Terrazzo floor maintenance guide

Congratulations on choosing Secoin terrazzo tiles for your recently completed project. Although terrazzo has been in Vietnam for more than 20 years, this flooring material has been in existence for over 2000 years and its reputation as a hardwearing product is entrenched within the building industry. With a systematic cleaning regime in place, there is no reason that your new terrazzo floor will not last the life of the building in which it is placed. 

The surface of your terrazzo is up to 70% marble chips. Marble chips have a very low porosity of absorption. Thus the portion of the floor that needs the most protection is the Portland cement binder and in the case of tiles, the cement grouting. Without sealer, dirt and grime when left on these floors can attack the cement, penetrating and discoloring the binder and tile joints.

Secoin terrazzo tiles have been handed over to your projects with a protective sealant coming all through the color (top) layer of tiles. This built-in sealer has been put into the mixture of top layer at production stage to basically protect the tile for long-term. However, this sealer must not 100% protect tile surface as it must allow tiles to breath. Therefore, during the stage of floor installation, the contractor should pay attention to keep the tiles clean. In addition, the surface of tiles have also been coated with protection sealer to avoid the tiles to be stained in the short-term period. After the floor installation is finishing, it is recommended that a coating sealer should be applied to protect the floor and to create the sheen and polish so desired.

A new terrazzo floor will not look as good as an old terrazzo floor and may look mottled and dull! There is a significant difference in appearance between a new floor and old one that has been given the time to age.  If you ask the owner of an old floor they too would be able to verify this. Terrazzo gets better with age. While your terrazzo lacks the shine and uniformity initially expected, you can rest assured that with natural curing, proper maintenance and the passing of time, your floor will soon have the luster and beauty terrazzo is known for. This mainly occurs for the following reasons. Moisture is added to terrazzo in the composition, curing, and grinding, grouting and polishing stages. Structurally, with this much moisture, you can be assured of a quality installation, however, you can expect moisture to dissipate and escape through the finished surface. At this point however, it is necessary to retard this evaporation and protect the finished terrazzo, hence the application of the sealer. This further increases the time it takes for the terrazzo to cure as the sealer locks in the moisture. Each passing day, with normal maintenance, the aesthetics of your terrazzo floor will increase. This moisture may even make terrazzo made at different times appear to be a different shade but as the moisture evaporates the colors will blend into a uniform appearance. This requires patience, but you can be assured the results are rewarding.

HOW TO MAINTAIN A TERRAZZO FLOOR

Your terrazzo floor care and maintenance depends on the volume of traffic that the floor is subjected to. Care must be taken when using detergents with terrazzo. It is important to use products that are ph neutral. Acidic or alkaline chemicals may attack the properties of the terrazzo floor.

It is important to keep brooms, mops and buckets clean at all times as ingrained dirt can act as an abrasive to terrazzo floors.

The most important aspect to applying sealer is to keep applying coats until the desired level of gloss is achieved. It is then prudent to monitor the foot traffic over the area and note how long it takes for the sheen to start being removed. From this point your cleaning contractor can ascertain how often top coats of sealer need to be applied. It is vital however to build up a good layer of polish after taking control of the building.

Below is an example of a cleaning schedule which can be altered to reflect the amount of traffic your floor receives.

INITIAL ACTION (to be completed regardless of traffic)

Strip the protective sealer applied during construction. Apply two coats of water based base coat sealer from the manufacturer of your choice .Then apply a minimum of two coats of sealer polish. Further coats can be applied depending on the level of gloss desired. Follow the manufactures’ recommendations on the application of the sealer.

POST INITIAL SEAL

DAILY: Sweep with broom or vacuum the floor. Hand work stubborn stains and scuff marks with neutral cleaner diluted in warm water.

WEEKLY: Damp mop lightly soiled floors with a neutral cleaner. Heavily soiled floors should be scrubbed with a mechanical buffing machine and neutral cleaner. Mop up residue before it dries with clean water. Allow to dry and mechanically buff.

Note: Allow your neutral cleaner, once applied to the terrazzo surface, time to react as designed to loosen foreign matters. However, do not allow solution to dry on the surface.

MONTHLY: Apply a top coat of sealer to the floor to maintain polish depth and shine. If desired mechanically buff floor no less than 24 hours after application of sealer with a white pad to bring out the shine of the polish.

ANNUALLY: Strip all existing polish and sealer and reapply.

NOTES:

Use only sealers and polishers approved for use with terrazzo.

Use only sealers and polishers that pass the slip co-efficient of friction required for your application.

DO’S AND DON’TS

DO sweep or vacuum your floors daily, this not only picks up dust, but also the grit tracked into your building.

DO use maintenance products designed for terrazzo and of good quality

DO use a cleaning contractor with experience in terrazzo 

DO ask for advice if unclear about your maintenance regime

DO monitor the level of sealer on your floor and adjust the frequency of sealer finish coats accordingly.

DO mechanically buff your floor with a white pad to bring out the shine from your polish.

DO wipe up any spills immediately as whilst the sealer protects the floor, this is only for a period of time most stains if left alone will penetrate though the sealer and stain your floor which in most cases will require professional removal.

DON’TS

DON’T use all purpose cleaners or soaps containing soluble inorganic or crystallizing salts, alkali or acids. Use of such products could be harmful to your terrazzo floor.

DON’T try miracle cleaners or sealers on your floor without getting an opinion from a terrazzo professional.

DON’T cut corners with your cleaning regime. Maintaining your terrazzo is far better than neglecting it requiring costly regrinding or replacement long before time.

DON’T use dirty mops and buckets. They will only spread dirt and grime around the floor.

If you need more advise, please do not hesitate to contact Secoin at [email protected]. 

Secoin terrazzo tiles at Hyatt Regency Da Nang 5-star resort