Many business owners that have concrete floors ask if any floor can be polished. While the short answer may be that nearly any floor can be polished, the better answer is that not all of it should be polished. First of all, concrete floors that are made of a porous type of concrete will make for a very poorly polished floor. The reason for this is that these kinds of floors tend to absorb more of the polish. On a non-porous concrete floor, the concrete polish will form a sealant on the top of the floor, making it not only stronger and more resistant to moisture, but also giving it that added sheen.
For older concrete floors, and those that may have some damage to the surface, most concrete polishing contractors will do some coarse grinding to the surface before hand to create an even floor for polishing. However, surfaces that have already been patched a few times may not appear as well after the polishing is complete. If there is patchwork done, the patches will still be visible after the concrete polishing. In these situations, however, there is still the added benefit of stronger floors that are able to withstand more traffic and weight from things like heavy machinery or furniture.
If you are having new concrete poured, ask your contractor about applying non-porous concrete so that it can be polished once the job is complete. For older concrete floors, the polishing process can seal up small holes on the surface and also close up the gaps that may be present in the existing floor. If you have recently had new floors installed, you should wait at least 30 days before having the it polished. This allows the concrete enough time to set completely.
Nearly any concrete flooring can be polished. The only real exceptions here are going to be those that have not been in place for at least thirty days and those that were not installed using non-porous concrete to begin with.