To really make a concrete floor shine, concrete polishing is an extra step your rental customers can take. The steps for polishing concrete depend on what condition the concrete is in. If the floor is in great shape, start by grinding it with a 120-grit metal bond diamond tooling under a passive planetary machine. This will allow for proper surface preparation and evening out of the floor. Rougher grits could be used before this if the floor is very uneven and blemished. Vacuum between each step thoroughly.

Next, switch to 50-grit resin pads under the floor machine. Then vacuum; switch to 100-grit resin; vacuum; switch to 200-grit resin; vacuum. After the 200-grit resin bond step, apply a concrete densifier (such as Lavina SPS Premium Densifier) to the floor with an air pump sprayer and a microfiber mop.

Once the densifier is dry to the touch, continue with the resin bond diamond steps beginning with 400-grit resin pads. Continue with the remaining resin diamond tooling steps (800-, 1,500-, 3,000-grit) until the desired clarity and shine is achieved in the concrete floor. The highest polishing step available on today's market is an 8,500 grit V-Harr Pad (extreme shine).

For equipment, a rental customer is going to want a machine that does more than one task so that they do not have to rent multiple pieces of equipment. Any 20-inch-diameter machine that can grind, polish and burnish is a great choice.

Some consumables a rental business should have on hand include fast-drying concrete densifiers, sealers (indoor and outdoor sealers), microfiber mops and mop heads, and air pump sprayers.

Information provided by Superabrasive.p>

Information provided by Clarke American Sanders, Husqvarna Construction Products, Powr-Flite and WerkMaster.