Lazenby's Light Natural polished concrete floor with wooden inlay strips at The Bower, Old Street, London. AHMM architects. Credit: Rob Parrish

Personalising a polished concrete floor is a growing trend and trims and insets of every kind are being used, from metals and wood to glass and stone. Brass inlays can be impressive, but only when carefully planned and expertly installed. With 30 years' experience, Lazenby knows what works and what doesn’t and can manage client expectations accordingly.

Popular and achievable

Trims made from hardwearing materials, such as stainless steel and brass, can create a lasting first impression in heavy traffic areas. ‘End-to-end’ and ‘to-the-middle’ trims of in-organic substrates work well. This is because concrete wants to crack; it is in its nature, and only by planning where the cracks will be induced – along the joint lines – can a polished concrete floor with trims be a success.

Problematic yet solvable

Imagine an irregular shape inset into concrete - how can cracking be avoided? Lazenby has found that surrounding or incasing an irregular-shaped inset with a straight-edged material such as glass or stainless steel can solve the problem. Concrete surfaces are hand-trowelled so it is important to have a clear edge to work up to. Lazenby’s technical experts are available to advise on technical issues like these.

Perfect trims

One Bedford Avenue, London, features a 15x15x5mm Lazenby brass trim, which, due to the width and material required, was detailed slightly differently from a standard trim. A steel angle was bolted to the sub floor and the brass angle bolted to this to give the impression of width without the added cost of a solid trim. The Turnmill building in Clerkenwell, London, features 6mm angled brass trims, which give an elegant profile finish that adds value and is hardwearing.

Crack inducement planning is a vital part of a polished concrete installation. The straight lines are sawn to a specific depth and then inset with the required substrate. Care and attention to detail is the only way to achieve a lasting and beautiful polished concrete floor.

Concrete floor with brass trim at the Turnmill building in Clerkenwell, London. Architect Piercy&Company. Credit: Jack Hobhouse
Concrete floor with wooden inlay strip at The Bower. Credit: Rob Parrish
Underlit bench seating showcases polished concrete at One Bedford Avenue, Fitzrovia, London. Architect Bennetts Associates. Credit: Rob Parrish
Polished concrete transformed by liquid reflections at The Bower. Credit: Rob Parrish