How To Restore Terrazzo Floors [Quick & Easy DIY Process]

This is the most detailed guide on how to restore terrazzo floors where we have discussed a few simple DIY steps.

During the Venetian era, mansions were constructed with terrazzo floors, an old style of flooring. From marble shards leftover from high-end jobs came the first terrazzo flooring makers.

This floor is created with one layer of floated concrete or clay on top of the marble fragments, forming a mosaic. This low-cost substitute for real marble can be used for a variety of surfaces, including floors, patios, countertops, and sidewalks.

Terrazzo flooring may now be created in a wide variety of hues because of the widespread usage of glass chips in this material. A grinder is used to sand down the floor after it has dried.

Then it is polished and sealed to keep the marble look. As with many other surfaces, terrazzo floors will require restoration at some point due to the high volume of traffic they receive over time.

Let us dive into the DIY process on how to restore terrazzo floors explained in detail in this article.

About Terrazzo

In terrazzo, various sized and hued marble chips are bonded together with a base of cement or, in recent uses, with an epoxy resin base.

This material is a distinctive stone finish. Terrazzo maintenance is something we make a point of teaching our customers about.

To maintain your terrazzo so that it can look new for as long as possible with the least amount of effort, ask us about the best cleansers and care products.

Keep Reading: Guide To Placing Laminate Flooring Over Tiles

Is It Possible To Restore Terrazzo Floors?

Even if you’ve had your terrazzo and it’s lost its high-gloss luster for a long time, you may have it repaired. If you have holes or cracks on the surface of your terrazzo, restoration is the best course of action.

Having holes in your floor might allow liquid stains to absorb it and ruin the color of your carpets. When coverings like linoleum or carpets tiling are removed, terrazzo floor damage can occur.

As a result, the terrazzo becomes riddled with nicks, dings, and dents. A professional who performs terrazzo restoration might be hired based on the extent of the damage.

Alternatively, you can hire a business that does terrazzo floor restoration or do the work yourself. If you decide to do terrazzo restoration on your own, realize that it only makes sense if it’s done correctly.

Your terrazzo issues will only worsen if you don’t, necessitating further professional intervention. You can reap many rewards from terrazzo floor restoration.

In the end, the benefits far surpass the costs and time invested in the restoration. Terrazzo floor restoration/repairs are warranted to ensure that the following will happen:

  1. Because the terrazzo surface was thoroughly sealed during the restoration, there was no mold or mildew. In the cement areas of the terrazzo, there will be no place for fungal growth.
  2. Terrazzo floor restoration raises the property’s resale value. For both practical and aesthetic reasons, a well-restored terrazzo floor is highly sought after by many prospective home purchasers.
  3. If you have performed restoration on the terrazzo floor, it should be well sealed and polished in order to be low-maintenance. You can skip cleaning it as frequently to keep it looking its best, which will save you money in the long run.

Relevance Of Polishing

Polishing is a common choice that people make to keep their floor shining intact. However, there is confusion between polishing and waxing as a part of flooring restoration.

Here are some reasons why you may choose polishing over waxing and how it can really help you to maintain the look of the floor for a long time. It includes:

  • Maintenance Cost
  • Longevity
  • Ease of cleaning

Polished Terrazzo floors are stain and scratch-resistant, low maintenance, and will retain their luster for many years. Polishing is an excellent choice for educational institutes and government facilities because of its minimal upkeep cost.

The floor’s shine may be maintained with regular polishing. Even if you need to retouch your shine every now and then, polishing is still much less expensive than regular waxing, allowing you to save even more money.

Polished floors retain their luster and rarely require repolishing with routine care, even in high-traffic areas. When it comes to the longevity of your concrete flooring, polishing is a no-brainer.

The expense of maintenance and upkeep will increase if the wax is used since the residue wax will need to be cleaned and a new coat applied and maintained every year.

Terrazzo flooring can be cleaned with a few basic cleaning materials. To make your floors look their best for years to come, you’ll likely only need a few basic cleaning supplies.

You only need dust or a wet mop to maintain and shine your polished floors.

Keep Reading: Right Way To Shine Tiles Floor Without Using Wax

Steps On How To Restore Terrazzo Floors

Now that you know all the considerations about the floor; let’s directly move on to the restoration process. Here are steps that you can’t ignore on how to restore terrazzo floors properly.

Preparation

A terrazzo floor must first be prepped before restoration can begin. Remove all of the terrazzo off the floor. Remove all of the room’s furniture and accessories at this point.

