Terrazzo
Tiles or Poured Slab
How to:
Seal | Clean | Repair | Protect
Strip & Restore | Easy Care
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Marble or stone pieces and cement binder
If the binder is resin, see Agglomerates)
Further description:
- Approximately 3/8 inch thick for tiles and 3/4 inch or more overlay for slabs.
- Very precise dimensions if in tile format
- Very flat and square
- Surface is very hard
- Finish is "honed" (smooth, softer looking, not very reflective) to "polished".
- Tile and slabs are a factory produced material using pieces of stone, stone dust, and cement binder.
- Poured in place slab coatings are the same material with expansion joints of brass (or other material)
- Wide range of colors and styles.
- Confirm if it contains marble or limestone with a drop of muriatic (swimming pool) acid. Marble and limestone fizz on contact. Cement also fizzes, but resin and quartz do not. Caution: this test will etch marble, limestone, and cement.
Acidic cleaners should be avoided in the installation process because they could dull the finish of marble materials. If the tile grouting process scratches the surface, review Aldon "Grout Easy" before grouting. "Grout Easy" is a water soluble coating and comes off easily while grout is being cleaned up with water and a sponge.
Petroleum solvent based products could temporarily soften the polymer resin binder a little bit at the surface. This could be a marking problem if a tool was used to spread the liquid at that time.
Advantages of Terrazzo:
Almost any design, style and finish is available.
| Factory made, therefore more precise and controlled than quarried stones.
| Little or no variation from batch to batch.
| Terrazzo does need sealer protection from acidic liquid spills and cleaners.
As you progress down this page you will see:
- The products you may need for surface Preparation before sealing.
- Pictures of each of the recommended sealers for this surface type. Click the sealer's picture for it's full description.
- Handy tips to prevent issues that others have had before coming to Aldon.
- Perhaps more information than you need now, but might be of interest later.
Surface Preparation before sealing
What you need for your Terrazzo project
You have 1 of the 3 possible situations that follow. The products you need are listed in the sequence that you would use them. Click the picture to add a product to your list.
#1. If the Terrazzo is not yet grouted
Use 1st
2nd
3rd
Grout Easy
*Grout Residue
Remover
*Efflorescence
Treatment
* Should not be needed after using Grout Easy.
#2. If the Terrazzo is grouted, but never sealed.
1st
2nd
*Grout Residue
Remover
**Efflorescence
Treatment
***Grout
Restoration
* If you have old grout smears.
** If you have white powder (efflorescence) stains.
*** If your grout is badly stained.
#3. If the Terrazzo has had a sealer applied in the past.
Use 1st
2nd
Premium
Stripper
*Grout Residue
Remover
**Grout
Restoration
* If, after stripping, you find old grout smears or crystal efflorescence from years ago.
** If your grout is badly stained. Regular stains are usually removed by the stripping process.
Your Choices for Sealing
But First - click here to remove the guess work about sealer results on your project:
Most people have no idea about the history and characteristics of their flooring. You can click this link to see how to easily test with water drops and understand which sealer is most appropriate for your goals.
Some questions you may not be thinking to ask right now that could become important:
. Was it sealed in the past? Does that matter?
. Will a new sealer be compatible with whatever was used before?
. What Aldon sealer will give the visual results you want?
. Will you also be able to have an Aldon sealer solve problem(s)? ( Answer: yes. Just know which to pick.)
"Same Day Sealer" on Terrazzo Tile (not slabs). This sealer is Water Base | Penetrating Type. Provides: No color enhancement or gloss. Coverage guidelines (depending on absorption) 250 to 600 sq.ft./gal.
Add to Project List
"Same Day Sealer" is recommended when sealing only the grout. It wipes easily from the tile face to make the process easier.
Showing "S-B-S Sealer" on Terrazzo. This sealer is | Solvent Base | Penetrating Type. Provides: color enhancement | low gloss | strengthening | efflorescence barrier. Coverage guidelines (depending on absorption) 150 to 500 sq.ft./gal.
