Terrazzo is a combination of  cement and marble chips. Most terrazzo floors were poured on top of the concrete slab before construction of the interior wall framework. One of the reasons for terrazzo’s growing popularity is the fact that terrazzo does not emit fumes such as carpet, making it a “green” building material. Captain Marble will use processes similar to those used for marble to refinish your vintage Terrazzo floors to a hard, glass shine.

Terrazzo comes from the Italian word 'Terrazza' meaning terrace and refers back to the 15th century. Venetian mosaic workers who used bits of left over Marble chips, byproducts of exquisite sculptures, mixing them with cement and ground to a polished finish to create the original terrazzo flooring system. This enduring mixture is still used today, but with a few modern modifications.

Today terrazzo is more commonly used in the form of pre-fabricated tiles making installation quicker and easier. Also, epoxy resin is favored for the stone to be set in. This creates a more durable surface which is practically impermeable, allows for a more varied selection of colors to be used and reduces the risk of cracking or loose chippings

Uses & Attributes:

Why is Terrazzo so popular?

Most people will be familiar with a terrazzo floor. Places you are likely to see it include supermarkets, indoor shopping centers, hospitals, train stations and many other areas that experience a high level of foot traffic.

Epoxy resin Terrazzo is extremely durable, much more so than most natural stones.
It's durability makes it easy to maintain and very cost effective in a commercial environment
Terrazzo can be produced in many different designs and colors. This gives the flexibility to create a floor that compliments its surroundings while being truly unique.
It is crafted using natural stone and is very attractive making it more appealing than ceramic tiles

Restoration, Repair and Maintenance:

The restoration of Terrazzo requires an experienced professional like Captain Marble to properly repair cracks, holes, chips etc.
Holes are repaired by closely matching the background color and using the appropriate marble chips. After repairs are completed, the Terrazzo floor is wet sanded with diamond impregnated grinding, honing and polishing abrasives. A penetrating sealer/ impregnator is then applied to provide stain resistance. The last step in refinishing is a polish that is buffed into the floor and creates a hard, glass shine. This polishing process is not a wax finish that yellows, scratches easily and must be stripped off and re-waxed often. In fact its greatest benefit of restoration is the ease of maintenance.
Terrazzo floors are extremely durable however old examples can need extensive repair work in order to restore them to their former beauty.
 
Terrazzo is an excellent surface to restore as its combination of high durability and attractive appearance make it a very worthwhile task. Because it contains natural stone, usually marble, it can be polished to a high shine and then treated with a penetrative sealer in order to protect it from staining and discolouration.
Once Captain Marble  fully restores your Terrazzo, it can be maintained very easily with regular dry and wet mopping, or as is more common in commercial environments, scrubber-drying. It is important to remember however that the presence of calcite based aggregates, such as marble, in most Terrazzo floors makes it susceptible to etching. It is important therefore that acid spills are wiped up promptly to avoid the severity of the etching and loss of shine to the floor.
 

Contact Captain Marble Today

You deserve to have your floors, countertops and any other Terrazzo surfaces looking beautiful and elegant again. Let Captain Marble professionally clean and enhance your surfaces so you can enjoy the everlasting beauty of your polished or honed Terrazzo. Give Captain Marble a call today at (877) 997-9978