Terrazzo — the composite material made from marble, quartz, granite or glass chips set in cement or resin — is enjoying a design renaissance. Found in everything from luxury residential developments to commercial lobbies and period properties, terrazzo is beautiful and durable. When it chips, cracks or loses its polish, professional repair or restoration brings it back to its best.
What Is Terrazzo?
Traditional terrazzo is Portland cement with marble chip aggregate, poured in place and ground smooth. Modern terrazzo more often uses epoxy resin as the binder, which is lighter, less porous and easier to install. Both types can sustain surface damage — chips, cracks and scratch marks from heavy use — that’s repairable through specialist techniques.
Types of Terrazzo Damage
- Surface chips — where individual aggregate pieces have been dislodged
- Cracks — particularly in cement-based terrazzo subject to substrate movement
- Joint failure — where divider strips have lifted or the terrazzo has cracked at expansion joints
- Surface dulling or scratching — from abrasive traffic or cleaning
- Staining — cement terrazzo is porous and can absorb staining material
Chip Repair in Terrazzo
Individual chips in terrazzo can be repaired by filling the void with a colour-matched compound incorporating similar aggregate to the original. The repair is then ground and polished to blend with the surrounding surface. The challenge is replicating both the base colour and the aggregate pattern — skilled matching produces an excellent result; poorly matched repairs stand out clearly.
Full Terrazzo Restoration
For terrazzo with widespread scratching or surface dullness, full restoration — progressive diamond grinding and polishing — can restore the original polished finish. This is appropriate for high-traffic terrazzo in commercial or residential lobbies where appearance is paramount.
