Terrazzo

Terrazzo is a man made material which offers some of the benefits of attractive materials such as of marble and quartz and combines them with the strength and consistency of cement. Despite being a seriously tough floor type, eventually it will suffer wear. Fortunately, Tile & Stone Medic Manchester are here to help.

Common issues

Terrazzo is extremely strong and is also pourable. When in tile form, individual tiles are generally larger than alternative options. Whilst less likely to crack or smash than other choices, there are nevertheless some common issues to be aware of.

Due to its hardwearing nature, terrazzo is often used in high-traffic public areas such as airports and supermarkets. Most commonly it becomes discoloured as a result of trodden in dirt and rainwater in these high traffic areas. This is easy to spot, look out for dark spots and shadowy patches on the surface. If these marks look particularly bad, it may be the case that the terrazzo has become stained. Terrazzo is also vulnerable to etching from acid-damage, which includes spillages of common fruit juices and household items. This damage will also discolour the surface.

When first installed, terrazzo typically has a polished, reflective finish. It’s natural that this will wear down over time, leaving the floor looking dull. On its own this is a simple issue to treat, however the problem can sometimes be made worse if unsuitable products are used to try to clean the floor and restore the shine. If this is the case you’ll notice discolouration to the surface of the terrazzo.

Terrazzo can be damaged by moisture, particularly if it has impregnated the subfloor. When subfloors haven’t been properly laid, or have suffered significant liquid damage this can cause distortion to the terrazzo tile. At worst, this can appear as blistering on the surface of the floor.

  • Before

    Terrazzo floor after cleaning 2

  • After

    Terrazzo floor after sealing repairing and polishing
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How we maintain terrazzo flooring

In heavy traffic areas where the terrazzo is showing dark blotches and staining, a heavy buff and polish is often enough to restore it. If the staining is serious, various specialist products can be used to reverse the effect. Often we are able to remove stains entirely, depending on how extensive they are. Where floors have simply lost their shine we deploy a range of polishing techniques to restore its reflective finish.

Where damage has occurred through the subfloor, more extensive repairs may be needed. In these cases we must first asses the damage and, if necessary, help you get in touch with a specialist who can replace the damaged flooring.

Will cleaning my terrazzo floor cause disruption

Our aim is to restore your terrazzo flooring with the least disruption possible. We listen to your requirements and work around your schedule where we can. If your terrazzo flooring is in a high traffic public area we may be able to offer our services outside of normal business hours by arrangement, please contact us.

Terrazzo floor restoration and repair does not use any hazardous chemicals. We work to the best standards of health and safety and do not put anyone at risk. Terrazzo restoration does not rely on bulky or noisy machinery, so you can rest assured it will be a calm and simple process. Often the restoration can be completed the same day it is begun.

If you’d like help maintaining your terrazzo flooring and have any questions, let us know in an email or give us a call, we’d be happy to have a chat about how we can help.

FAQs

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How do you seal a floor?

The process we carry out will depend on your specific floor and the use that it gets. There will be variations for different materials and the finish that you wish to achieve. The process will also be impacted by the full scale of work that we carry out, for example which types of cleaning and restoration are being performed. It is not unusual to apply several layers of sealant if this is necessary and appropriate.

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How often should I have my floor sealed?

Firstly, a floor should always be sealed when it is first laid. Get in touch with us straight away if this hasn’t been carried out already. It will also need periodic sealing in order to protect the floor on an ongoing basis. How often sealing is required depends on a number of factors such as the specific material used for your flooring and the kind of use it has to survive. For example, a bathroom with natural tiles that is frequently exposed to water may require sealing more often than porcelain tiles in a kitchen. Frequent maintenance, such as sweeping and hoovering up the dust and grit that erodes floors when trodden on can help. Once the sealant is worn away, not only will scratches be more likely, the risk of staining or permanent damage from liquids is drastically increased as there is no protective layer to prevent absorption. If in doubt get in touch with our team of friendly technicians who can discuss your needs.

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What type of sealant do you use?

