WHAT IS TERRAZZO AND TERRAZZO FLOORING TILES

WHAT IS TERRAZZO AND TERRAZZO FLOORING TILES

1:What is the Terrazzo Stone?

Terrazzo is created by forcing marble segments and binders together under huge presses. There are two types, cement terrazzo which is at its sounds, a combination of cement and marble pieces, and resin terrazzo which is marble pieces combined with resin. Cement terrazzo tiles are limited to marble pieces of up to 25mm and Resin or Conglomerate terrazzo can have marble pieces of up to 150mm because it is much stronger than the cement version.

2: The History of Terrazzo Stone

Terrazzo floor tiles have been around for 500 years and were popular in the 1960s for kitchens and bathrooms. Originating in Italy, terrazzo evolved due to quarry workers using marble chips and leftovers to decorate their own homes. It soon became a much more high-end product thanks to its popularity in Venice and became known as Venetian Terrazzo. Modern production techniques mean it is much more hard-wearing and can be used in a variety of different environments with unique designs. It also comes in many more colors – beige, black, grey, green, red, pink, yellow, and white and with hundreds of different combinations of marble chip size. Terrazzo floor tiles are the norm, panels are available, but are a lot more expensive.

 The recent trend in terrazzo has come from architects looking for ecological materials for sustainable projects – terrazzo is the ultimate eco-friendly, sustainable material. Which has, in turn, inspired designers and homeowners. You can commission your bespoke terrazzo, made with your choice of color, chips, chunks or other design ideas such as semi-precious stones, shells, colored glass – the possibilities with bespoke are endless.

3: The Advatages of Terrazzo Stone

Originally, terrazzo was poured on-site, and it’s still possible to have a poured terrazzo floor, but the cost and scarcity of experienced practitioners have made it prohibitive. Terrazzo tiles first made their appearance as a dual-layered material, combining a surface layer of the stone-cement mix and a base layer of purer cement. This gave the tile performance strength making it suitable for commercial projects, but the weight of the tile also meant it wasn’t the easiest material to install, especially in a residential setting. With advances in technology, terrazzo tiles can now be produced in single-layer tile formats – that is, there is one layer of stone mixed with a cement or resin binder, and vacuum technology means that this single layer can be used without the need for any reinforcement. This has also meant that not only can a tile be supplied in really large formats (such as 120cm x 120cm), giving the feeling of a poured terrazzo floor, but it can also be used in residential projects. Single-layer terrazzo tiles are pre-finished at the factory, firstly, they are made in blocks, then cut into slabs and tiles, so it’s possible to produce them in many shapes and sizes, and there is no need for specialist technical equipment, terrazzo tiles can be cut and laid as if it were any other natural stone tile.