Terrazzo Polishing

What is terrazzo?

Terrazzo is a type of flooring made from a mixture of glass, marble, granite, quartz and other hard and often reflective substances. This mixture is added to either cement or epoxy, poured and let to harden. At that point it’s ground smooth and then polished. The polishing produces the smooth, beautiful terrazzo surface found in many homes and business lobbies.

What are the benefits of terrazzo floors?

Made from mostly recycled material, terrazzo is not only environmentally friendly, but it also produces zero harmful chemicals. Making a terrazzo floor doesn’t release any volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere because the material is all natural, so it is one of the “greenest” floors available.

Since terrazzo is stone, it’s naturally bacteria-resistant and being that it’s composed primarily of a very hard epoxy or cement it is quite resistant to wear and staining and is overall low maintenance. When properly cared for a terrazzo floor will last forever.

How do we restore and polish terrazzo?

Generally, in most commercial settings, terrazzo is waxed each year leaving an unsitely build up of wax which actually traps dirt. The result is a once beautiful terrazzo floor rapidly starts to look old and dingy.

1. The first step in properly restoring terrazzo is to remove any of that remaining wax to expose the original finish.
2. Once that’s done we can survey any damage such as cracks or holes and repair those with colour matched epoxy.
3. Then we can begin the grinding process which will remove scratches, most stains and overall signs of wear.
4. Once all of the grinding steps have been completed, we can start polishing the terrazzo to achieve a natural glossy finish without having to use wax or any other topical sealer.
5. Now that it’s polished, we not only seal but also harden the newly polished finish with a commercial grade crystalizer, helping to keep the terrazzo looking new for years.

How can you maintain your newly refinished terrazzo floor?

The most important thing is simply regular cleaning using a clean mop and a good concentrated neutral cleaner. In larger commercial settings an autoscrubber with a neutral soap in the tank works great. No harsh acidic chemicals or cleaners should ever be used.

Down the road, any areas where the shine starts to diminish can easily be brought back up with an inexpensive maintenance session from Verona Stone. Waxes or acrylic sealers will wear off rather quickly and need to be regularly re-appilied.