Polished concrete floors for the VISO Sint-Angela school

Project · school building · concrete floors

For the school VISO Sint-Angela, Glansbeton natural-coloured polished concrete floors were installed in the classrooms, refectory and technical rooms. The work was carried out in several phases, with local protective treatment of the floor.

One material for different school spaces

A school building contains spaces that are used very differently. Classrooms have tables and chairs, a canteen involves eating and drinking as part of daily use, and technical rooms have their own practical requirements. The choice of floor must take these differences into account.

For this project, a visible concrete floor in a natural colour was chosen. The concrete was smoothly polished and thus also formed the final finish. The original project description emphasises quality, durability and the appearance of the material.

Execution on PUR insulation

According to our project description, the concrete floors were placed directly on a layer of PUR insulation. This is a given for this specific execution. For a new school project, the insulation, floor load, slab construction and detailing must be adjusted again to the design.

In flooring works, the underlying construction is just as important as the visible finish. The correct levels, connections and support are determined in advance. A polished surface cannot correct a poorly prepared construction.

The school floors were executed in phases

Glansbeton installed the floors in different execution phases. With such an approach, accessibility, connections and scheduling per work zone are considered. The way a building is available to the concrete team partly determines how the work can be organised.

The polishing follows the pouring and must be done at the right moment. Temperature and the behaviour of the fresh concrete influence that timing. Good agreements about site access and the sequence of other works help to carry out the floor work in a controlled manner.

Our original project description stated that the floors could be cautiously walked on after treatment. This is not a general clearance for full loading: the moment when a floor may be used or loaded must be agreed per project. Separate agreements are needed for protection during subsequent works.

Locally treated against staining

Some floors received a protective treatment to better protect them against stains. This is especially relevant where usage involves other risks, such as spilled drinks or dirt. The treatment must suit the floor and the daily maintenance.

Protection does not mean that every liquid can remain on the floor indefinitely. Timely cleaning and an appropriate maintenance method remain important. You can find more explanation in our article about protecting a concrete floor.

Concrete floors in educational buildings

This school reference shows how polished concrete can be applied in multiple functional spaces. For a new request, we review the building's functions, the floor construction and the execution schedule together. The desired appearance and maintenance agreements are also part of that discussion.

See our other project references or read more about polished concrete floorsThis way you get an impression of different applications without automatically projecting one execution onto another site.