Polished Concrete

A seamless concrete texture with a polished concrete surface. The image represents a physical area of 2000 x 1330 mm (78.7 x 52.4 inches) in total.

This beige-white polished concrete texture is created by mixing cement, aggregate, sand and water. The type of cement is the biggest influencing factor in the finished, set colour: Portland cement is the most commonly used, resulting in a classic, cool grey concrete, although white Portland and other cements are available as displayed here. The aggregates, or larger stones and chips also influence the colour to a degree, varying depending on what type of rock fragments are used. The mixture is poured in small areas over a reinforcement mesh, divided by joints, to prevent cracking. The joints are filled with flexible sealant to allow for movement. It is then levelled and refined before being trowelled by hand or machine to smooth and harden, developing a sheen. The polished effect is created by using a diamond polishing machine or tools in combination with adding chemical agents to fill holes and smooth the surface once it has cured, being finished to a grit level of 800 or higher. A higher grit level defines a more polished, reflective, shining surface. The surface is then sealed using a penetrative sealant to allow the concrete to breathe, while protecting it from damage and water ingress. Both pre-cast and in-situ concrete can be polished to the desired level of shine, with this finishing technique used to help express the natural patterns, grains, tones and markings in the concrete surface, making it a popular technique for floors, walls, facades and cladding to achieve a silky, minimalist appearance in a variety of settings. Its durability and weather resistance allows it to be specified both inside and out, creating a seamless transition between the two environments. Achieving a good, smooth polished concrete finish is a time intensive operation, as the process of pouring the concrete typically takes around 3 days, with polishing taking place around a month after the concrete has cured to allow it time to set properly and prevent cracking or damage when polishing. Once set however, polished concrete is low maintenance and easy to clean, with good load-bearing and aesthetic qualities allowing it to be used in a multitude of low and high foot traffic settings when specified as flooring, from domestic to commercial and industrial environments. It is slip-resistant, making it suitable for use in wet rooms and kitchens. Alongside its extreme longevity and durable performance characteristics, concrete also has great thermal properties and is thermally massive. It is often specified in conjunction with underfloor heating as it distributes heat well, while absorbs and radiates heat from direct sunlight, making it an excellent temperature regulator throughout the day, collecting heat during the via radiation from direct sunlight exposure and convection from air while keeping the spaces cool, then dissipating the heat slowly as the air temperature cools at night, maintaining consistent, more comfortable environments in extreme locations. It is still able to perform this function when pigmented but would not if it were painted, as the paint would repel or block much of the transfer of heat. Concrete has been in use since at least ancient Mayan times, where it was used on temples and other key structures, as well as on a smaller scale in a related form, utilising hydraulic lime, in Middle Eastern civilisations from the 4th century BC. In the Roman era it revolutionised design, as it was employed to create previously unbuildable structures such as the Pantheon, which remains the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world. The use of concrete in Roman architecture is extensive; the high compressive strengths of Roman concrete was a game changer as it removed the need for post and beam structures, or limits on opening sizes as there was not a requirement for lintel beams, while being ruled by brick dimensions was no longer an issue. Modern concrete tends to contain a form of reinforcement bars, usually metal, to add tensile strength so that concrete can be used as both a loadbearing and long-spanning structural material. The range of concrete types, its durability, strength and variety of different finishes have made it a popular choice in a multitude of different spaces, building and construction types: The combined structural and aesthetic qualities of concrete allow it to be used both structurally or decoratively as floor slabs, flooring, walls, façades, roofs and landscaping features. It is a highly versatile, waterproof material when set and properly sealed, where it is used for water features, foundations, bridges, dams, tunnels, infrastructural and other engineering works. The range of possible finished colours is extraordinary, meaning modern concretes can be specified as bold, expressive elements, or a restrained, muted background settings to create calm, cool, clean atmospheres. Concrete has the ability to mimic marbles and other natural textures due to the variety of finishing procedures available. With the addition of pigments and different moulds or shuttering, it is possible to create concretes which imitate specific types of stone, timber or metal textures and appearances, being as smooth or coarse as desired. The calm, restrained, mild colour of this pigmented concrete makes it a good choice for projects where the desire is to respond contextually to the surrounding context or landscape by emulating the forms and colours of mountain and stone formations, or reflecting the soft tones of overcast, naturally lit environments. It is often used to highlight a particular volume or contrasting element, differentiating between old and new sections of buildings, or separate functions within one project. Concrete is also excellent for reducing low frequency noise and is therefore often used in environments where acoustic control is a priority. Regular concrete tones can be cold and austere; this warm shade of pink-beige and cream-white pigmentation appears more endearing, welcoming and intimate. This gorgeous, clean, pink tinged, creamy-beige-white concrete is light, airy and expansive, with the elegant, timeless beauty commonly associated with gleaming marble, or expensive, high quality, refined stone finishes. The well crafted, mature appearance, large pink, silver and pearly white considered, refined aggregate and smooth surface texture creates a desirable, timeless, reassuringly solid Portland- or limestone-like look, possessing a respectful mass and weight and honest character. The neutral yet warm, positive, delightful appearance make for a highly versatile form of concrete, used as both load bearing walls and wall finishes, floors, worktops, surrounds and feature elements where the celebration of form, light and space is critical to the spatial and atmospheric composition. It can be used to compliment warm, natural timbers and metals; neutral, cool stone and marble; dark, rich, moody metals; or bold, vibrant, highly textured man-made finishes such as render, plaster or terrazzo, being particularly sought after for its prestigious, alluring, classic beauty and centring feel, used both to contrast and compliment historic surroundings and modern, contemporary contexts or design responses.

This image is seamless, meaning it can be tiled repeatedly for use in architectural drawings and 3D models. It can be used as a SketchUp texture, Revit material or imported into Photoshop for use in 2D illustrations. You can download a high resolution version of this texture and a matching bump map or CAD hatch (compatible with AutoCAD and Revit) using Architextures Create with a Pro Subscription.