Add to Project List
Top tile:
Sealed in one application | Low (matte) gloss | No color change on most terrazzo
The raw surface is already very low in absorption and of high reflectivity. The best visual results are usually achieved with a spray application. S-B-S Sealer is available in spray cans for small projects. For large projects, see information on spray equipment
Bottom tile - acid test:
Left half is fully sealed - right half is not sealed
You can see a line of liquid at the arrow. This is full strength muriatic (pool) acid. The arrow points to the left half that is sealed with S-B-S Sealer and is without any fizzing acid reaction. The unprotected side on the right is fizzing and etching from the acid.
Add one application of "Lifeguard" for a matte level gloss. You can increase gloss with more applications as desired.
Easy Care Products: for a Terrazzo floor.
_____________________
_____________________
"Insta-Clean" removes food, grease, oil, etc. stain causing materials - from floors, patio furniture, machinery.
"Maintain" - for no streak wet mopping of Terrazzo and all other types of flooring.
_____________________
_____________________
"Lifeguard" prevents traffic wear to a sealer. Adds gloss.
"Dust Whiz" - easy dry mop dust pickup at 1,000 sq. ft. in 3 minutes.
Items of Interest
You may have heard of concerns about Terrazzos. All of them would be prevented with the information we provide here. Therefore, you can have the floor you want!
How to select a sealer
To select a sealer it is good to have some idea of the absorption rate so you achieve the gloss level (none to high) and all the other benefits available without using more sealer than necessary. Also, you can test for (and protect against) acidic liquid sensitivity.
An Aldon sealer does far more than just bead water and look pretty! To see what that is
click here.
Your results may vary somewhat from these pictures due to variations in computer display and the surface materials themselves. Nevertheless, you will be able to see the differences well enough to make good choices.
Important: If your project has had any sealer applied in the past, it must be evaluated differently. To see why, Click here!
Sealer "solids" levels?
This discussion applies only to the petroleum solvent based sealers. With the water based sealers, solids level is not a consideration.
Here are the relative solids level of our petroleum solvent based sealers:
Lowest: SBS Sealer
Next level Higher: Penetrating Paver Sealer
Another level higher: Porous Stone Sealer
Highest level: Mexiglaze
A porous surface will require more gallons (more money) of a lower solids sealer than using a higher solids level sealer. That, plus different surfaces have different requirements, is why we make the different solids levels. They all work as described, so it is only a matter of which is best for your needs.
The more porous the surface, the more solids will be required to achieve the desired effects of gloss, strengthening, stopping efflorescence, etc.
The more porous the surface, generally the greater the need for the sealer to create a stronger surface.
An old sealer below the surface, even after stripping, will lower the absorption and porosity to some degree. Sometimes it is uneven below the surface and can create an uneven coloring effect with a color enhancing sealer applied later. Another reason to test first.
Do not make decisions based only upon the price per gallon.
Unlike other sealers, Aldon's sealers typically require fewer applications (fewer gallons), less cure time, and longer life. And that is only a few of many considerations.
To see more of why the price per gallon has little to do with what will be your total project cost, click here. For other questions about sealers, see the FAQ Sealers link on the slide out menu.
Do not believe yet that you have the type of surfacing you were told:
There is no need for confusion or problems brought about by misidentification of a surface type, yet it happens all too often. Sellers use fancy marketing names that can be misleading about the true nature of a surfacing. For instance, a customer was told they bought "Petite Granite" for a bar surface. But, unlike granite it was etching circles from wine drips. After simple testing, it proved to be a limestone which is treated very differently than granite. It was easily restored and protected after a 60 second test. Please review our "Surface Types" page to compare pictures, descriptions, and testing if needed, to confirm you have what you were told.
Do not "pre-seal" - apply a sealer BEFORE grouting.
Do not use any sealer as a grout release barrier (pre-sealing). This technique creates many risk factors to be avoided. Prevent grout smears, surface scratching and keep grout residue out of surface texture by coating with Aldon
Grout Easy before grouting. Grout Easy is a water soluble coating that comes off easily while grout is being cleaned off in the normal process with water and a sponge.
Colors fading?
The iron oxide pigments used in concrete products, and the colored clays in clay products, do not fade . The appearance of fading is actually from tiny efflorescence particles (white powder) in the pores. It can be removed and color restored (with Aldon Efflorescence Treatment) and then stopped from returning, and color restored, by sealing with the appropriate Aldon penetrating type sealer.
