--- title: What is the Best Way to Maintain Terrazzo? description: When choosing a floorcare program for terrazzo, it is important to compare the 3 most common maintenance methods to decide which is best for your floors. image: https://ultradt-21145988.hs-sites.com/hubfs/terrazzo_school_hall_48.jpg --- Feb 22, 2023 9:23:30 AM # What is the Best Way to Maintain Terrazzo? [ Chris DesMarais ](https://ultradt-21145988.hs-sites.com/en-us/blog/author/chris-desmarais) Share on Social: [facebook-f icon ](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://ultradt-21145988.hs-sites.com/en-us/blog/terrazzo-maintenance) [linkedin-in icon ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://ultradt-21145988.hs-sites.com/en-us/blog/terrazzo-maintenance) [Twitter icon ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://ultradt-21145988.hs-sites.com/en-us/blog/terrazzo-maintenance) [envelope icon ](mailto:?body=https://ultradt-21145988.hs-sites.com/en-us/blog/terrazzo-maintenance) ![terrazzo_school_hallway](https://ultradt-21145988.hs-sites.com/hs-fs/hubfs/terrazzo_school_hall_48.jpg?width=660&height=410&name=terrazzo_school_hall_48.jpg) If you have terrazzo flooring or you are considering having some installed, it’s important to know your options to protect your investment for the long term. Like any floor, terrazzo requires maintenance, but how much and what kind of upkeep will depend on how you choose to protect the surface. There are three distinct maintenance approaches to consider: covering the floor with an acrylic wax finish, grinding and polishing the bare surface to a smooth shine, or coating with a water-based thin-film urethane. ## What is Terrazzo? The practice of mixing small chips of marble, quartz, granite, glass, or other materials into a binding substance to create paths, floors, and walls has ancient origins. Today's cementitious terrazzo, in which chips are embedded into a cement base and then ground and polished, was developed in 18th century Italy (where it got its name). Terrazzo that uses a polymer binder (now usually epoxy) instead of cement first appeared in the 1970s. These floors can achieve a wide range of highly customized, colorful designs unlike any regular concrete or natural stone. At the same time, terrazzo can be longer-lasting than other flooring options such as vinyl tiles or linoleum. While terrazzo is a very durable material, it is not invincible. Wear and tear over time can take its toll. To maintain it, a few different practices have been developed: - - ### **Acrylic Wax Application** Commonly, an acrylic wax finish is applied to protect the terrazzo and enhance its appearance. Acrylic finishes would wear down quickly and require frequent buffing, recoating, and stripping (removing the old wax and recoating with several fresh layers). If this routine is neglected, wax becomes worn out and dull in areas with regular traffic, and remaining wax eventually turns yellow. - - ### **Grind & Polish** As an alternative, modern grinding equipment can create a polished surface without a coating. Polishing helps to make the colors in the terrazzo more vibrant while avoiding the frequent upkeep of acrylic wax. However, this also leaves the exposed terrazzo more susceptible to scratches, stains, etching, and other damage. The process of grinding and polishing can also be prohibitively expensive, and such a floor must be re-polished regularly with diamond pads. - - ### **Water-Based Urethane Coating** A more recent development is the use of thin-film urethane coatings. These are positioned to offer the best of both worlds: they require much less maintenance than acrylic while providing a strong protective barrier against staining or etching, increasing shine, and enhancing colors. Additionally, if slip resistance is needed, different sizes of grit additives can be mixed into the coating to give it any desired level of traction. Once you know these terrazzo maintenance options are available, it is helpful to compare characteristics of these methods to discover which program best fits your needs. ### **Acrylic Wax vs. Water-Based Urethane** **![stripping wax floors](https://ultradt-21145988.hs-sites.com/hs-fs/hubfs/stma%20machine%20(2).jpg?width=1478&height=677&name=stma%20machine%20(2).jpg)** Waxing floors requires stripping wax and dealing with a huge mess like this! ### Budget Considerations On a per-coat basis, traditional acrylic finishes often seem to be the cheapest option. However, an acrylic finish demands regular buffing and recoating every few weeks or months, so the cost is ongoing. Meanwhile, a single application of a thin-film urethane coating can last several years with no need for buffing and recoating. Although urethanes typically cost more per gallon and upfront costs may be somewhat higher, considerable savings will be apparent over time. ### Environmental Impact Because thin-film urethane coatings require so much less maintenance than acrylic finishes, they also dramatically reduce waste. This includes substantial savings of electricity and water, but also much less chemical stripper and old coating routinely dumped down the drain. The elimination of buffing and the drastic reduction in recoating means that fewer disposable materials are needed (such as machine pads, rags, single-use PPE, and packaging. This results in less waste being thrown away. Yet another green bonus: fewer trips made by workers maintaining the floor can also mean less gasoline burned as a result. ### Indoor Air Quality Switching from an acrylic wax finish to a water-based urethane coating can also improve indoor air quality. Chemical strippers used to remove old acrylic often emit high levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which are pollutants that can trigger respiratory, allergic, and immune effects. Buffing an acrylic finish also releases VOCs into the air as well as PM10 and PM2.5 particulates, mold spores and