The Polishing Grades for Ceramic Surfaces

Fine Grade

• Fine-grade polishes contain fine abrasive elements that are suitable for smoothing and shining ceramic surfaces. Whether the polishing procedure is accomplished through a chemical treatment or mechanical polisher/buffer with a fine-grade wheel or disc, using a fine-grade polish on ceramic surfaces is effective in bringing out the high-gloss potential of the ceramic texture. Fine- or super fine-grade polishes are most notable for leaving reflective surfaces in ceramic.

Medium Grade

• Like fine-grade ceramic polishes, medium-grade ceramic polishes can create smooth surfaces, but they cannot produce a reflective effect. Although medium-grade polishes leave ceramic surfaces looking shiny, the shine is more matted or toned down than with fine-grade polishes. That creates a subtle gloss appearance. Medium-grade polishes also are effective for buffing etching in ceramic surfaces.

Coarse Grade

• Coarse-grade polishes can be used to give a ceramic surface a matte appearance. Polishes of a coarse grade do not have the same shining and glossing capabilities of medium- and fine-grade polishes, limiting their use simply to taking the shine out of ceramic surfaces or keeping those surfaces smooth but not glossy.

Considerations

• Manufacturers use a numbering system for polishing grades, and the numbers represent the measurement of grit. Grit numbers on the low side of the spectrum, such as 100, correlate with coarser polishes than higher grit numbers. As the grit numbers rise, the grade becomes finer. Fine-grade grit numbers include 1,200 and 1,500. A middle-of-the-road grade has a 600 to 800 grit number.