A type of flooring I haven’t ever talked too much about is Terrazzo. Known for its beauty, durability and low maintenance, terrazzo has long been a choice of flooring for large corporation and government buildings. Because of its initial cost, Terrazzo has not been thought of as much of a viable flooring material for the home. But with new technologies emerging that is changing

For the same reasons corporations and the government choose to use Terrazzo, many home owners are choosing to use it as well. New technologies have made terrazzo somewhat more affordable as a choice for home flooring. In the traditional sense it is still installed as a preconceived aspect of building design in many instances. But
it is no longer limited to the old pour it, pack it, grind it method. Today, many tile manufactures are offering Terrazzo tile as a consumer installed flooring material, all be it, it takes a bit of know how to actually get it installed properly.

Traditionally granite, glass or marble chips are used, but today there are a wide variety of materials used to construct fine looking Terrazzo flooring, including plastics. Not only are the aggregates changing but the methods to produce the flooring are as well, many types moving into epoxy resin based production rather than concrete or masonry solidifiers.

Normally a Terrazzo floor is poured on top of slab concrete in hidden grid sections usually about 3 square feet in size. Once a firm bed or flooring foundation is laid, such as a concrete slab the grid sections are laid out and attached to it. Then a mixture of aggregate containing any of the above mentioned materials and a special concrete are mixed and poured over the grid system. Once the slurry is in place it is vibrated and compacted to remove all the trapped air bubbles in the mix that once finished might cause holes. Then the surface is packed with special equipment to further pack the mixture tightly together and left to dry.

After it hardens special grinding equipment is used to polish the surface to a high luster, any imperfections are sealed with a special mixture and polished at this time. As I said earlier, this is the traditional method of installation, which does not lend itself to home use in many cases.

But today there are companies that supply Terrazzo Tile for all manner of installations, including home installation. The specifications for its use are rather stringent and the tile should be installed by a seasoned professional but can bring marked beauty to a home when done properly.

Costing in upwards of $10 a square foot in some cases to install, it isn’t for the faint of heart or pocket book to be sure. But when considered in high traffic areas that when using other flooring options, may require a lot of maintenance and eventually replacement a time or two in years to come, it makes a lot more economic sense in the long run. As a statement of elegance, it bears few equals.

There are a few things to consider about Terrazzo flooring that are a bit different then other types of flooring for the home. Terrazzo, although it requires far less maintenance then other types of residential flooring materials do, it does require some special consideration. Normal easily purchased off the shelf household cleaners may not be acceptable for use on Terrazzo flooring. It is best to contact your Terrazzo flooring dealer or installer for the proper way to maintain Terrazzo flooring. Special equipment such as scrubbers and buffers may need to be considered as optional equipment to keep your floor looking its best when maintenance is required.

Most common flooring for your home is generally expected to last 10 to 20 years maximum before it is replaced or extensively refinished. Many types of flooring such as carpet and vinyl may not last that long. Terrazzo, when installed properly is a floor that will be considered a lifetime flooring material, one that will be around for generations to come.

Terrazzo flooring tiles come in a multitude of colors and textures combinations, and many manufactures will do custom designs as well. Lasting beauty, low maintenance, durability makes Terrazzo flooring a high quality option for home flooring. Often dealers can offer such options as to make counter tops that match the flooring pattern out of some slightly different combination of epoxy resins with matching aggregate giving consumers more of a total coordinated finishing option.

Scott Best is a freelance Author in association with New Floor Design.com Scott Writes for many websites. With his unique perspective on many issues and topics Scott lends a high level of professionalism to the topics he writes about.

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