bacteria, and other allergens. A water-based urethane coating eliminates buffing and requires much less frequent recoating, greatly reducing such disturbances. Additionally, chemical strippers are only required if replacing existing wax. In this case, the chemical stripper is only needed one last time to make the change, because the urethane can then be recoated (years later) without any need to strip away the prior coating. ### **Grind & Polish vs. Water-Based Urethane** ### Equipment Requirements![1](https://ultradt-21145988.hs-sites.com/hs-fs/hubfs/1.png?width=800&height=400&name=1.png) Polishing terrazzo involves slowly grinding the floor followed by several slow passes with increasingly fine diamond pads. Because this process uses water, the floor then needs to dry for 24 hours. If the terrazzo is cement-based, it requires the spraying of a stabilizer or penetrating sealer. This material seeps into the surface to fill in small holes, then needs to set for another 4 to 24 hours. Finally, the floor needs to be polished again with a series of extra-fine diamond pads affixed to a floor scrubber. ### Time and Money  Because this process requires heavy-duty, specialized machines along with many hours of labor, polishing is often the most expensive option. Compared to traditional acrylic finishes, polished terrazzo requires maintenance much less frequently. However, it still needs regular touch-up polishing, typically every 3 to 5 years. This timeframe is comparable to thin-film urethanes, which do not require specialized machines nor as many hours of labor. Therefore, a urethane coating is less expensive per square foot than polishing. ### Durability Cost aside, the biggest drawback of polishing is that it leaves the bare terrazzo exposed and readily damaged. Though terrazzo is very durable, it can still be scratched by moving heavy equipment, impacts from falling objects, or other accidents. The aggregate mixes used in terrazzo often contain marble, which is susceptible to staining. This is especially noticeable in lighter color mixes. Terrazzo is also readily etched (partially dissolved away) by acids like fruit juice, soft drinks, vinegar, and acidic cleaners. Penetrating sealers used in the polishing process can help protect against this but must be maintained regularly. A thin-film urethane, by contrast, acts as a shield to keep scratches, scuffs, spills, and cleaning products from making contact with the terrazzo itself. ### Slip Resistance **![IMG_5573](https://ultradt-21145988.hs-sites.com/hs-fs/hubfs/IMG_5573.jpg?width=630&height=514&name=IMG_5573.jpg)** Traditional acrylic wax and polished surfaces pose slip hazards. Thin-film urethane coatings, on the other hand, can be mixed with various sizes of grit to achieve a customized level of slip resistance matched to the specific needs of an area. Applications near building entrances, along sloped floors, and other areas with frequently wet conditions will benefit from a coarse grit, creating a rougher surface to provide the best traction. However, coarse grit can make routine mopping somewhat more challenging. Additionally, smaller grit sizes are available for areas that are not frequently wet. ### **Appearance** Grit additives not only add traction but can also affect how glossy a urethane-coated floor looks. A highly reflective glossy shine is often the goal, and this is best achieved without grit. However, the gloss level can be toned down to a semi-gloss or a low gloss with the addition of medium or fine grit. If a true matte finish is desired, the urethane coating may be formulated to achieve this without the need for any additives. ### Bottom Line:  It is wise to keep in mind the time, effort, and money that is required to achieve the results you desire. Also, now more than ever, indoor air quality, slip resistance, and environmental impact are concerns that need to be taken into consideration. Having access to information about your options is ultimately the best way for you to make the best decision about which maintenance process is best for your terrazzo floors.  If you are interested in a thin-film water-based urethane for terrazzo, Ultra Durable Technologies has developed EPIC High-Performance Floor Finish® as a way to achieve a positive ROI within 2 years, save water and energy, protect health and safety, and provided beautiful floors.  [![SHOP EPIC](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/21145988/d9447bed-68d6-400a-8c33-1b25eb7c2ac1.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/21145988/d9447bed-68d6-400a-8c33-1b25eb7c2ac1) [terrazzo](https://ultradt-21145988.hs-sites.com/en-us/blog/tag/terrazzo), [floor maintenance](https://ultradt-21145988.hs-sites.com/en-us/blog/tag/floor-maintenance) ## Related posts [![](https://ultradt-21145988.hs-sites.com/hs-fs/hubfs/file1-25-1.jpeg?height=200&name=file1-25-1.jpeg) ](https://ultradt-21145988.hs-sites.com/en-us/blog/luxury-vinyl-tile-and-plank-flooring-protect-your-investment) [luxury vinyl](https://ultradt-21145988.hs-sites.com/en-us/blog/tag/luxury-vinyl), [sealer](https://ultradt-21145988.hs-sites.com/en-us/blog/tag/sealer), [coating](https://ultradt-21145988.hs-sites.com/en-us/blog/tag/coating), [EPIC](https://ultradt-21145988.hs-sites.com/en-us/blog/tag/epic), [LVT](https://ultradt-21145988.hs-sites.com/en-us/blog/tag/lvt), [LVP](https://ultradt-21145988.hs-sites.com/en-us/blog/tag/lvp) ## [Luxury Vinyl Flooring: Seal it For Performance](https://ultradt-21145988.hs-sites.com/en-us/blog/luxury-vinyl-tile-and-plank-flooring-protect-your-investment) ![Picture of Kelly Negaard](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/a44e891f0da6f5cdaa7fb7af46b385bd) [Kelly Negaard](https://ultradt-21145988.hs-sites.com/en-us/blog/author/kelly-negaard) Feb 23, 2022 10:17:42 AM Luxury Vinyl Tile and Plank (LVT and LVP) flooring has been popular for several years as a smart... 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