By OzGrind · 14 July 2026 · 5 min read
Not many flooring jobs come with a camera crew. Ours did, twice. OzGrind was featured on Ready Set Reno with Michael and Carlene across two separate builds, and both times the concrete ended up being one of the finishes people asked about most. If you are planning a renovation and wondering whether polished or honed concrete is worth it, here is a look at what we did on the show and why it held up under the brightest possible spotlight.
The first job was a full family home, and the brief for the floor was simple: something modern and hard-wearing that pulled the open living spaces together without shouting for attention. We finished the floors with a surface polish, which gives you a clean, contemporary finish with a subtle sheen rather than a high mirror gloss. On camera it did exactly what a good floor should do in a reno: it made the rooms feel bigger and brighter, and it quietly tied the whole ground level together. Off camera, it is the kind of floor a busy family can actually live on for twenty years.
The second time was more personal. When Michael and Carlene renovated their own place, they asked us back for two key pieces of it, which tells you something about how the first job went.
Two different finishes, one house, and a result that worked inside and out. That mix, honed for the outdoor areas and polished for the living zones, is one we spec on a lot of Brisbane renovations, because each finish is doing the job it is best at.
Renovation television runs on tight deadlines and unforgiving close-ups. A finish either performs or it gets found out. Concrete suits that pressure for a few plain reasons: it is genuinely durable, so it looks the part long after the crew has packed up; it works with the existing slab rather than adding another layer to fail; and it gives you a range of looks, from a soft honed white to a polished living-room floor, all from the one base material. That flexibility is why it keeps turning up in renovations that are trying to feel modern without dating in five years.
If you saw the floors on the show and want something similar at home, the honest first step is a conversation about the space. Polished works beautifully through living and kitchen areas. Honed is the one for pool surrounds, garden tiles and outdoor zones where you want grip and a softer surface. Plenty of Brisbane renovations use both, exactly like the dream home did. Tell us how you live in the space and we will point you to the right finish rather than upselling you the shiniest one.
A surface polish on the family-home floors in Episode 8, and a mix of all-white honed concrete for the pool coping and garden tiles plus polished concrete through the living and kitchen in the dream-home build.
Honed is a flatter, more matte finish with more grip, which is why it suits pool surrounds and outdoor areas. Polished has more sheen and light reflection, which suits interior living spaces. They start from the same slab.
In most cases, yes. We will look at your slab and your spaces and recommend polished, honed or a combination of both.
Not at all. The show was a great showcase, but the bulk of our work is everyday Brisbane homes and commercial projects using the exact same finishes.
Tell us about your space and whether your slab is new or existing. We will come back within 48 hours with honest advice and a no-obligation quote.
