Polished Concrete Canvas Delivered
The Aeropostale Store at Millcreek Mall was one for the books.
5-Layers to a polished Gem
After removing five to six layers of old flooring — including stubborn 2” oak slats — our tile scraper broke down and a rental unit was unavailable for days. The crew switched to manual removal by hand and worked long nighttime hours to stay on schedule out of respect for Millcreek Mall and Catalyst Brands. Following extensive repairs and aggressive grinding, we polished the concrete to 800 grit, delivering a durable, low-maintenance floor that offers a clean, modern look and serves as a versatile canvas for the next tenant for decades to come.
Demo
Once the old flooring was completely removed, we moved into an extensive preparation phase. Because polished concrete permanently locks in every imperfection, we took extra time to address issues we couldn’t see until grinding began. We repaired damaged areas using Diama-Grout 2.0, a fast-setting polyurethane/polyurea material, and at the main entrance, we cut out and replaced an 18’ × 6’ × 1” section with TruePC, a high-performance, polishable concrete repair product. We then aggressively ground the entire floor in multiple directions with 14-grit diamond tooling to create a flat, uniform starting surface.
Down the home Stretch
From there, we followed a full progressive polishing process: grinding, honing, densification, and sealing. The result is a durable, low-maintenance polished concrete floor finished to 800 grit. With approximately 70% light reflectivity, the surface now shines naturally without any fragile topcoat that could wear away. This hardened and refined concrete is built to handle heavy retail traffic, spills, and daily wear for 20–30+ years with nothing more than routine sweeping and mopping.
What makes this floor especially valuable is its versatility. The final surface is flat and imperfection-free, making it an ideal ready-to-go canvas for whatever comes next — whether the next tenant wants to leave the polished concrete exposed for a clean, modern retail look or plans to install new tile, carpet, or a thin-set coating. No major additional prep work will be required.
Mission Accomplished
A big thank you to the Aeropostale team for their patience during the long nighttime hours and to Millcreek Mall management and Catalyst Brands for being so accommodating throughout the project. This polished concrete floor now stands as a strong, adaptable foundation that will serve the next business well for decades to come.
