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TerrazzoLayingProcess
Terrazzofloorlayingisatechnicalworkthatrequirealotofcareandconsiderationright
fromthebeginning.Thevariousprocessesrequiredcanbesummarizedasfollows:
DesignStage
Designstageiswherevariousfactorsareconsideredbeforetheactualworkstarts.Terrazzo
ismainlyusedinthefollowingareas
1.WetareaslikeBathrooms,Toiletsandkitchens.
2.AreaswithheavyhumantrafficlikeStaircasesandCorridors
3.AreaswhereheavydutyworksiscarriedoutlikeGaragesandWarehouses.
Sotheaboveconsiderationswillhelpindeterminingtheareaswhereterrazzowillbeused.

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Oncetheareahasbeenidentifiedthenextstageistochoosethecoloursthatwillbeused.
Coloursmainlydependsontheclienttasteortheintendeduseoftherooms.Therearemany
factorsthatdeterminethecolourstobeusedmainly
1.Thecoloursthattheenduserintendstouseonthewalls(Matching).
2.Thekindofactivitythattheareawillbeusedfor.Forexampleyoumaybetemptedtouse
darkcoloursingaragesandbrightcoloursinkitchens.
3.Personalchoiceofcolours.Somepeoplearemorebiasedoncertaincolours.
ThemaincoloursavailablelocallyasoxidesareRed,Yellow,BlackGreenandBlue.By
carefullymixingvariouscolours,onecanobtainvariousothercolourslikeGrey,
orange,pinkcreametc.
Thenextstageinthedesigntochoosethepatterns.Themostcommonformisthesquareor
rectangularboxes.Howeveronecanbecomecreativebymakingtriangular,octagons,
pentagons,flowersorevendrawingobjectslikelogos,animals,letters.
FloorPreparation.
Floorpreparationisveryimportantbeforeterrazzolayingcommences.Astableconcretefloor
isrequiredinordertoachieveadurablecrackfreeterrazzofloor.
Ifitisanewfloor,ampletimeisneededfortheconcretetocure.Aftercuringtheflooris
teethed(hacking)toproducearoughsurface.Theflooristhenthoroughlycleanedtoremove
allthedust.
Foranoldfloor,itisimportanttoremovetheoldscreedcompletely,dothehackingand
cleanallthedustanddebris.
Ifacrackappearsontheconcrete,itwilldefinitelyappearontheterrazzo.Soensurethe
concretefloorisfirm.
CementScreed
Oncethefloorisclean,thenextstepislayingthecementscreed.Thisisacombinationof
sandandordinarycement.Themostcommonratioforsandandordinarycementis3
wheelbarrowsandto1bagcement.Howeverthisratiovariesdependingonthestrengthof
thescreedrequired.
Beforelayingthescreed,thepreviouslypreparedfloorissprinkledwithwater.Ordinary
cementispouredwithatroughandthenevenlysmearedonthefloorwithahardbrush.This
actsasanadhesive.
Thecementscreedisthenevenlyspreadonthefloortakingintoconsiderationthelevels
required.Insomecasethefloormayneedtohavesomegentleslopetodirectwaterincertain
directionslikegullytrapsandfloortraps.
DividingStrips
Thedividingstripsservestwomainpurposes:
1.Dividebetweenvariouscolours.