You can stop efflorescence (white powdery stains)
Efflorescence (subsurface originating white powdery stains) is common with many surfaces. This can even occur before installation. However, it is easily made to disappear without scrubbing by using Aldon Efflorescence Treatment. If the white powder is old and is now "crystalline" that is bonded to the surface - it can be eaten away with Aldon Grout Residue Remover.
Renew a glossy finish
Aldon Sealer applications can be made hours or years later, but do not apply thin layer upon thin layer. Apply a sufficient quantity to insure below surface penetration & bonding. Or, for the solvent based penetrating sealers, test spraying lacquer thinner as an alternative to slightly melt and reform the surface and not build too much gloss or create sealer "layering". A layer of sealer on top of another layer of sealer can result in poor bonding between layers and that can cause separation peeling that looks grayish.
Concerned about Doing It Yourself or what your contractor says?
If you are concerned about doing it yourself - consider that the satisfaction of a project is directly related to YOUR knowledge of what needs to be done and how. Who actually does the work is less important. We estimate that 50% of the usage of Aldon products is by "do it yourself" homeowners and we know they are happy because we hear from them.
Our goal for our contractor customers - NO CALL BACKS. A good contractor will understand the logic of Aldon application instructions on the labels and will not take shortcuts. If a contractor does not agree, feel free to let us find out what is so unusual about this particular project so the contractor does not have to return.
© Aldon Corporation All Content, Design, Copy, Code, and Graphics copyright 1995-2017 by
Aldon Corporation and protected under applicable USA and international intellectual property law.
- Approximately 3/8 inch thick for tiles and 3/4 inch or more overlay for slabs.
- Very precise dimensions if in tile format
- Very flat and square
- Surface is very hard
- Finish is "honed" (smooth, softer looking, not very reflective) to "polished".
- Tile and slabs are a factory produced material using pieces of stone, stone dust, and cement binder.
- Poured in place slab coatings are the same material with expansion joints of brass (or other material)
- Wide range of colors and styles.
- Confirm if it contains marble or limestone with a drop of muriatic (swimming pool) acid. Marble and limestone fizz on contact. Cement also fizzes, but resin and quartz do not. Caution: this test will etch marble, limestone, and cement.
Acidic cleaners should be avoided in the installation process because they could dull the finish of marble materials. If the tile grouting process scratches the surface, review Aldon "Grout Easy" before grouting. "Grout Easy" is a water soluble coating and comes off easily while grout is being cleaned up with water and a sponge. Petroleum solvent based products could temporarily soften the polymer resin binder a little bit at the surface. This could be a marking problem if a tool was used to spread the liquid at that time.
Almost any design, style and finish is available. | Factory made, therefore more precise and controlled than quarried stones. | Little or no variation from batch to batch. | Terrazzo does need sealer protection from acidic liquid spills and cleaners.
As you progress down this page you will see:
- The products you may need for surface Preparation before sealing.
- Pictures of each of the recommended sealers for this surface type. Click the sealer's picture for it's full description.
- Handy tips to prevent issues that others have had before coming to Aldon.
- Perhaps more information than you need now, but might be of interest later.
Surface Preparation before sealing
What you need for your Terrazzo project
#1. If the Terrazzo is not yet grouted
Grout Easy
*Grout Residue
Remover
*Efflorescence
Treatment
#2. If the Terrazzo is grouted, but never sealed.
*Grout Residue
Remover
**Efflorescence
Treatment
***Grout
Restoration
** If you have white powder (efflorescence) stains.
*** If your grout is badly stained.
#3. If the Terrazzo has had a sealer applied in the past.
Premium
Stripper
*Grout Residue
Remover
**Grout
Restoration
** If your grout is badly stained. Regular stains are usually removed by the stripping process.
Your Choices for Sealing
But First - click here to remove the guess work about sealer results on your project:
Most people have no idea about the history and characteristics of their flooring. You can click this link to see how to easily test with water drops and understand which sealer is most appropriate for your goals.
Some questions you may not be thinking to ask right now that could become important:
. Was it sealed in the past? Does that matter?
. Will a new sealer be compatible with whatever was used before?
. What Aldon sealer will give the visual results you want?
. Will you also be able to have an Aldon sealer solve problem(s)? ( Answer: yes. Just know which to pick.)