We have a range of high quality Faber products which will help protect your floors from damage. As every type of floor is different and has myriad uses, we will consult with you to work out the best way to protect your investment. We can apply topical sealants which form a protective layer on top of the floor, or if needed an impregnating sealant, which will be partially absorbed into the stone or tiles. There are many variations of these sealants and as each floor type has unique characteristics and vulnerabilities we can work with you to find and apply the the best kind of protection.

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I have just had a new floor laid. Does it need sealing?

Absolutely. If this was not carried out by those who fitted the floor get in touch immediately to ensure that the appropriate protection can be applied as promptly as possible. We would recommend that this is carried out once the flooring is in place as this means the grout, which is generally more porous, will also be protected.

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Why do you seal a floor?

We apply a sealer to a floor in order to protect it. Different types of floor, both manmade and natural stone, are vulnerable to different sorts of damage. They can all be harmed by chemicals to a certain degree, even by the acid in food and drink spillages, as they will be very slightly porous. As well as this, they can be worn away by physical damage. Even foot traffic can have a big impact if dust or grit has built up on the floor, since it increases abrasions. A sealant will reduce the chance of a spill becoming a stain by reducing the floor’s ability to absorb liquids. It can also help protect the appearance of the floor by forming a protective barrier. A sealant won’t prevent all damage and it will still wear away over time, but it will help your floors last longer, helping protect your investment. Sealants will even help protect your floor from UV radiation which can lead to fading over the lifespan of a high value stone or tiled floor. We can consult with you to find the best sealant for your floor and the type of use it gets to make sure it receives the best form of protection.

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Can you make my tiles shiny or reflective?

Absolutely, we stock a range of high quality sealers which we can use to make your tiles shine like new.

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Can you remove stains from my tiles?

In many cases yes, it’s one of our specialities. We’ll need to take a look at the amount of staining to make a proper assessment.

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Dark marks have appeared on my grouting, what should I do?

Call Tile & Stone Medic! It sounds like your grout may be contaminated we frequently fix discoloured grouting.

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I have cracked tiles, can you repair them?

In many cases we can, although it depends on the type of tile and how serious the damage is. Let us take us a look at your floor and we’ll make an assessment. Please note we can only carry out floor repairs as part of a full deep clean or restoration for your stone floor. Unfortunately, we are not able to attend to carry out repairs in isolation.

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Some of my tiles have become loose, can they be fixed?

Generally yes, depending on how many have become loose and the condition of the subfloor, we can generally restore loose tiles without issue.

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Are the chemicals and solutions you use safe around me/my customers/children/pets?

Whilst we may use specialist chemicals in the course of our work, we can assure you that by the time we leave all residues will be gone and your tile or stone flooring will be perfectly safe for everyone to use. We work to extremely high standards of health and safety, conducting proper risk assessments where appropriate and never putting you or anyone else in danger.

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Will Tile & Stone Medic’s cleaning services cause noise, disruption, dirt or debris in my home/business?

We always work in the most considerate way possible. Work will be tailored to your needs and will fit around your schedule where possible. We avoid bringing loud or bulky machinery into your home and when a job is complete we thoroughly clean up after ourselves to leave your space looking as tidy as it did when we arrived.

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Do we have to move all the furniture?

Yes, ideally if you want the job done to the best of our ability, then all furniture, kick plates in kitchens etc should be removed. However, don’t worry we will help you manage this.
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Is your work all insured?

Absolutely! we are always happy to show you our insurance certificates or down load them to you if so required.
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How long does the work take to carry out?

Once we have spoken to you in more detail we will be able to give you an idea of the time allocation required to restore your floors to a high level.
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How much will it cost to have my floor cleaned and sealed?

Because all floors require their own individual needs, perhaps different cleaning solutions, strippers and sealers it is impossible to give an average cost. Some areas of floor are very large and again this will have an impact on the costings as they may take longer to restore. Tile & Stone Medic will either arrrange an onsite visit to assess the floor in question, or, if we do not have local cover in that area, we will talk to you in more detail over the phone and perhaps request that you down load some pictures of the floor to us.