Terrazzo Floor Cleaning

Welcome to my Work History archive where you will find detailed examples of the cleaning and renovation of Terrazzo flooring carried out in Dorset

Cleaning and Polishing Terrazzo tiles

Terrazzo is actually the by-product of broken pieces of stone often Marble, Limestone and Granite, which rather than being wasted are set into to a cement screed and poured onto the floor. Then once the screed is set it is grinded to a polish. Because of this we find the best way to maintain Terrazzo is with the use of Burnishing Pads which hone the floor and restore its appearance.

Terrazzo has actually been around for a long time, but mainly became popular in the 1920s when the first electrical grinders showed up on the building sites making the process of polishing much easier. With this new variation of Terrazzo the builder/tiler was able to create new set designs and pieces which fitted perfectly with the demands of the “Roaring Twenties” as the flooring of choice for hotels, railway stations and offices wishing to add that wow factor to a hallway or entrance.

One of the big issues we find with older Travertine floors is cracking due to settlement in the sub floor. These floors are poured in sections so any cracks need to be filled with a matching resin and then cleaned, polished and sealed.

Below you will find detailed examples of work we have carried out in the past, it should give you some idea of what’s involved and what can be achieved with the right techniques and products.

Terrazzo Porch Floor Restoration Bournemouth

Restoring a Cracked Terrazzo Porch Floor in Bournemouth

1 Comment / Bournemouth Tile Cleaning, Terrazzo Floor Cleaning /

The pictures below are of a weathered Terrazzo floor laid in the open porch of a house in Bournemouth. Being exposed to the elements the Terrazzo was dull with ingrained dirt and unfortunately a few cracks had developed.

Terrazzo Porch Floor Before Restoration

Unhappy with its appearance the owner felt it was time for a refresh and contacted Tile Doctor to see what could be done. We discussed the project over the phone and shared a few images over email. Restoring the appearance of the Terrazzo wouldn’t be an issue however I was concerned about the cracks so I arranged a time to visit the property so I could understand the extent of the issues in detail.

Terrazzo Porch Floor Before Restoration

Whilst at the property I was able to confirm that the cracks were not that deep and came up with a restoration plan that would completely renovate the patio. I was able to use this to create an accurate quote for the work which was accepted and a date set on the proviso off good weather.

Cleaning a Terrazzo Tiled Porch Floor

Thankfully the weather was good and I was able to move straight onto burnishing the Terrazzo with a set of 17-inch diamond burnishing pads worked in with water. The first pad in the sequence is a coarse 400-grit which grinds off the dirt and is the first step in refining the appearance of the stone and aggregate. The process generates a fair amount of slurry in the process which is then rinsed away with more water and extracted with a wet vacuum.

The fine cracks in the Terrazzo were then filled using a flexible grout in a similar colour to the Terrazzo. Once that had dried the burnishing process was repeated using a medium 800-grit and then fine 1500-grit burnishing pad, rinsing and extracted after each pad. The last pad in the sequence is a super fine 3500-grit pad that is applied dry with only a little water sprayed onto the surface.

Sealing a Terrazzo Porch Floor

First, I checked the floor had dried out with a moisture meter, it was within the acceptable levels, so had the green light to processed and seal the Terrazzo. For this a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Ultra Seal were applied which is an impregnating natural look sealer that provides durable protection to the surface as well as allowing the floor to breath.

Terrazzo Porch Floor After Restoration Bournemouth Terrazzo Porch Floor After Restoration Bournemouth

Once I had finished it looked like a new installation and my client was very pleased with the result. Before leaving I took time to discuss aftercare and the importance of protecting the sealer from strong cleaning products that could damage it. For sealed and polished stone, I recommend using Tile Doctor Stone Soap, it’s a mild yet effective cleaning product that will help maintain the patina.

 

Professional Restoration of a Terrazzo Tiled Porch in Dorset

Restoring a Cracked Terrazzo Porch Floor in Bournemouth Read More »

Old Terrazzo tiled hallway floor restored in Southbourne

Old Terrazzo tiled hallway floor restored in Southbourne

1 Comment / Christchurch Tile Cleaning, Terrazzo Floor Cleaning, Work History /

I do enjoy breathing new life into old floors as was the case with this Terrazzo tiled hallway floor in Southbourne near Bournemouth, installed in 1924 it had been knocked about by various building alterations and then finally covered in a carpet which had been glued to the floor.

Terrazzo Tiled Floor Before Cleaning in Southbourne

Removing Adhesive from Terrazzo tiles

Stubborn remnants of the carpet adhesive were removed using Tile Doctor NanoTech HBU Remover which is applied to the tiles and then left to soak in for a before being scrubbed in with a black buffing pad and a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. HBU actually stands for Heavy Buid-up Remover and it’s a great problem solver that penetrates through tough stains and coatings so they can be easily removed. The floor was then washed down with clean water and any areas that needed further attention were retreated until I was satisfied with the floor was clean and free of glue.

The next step was to re-polish the Terrazzo using a set of of Tile Doctor burnishing pads which are applied in sequence from Coarse through to Super Fine with a little water to help lubricate. The coarse pad removes any surface grime and old sealant and the remaining pads build up the polish to bring back the original shine. The floor is washed down between each pad to remove the soil generated during the process.

Sealing Terrazzo Tiles

Cleaning took most of the day so I returned the next day to apply the sealer testing the floor first to ensure it was dry. To seal the floor I used a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is a colour enhancing sealer that impregnates into the pores of the stone and prevents contaminates staining the floor.
The customer decided that she would conceal the concrete patches at the edges of the floor using Colours Stone Effect speckled spray paint which is available in B&Q in her own time.

Terrazzo Tiled Floor After Cleaning in Southbourne
As you can see from the photos the floor looked a hundred times better and the customer was very satisfied with the result.

Restoring a 1924 Terrazzo Tiled Floor in Dorset

Old Terrazzo tiled hallway floor restored in Southbourne Read More »

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