Why use Terrazzo?
Durability
The durability of terrazzo is legendary. Terrazzo floors can last for well over 50 years in everyday use if properly maintained.
Applications
Terrazzo is particularly suitable for use in public areas of heavy foot traffic including airports, supermarkets, railway and underground stations, shopping developments, hotels, hospitals, museums and all internal concourses.
Due to the on site grinding process terrazzo gives a lip free, flat floor surface which is ideal for cleaning and maintenance.
Value
It will outlast most other forms of hard flooring and is particularly cost effective.
Hygienic and fireproof
It is suitable for use in areas where food is prepared or sold, and has a Class O fire rating making it suitable for use in underground stations.
Design Flexibility - Bespoke colourways
Unlike most other tiling products terrazzo tiles are made to suit customer needs. DMC can arrange for samples manufactured in England and Europe.
The trolley factor - smooth and level floor
The installation process ensures a smooth flat floor with no lipping, making terrazzo floors particularly suitable for areas where trolleys are in constant use.
Modern techniques
With the use of techniques such as water jet cutting, detailed contrasts and patterns may be outlined in the floor.
Precast options
Terrazzo can be manufactured in many different shapes and sizes. Stair units, skirting, planters and partitions can all be made to match (or indeed contrast with) the floor colours.
Maintenance
Terrazzo flooring is renowned for ease of cleaning and maintenance. This is mainly due to its completely flat, lip-free surface coupled with its hard wearing qualities.
The basic cleaning regime consists of sweeping off all surface dirt with a large broom or scissor mop, removing stains separately. The floor is then washed with clean water containing a neutral detergent (PH7) using a two-tank automatic scrubbing machine.
Finally, the floor can be polished and burnished with a high speed polishing machine to enhance the overall appearance.
Terrazzo flooring
Origins
Terrazzo - the name derives from the Italian terrazza (terrace) - was first used as a type of flooring in Friuli in the north east of Italy in the 16th century. Andrea Palladio used craftsmen from there to lay terrazzo floors in the villas he designed in the areas around Venice during the 1560s.
Modern terrazzo, a descendant of the above, is a manufactured composite of natural aggregates (usually marble) set in a coloured cement matrix.
The invention of Portland cement in 1824 led to further development of this range of materials which, as well as marble aggregates, has expanded to include granite, porphyry, basalt, quarts, carborundum, glass and even metal. Aggregates can be selected from a wide range of colours and sizes.
Up until the end of World War II most floors were laid either in situ or from tiles manufactured on hand presses. Because terrazzo ages well and is easy to maintain, many of the floors laid then are still in use and in excellent condition. Use of the new material quickly spread across Europe and then throughout the world. Machinery now makes it possible to produce hydraulically compressed terrazzo tiles of high quality.
What is Terrazzo?
Terrazzo is a manufactured composite of small marble or aggregate chippings set in a coloured matrix of sand and cement and finely ground and polished to bring out the natural colours.
Terrazzo manufacture
The most popular aggregates used to make terrazzo are marble chippings from Italy, Spain and Greece. Limited ranges can also be made using English aggregates.
The marble chippings and aggregates are all washed immediately before manufacture to minimise any chance of colour variation and to achieve the greatest clarity. The face of the tile is made using marble aggregates, cement and colour pigments, which are mixed with water and mechanically vibrated in a mould to remove air. The tile is then hydraulically pressed together with a semi-dry backing of cement and crushed aggregates to form a tile. Modern machinery ensures quality, strength and evenness of colour.
Tiles are produced in varying sizes. Most tiles range from 300 x 300 x 28 to 500 x 500mm. All sizes can be produced with a variety of special finishes. All tiles are manufactured to exceed the performance requirements of BS 4131.
During manufacturing the tiles are cured in steam ovens to induce early strength for grinding. The tile face is then polished by diamond headed polishing machines to expose the aggregate within the tile. Final grinding, polishing and finishing are normally carried out during installation on site. DMC have all the resources to complete this process.
Samples
DMC can supply samples to help you to design terrazzo to suit your specific requirements. Tiles can either be chosen from colour samples held in stock, or, after discussion of your particular needs, samples can be custom designed to suit your specification. We can usually match existing tiles as near as possible where extensions and repairs may be required.
Finishes
Tiles can be produced in various special finishes.
The finishes range from very coarse to high gloss and include finishes which meet the slip - resistance standards for heavy public use inside buildings. Furthermore, tiles can be delivered with a factory finished face which does not have to be ground on site.
Installation
Installation of terrazzo tiles should only be carried out by specialist tile fixers and polishers.
The terrazzo tile laying procedure involves setting terrazzo on a 40mm thick (nominal) semi-dry 3:1 sand/cement bedding mix laid onto a lightly tamped concrete slab. Lateral joints are usually 2-3mm. The floor is then flood-grouted in a matching or contrasting coloured cement grout and allowed to cure for at least 3 days, after which the whole floor is mechanically ground and polished with an electric or gas terco grinding machine to remove all lipping. Unlike all other tiled floor finishes, this on-site grinding process ensures a flat, even surface that is easy to clean and maintain. A proprietary case hardener/penetrating sealer is normally applied to the surface after grinding.
Further detailed cleaning advice is available from DMC on request.