Benefits of Terrazzo

Aesthetics Durability Life Cycle Cost Sanitation Low Maintenace Terrazzo Is Green Green Report

Aesthetics

Terrazzo brings design flexibility not available in other flooring systems. Over the years, we’ve learned never to tell a designer or architect that “it can’t be done” with terrazzo. Every time we thought terrazzo had design limitations, we were proven wrong. An unlimited color range coupled with a plethora of aggregate options from mother of pearl, to marble, to recycled glass; these are among the many advantages offered by terrazzo. Whether you’re looking for a modern monochromatic look, or an artistic piece reminiscent of classic italian mosaics, or detailed artistic work with a photographic quality, terrazzo is your canvas.

Durability

Life Cycle Cost

Sanitation

Master Terrazzo’s Morricite system meets the most stringent of environmental standards, even the indoor air quality emission requirements for the State of California EPA, section 01350. This non-porous system does not support microbial growth and does not allow accumulation of moisture, absorbing water at a rate 1/10th that of cementitious terrazzo which results in an abnormally high stain resistance of the overall system. Additionally, this lack of water absorption and porosity results in a surface requiring only minimal cleaning processes, without the need for use of harsh cleaning chemicals.

Low Maintenace

Given the non-porous nature of epoxy terrazzo, only minimal cleaning is required. A terrazzo floor will almost certainly never require replacement, as opposed to carpet, vinyl flooring or tile, which needs replacement from time to time, especially in high foot-traffic areas. There are no grout joints to allow for dirt accumulation. Because of the low maintenance necessary and the permanence of the system, there is no question that terrazzo “pays for itself” over time.

Terrazzo Is Green

In terms of green technology, nothing beats terrazzo. The first terrazzo-like floors were created nearly 9,000 years ago in the middle east and they still exist today, with a compressive strength of nearly 500 pounds per square inch! Cementitious terrazzo floors still stand in many buildings throughout ancient Venice, including at least one installed as early as 1309. This ancient terrazzo is remarkably analogous to modern cementitious terrazzo, almost to the point of indistinguishability, and it still looks great after all these centuries! There could not be clearer confirmation of the superior sustainability of terrazzo.

With modern technology and the advent of epoxy terrazzo, modern terrazzo floors are even more sustainable and durable than cement terrazzo floors. Additionally, with epoxy terrazzo we now have the option to incorporate post-consumer and pre-consumer recycled content such as glass, into timeless terrazzo floors. Terrazzo is green.

Green Report

Boise Airport Passenger Terminal

Architect: CSHQA, Boise, Idaho

Terrazzo Contractor: Roman Mosaic and Tile Co. West Chester, Pennsylvania

Designer/Artist: Elizabeth Wolf, Boise, Idaho

Terrazzo was the flooring of choice for the Boise Airport terminal because it is durable and allows for many design possibilities. An airport terminal has a large amount of foot traffic, which necessitates a durable floor covering. The Boise Airport is owned by the City of Boise, and although public funds did not pay for the new terminal or the airport’s overall expansion, the Airport Commission felt it was particularly important to show fiscal responsibility in using their funds. the higher initial installation cost of terrazzo was offset by inexpensive and easy daily maintenance Most likely the floor will never have to be replaced.

Terrazzo’s other attractive feature is its design flexibility. From the earliest conceptions the architects had pictured a floor that looked like a flowing river. The city wanted the new terminal to be a gateway to the city and surrounding area, so the terminal was designed to reflect its setting - a river valley. Wide-open spaces and expressive architectural elements (including the undulating curves reflected in the ceiling soffits and in the terrazzo flooring pattern) flow from one functional space to another in a sequential order that instinctively guides a passenger through the building. In addition, the Airport Commission identified the circular portion of the floor under the three-story rotunda as a key focal point in the newly designed building. The artist-designed medallion image visually represents Boise and Idaho as a regional hub and provides directional orientation. In the center of the design, Idaho and contiguous sites are outlined as if on a map. the state flower, syringa, and the state bird, the mountain bluebird, are integrated into the image.

Carew Mabley Place Parking Deck Renovation - Cincinnati

Architect: Calloway, Johnson, Moore West, Winston-Salem, North Carolina Terrazzo Contractor:Roman Mosaic and Tile Company, Linthicum, Maryland

Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences

Architect: Calloway, Johnson, Moore West, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Terrazzo Contractor: Roman Mosaic and Tile Company, Linthicum, Maryland

Central Crossing High School - Columbus Ohio ~ 11,000 sq. ft. Five Colors Cast in place cove

Central Crossing High School - Columbus Ohio

11,000 sq. ft. Five Colors Cast in place cove