Honed concrete
Honed Concrete
Ground and polished finishes, smooth underfoot with the stone on show.
Honed concrete is the smooth, refined cousin of exposed aggregate. The same decorative stone blends go into the mix, but once the slab has cured, the surface is ground back mechanically so the stone shows as a flat, polished pattern rather than a texture. If you’ve run your hand over a surface that looks like terrazzo but was poured as a slab, that’s a honed finish.
It’s a finish we get asked about more every year, especially for alfresco areas, pool surrounds and outdoor living floors where people want the decorative look of aggregate without the texture underfoot.
Who it suits
Anyone finishing an alfresco or outdoor entertaining area where bare feet, outdoor furniture and easy cleaning matter. Pool surrounds are the classic use, smooth underfoot, sealed against chlorinated splash, and finished to a barefoot-friendly slip rating. It also suits indoor-outdoor transitions where you want the floor to read as one continuous surface from the kitchen out to the alfresco.
What CJH actually does
Free measure and quote first, then:
- Site prep and pour. Same disciplined prep as every CJH job, excavation, compacted base, formwork and reo, then the pour with your chosen decorative blend. We pour blends from all the major suppliers, so the stone colour is your call.
- Curing. The slab needs to reach strength before grinding, we schedule the hone for the right window.
- The grind. The cured surface is mechanically ground back in stages to the level of exposure you’re after, from a light cut that shows fine stone through to a full-face hone.
- Sealing. A sealer matched to the area, penetrating or film-forming, chosen for looks, stain resistance and the right slip rating for wet areas.
Honed or exposed?
There’s no wrong answer, it’s about where the surface lives. Driveways and side access usually want exposed aggregate, the texture earns its keep under tyres and in the wet. Alfresco areas, pool surrounds and covered outdoor floors are where honed shines, smooth, easy to clean, and it photographs like a designer floor. Plenty of properties use both, exposed out the front, honed out the back, in the same stone blend so the whole place ties together.
Get a quote
Thinking about a honed finish for an alfresco, pool surround or outdoor floor anywhere in Perth? Call 0476 722 330 or send through some photos and rough measurements and we’ll organise a free measure and quote.
Honed Concrete
By CJH Concrete · Perth WA
Finishes available
Options for this scope.
01 Honed exposed aggregate
02 Semi-polished
03 Full-face hone
04 Any major supplier's blend
FAQ
Common questions.
What is honed concrete?
Honed concrete starts the same way as exposed aggregate, a decorative stone blend through the mix, but instead of washing the top layer back, the cured surface is mechanically ground flat. That cuts through the stone and cement together, leaving a smooth, flat surface with the aggregate showing as a polished cross-section, a bit like terrazzo.
How is honed different to exposed aggregate?
Exposed aggregate is textured, the stones sit proud of the surface, which gives grip and a rougher look. Honed is ground flat and smooth, so the stone reads as a polished pattern in the surface rather than a texture you can feel. Honed is the pick where you want the decorative look but bare feet and furniture matter, alfresco areas, pool surrounds and indoor-outdoor transitions.
Is honed concrete slippery around a pool?
The grind and sealer are chosen to suit the area. Around pools and wet areas we finish honed concrete to a slip rating appropriate for barefoot traffic, you get the smooth look without it turning into an ice rink when wet.
How much does honed concrete cost?
Honed finishes vary more than exposed aggregate because the grind level and sealer make a real difference to the labour involved. Rather than guess at a per-metre rate, we measure the job, talk through the level of finish you're after, and give you a written quote, free, like every CJH job.