Terrazzo is a soft stone, prone to staining and dulling. That’s why it requires a regular maintenance and polishing schedule.
Terrazzo can often be found in honed finish simply as a result of wear and tear. For those seeking a more elegant or shiny appearance, terrazzo can be polished to have a glossy finish.
There are several terrazzo polishing methods available, but it’s important to find the right one for your terrazzo floor and usage patterns.
Terrazzo Diamond Polishing
The most effective and durable polishing technique involves industrial diamonds. The use of industrial diamonds for terrazzo polishing is the most effective way to grind the floor, which preps it for use of increasingly finer grit diamonds to bring out a more lustrous shine. This is the most desired process for polishing before terrazzo restoration.
Buffing Your Terrazzo with Polishing Powder
Terrazzo polishing powder can give good results. This method involves applying the powder with a buffing machine to get the desired level of shine to the terrazzo floor. This is a popular choice for ongoing maintenance before the terrazzo has dulled too much.
Coatings
There are coatings like wax and urethane that can offer quick fixes to imperfections in the terrazzo. However, these terrazzo sealers and coatings can end up exacerbating the problems. The chemicals used to remove them can leave you with a damaged terrazzo surface. Also, coatings prevent terrazzo from breathing which may result in a yellowing of the terrazzo’s surface. Consider coatings to be a last resort, and a temporary one at that.
Selecting the Best Method of Terrazzo Polishing
The most effective method for polishing terrazzo is to polish with industrial diamonds and/or powders. The industrial diamonds work best for grinding out minor imperfections before restoring the terrazzo.
When to Polish Your Terrazzo
The time to polish terrazzo is before it starts to lose its shine. Once it gets even slightly worn, it can take up to four times longer to bring back its shine than if you had scheduled more regular polishings.
To determine your most effective terrazzo polishing schedule, note how long it takes the flooring to begin to dull after a polishing. If that pattern of wear remains consistent, you will want to schedule terrazzo polishing well before that amount of time elapses again.
Keeping a deep shine on your terrazzo might involve daily, weekly or monthly polishing for commercial sites. The lesser wear on residential floors usually calls for marble restoration once or twice yearly.
A terrazzo expert can best advise you on the optimal methods and schedule for your terrazzo maintenance.
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