vandalism on walls and surfaces is a huge cost incurred to residential and commercial property owners and operators each year. Stellar has carried out our Natural Stone tile graffiti guard on commercial buildings in the Auckland wider & CBD areas. On one such building the Auckland Telecom head office recently where the exterior of the building had flamed basalt stone installed, there was a worry about grafitti damage to the stone. Stellar applied our graffiti guard system, a sacrificial coating that isn't apparent to the eye, and also it does not change the appearance or look of the stone or surface as a solution to the concern held by the property management. The system is very effective and over the past 2 years since the install on the building, the surface has had no issues with grafitti damage.

Call Stellar to get your areas looked at and treated for the maximum protection possible today. The System can be applied to almost any surface including Tile , Stone Concrete

For more information go to our Tile graffiti Guard website page

Silicone Caulking

Silicone caulking is an essential part of your tiled or stone areas. Not only does it protect the chipping and damage of tiles in the internal corners caused by movement - providing a soft 'cushion' where tiles meet each other - but also they can give you water protection in any wet areas that you have. Your Silicone Caulking around Natural Stone should be regulary removed and re-installed to prevent any damage, water issues or any type of hygenic issues also. So if you need to look at having your silicone areas looked at please call us in NZ on 0800478357, or visit our Website for more details. If you are in California call orange county floor restoration 949.943.0581 our go to their website to get more details for  Service info on Silicone Caulking around stone and tile

Blockwall honing

Block wall Grinding & Honing  is a great and cost effective way to finish a blockwall instead of coating it with a boring paint is to grind and hone the face of the blocks and either lightly or more heavily expose the aggregate (or stones) on the face of the clockwork to result in a modern architectural design finish. 

Come see the team at Stellar to talk about your block wall project. Stellar has various other options also such as colour staining and finishing seals.

Also it is important to look into an efficient Block wall moisture proofing so that a decorative or structural wall does not become a leaky home issue!

Garage Floor finishes

Concrete Polished Floors  along with Concrete Color Staining and concrete finishes are common finishes used to achieve a deluxe presentation of a garage floor, which often is the first entry point into a home or property -setting the stage for the whole feel of your environment!

Orange County Floor Restoration are experts at restoring or even reinventing the surface finish of your floor. 

Stellar has amazing decorative finishing options to offer for your garage floor such as color staining and sealing, colored or clear epoxy coating, Terrazzo finishes, concrete grinding, polished concrete, decorative faux finishes and much more! Call us today for a free estimate on 949.943.0581 in Orange county or 0800.478.357 in New Zealand.

Is your Garage floor looking oil stained, worn, dirty and tired? Its never too late to upgrade a garage floor!

Concrete Cleaning - Why not pressure wash?

Power-washing Concrete - A common mindset we come across with property owners is "I'll just power-wash the concrete every few month or once a year to keep it looking clean or  mold free and clean".

What most people do not realize is that power-washing is super aggressive. It removes a fine layer of sediment with each blast and after 4-6 years, new concrete driveways and surfaces can become heavily worn and aged. Once the concrete is worn and damaged from power-washing it will either need an expensive restoration to repair or worse not be fixable at all.

The way the concrete is damaged is that after sediment is blasted off enough, the aggregate or stone will be unevenly exposed creating an unsightly appearance.

Stellar Surfaces advises property owners to clean their outdoor concrete surfaces with products like PROKLENR 'Concrete & Masonry Cleaner' - make up a bucket of the product using the concentrate, scrub the surface with a stiff broom and rinse of afterwards with a hose. 

Stellar Surfaces also has a Mold and lichen control service that is completely eco-friendly -and actively kills moulds and lichens over 12 months. call us today for a free quote.

Etched stone restoration

Etched stone restoration otherwise known as acid burns from household products or food products is a common problem that our customers approach us with that have Marble, Granite, Travertine, Basalt and other stone surfaces.
Etching is caused generally by an acid based (and sometimes amino based) liquid or solid product sitting on the surface for a lengthened period of time, and in that time the acid enzymes -above 7ph - literally attack the neutral ph level on the stone surface. Basically put, the acid erodes the neutral surface  and in doing so the etch takes place.

