How To Make Terrazzo Floors Shine [Ways To Polish Terrazzo]

How To Make Terrazzo Floors Shine?

Terrazzo floors consist of marble chips and stone bits which are mixed in cement binders. The terrazzo floors appear glossy due to the marble and stone chips used in them.

If you are looking ahead to making your terrazzo floor shiny, you should clear the terrazzo floor first. Then you should take the initiative of re-applying the floor sealer to restore the shine and luster.

Top 3 DIY Methods On How To Make Terrazzo Floors Shine

It is easy to polish your terrazzo flooring by using the following three methods that have been shared below.

Recrystallization
Usage of polishing powder
Diamond polishing

Recrystallization Method

The recrystallization method is one of the popular ways of polishing your terrazzo floors. At first, it is important to use an acid solution, steel wool pad, and a grinding machine.

After pouring a little amount of it over the terrazzo floor, the polishing machine attached with a steel wool pad should spread the solution evenly over the surface.

The acidic solution that’s chemically spread over the terrazzo stone surface ensures a glossy appearance. After crystallization, the glossy appearance appears due to the fluorosilicate calcium layer upon the terrazzo floors.

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Polishing Powder Method

The polishing powder is used to burnish the terrazzo floors. The powder is known for enhancing the glossy appeal of your terrazzo floor. If you are planning to use a polishing powder for making the surface of the terrazzo floor shiny, the following DIY tips might be helpful.

Buy ph-neutral polishing powder. You can visit the online as well as offline stores known for selling flooring renovation equipment and tools. If you want, you may also hire a buffing machine t from any of the local flooring equipment suppliers too.

Attach soft polishing pads on the buffing machine. It is wise to choose a pad that has a light shade, or else it might stain your terrazzo floor.

Dredge a little bit of polishing powder on the surface of your old terrazzo floor. Keep on buffing and wait until the powder is absorbed on the entire floor.

Once you are done with the buffing process, clean the residual polishing powder with a wet mop. Give some time for the floor to dry up. When the floor turns dry, it is wise to buff it once again until you achieve a visually striking shiny finish.

Diamond Polishing Method

The diamond polishing method is a popular way to shine terrazzo floors. In fact, it is highly preferred by maximum terrazzo floor renovation service seekers due to low maintenance costs compared to other terrazzo floor shining solutions.

If you are willing to use a diamond polishing method to shine up your terrazzo floors, you do not have to think about floor restoration for at least eight years post this method.

This process starts with diamond grinding by using a planetary stone grinder. It is recommended to use coarse-grit diamond abrasives for grinding terrazzo surfaces.

It will help you to get rid of unwanted scratches and scuff marks. Before beginning the grinding procedure, ensure that a medium-grit is taken for the restoration purpose.

Then only you should think of using finely grit diamond bits on the floor’s surface. The visually appealing high-end result will ensure a long-term shiny appeal to your terrazzo floors.

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Few Additional DIY Tips To Shine Terrazzo Floors

You can use all of these methods mentioned above to shine up your terrazzo floors. But the point is, if you want to retain the glossy and shiny appeal of your terrazzo flooring, you should spend sufficient time restoring and maintaining your terrazzo floors from time to time.

You may find some of these additional tips shared below useful for that purpose. Time to explore those as well.

Cleaning Your Terrazzo Flooring

Regularly cleaning the terrazzo surface is recommended at least twice a week. It will ensure a high-gloss appearance for a longer purpose.

The high-gloss appearance should be restored by polishing. To ensure a high-gloss appearance of terrazzo flooring, the following steps may be helpful.

Step 1: It is important to get rid of loose dirt, debris, and dust particles from the floor. For that purpose, you may pick up a dry mop for sweeping the floor. That way, it will be easier for you to clean.

Step 2: Use a wet mop to water the entire floor. You can also use a neutral pH-cleaning solution for shining your terrazzo floor.

Step 3: You can rinse the floor using a dry mop or wrung mop for removing residual water/cleaning solution. You can also use a wet vacuum cleaner for cleaning your terrazzo floors.

Seal Your Terrazzo Floor Well

Often people neglect the importance of sealing the terrazzo floors post-restoration. As the cement binder in terrazzo is porous, quite likely it can pick up liquid stains.

To stop that from happening, it is necessary to re-seal the terrazzo floor after a few years. The following step-by-step guide might help you to re-seal your terrazzo floor.

Step 1: Strip off the old layer so that the old seal can be removed at first. You may also choose to take a stone tiling stripper to remove the old tattered and torn sealant from the surface of your terrazzo floor.

Step 2: Rinse the floor with clean water and remove the residual stripper and gunk. Before rinsing the floor, it is important to see that the rust stains are removed. Then you should leave the floor to dry up.

Step 3: A floor scraper is an excellent option to take out the faded and torn sealant gunk that has not been cleared for years. It will make the process of removing old sealants easier.

Step 4: Wait for the terrazzo surface to dry up. Once the surface dries up, take some time to apply a new sealer coat upon the flooring surface. You may also think of applying a fresh coat to re-seal it. For that purpose, you may choose to take a paint roller as well. Hold your patience and wait for the first coat to get dry. Once it’s dried, then only you should take the initiative of applying the second coat after half an hour.

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Small Tip After Applying The Second Coat

After applying the second coat, it is always recommended to avoid walking on the terrazzo surface for at least 24 hours. It is better to allow some time for the sealer to dry up on the surface of your newly restored terrazzo floor. It will ensure ample time for the sealer to dry up finally.

Is It Wise To Put Wax On Terrazzo Floors?

