There is no dispute that they are sleek and stylish, but what are polished concrete floors like to live with?

Polished concrete floors are becoming increasingly popular in homes, with a range of finishes and colours meaning they can be specified in colours other than grey.

The facts:

• These floors are diamond ground and then treated with a chemical densifier.
• They are polished with diamond-polishing tools, using polishing pads specifically for using on concrete.
• Polished concrete will most commonly be finished to a grit level of 800, 1,500 or 3,000 depending on the level of shine require.
• Concrete is not considered polished before 400 grit. This is called ‘honed’ concrete.
• Polished concrete floors are best designed in early on in a project.
• They are most commonly 100mm thick.
• They often tend to be specified with underfloor heating.