The best way to avoid this is actively cleaning up spills of wine, lemon, vinegar, chili and the like.
regularly clean your stone floor, countertop or surface and have it periodically professionally Stone clean and seal
For more information about caring for your stone click on here.
In some cases you will find the Stone will need resurfacing and polishing to achieve full restoration.

Cleaning effectively with Eco-friendly products

Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products have not always had everyones confidence as they have been seen to be low-performing. Good news there are some excellent products emerging out there that have more to offer than mere marketing with eco-feel good campaigns.
"Proklenr" is one such brand. With highly effective products that specialize in cleaning specific surfaces such as tile and grout cleaner which is designed specifically to loosen soil and mold around tile and grout surfaces.
Natural Stone Cleaner which has been specially customized to clean stone surfaces with out affecting the PH level of he stone -there are a great deal of acid or amino based cleaners that can stain or etch stone surfaces.
Concrete and Masonry surfaces can be among the hardest to clean of all surfaces due to the high porosity and rough textures - Concrete and Masonry Cleaner has been formulated to lift soils out of the pores of the concrete and actively clean up common problems with Concrete.

The brand is also working on other specialist cleaning products to be added into the range in the near future.

Marble, Granite and Stone Anti-Slip

Stone tile Anti-slip. Smooth Marble or Granite type stone can be deadly when wet or even with the slightest amount of moisture sitting on the surface.
Marble and Granite is a luxury item but this can be a serious safety issue, the solution is a compromise on polish for texture.
The surface can be mechanically roughened to produced a textured finish that will be far safer.

Stone surfaces that have been roughened mechanically for Anti-slip purposes will need sealing to prevent soiling penetrating into the pores of the stone.

Limestone maintenance and restoration

Limestone is a Sedimentary stone, it is basically formed through years of sediment and elements settling into areas are compacted over time with heat and pressure to form bedrock.
Once quarried Limestone is a beautiful looking stone and can compliment almost any property.
More dense variaties can be polished right up to a mirror finish.
However Limestone Cleaning and Maintenance cleaning and maintenance can be a challenge and is best left to the professionals.
As Limestone is formed through settling sediments like sand grains, there are air pockets in between the grain particles and this is where soiling can become easily ingrained into the surface of the stone. In some cases when the soiling is deep down into the pores of the surface a simple clean or steam cannot remove the unsightly soiling stains and marks.
Surfaces can also become heavily worn with traffic over time.Limestone restoration and Resurfacing is the best solution to restore your limestone worn or heavily soiled floor or surface, this removes the unjulations from the wear and etching and results in an even surface.

For images of Limestone restoration, polishing and sealing go to our Facebook album of Natural Stone restoration

Mold & Lichen removal

Mold & Lichen is plant growth on surfaces and can be unsightly and slippery.
Mold and lichen are fungus type plants that depend on using a 'host' surface to grow on and draw moisture from.
Black lichen is one of the most common lichens that people encounter on their properties, it can penetrate deep into surfaces like concrete and cause all kinds of issues, even with the most popular off-the-shelf products, as most of these products are a 'flash-burn' chlorine product which works short term only to have the lichen grow back months later.

Certain companies offering Mold Kill treatments have specialist long term release products that have an active lichen kill effect. Keeping driveways, patios and sidewalks lichen Keeping Driveways, patios, sidewalks and concrete Mold Free free for up to 12 months per treatment this type of service is definitely the most long term and cost effective option property owners have!

Grout Re-Coloring & Sealing Restoration

Grout Re-Coloring & Sealing Restoration ( Re-colouring ) is a service that re-colors grout lines. Grout is porous, which means it is susceptible to absorb liquids and soils. Grout  Recoloring and Sealing changes the state of grout from Porous to non-porous grout, this is done as the grout re-colouring pigment is applied to the prepared grout lines in a tiled area, it also acts as a sealer to the grout surface.

The resulted finish is the grout will have a consistent color across the whole area, it will remain dry in appearance and will act in a waterproofed manner.

The Grout once treated will be far easier to clean and maintain, and will also have a far higher level of presentation and does not look like a painted or plastic surface.

Slippery Tile - Antislip Treatment

Slippery Tiles are always a problem in the wet, Tile Anti-slip Treatment is the solution!

Slippery tiles account for a huge percentage of injuries and even in some cases deaths.
In the US this can cause huge liabilities and even lawsuits, something everyone works on avoiding.

