Terrazzo flooring has long been used as a flooring throughout Europe, North America and throughout most of the world. It was originally designed in Venice as an easy and lower cost option to provide durable flooring around homes and for outdoor patio areas.
The original type of poured terrazzo flooring was made by using a thick clay that was first spread as the base for the flooring. Into the semi-soft clay small marble chips, which was the waste material from marble construction, was set by hand to create the pebbled look. Then goats milk was applied to the surface to create a seal that prevented the clay from becoming soft when exposed to rains.
Later, in Asia and in other areas, other types of materials would be added to the clay, including lime and ochre to create a red color. This was then polished to a shiny, lustrous surface. Some of these ancient terrazzo floors are still visible and have been discovered in archeological digs across Europe.
Modern Terrazzo
Today, much of the poured terrazzo flooring is still completed using the same basic ideas. Instead of clay, concrete or epoxy resins are used to hold the marble or other types of aggregates at the surface.
Most of the traditional poured terrazzo flooring will have three layers, a concrete base, a sandy concrete layer and then the addition of a third layer that is set in dividers. The dividers are used to create the pattern on the floor with different mixtures of aggregates or pigment used to create colors and areas. This is then rolled, allowed to dry, polished and then sealed.
There is also thin-set terrazzo, which also uses epoxy. While lighter in weight than the concrete, it still requires pouring in the location. This can make it more challenging as a material for large projects or for elaborate designs and patterns.
As an option to traditional poured terrazzo flooring, the Trend Terrazzo offers terrazzo tile that is easy to install, lightweight and allows for infinite design options. To learn more, see us at Domain.
