New builds and extensions
A new polished concrete floor
Pour the slab to be polished: power floated, with joints cut, then left to cure for at least 28 days before the grinding starts (PMAC). The pour is a cost you'd have anyway; the polish is the extra (PMAC).
- €90 to €150 a m²PMAC's published range for a polished concrete floor
- €20,000two quotes for 190 m² of mid-range polished concrete in a city new build, about €105 a m² (Selfbuild Ireland)
- 28 daysthe least time a new slab cures before it can be polished (PMAC)
- from €55a m² for a standard finish on floors over 100 m² (Selfbuild Ireland)
FreeNo obligationOne contractor rings you, not fiveNothing agreed until you accept a written price
The pour
Pouring for a polish
- Power float it. The slab must be power floated and left with an SR1 level finish (PMAC).
- Joints. PMAC's 2020 advice is expansion joints at least every 36 m²; its 2016 cost guide said every 30 m² (PMAC). Ask your contractor where they go before the pour.
- Fibres. PMAC advises polypropylene fibres in the mix.
- The stone. Roadstone sells concrete for polishing from its own local aggregates, to I.S. EN 12620 and SR 16. Stone can't be added to the truck on site (Roadstone).
- Keep off it. Footprints left while it's drying can't be polished out (PMAC).
Get the polishing contractor in before the concrete is ordered. The pour decides most of what the polish can do.
The order
When it happens in the build
- The slab is poured, with the underfloor heating pipes in it if you're having them (PMAC).
- It cures for at least 28 days (PMAC). PMAC says most polishers want it a month old.
- The heavy work is finished first: plastering, with everyone else's kit off the floor (PMAC).
- The grinding, the densifier, the polishing passes and the sealer (PMAC).
Some contractors grind early and polish at the end. Ask yours how they'll protect the slab between the pour and the polish.
Price
What a new polished floor costs
| Job | Published price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Polished concrete, the usual range | €90 to €150 a m² | PMAC |
| Standard finish, floors over 100 m² | from €55 to €60 a m² | Selfbuild Ireland |
| Higher-end finishes | over €120 to €130 a m² | Selfbuild Ireland |
| Floors under 100 m² | over €120 a m² | Selfbuild Ireland |
| Two quotes, 190 m² new build, mid-range finish, city | €20,000 | Selfbuild Ireland |
| Pouring the slab, one homeowner's quote | €100 a m² | Boards.ie |
| Light grind of a new slab, one homeowner's quote | €80+ a m² | Boards.ie |
None of these sources says whether its prices include VAT. Ask for every written price to say.
Cracks
The truth about cracks
Concrete shrinks as it dries, and it takes years to dry out completely (PMAC). Cracks can appear months or even years after the floor is laid (PMAC). Joints in the right places give it somewhere to crack neatly. A good contract says how cracks will be treated if they come.
See it first
Polished concrete in your own room
Take a photo of the room, pick a finish and a sheen, and see the floor polished before anyone quotes. Free, in under a minute.
- Upload a photo, or answer 4 questions.
- We pass it to one contractor that covers your county.
- They ring you with a written price.
Preview of your photo, not a guarantee. Your photo goes to Google's Gemini service to make the picture and isn't kept.
A photo that works
- Daylight, lights on if it's dull.
- From the doorway, so most of the floor is in the shot.
- A building site is fine: the slab, the plaster, the lot.
- Hold the phone level, not pointed at your feet.
Free quote
Get a price in 4 taps
Tap what you need and leave your number. It goes to one polished concrete contractor that covers your county, and they ring you back to look at the floor and give you a written price.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Can any concrete be polished?
The mix matters: the stone, the fibres and how it's floated. Roadstone supplies concrete for polishing from its local aggregates. Speak to the polisher before the pour.
How long after pouring can it be polished?
At least 28 days (PMAC).
Does the polishing contractor pour the slab?
Sometimes. A concrete contractor experienced in slabs for polishing may charge a little more than a builder for the pour (PMAC). Ask who's responsible for the finish if they're different firms.
Can I add a polished floor to an extension?
Yes, as a new slab. Where it meets the old floor, plan the joint and the levels with the contractor.