We restore terrazzo floors to their natural finish

Terrazzo problems only a restoration process can fix

Terrazzo is a beautiful floor when it is new, and a lot of building owners assume that once it dulls or scratches, waxing is the only option left. It is not. Stone floor imperfections in terrazzo can only really be resolved through an actual restoration process, one that works the surface itself rather than layering another coat of wax over the problem. Waxing over scratched or dull terrazzo just hides the damage temporarily, and it comes back through the wax within weeks.

Stone floor restoration is a CLS specialty, which means we work on solving the actual problem in the terrazzo, not managing it indefinitely with topical products. That distinction matters for a building's budget as much as its appearance, since a floor stuck on a wax cycle needs ongoing labor and material costs forever, while a properly restored terrazzo floor holds its finish for a much longer stretch before it needs attention again.

Terrazzo is also an investment worth protecting rather than replacing. Ripping out and reinstalling terrazzo flooring is a significant expense, and it is rarely necessary. In almost every case we have seen, restoration brings the existing terrazzo back to a like new appearance for a fraction of what replacement would cost, without the weeks of downtime a full tear out and reinstall would require.

The three step restoration process

We return terrazzo flooring to its natural finish through three specific steps, not a single quick treatment. The first step is a machine scrub and strip of the existing floor, which removes existing stains and blemishes and clears away whatever old finish or buildup is sitting on the surface. This step exposes the actual condition of the terrazzo underneath, which is often in better shape than the surface appearance suggests.

The second step is grinding the terrazzo with several diamond bonded disks, moving through different grades to remove scratches and complete the smoothing process. Each grade of disk reduces scratches further and refines the surface, which allows the natural stone crystals in the terrazzo to reflect light more effectively than they could through a scratched or dull surface. This is the step that does most of the physical work of bringing the floor back.

The third step is polishing the terrazzo with a special powder that produces a hard, glass like finish. This step restores luster to the individual chips embedded in the terrazzo and produces a very durable, high shine finish, built to keep the stone looking beautiful rather than just looking clean for a few days after the work is done and the crew has left the building.

• Step one: machine scrub and strip to remove stains and blemishes
• Step two: diamond bonded disk grinding to remove scratches
• Step three: powder polish for a hard, glass like finish
• Result: a floor that looks newly installed

Why this beats the waxing cycle

A wax coating on terrazzo is a temporary fix that has to be redone on a schedule, usually every few months, and the cost adds up over years without ever solving the underlying scratches or dullness in the stone. Restoration works differently. Once the terrazzo has gone through the scrub, grind and polish process, the finish comes from the stone itself, ground and polished into a durable surface, not a coating sitting on top that wears off with foot traffic.

That means a restored terrazzo floor needs far less frequent attention afterward than one on a wax cycle. Instead of a recurring maintenance bill every few months, a building on our ongoing maintenance program gets a floor that holds its finish for a much longer stretch, with routine care between restorations rather than a repeated full treatment every quarter.

CLS technicians have completed advanced Stone Medic training, intensive two day hands on classes focused specifically on stone care, which includes terrazzo. That training is what lets our crews identify the actual problem areas in a terrazzo floor and fix them correctly the first time, rather than treating every terrazzo issue with the same generic approach regardless of what caused it.

Bring your terrazzo floor back

For terrazzo that has gone dull, scratched, or stuck on a repeated waxing schedule that never seems to actually fix anything, restoration is worth a look before considering replacement. Most terrazzo floors respond well to the scrub, grind and polish process, even ones that have been neglected for years.

CLS is certified for floor restoration across terrazzo, tile and grout, granite, marble, VCT tile and polished cement, so a building with mixed flooring can use one contractor for all of it rather than coordinating multiple specialists for each surface type in the facility.

The best way to find out what your specific terrazzo floor needs is a free, no obligation building cleaning audit and consultation. Call (630) 816-0300 and we can take a look at the floor and talk through the restoration process for your building.