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2.Limitthespreadofcracksonthe
terrazzofloorshouldafailureoccur
onthefoundation.
Thedividingstripsareeithermade
ofPVC,AluminumorevenBrass.
TheStandardsizehasathesizeof
20mmx2mmx7ftlong.Another
commonsizeavailablesizeis
32mmx3mmx7ftlongwhichare
mainlyusedinwarehouseswith
heavymovingequipments.
Thedividingstripsareputinplace
beforethecementscreedhardens.
Therequiredpatternsaredrawnon
thewetfloorusingnylonstring,
squaresandstraightedges.The
dividingstripsarethencarefullyputinplaceasperthedesignedpattens.Thisstageisvery
criticalinlayingofterrazzo.Anymistakemadeatthisstagecannotbecorrectedoncethe
nextstagestarts.
Onecriticalpointtonoteisthatallthedividingstripsneedstocompletelyflashatallthe
intersectionssothattheywillallappearuniformaftergrinding.
Beforeproceedingtothenextstage,itisrecommendedtogivethefloorapproximatelythree
daysofcuring.
TerrazzoLaying
Thisstageinvolvesthefollowing
1.Mixingtheterrazzochippings.
ThemaincoloursforterrazzochippingsareWhite,CreamandBlack.Othercoloursavailable
areRedandYellow.Forthefloorareaitisrecommendedtousesize1/4"or3/8".Forthe
skirting,walls,staircases,tabletopsetcisisrecommendabletousesize3/16".
Formostordinaryfloorsusingbrightcolours,thechippingsaremixedintheratio
White:Cream:Black=10:2:1.HoweverforGranolithic(Grano)floorstheratiochangesto
White:Cream:Black=1:2:10.Howeverthisactsonlyasaguideandtheratioscanchangeto
anycustomvalues.
Oncetherequiredratiohasbeenidentified,thechippingsarethoroughlymixedtogivea
uniformmixture.
2.MixingthePremixedChippingswithCementandColouringOxides
Thepremixedterrazzochippingsarethenmixedwithcementandthecolouringoxides.The
mostcommonratiosforTerrazzoChippings:Cement=2:1.Dependingonthecolourrequired
,oxidesareaddedandthemixtureisthoroughlymixedtomakeauniformmixturewithout
addingwater.
Waterisslowlyaddedasthemixingcontinues.Atthispointonecanbeabletoseethecolour
oftheterrazzomixture.Morecolouringoxidecanbeaddedtoattaintherequiredcolour.Itis
recommendedtomeasuretheoxidesinaparticularwaybyeitheraspoonoranyother
containeroraweighingscale.Thiswillhelpinreplicatingthesamecolourshouldthemixture
failtocoverthepredeterminedarea.
3.Layingtheterrazzomixtureinthepatterns.
Thefloorinwhichthedividingstripshavebeenputisthoroughlyswepttoremovedustand
foreignobjects.Wateristhenpouredtosoakthefloor.
Themixtureisthenspreadintothepatternsthatrequiresthatparticularcolourusingatrough.
Asaprecautiontoavoidtwocoloursmixinginapattern,differentcoloursneedstobe
separatedbyatleastoneday.
Afteronehourcuring,arollerispassedovertocompactthemixture.Afteranothertwohours
asecondrollerispassedwhilesprinklingthemixedaggregatesuntilthefloorisuniform.
Theexcesscementmixtureissweptwithasoftbrush.Usingatrough,thefloorisevenly
leveled.
4.LayingtheSkirting
Onceterrazzohasbeenlaidonthefloor,thenexttofollowistheskirting.The3/16"size
terrazzochippingsaremixedintherequiredasabove.Cementandcoloringoxidesareadded
toproducetherequiredshade.
Atimberofsize3mmthickby20mmwidecommonlyreferredtoasSkirtingTimberis
nailedonthewallusingSteelNeedlesataheightofapproximately45"abovethefloor.
Thishelpsinshapingaclearcutlineforterrazzoonthewall.
Wheretilesareusedonthewall,thetilesarenormallyfixed45"abovethefloorjustasthe
skirtingtimbertoactasthecutline.
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Ifthewallhadbeenplasteredsmoothly,teethingisrequiredsoastomakearoughsurface.A
thickmixtureofcementandwaterisappliedtoactasadhesive.
Usingatroughtheterrazzoisevenlyapplied.Thesmotheringisrepeateduntilitholdsonto
thewall.Aftercuringforaboutthreehourstheexcesscementisremovedwithasoftbrush.It
islatersmotheredusingthetrough.
Grinding
GrindingisdoneusingElectricorKerosineterrazzomachine.
Forthegrindingtostart,thefloorneedstobegivenatleastsevendaystocure.Whitecement
curesfasterthanordinarycementandworksdoneusingwhitecementcanbegrindedinfour
days.
Grindingisdoneintwophases.ThefirstphaseinvolvesroughgrindingusingBlockstones
8x2x2rough.Diamondgrindingpadscanalsobeused.Riversandisoccasionallyusedto
helpingrinding.Onceroughgrindingiscompleted,amixtureofcementandcolouringoxide
matchingthefloorcolouringisspreadevenlyusingarubbersqueezer.Thisisgivenoneto
twodaystocurebutcanbeextendedlonger.
ThesecondphaseofgrindingthenfollowsusingBlockstone8x2x2smooth.Thisisthefinal
grindingthoughthereareseveralgradesofsmotheringBlockstoneswhichcanbeappliedto
makethefloorevensmoother.
Theskirting,staircase,wallsortabletopscanbegriddedbyhandusingHandstones6x2x1.It
isdoneusingtheroughstonefirst,fillingitwithmixtureofcementandoxidematchingit's
colourandfinallysmotheringwithsmoothstone.
AnothermethodofgrindingskirtingisusingapowergrinderfittedwithDiamondorStone
CupWheels.Thisworksfasterandcanproducesamuchmoresmoothersurface.
CleaningandapplyingPolish
Oncethegrindinghasbeendone,thenextstageiscleaningandpolishing.
Theflooristhoroughlywashedwithdetergents,steelwoolsandplentyofwatertoremoveall
thedustanddirtthatmayhaveremainedduringgrinding.
Iftherearestainsofanykindonthefloor,thisareremovedwithHCLacid.
Oncetheflooriscleanandcompletelydry,afloorpolishisapplied.
Varioustypesoffloorpolishareavailableandshouldbeappliedasperthemanufacturers
advice.
ThisNotesarepreparedby:
JohnKibithe
E&OE

Copyright2011

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