North Central Terrazzo Associationwww.ncterrazzo.com

North Central Terrazzo Association

The Essence of

Terrazzo

What is Terrazzo?

Terrazzo can be found just about anywhere:• Airports• Cafeterias• Hospitals• Locker Rooms• Museums• Office Buildings• Restaurants• Schools• Shopping Malls• Stadiums• Convention Centers• Parks• Homes

F rom the royal palaces and serene bath houses of ancient times to modern international airports and today’s finest universities, terrazzo has been used

for thousands of years. More than a uniform material, terrazzo is always yield-ing a unique product of design, technique, and skillful execution.

Designers love to work with terrazzo because they can use it to realize their most creative visions. Colors ranging from the delicately subtle to the boldly vibrant can intertwine or spill forth in any way imaginable. For designers working with terrazzo, the surface becomes a canvas with infinite possibilities.

Most often used for flooring, terrazzo is a mixture of marble, glass chips, onyx, or granite that is solidified with either a cement mix or epoxy resin. There is plenty of room for variation within this terrazzo “recipe,” which is why architects, designers, and contractors are always able to create awe-inspiring surfaces that are customized to each project.

Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Wauwatosa, WI

Divider strips are used to separate colors and to maintain designs.

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The terrazzo is poured into place.

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The chips and binding resin are mixed together.

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How is Terrazzo Installed?

After it hardens, the terrazzo is ground and polished.

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A finished terrazzo surface.5Chaminade College Preparatory School, St. Louis, MOPhotos Courtesy of Viken Djaferian/FotoGrafix

Why is Terrazzo Still in Demand Today?

COST-eFFeCTIVeDuring the lifetime of a building, the total cost of maintaining and/or replacing flooring can multiply up to 35 times. Because terrazzo almost always out-lives the building in which it is installed, these enormous costs never come into play. And maintenance costs are minimal.

CuSTOMIzabLeWith unlimited design and color options, terrazzo offers limitless creative opportunities. Terrazzo has the unique ability to complement the mood, themes, and aesthetics of its surroundings. No two terrazzo projects are ever the same.

eaSy TO MaInTaInClean, safe public areas and indoor air quality are more essential today than ever before. Terrazzo’s non-porous surface resists microbes and moisture, resulting in a mold-free, healthy environment. And maintenance is as easy as sweeping, mopping, and the occasional machine cleaning.

DurabLeTerrazzo retains its rich colors in high-traffic areas where durability, longevity and minimal maintenance are critical. Most terrazzo floors never need to be replaced. Valued for its resiliency as much as its beauty, terrazzo inspires for decades.

Terrazzo is environmentally responsible• resource reuse: significant longevity and low maintenance costs

• recycled Content: often uses post-industrial and post-commercial recycled glass or stone aggregate

• Local regional Materials: manufactured on-site, reducing waste and transportation costs

• Indoor emitting Materials: inorganic based binders contain zero Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

For these reasons, terrazzo often contributes up to five LeeD credits in accordance with the u.S. Green building Council (uSGbC).

See National Terrazzo & Mosaic Association LEED PDF for details

nicholas Conservatory and Gardens, rockford, IL

Contact

For more information, contact:North Central Terrazzo Association5139 American RoadRockford, IL 61109P: 800-323-9736F: 815-874-3300

www.ncterrazzo.com

Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, IL