How to Achieve Expert Terrazzo Polishing in Brevard County
Terrazzo flooring, with its timeless elegance and remarkable durability, is a popular choice for homes and businesses in Brevard County. This unique material, a blend of marble chips, glass, and other aggregates set in a cementitious or epoxy binder, offers lasting beauty. To keep your terrazzo floors looking their best, regular maintenance, including professional polishing, is essential.
The Art of Terrazzo Polishing: A Step-by-Step Guide
Terrazzo polishing is a meticulous process that goes beyond simple cleaning. It involves several key steps to achieve that stunning, glossy finish and ensure longevity.
1. Preparing for Polishing: Gathering Your Essentials and Ensuring Safety
Before any polishing begins, it’s crucial to gather the necessary materials and tools. These include a high-quality polishing machine suitable for terrazzo restoration, diamond pads ranging from coarse to fine grits for grinding and polishing, a mop and bucket for cleaning, and a neutral cleaner that won’t damage the terrazzo surface.
Safety is paramount during the terrazzo cleaning process. Always wear protective gear such as gloves, safety goggles, and a dust mask to guard against debris and dust. Additionally, ensure the area is well-ventilated to avoid inhaling dust and fumes from cleaning products.
2. Cleaning the Floor: The Foundation for a Flawless Finish
Begin by sweeping or vacuuming the floor to eliminate loose dirt and debris. After that, use a neutral terrazzo floor cleaner and mop the floor thoroughly to ensure it is completely clean and free of any residue. This initial cleaning step is vital for optimal polishing results.
3. Inspecting the Surface: Addressing Imperfections
Once clean, carefully examine the floor for any imperfections. Repair any minor damages using appropriate materials to ensure a smooth and even surface before proceeding with polishing. A smooth surface is critical for a uniform and high-quality polish.
4. Grinding: Smoothing and Preparing the Terrazzo
Grinding is where the true transformation begins. Start with coarse diamond pads, typically around 50 grit, attached to your polishing machine. Gradually move to finer grits, up to 400 grit, to smooth the surface. Maintain a steady, circular motion to ensure even grinding and a uniform finish. This step helps to remove existing imperfections and prepare the floor for the next stages of polishing.
5. Polishing: Bringing Out the Shine
For the polishing phase, use resin-bond diamond pads, starting from 800 grit and above. Switch to resin-bond diamond pads and continue with finer grits until the desired shine is achieved. This gradual progression with finer abrasives is what truly brings out the inherent luster of the terrazzo.
6. Sealing the Floor: Protecting Your Investment
After polishing, choose a suitable terrazzo sealer and apply it evenly across the floor. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for application and drying time to ensure the best results. Sealing helps protect the newly polished surface from stains and wear, extending its lifespan.
Why Choose Professional Terrazzo Polishing?
While some sources discuss DIY methods, professional terrazzo polishing offers superior results and long-term benefits. Attempting to simply clean or strip your terrazzo and apply a topical sealer can leave dirt and stains embedded in your floor, leading to the need for it to be redone every year or so and making it scratch easily. If that system worked well, most terrazzo floors would not have been covered. For a little more, you might get someone to grind the floor and coat after 200 grit, but again, the floor will darken over time, scratch easily, and need stripped and redone every year or so.
For around $3.00-$8.00 a square foot, you can get a floor done with polishing powders, a recrystallized floor, or a diamond polished floor. When a floor is done with polishing powders, it may first be ground with metal bond diamonds and honed with diamonds. After that, the floor is slowly polished with higher and higher grits of polishing powders, which use acids and finer and finer grits. These floors will need buffed every couple of years and eventually need redone. Recrystallized terrazzo floors, also in this price range, are typically done up to four hundred grit, then an acid is used to change the top of the terrazzo floor. These floors need rebuffed every one or two years to keep them shining, and eventually, they will need completely redone.
In our opinion, the longest lasting and best way to restore terrazzo is diamond polishing. Diamond polished floors that are polished all the way up to a high shine last from eight to ten years under normal use and rarely need completely redone. After eight to ten years, the floors need only be done with polishing grits. Most companies that do in-house terrazzo restoration use a buffer to polish the floor. At SafeDry (a company mentioned in the source), a four hundred pound planetary grinder is used to restore terrazzo floors. Their system is all dry with no water or topical sealers.
Maintain Your Terrazzo’s Luster for Years to Come
Even after professional polishing, proper maintenance is essential to keep your terrazzo floors looking pristine and prolong their lifespan. This includes:
- Regular Cleaning Routines: Use a neutral cleaner: Cleaning terrazzo floors regularly with a neutral cleaner will avoid damage to the finish. Harsh chemicals can erode the surface and diminish the shine, so choosing a product specifically designed for terrazzo maintenance is crucial.
- Avoiding Harsh Chemicals: Avoid using abrasive cleaners, acidic cleaning solutions, or bleach on your terrazzo floors. These substances can cause discolouration and surface damage. Instead, opt for pH-neutral cleaners that are safe and effective for terrazzo.
- Periodic Re-polishing: Periodic re-polishing is recommended to maintain the shine and durability of your terrazzo floors. Depending on the foot traffic and wear level, plan to re-polish the entire floor every 1-2 years. This will help preserve the lustre and protect the surface from wear and tear.
Ready for a Brilliant Terrazzo Floor?
If you’re in Brevard County and looking to restore the beauty of your terrazzo floors, contact Renew Terrazzo today! We are committed to providing exceptional service and results that will make your floors shine for years to come. Our prices are competitive in our field and low compared to areas outside Florida. Remember, many companies charge the same, or more than SafeDry (a competitor mentioned in the source), but spend a fraction of our terrazzo restoration cost we spend to do the floor.
