polished concrete

[stuart noble]

Good enough for Sharm el Sheikh apparently :-)

[Bruce]

All bling and no taste.

Yes, that would make it *perfect* for Smarm el Sheikh. ;-)

[The Medway Handyman]

Hope the weathers bad for you :-)

[Bruce]

This technique is storing up problems for the future. Getting a smooth finish to concrete by bringing more of the so-called "laitance" (cement/sand/water paste) to the surface can be immensely damaging to concrete's durability. You effectively end up with a layer of mortar being exposed to frost and rain. Without the coarse aggregate to distribute the inevitable shrinkage cracks, keeping them small, you get wider cracks that are sufficiently wide to let in water. This is exactly the opposite of what is needed for a durable concrete that is to be exposed to the weather because the water expands as it freezes, breaking apart the cement/sand/water matrix over time, and making it even more subject to freezing water.

Of course you don't get severe frosts in Mediterranean holiday resorts, or in Smarm el Sheikh. ;-)

The technique is often used in the UK where a smooth, almost polished finish is required, such as in warehouses where fork lift trucks operate. Power floating is normally needed. Bringing up just enough laitance is the key to success here. But these floors are not exposed to frost, so durability in adverse weather is not a concern.

Outdoor concrete is best left with a rough tamped finish. A better appearance can be obtained with a brushed finish. However, the concrete finishers must be very careful to bring up only a small amount of laitance, just enough for the brushing, or durability will inevitably suffer.

My favourite finish for a concrete slab is wire brushed with a trowelled edge. It looks very professional while retaining all the potential of concrete for long term durability. But that works only if it is done properly, and for that you need skilled concrete finishers, not cowboy driveway builders.

[Derek Geldard]

Well my boss from Texas and his wife took a cruise in the arctic and found the visibilty down to less than 10 metres the whole time due to fog even though he paid extra for the excursion to see the arctic seals / whales / pidgerigars. :-(

His holiday photos were all a bit "samey", ie " Number 31, Fred & Wife at Seydisfjördur against a background of fog ".

Derek

[Derek Geldard]

As in Sheikh your money ;-))

(Acknowledgement to Ken Dodd)

Derek

[The Medway Handyman]

That makes a whole lot of sense when you think about it.

[Bruce]

Thanks.

[PeterMcC]

Derek Geldard wrote in

Or Zappa - Sheik Yerbouti

[A.Clews]

Thus spake PeterMcC ( [e-mail]) unto the assembled multitudes:

Or the late Sheikh Yamani, former head of OPEC...