Are you searching for beautiful, new flooring for your home? Important factors you may consider include the style, the price, and their durability over time.
If these things are important to you, terrazzo flooring may be just what you’re looking for. Learn more about the great benefits you’ll get when choosing terrazzo counters for your home.
1. Go Green – Terrazzo Flooring Are Eco-Friendly
Looking for eco-friendly materials for your kitchen or bathroom? Terrazzo floors are made from recycled materials and are one of the greenest additions you can add to your home.
Pieces of glass, granite, and marble are bound by cement or a resin material to form colorful flooring. You’ll feel great knowing the materials used to create your counters come from recycled materials and reduce the impact of waste on the environment.
2. Unique Style and Color Options
Unlike granite tiles, which are very common, the unique style of this one-of-a-kind surface won’t be in every kitchen in your neighborhood.
Terrazzo floors are distinctive due to a variety of different colored glass, depth, and translucence. This makes the floors look beautiful in a variety of settings. Terrazzo floors often become a mesmerizing feature in kitchens causing guests to stop and admire with visual interest and curiosity.
3. Resistant to Heavy Traffic, Scratches, and Stains
Homeowners love terrazzo flooring in their kitchen because of the natural resistance to heavy traffic and scratches. The materials in terrazzo flooring are made to cool down quickly and hot pans won’t leave a mark when placed directly on the surface. They’re able to withstand the abuse of sliding pots and pans or dropping utensils on the surface.
In addition, terrazzo counters can stand up to stains better than other counters. To keep them resistant to stain, homeowners must seal the flooring monthly for regular care.
4. Better Durability
When you choose terrazzo floors, you won’t need to worry about replacing them anytime soon. The concrete mixture in terrazzo has a lifespan of up to 40 years. With proper care and maintenance, these terrazzo could last for 100 years or more.
In fact, similar pieces of terrazzo have been found by archeologists in Turkey dating back 6,000 years!
5. Beautiful Floors at a Relatively Affordable Price
Terrazzo floors are mesmerizing and beautiful and long lasting, the initial investment will pay for itself many times over. Because they’re made with recycled materials and cement or resin, the cost of installing can sometimes be high but the cost of maintaining is much more affordable than common alternative options. And since they are so long lasting, they have little to no replacement costs associated with them—so over the life of the floor it’s actually a much more affordable option than many others.
If you’re looking for eco-friendly flooring that fit within your budget, terrazzo is a natural choice. Terrazzo can also be a great option for rental homes to maintain the expensive appearance of marble for a fraction of the price.
Already Have Terrazzo Floors? Here’s How to Maintain Them
If you already have terrazzo flooring (or even countertops) in your home, but not sure how to properly maintain them and keep them looking their best for years to come, here are some tips:
Dust and Mop
You should dust and mop your terrazzo floors regularly—daily if possible. This will clean up dust and small debris that settles on your floors. It will also clear ‘grit’ that is tracked in—this grit acts as fine abrasive over time and without regular mopping you will be slowly grinding away at your hard surfaces.
Scrub Floors
Scrub floors once a week at minimum, preferably twice per week. This is especially important for new installations where the construction dust is still settling and will end up on your floors.
2 to 3 months after initial installation you can reduce the scrubbing to once per week to once every two weeks depending on the amount of traffic in your home.
Rinse Residue from Floors
With regular cleaning and scrubbing your floors will end up with cleaner residue—always rinse the residue from your floors to make sure they don’t become slippery and dangerous. This will also help keep your floors looking beautiful because residue will leave an unsightly haze on your floors.
Use Floor Sealants
Use slip resistant and water-based floor sealants for your terrazzo floors. Proper sealing will give your floors a nice sheen and keep them slip resistant.
Avoid ‘Cheap’ Cleaning Products
All purpose cleaners and cheap cleaning and sealing products can do more harm than good. Always opt for products specifically designed for terrazzo floors, as you will find the majority of the maintenance of terrazzo floors is in labor (yours or a contractors). So choose maintenance products wisely.
Don’t Hesitate to Hire a Professional
For more intense cleanings or polishings, hire a professional terrazzo polishing and restoration company—terrazzo restoration experts will have the best equipment to clean, resurface, and polish your terrazzo floors to restore them to their original sheen.
Harry Edenfield is the Owner and Founder of Fabric & Tile Masters in Jacksonville, Florida. They have been the area’s premier tile and stone refinishing service for more than two decades. Visit their social media pages for more information:
