How to Restore Terrazzo Stairs

Remove any floor polish from the terrazzo floor with stripper. Apply the stripper to the floor with a clean mop.

Place diamond, scratch-removal discs around the perimeter of the abrasive disc on the bottom of the floor buffer. Use 60-grit scratch removal disc for a heavily scratched surface, or 120-grit for a lightly-worn surface. Plug the machine into the power outlet.

Pour water on the terrazzo floor, just enough to wet the surface.

Sand 1 square foot every 30 seconds with the floor buffer to remove any scratches from the floor. Move the machine slowly from side to side, and forward and backward. Make sure to keep the floor wet while working.

Vacuum up the water from the terrazzo floor with a wet vacuum after sanding is complete. Pour additional clean water on the floor. Then sop up the additional water with a dry mop or wet vacuum.

Remove the grit pads from the bottom of the floor buffer, and replace them with a polish pad with diamond abrasives.

Pour 1 oz. of terrazzo polishing powder on a 1 square-foot area of the floor. Then pour 4 oz. of cold water into this same section of the floor.

Apply the powder and water into the terrazzo with the floor machine. Polish a 20 square-foot section of floor, allowing the machine to polish 1 square foot every 30 seconds. Then flood the section with water and make two additional passes with the floor machine.

Apply powder and water to the next 20 square-foot section and repeat the process until entire floor is polished.

Suck up all the water from the floor with a wet vacuum.

Mop the floor with warm water, after the floor dries, to remove any residue or haze from the polish. Allow the floor to dry thoroughly.

Clean the terrazzo floor with 1 gallon of warm water mixed with 1/2 tsp. of Murphy's Oil soap whenever it is dirty. Avoid using vinegar or acid base cleansers as they will destroy the stone finish.