Terrazzo Vs. Marble

Man-made vs. Natural

• Terrazzo is considered a man-made floor covering even though it contains many natural materials. It's a combination of one or more chipped materials such as marble, glass, metal or mother-of-pearl and a bonding substance such as epoxy, colored cement or Portland cement. The chipped materials give the terrazzo different colors and textures to match various color schemes and decorating styles. Marble is a natural rock formed by the metamorphosis of limestone, which becomes shiny and hard as it crystallizes into marble. The color and hardness of marble depend on the environmental conditions where it was mined, the age of the quarry, how much pressure the marble was under, and how it's commercially treated after mining.

Recommended Applications

• Terrazzo is used mostly in public and commercial buildings with extremely high traffic, such as schools, airport terminals, bus and train stations and office complexes. Marble is used on floors in homes and in commercial buildings in areas with low to moderate foot traffic, such as hallways and foyers, and for interior walls. It has to be sealed to resist staining and water absorption, and can be polished or unpolished, with the latter recommended for more heavily traveled floors.

Installation Procedures

• Terrazzo is installed as a liquid over concrete slabs. Strips are laid out on the concrete to separate the patterns and colors, and each section is poured and dried before the next is applied. After all the terrazzo has hardened and cured, the surface is ground, the air pockets filled with grout and a sealer applied to protect it. Marble is laid in slabs over concrete and the seams filled with grout. It's sealed and polished after the grout dries.

Care and Maintenance

• Terrazzo and marble are easy to maintain with mild soap and water, as their shiny, sealed surfaces are nearly impenetrable. Stuck-on residue is removed with a nonabrasive cleaner that will not penetrate or compromise the protective sealants. Regular buffing with a push-type floor polisher equipped with soft brushes or sheepskin pads keeps both types of material attractive over years of wear.