Bringing Back Terrazzo in Old Florida Homes
Mid-century terrazzo is a hidden treasure under a lot of South Florida carpet. Here's what the restoration process actually looks like.
If your house was built between 1945 and 1975, there is a strong chance the original floor under your carpet is terrazzo — and a strong chance it is worth restoring rather than replacing.
Restoration starts with carpet and adhesive removal, then a series of diamond grinds from coarse to fine to flatten and open the surface. Holes and chips get filled with a color-matched epoxy slurry that gets ground flush.
From there, we hone through finer and finer grits until the aggregate reads cleanly. The final step is a polish and an optional impregnating sealer that protects without changing the look.
A typical 1,500 sq ft home takes us about a week, start to finish. The result is a floor that is original to the house, cooler in summer than tile, and that will outlast anything you could put on top of it.