Terrazzo is made by mixing chips produced from marble, granite, quartz, or glass chips into a cement or epoxy base.
The initial finish on a Terrazzo floor will gradually go dull.
Small scratches and etching builds up and damage the initial polish.
The best way to restore the original finish is by polishing the Terrazzo to the highest standard.
We have diamond polishing equipment to grind the Terrazzo and restore the initial finish.
We can help stop this soil using Terrazzo sealers.
Find out moreabout our Terrazzo Polishing work or get a free Quote
Terrazzo is an attractive yet hard wearing flooring, hence its use as a flooring in supermarkets, airports, commercial and industrial buildings. It is made by mixing chips made from marble, granite, quartz, or glass chips with cement. The most popular terrazzo uses marble chips.
However, both marble and cement are easily damaged by high alkaline and high acid chemicals. And most generic cleaning products are either highly alkaline or acidic, so they will damage a terrazzo floor.
This floor shows how dirty terrazzo can get when it is repeatedly cleaned with the wrong cleaning chemical.
The left side shows the dirty floor. The right hand side shows the floor after it has been cleaned and restored to a beautiful finish.
Over years, the cleaning chemicals damaged the floor in two ways.
1. Marble Damage
Standard floor cleaning chemicals often contain strong acids or strong alkalis. Both will damage marble, eating the surface of the marble and leaving holes and pits.
2. Cement Damage
The cement that holds the marble chips will be degraded by normal floor cleaning chemicals, making the surface porous.
Cleaning slurry starts to soak into the surface of the cement and gradually it breaks down. You can see this problem on areas that are not heavily trafficked, in fact you can feel the marble chips standing above the cement.
This image shows a stair tread that has been lightly ground, you can see where the marble chips at the rear of the tread that have been abraded flat, yet the cement is still dirty, showing how the event has degraded away.
It is quite amazing to discover the different types of cleaning chemicals people use when s terrazzo floors. We’ve come across everything from vinegar and water (”my grandmother used it”), to concentrated stone cleaners (”the man at the tile shop said this was the best stuff they had”), and just about everything in between.
I could give you a list of chemicals you should not use for cleaning terrazzo, (and it is a long list).
However, for simplicity, the only solution you should use for terrazzo cleaning is a specific marble and terrazzo cleaner. Absolutely nothing else, not even plain water, because plain water can cause staining or colour leaching on and unsealed terrazzo floor (depending on the mineral and chemical content). Even worse, if the water is acidic, you can get an etch and a stain at the same time!
Your local tile shop will stock terrazzo cleaning chemicals such as:
Lithofin MN Wash and Clean
Lithofin Easy Care
Nu-Life Professional Cleaner and Maintainer
LTP Wax Wash
To emphasise – your terrazzo floor should only be cleaned using a cleaner that has been made for terrazzo cleaning.
If your terrazzo floor still looks dull and dirty after you have been cleaned it, please do not be tempted to use a heavy duty cleaner.
As I have already said, when your floor looks dull and dirty, the surface has started to become porous. So you will need specialist equipment and knowledge about cleaning terrazzo to remove the ingrained dirt without damaging your floor.
If you are fortunate your floor may only need a professional deep clean and light polish. However, if your floor is uneven or severely damaged, then your only option is terrazzo floor restoration.
Your floor will be ground to remove the damaged surface, honed, polished and re-sealed, leaving a beautiful new surface.
If you think your terrazzo floor needs to be restored we don’t recommend trying to do it yourself. You will need to use heavy terrazzo grinding equipment and pay for terrazzo grinding diamonds, that may cost more than you would pay for a professional terrazzo floor restoration.
Terrazzo floors are not all the same, Terrazzo is made from a combination of marble chips mixed into a binding material.
Older terrazzo floors that have been poured by hand are usually made from portland cement. They are relatively soft and can be damaged with aggressive cleaning.
Terrazzo floors made from terrazzo tiles are usually much harder and take more time to restore. So you need to have the right knowledge and the right equipment to restore terrazzo floors.
If you’re looking to bring the WOW back to your Terrazzo floor, then a complete terrazzo floor restoration by ABBEY is the ideal choice.
Terrazzo is a specialist floor to clean. The marble chips are especially sensitive to harsh cleaning chemicals. Acidic cleaners can dissolve the marble, leaving the floor uneven and difficult to clean.
General cleaning companies do not have the training, experience or specialist equipment to give a long lasting restoration. Inexperienced cleaners can cause more damage. Call ins the experts.
We will also give you great help and advice about ongoing limestone cleaning and maintenance so you can keep your floor looking its best.
from Abbey Floor Care https://www.abbeyfloorcare.co.uk/terrazzo/