About this Event
Polished Concrete: The Right Floor for the Right Space
Join CSI Nashville during the 2026 Nashville CSI Product Show for a focused educational seminar on one of the most commonly specified, and commonly misunderstood, finished floor systems: polished concrete.
Led by Larry Pippin, a concrete flooring contractor who has worked with polished concrete full time since the early 2000s, this session breaks polished concrete down into practical decisions architects, specifiers, contractors, and owners can use on real projects. The program covers how the slab itself influences the finished floor, the differences between polished, sealed, coated, and burnished concrete, how aggregate exposure and gloss are selected and measured, and where polished concrete is and is not an appropriate flooring solution.
Attendees will also learn how an on-slab mock-up, measurable acceptance criteria, and proper coordination between the concrete and polishing specifications can help reduce misunderstandings, field failures, and disputes. The submitted program is designed as a 50-minute presentation followed by 10 minutes of Q&A and is requesting 1.0 AIA LU|HSW.
Learning Objectives
- Distinguish mechanically polished concrete from sealed, coated, and burnished concrete floors, and identify specification language that may inadvertently call for more than one flooring system.
- Explain how concrete mix design, placement, finishing, and curing decisions influence the appearance, hardness, and durability of a polished floor, including slab conditions that must be coordinated between the concrete and polishing specifications.
- Evaluate polished concrete against resilient, carpet, and resinous flooring systems based on moisture tolerance, chemical exposure, slip resistance, maintenance, and occupancy requirements.
- Apply an on-slab mock-up and measurable acceptance criteria, including aggregate exposure class, gloss, and clarity level, to specify a polished concrete floor without relying on proprietary language.
Event Details
Date: Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Time: 10:30 AM–11:30 AM
Location: Nashville Fairgrounds Expo 2
Address: 401 Wingrove St, Nashville, TN 37203
Credit: 1.0 AIA LU|HSW Requested
Presenter
Larry Pippin
President & Founder, Vintage Resurfacing
Larry has worked in concrete surfaces and coatings since 1991 and has polished concrete full time since the early 2000s. His teams have polished millions of square feet of retail, distribution, hospitality, airport, and institutional flooring throughout the Southeast. He is also the founder and president of Coating and Resurfacing Technologies and is a certified concrete coatings inspector.
Pair the seminar with time on the Product Show floor to explore products, meet manufacturers, and continue the conversation with Nashville’s architecture, engineering, and construction community.
Build the connection. Specify the future.
Event venue & nearby stays
401 Wingrove St, 401 Wingrove Street, Nashville, United States
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