What is Terrazzo

Scientifically, Terrazzo is a composite material, poured in place or precast, which is used for floor and wall treatments. It consists of marble, quartz, granite, glass, or other suitable chips, sprinkled or unsprinkled, and poured with a binder that is cementations, Resinous, or a combination of both. Terrazzo is cured and then ground and polished to a smooth surface or otherwise finished to produce a uniformly textured surface.

Design flexibility, beautiful aesthetics, environmental friendliness, sanitation benefits, durability in high-traffic and high-stress settings, and low maintenance and life-cycle costs are the main features of terrazzo systems.

Variation of more specific features are based on the binder used and thickness of the system.

Terrazzo in History

Terrazzo came from the Italian word “terrazzo” that means terrace

Terrazzo was originally invented by Venetian construction workers as a low cost flooring material using marble chips from upscale jobs. The workers would usually set them in clay to surface the patios around their living quarters. Consisting originally of marble chips, clay, and goat milk (as the sealer), production of terrazzo became much easier after the 1920s and the introduction of electric industrial grinders and other power equipment.

At that time, newly-set terrazzo will not look like marble unless it is wet. The goat's milk acts as a sealer and preserves the wet and marble-like look.

In the 1970s, polymer-based terrazzo was introduced and is called thin-set terrazzo. Initially polyester and vinyl ester resins were used as the binder resin. Today, most of the terrazzo installed is epoxy terrazzo