Tile surfaces can be changed in a treatment from smooth to varied levels of roughness and texture to result in a safer flooring, so much so that once certain treatments are carried out the tiles' traction will be greater when wet than when dry.

Keeping tile surfaces Cleaned & Sealed and free from mold and slime growing on the tiles is also a very important practical note to maintaining a safe walking surface!

Marble and Granite Restoration

Marble and Granite Restoration is the artisan skill of resurfacing and re-polishing stone.
With Traffic wear, weather, the 'elements' and life lived over the top of stone surfaces, stone becomes dulled, etched and worn in time.
Stone is a natural element and needs nourishing from time to time like a good pair of leather shoes, otherwise the leather will become dry, rigid and start to crack.
In the same way Stone must be nourished and sealed to maintain a 'healthy' mineral balance in the stone surface.
Marble and Granite along with sedimentary stones such as limestone and sandstone need to be cleaned and sealed periodically - most commonly every 18months to 2years, this will maintain a healthy well nourished stone surface.
However permanent damage can occur on stone surfaces such as food stains, etching (Acid burns) from foods such as wine, lemon, chili and other acidic foods/ liquids. In these situations the only way to rectify and restore the stone is to completely resurface the tile or countertop.
Marble and Granite Resurfacing and Polishing Restoration should result in a dramatic improvement of the surface and return the stone to a near new finish. Always ask your stone technician how best to maintain your particular surface.

Concrete Color Staining Restoration

Concrete Color Staining Restoration ('Colour' in some countries) is a fast and effective and economical way of restoring concrete's color and presentation to an area, compared to removal and replacement.
This can be carried out on flat concrete, broom finished concrete, stamped concrete and textured concrete.
Cracks can also be repaired at this time so that when stain is applied damage is no longer drastically apparent, and the new color stain will not enhance or highlight any damage on the surface.
There are many different colors and finishes please visit Concrete Colour Staining Restoration

Once the surface has been prepared and cleaned of all contaminants the stain can be applied in a selected color.
There are various finishes that are achievable on a concrete area, these are:
a Solid color stain, this is a color stain that re-issues color over the area in a solid consistent color that covers the area in the same way paint covers a piece timber, leaving no translucent areas showing through. Go to Facebook for pictures of this type of color restoration
a Translucent stain, this is more of 'watercolor' effect stain, that influences color over an area but has more of a clear effect in a way that the surface features below can be seen, for example the stones on the surface. this results in a mottled or aged look.
The Faux finish is a specialist finish where more than one color is used to achieve a marbled or two toned effect, this can give a real touch of luxury and make a plain area very impressionable.

For more information on concrete color staining visit Info on Concrete Color Stain Restoration

Concrete Grinding and Polishing Service Description

Info about our Concrete Grind, Polish & Seal service;
Our concrete grinding, polishing and sealing takes new or existing aged concrete and resurfaces it to expose the character of the cement 'paste' or aggregate (stones) creating a featured floor, countertop or wall. We call this our ‘Terrazzo finish’. This can then be taken a step further and polished. Highly advisable with this service is our sealing or hydro-proofing seal to protect the surface from staining.
We have a range of seal finish options to choose from that range from a natural finish right through to a gloss seal coating.
Orange County Concrete Grinding and Polishing services
Alternatively a light grind can be carried out so as to not expose too much of the aggregate. This smooths and lightly cuts into the top cement layer keeping the ‘concrete’ look; we call this our ‘Salt and Pepper finish’.
Polishing is carried out using diamond surfacing equipment and can result in an almost ‘mirror finish’ sheen surface.
The two main options to decide on when selecting your concrete finish are,
1. depth of grind or cut
2.Level of polish
With additional options of, Seal, color or deluxe polish finishes

NZ concrete grinding and polishing services

Restoration tips and maintenance advice just ahead!

Welcome to our new blog page! Watch out for all the latest news, tips, stories and advice on all your Concrete, Stone, Grout and Tile for restoration, maintenance, sealing and polishing work.
Stellar Surfaces has two branches, one in Auckland NZ For more information on restoration in NZ and the other in Orange County California, for more info click: For more Restoration in California check out our posted sites!
We have been in the industry for over 17 years and have vast experience in the various restoration, polishing and maintenance.

Keep an eye out for our posts and blogs! Ask your questions and follow us! for more info