Terrazzo Floors: Care and Maintenance

While immensely popular, terrazzo floors are often thought of as “hard” surfaces, it is an agglomerate flooring, which means it is a comprised of different materials that have different qualities. Terrazzo is made of granite, glass, marble, quartz, or other suitable chips, which are then poured with a binder that can be epoxy, acrylic, or cementitious, or a combination of.  To create the smooth surface terrazzo tiles are known for, the flooring materials are cured, grounded, and polished, until a uniformly textured surface throughout the stone is achieved.

This is how terrazzo flooring is created. When it comes to installation, there are divider strips that serve as panels for terrazzo floors. These strips are made of alloy, brass, wood, or zinc. After the terrazzo floors are poured into the strips, it is then grinded using diamond or stone abrasives. Afterwards, it is grouted, polished, and sealed.

Now we come to the care and maintenance of this famous flooring material. As mentioned above, terrazzo is made of natural stone, which makes it very porous. While the surface may be hard enough to withstand heavy foot traffic, it does need protection from stains and absorption. This protection is applied after the honing process, where oftentimes a water-based or solvent-based impregnator is applied to terrazzo floors, where it is absorbed and sealed into the material.

Terrazzo should be cleaned with an alkaline cleaner and degreaser before it is sealed, to ensure that the tiles are in pristine condition that will last through the years. Upon sealing, the floors should only be cleaned with a neutral pH cleaner; all-purpose cleaners that contain crystallizing salts, alkali, or acids should be avoided, as well as those cleaners that are inorganic and water soluble.

When it comes to water pressure, never clean terrazzo tiles at pressures above 800 PSI. If you are to use water pressure, remember to do so only when the grout and divider strips are in good condition and there is no danger that the terrazzo floors will approve moisture.

For moisture is your greatest enemy when it comes to cleaning terrazzo. The material is very porous, easily stained, and can easily be etched by acids. For instance, spilled carbonated beverages and fruit juices can easily leave marks on your otherwise flawless flooring. To avoid doing so, immediately wipe acid spill with a wet cloth. If, unfortunately, the material is etched, then you may need to have the surface re-polished.

Other thing you need to know is that you can use a clean, non-treated dry dust mop to clean your indoor floors. You should not use sweeping compounds that contain oil as these will penetrate your terrazzo floors and permanently discolor it. These compounds also contain sand, which will damage the material, as well as can be a pain to sweep.

Finally, unsealed terrazzo can easily absorb liquids, so you should ensure that every single spill is immediately cleaned. Clean it regularly to remove the accumulation of dust and grime, and rinse it thoroughly to present a build-up of residue that can be quite slippery. Only use neutral cleaners, and don’t delay cleaning spillage. Also, use maintenance products that are designed and created for terrazzo, not the cleaners you often see on the market that can contain harmful materials that will damage your floor.

Terrazzo floors are very nice to look at and can be easy to maintain as long as it is properly grouted and sealed. To ensure that your floors are installed properly, you have to tap qualified experts who can guarantee that they know what you are doing. For instance, Terrazzo Australian Marble has been applying and crafting terrazzo floors for over four decades, making them a leader in the industry. What’s more, they have the experienced personnel to ensure that your floors are properly sealed so you do not have to worry about moisture seeping through the gorgeous flooring.

When it comes to your flooring needs, look no further than Terrazzo Australian Marble. Aside from giving you a wide array of colors to choose from, they can ensure that your floor will be properly installed, so maintenance would be easy. Your flooring would then last for a long, long time.