A composite material made from marble chippings embeded in cement, terrazzo has origins that return throughout the world and 500 years to Italy. There, Venetian employees would take thrown out marble pieces and insert them in concrete mixes for their very own exclusive balconies and home floors.
It became a preferred option for commercial flooring– it’s simple to detect in hotels, flight terminals and also college halls– thanks to its toughness and also sturdiness. And also as the industrial and also post-modern styles of the mid to late 20th century took hold, terrazzo began to pop up in residences also.
Currently, in a major change, this retro flooring is having an additional moment. Instead of tile, designers are making use of terrazzo pieces to bring a streamlined, contemporary feeling to kitchens and bathrooms.
The slabs are called bound terrazzo, and they’re ending up being increasingly popular because they supply the very same artisanal appearance as typical poured terrazzo but can be laid on top of a concrete or plywood sub-floor in much less time as well as without a messy mess. And they’re additionally a whole lot more budget friendly– about $50 to $100 (CAD 65 and also CAD 130) per square foot, compared with a comparable price for granite kitchen counters.
For traditional terrazzo, a contractor puts a mix of chips and cement right into a concrete piece, leaving divider strips of steel– zinc, brass or various other products– to divide various shade changes in the layout. The contractor then grinds the aggregate to a smooth coating. The result is a long lasting surface that can be left as-is or polished to produce various coatings.
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On the various other hand, bonded terrazzo calls for a much thinner layer of chips as well as a polyacrylate or epoxy base. The contractor can lay it over a concrete piece or a plywood sub-floor, however the task will likely be much more complex if it’s being set up in an existing home due to the fact that the contractor has to see to it that the thickness of the concrete slab jives with the floor degree in your house.
Both kinds can be made use of with a selection of colors, and also they can be developed, brushed, polished or sandblasted to achieve different appearances. Yet they don’t have the same breathability as typical terrazzo and can be extra susceptible to wetness issues.
To respond to that, some contractors use a vapor obstacle in between the concrete or plywood as well as the terrazzo piece to help keep the garnishes from obtaining loosened. As well as both bound terrazzo and also standard terrazzo can be made use of outdoors, however the specialists need to add a reinforcement grid to guarantee that the covering will certainly stand up to the aspects. Because of this, it’s important to get an excellent sealer when you install the flooring and to have your specialist re-seal it at least once each year. (Note: Some sorts of terrazzo require an unique re-seal, so be sure to ask your contractor which is suitable for your job.) Regardless of which kind you choose, your re-seal needs to consist of a guide and a clear layer to shield the surface from spots.