Maximum people shoot this query before putting wax on terrazzo floors. Well, the answer to it is no! By putting wax on your terrazzo floor, you may turn it dangerously slippery, causing invited accidents. The worst part is the waxy buildup can turn the floor’s polished sheen dull. That is why it is never advisable to put wax on your terrazzo floors.

How Affordable Is Terrazzo Polishing?

Well, it may not be possible to tell the exact cost that you may incur on terrazzo polishing, however as per the estimated cost, it should not take more than 1-8 dollars per square foot for polishing your terrazzo floor.

Though the size of your house is an important determinant to estimate the labor costs and the type of polishing used in it, if your house is small or medium-sized, running a DIY terrazzo floor renovation should not cost you an arm and a leg anyhow!

In fact, you can complete the entire renovation work all alone without asking any flooring renovation specialist to restore your terrazzo flooring.

The costing may vary on the basis of the polishing method you are choosing to restore your terrazzo floor. If you are re-polishing the old terrazzo flooring, it might be a costly deal.

However, if you are planning to do it alone, right from hiring the grinding machine to the stone abrasive till the pH-balanced acids for wetting the stone floor, you can marginalize your expenses.

The type of polishing method you are using is also an important determinant of the overall expenses. The diamond polishing method is comparatively much expensive in comparison to crystallization and powder polishing methods.

However, you can also choose your own decision that is affordable to you for renovating your terrazzo flooring. But, the main advantage of using the diamond polishing method is it ensures long-lasting shine for years.

So if you are ready to make an investment, for now, to avoid frequent renovation expenses after every few years, you may vouch for it too. Your call!

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Types Of Terrazzo Flooring As Per Their Popularity

Nowadays, there are plenty of popular ways to redefine your old floors with terrazzo flooring. According to some of the renowned flooring renovation experts, the following types of terrazzo floors are popular these days. Let’s explore the types of popular terrazzo flooring options available in the market,

Epoxy Terrazzo

Epoxy terrazzo is one of the most popular flooring types that require the lowest maintenance cost. This particular type of flooring can be used for countertop installations too. They are highly popular due to their flexibility when it comes to design customization.

However, there is one simple drawback of terrazzo flooring; it is not at all suitable for exterior uses as this variety of terrazzo flooring cannot withstand harsh weather conditions. The biggest advantage of it is it can literally revive the beauty of your interior countertops and flooring.

Cement Terrazzo

The cement terrazzos are a perfect option for those areas where maximum foot traffic is expected. It can be either in the malls, airport terminals, etc.

That is one of the reasons why they are the primary preference in commercial flooring. However, the weather conditions of the cement terrazzo floors are a pivotal factor.

While installing cement terrazzo, it is essential to remain ensured that the weather should not be responsible for creating crack formation.

That is why leading flooring renovation specialists always advise taking adequate care and attention while installing cement terrazzo floors.

Before running a DIY operation for installing this particular variety of terrazzo flooring, you better scan the internet and, if possible, consult the YouTube videos available to make your flooring restoration work flawless.

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Rustic Terrazzo

The rustic terrazzo is quite the opposite of the epoxy ones, as they are meant for exterior purposes. It’s a smooth marble-like surface with rough surface increases slip resistance.

Rustic terrazzo is meant for installing in outdoor areas like hotels, malls, museums, and townhouses. Basically, these are meant for commercial establishments of your house.

This particular flooring variety is much recommended for redefining the fountains and man-made waterfalls. Choosing a rustic terrazzo tiling is a wise option for reviving the old exteriors.

Sand Cushion Terrazzo

One of the most excellent benefits of using a sand cushion terrazzo is they are known for their durable construction. The wire meshes available with this particular terrazzo variety are a good choice for reinforcing, isolating sheets and layers of sand.

That way, it is easier to avoid mirroring on the surface, which can be used for incorporating various designs by using multiple color combinations.

What Are The Advantage Of Terrazzo Flooring?

Terrazzo flooring has multiple advantages. Some of those advantages have been shared below,

Cleaning your terrazzo floor can be incredibly easy. You do not require to scour, polish or scrub.
There are limitless customization options to redefine your existing flooring with terrazzo floors.
The speckled base materials used in a terrazzo floor guarantees the flooring to be free from stain.
Sealed terrazzo flooring is properly sealed, that makes it non-porous mold-resistant.
The durable and sturdy material comprises cement, terrazzo that is highly durable. It is one of the reasons why it is being used in commercial and institutional flooring purposes.
This particular material has endless design possibilities that makes it elegant and timeless.
This particular flooring type is known for low maintenance cost. The hard surface of terrazzo flooring ensures long term durability of your flooring.
V.O.C. complaint is another reason behind terrazzo flooring.
Excellent chemical resistance and low maintenance cost is responsible behind hard surface flooring.
This particular flooring type is known for better color consistency and performance.
A quick-cure, faster turn-around enables maximum productivity.
The anti-slip characteristics of this particular flooring is another reason behind its popularity in residential projects.

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Final Verdict

We hope this guide on how to make terrazzo floors shine was helpful. There are plenty of ways to redefine your existing flooring with terrazzo floors. There are multiple types of terrazzo floors available for redefining your flooring.

The main purpose of preferring terrazzo flooring is due to its durability in the long run. If you want to revive or restore your old flooring by installing terrazzo flooring, you can either choose a DIY remedy to restore your old flooring or hire flooring experts to re-polish and shine your terrazzo floors.

If you are looking for an affordable terrazzo flooring restoration, a DIY renovation plan should be on top of your preference list. The DIY restoration idea shared above will be suitable guidance for redefining your terrazzo floors.