Do not forget to remove all of your old floor coverings, such as carpet and tile. Remove the adhesive by using a Dremel tool.

Tape the terrazzo-floor-touching walls and cover them with waterproof coating. It’s time to connect the hose attachment to the surface grinder that came with your rental. If not, apply a little bit of water to the entire space.

Understanding Problem

High-traffic areas must be restored to their original appearance. Nevertheless, not all damage is the same. It’s time to start figuring out how much harm has been done.

How severe is the damage? Can you see scratches all over the surface? As the most effective abrasive pad for use in the restoration process, this is an essential question that must be addressed.

For hundreds of years, terrazzo floors have been used in public places. Because of its durability in high traffic areas, managers must devise a restoration plan that includes maintenance, assessment of the damage, and long-term preservation.

To maintain a terrazzo floor’s year-round brilliance, it is simple to execute a safe and environmentally friendly strategy.

Grinding Of The Floor

Your terrazzo floor’s high gloss shines achieved by grinding, exactly like buffing, which also helps lighten any existing stains.

The correct diamond mechanical grind is required if you want to obtain color purity and a high gloss finish. In comparison, others choose to forgo this stage.

It’s recommended that you use a 400-pound grinder to smooth your terrazzo surface while revealing any previously hidden damage.

Then, using a finer-grit grinder, go over the complete terrazzo floor one more time until you’ve gotten the level of detail and sheen that you prefer.

Once the diamond grinding operation has been completed, you can try applying a poultice to check if any stains remain.

Keep Reading: All About Grouting Vinyl Tiles

Patch For Cracks

It’s good to repair any terrazzo floor cracks and holes before polishing. Color-tinted epoxy can be used to match the marble chip’s color in your terrazzo.

Sealing

After repairing any holes or cracks in your terrazzo floor, grind it down and refinish it. Oil stains and moisture damage can both be prevented by sealing the surface.

The terrazzo pores will be sealed off when you use a sealer. As a result, the floor will not be ruined by water seeping into it. On the other hand, Penetrative sealers enhance the color purity of your terrazzo floors.

Polish The Floor

After the terrazzo floor has been restored or repaired, the final step usually is to polish the floor. Recrystallization, polishing powder, or the method of diamond-polishing can all be used to achieve this end result.

Diamond polish is the most efficient of the three polishing techniques. High gloss can be achieved without creating a slick floor surface.

It’s alright to go with a less expensive option if you’re on a budget. The terrazzo floor only requires a light dusting of the powder, which may be worked into the surface with a soft cloth.

At least twice, use a higher-grit powder to repeat the polishing operation. Remember that polishing powder or recrystallization-finished or terrazzo floors usually need to be rebuffed every couple of years, just in case.

On the other hand, diamond-polished terrazzo floors generally retain their high-shine appearance before you need a rebuff.

Maintainance Tips

You have to maintain the floor so that you don’t have to perform the entire work frequently. Here are some tips on the maintenance process.

Daily Cleaning

Sweep & Dust Sheets capture up to 800% more dirt, dust, and sand than ordinary flat cotton dust mops or the professional sweeping dust cloth brand.

When you’re done, use a professional clean and shine cloth, which removes black spots and small scratches using only a low-speed scrubber. This lessens the need to burnish and, in some cases, eliminates it.

Clear Entryway

When it comes to nature, she may be a pain. Entrances should be kept dry and free of obstructions that could allow moisture to enter. The elements can damage a terrazzo floor, besides the risk of falls and slips.

Stop Debris And Moisture

Consider installing a floor mat as a facility manager. It might be challenging to keep the lobbies and entrances spotless because so much dirt and grime is tracked in.

What’s the answer? Matting for the front doorway. There are also wet area mat systems that reduce the risk of slipping and falling.

Using a mat system reduces the amount of mopping and vacuuming required while also protecting the terrazzo floor from wear and tear.

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Terrazzo Floor Restoration Costing

It’s a good idea to hire a professional terrazzo floor restoration and repair company if you plan on doing the work yourself. Remember that the cost of floor polishing depends on the area size to be polished and the type of polishing.

Generally, polishing powder finish or recrystallization costs somewhere between 3-5 dollars per square meter of restoration. Even up to $20 per square foot is charged for repair with diamond polishing.

Final Verdict

This was all about our guide on how to restore terrazzo floors. We have mentioned the process and considerations to perform this job along with the cost of professionals if you want to hire one skipping the DIY. However, we can say that if you follow our methods properly without skipping any step, you can perform the job all by yourself.

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