"Same Day Sealer" on Terrazzo Tile (not slabs). This sealer is Water Base | Penetrating Type. Provides: No color enhancement or gloss. Coverage guidelines (depending on absorption) 250 to 600 sq.ft./gal.
The raw surface is already very low in absorption and of high reflectivity. The best visual results are usually achieved with a spray application. S-B-S Sealer is available in spray cans for small projects. For large projects, see information on spray equipment
Bottom tile - acid test: Left half is fully sealed - right half is not sealed
You can see a line of liquid at the arrow. This is full strength muriatic (pool) acid. The arrow points to the left half that is sealed with S-B-S Sealer and is without any fizzing acid reaction. The unprotected side on the right is fizzing and etching from the acid.
Add one application of "Lifeguard" for a matte level gloss. You can increase gloss with more applications as desired.
Easy Care Products: for a Terrazzo floor.
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
"Dust Whiz" - easy dry mop dust pickup at 1,000 sq. ft. in 3 minutes.
Items of Interest
How to select a sealer
An Aldon sealer does far more than just bead water and look pretty! To see what that is click here.
Your results may vary somewhat from these pictures due to variations in computer display and the surface materials themselves. Nevertheless, you will be able to see the differences well enough to make good choices.
Important: If your project has had any sealer applied in the past, it must be evaluated differently. To see why, Click here!
Sealer "solids" levels?
Here are the relative solids level of our petroleum solvent based sealers:
Lowest: SBS Sealer
Next level Higher: Penetrating Paver Sealer
Another level higher: Porous Stone Sealer
Highest level: Mexiglaze
A porous surface will require more gallons (more money) of a lower solids sealer than using a higher solids level sealer. That, plus different surfaces have different requirements, is why we make the different solids levels. They all work as described, so it is only a matter of which is best for your needs.
The more porous the surface, the more solids will be required to achieve the desired effects of gloss, strengthening, stopping efflorescence, etc.
The more porous the surface, generally the greater the need for the sealer to create a stronger surface.
An old sealer below the surface, even after stripping, will lower the absorption and porosity to some degree. Sometimes it is uneven below the surface and can create an uneven coloring effect with a color enhancing sealer applied later. Another reason to test first.
To see more of why the price per gallon has little to do with what will be your total project cost, click here. For other questions about sealers, see the FAQ Sealers link on the slide out menu.
Do not believe yet that you have the type of surfacing you were told:
Do not "pre-seal" - apply a sealer BEFORE grouting.
Colors fading?
You can stop efflorescence (white powdery stains)
Efflorescence (subsurface originating white powdery stains) is common with many surfaces. This can even occur before installation. However, it is easily made to disappear without scrubbing by using Aldon Efflorescence Treatment. If the white powder is old and is now "crystalline" that is bonded to the surface - it can be eaten away with Aldon Grout Residue Remover.
Renew a glossy finish
Aldon Sealer applications can be made hours or years later, but do not apply thin layer upon thin layer. Apply a sufficient quantity to insure below surface penetration & bonding. Or, for the solvent based penetrating sealers, test spraying lacquer thinner as an alternative to slightly melt and reform the surface and not build too much gloss or create sealer "layering". A layer of sealer on top of another layer of sealer can result in poor bonding between layers and that can cause separation peeling that looks grayish.
Concerned about Doing It Yourself or what your contractor says?
If you are concerned about doing it yourself - consider that the satisfaction of a project is directly related to YOUR knowledge of what needs to be done and how. Who actually does the work is less important. We estimate that 50% of the usage of Aldon products is by "do it yourself" homeowners and we know they are happy because we hear from them.
Our goal for our contractor customers - NO CALL BACKS. A good contractor will understand the logic of Aldon application instructions on the labels and will not take shortcuts. If a contractor does not agree, feel free to let us find out what is so unusual about this particular project so the contractor does not have to return.
© Aldon Corporation All Content, Design, Copy, Code, and Graphics copyright 1995-2017 by
Aldon Corporation and protected under applicable USA and international intellectual property law.
Our goal for our contractor customers - NO CALL BACKS. A good contractor will understand the logic of Aldon application instructions on the labels and will not take shortcuts. If a contractor does not agree, feel free to let us find out what is so unusual about this particular project so the contractor does not have to return.
Aldon Corporation and protected under applicable USA and international intellectual property law.