Lots of people nowadays are rediscovering the beauty of old terrazzo floors, which, with just a little terrazzo polishing here and there, could give a home an old world quality and charm that most dwellings nowadays don’t have. Some of these floors, through time, have begun to lose their lustre, while others have been covered under a different floor layer. That’s unfortunate, as these floors are known for their durability and ease of maintenance, but as the current owner of your house, it is up to you to decide whether you’d want to give these floors a second life or not.

There are certain things that you should consider and be aware of first, should you decide to revive your house’s old flooring. One is that, if your terrazzo was covered with semi-permanent floor surfaces such as vinyl or ceramic tiles, you have no idea as to the current state of the terrazzo underneath it. That being the case, it’s best to try to get a peek of your old flooring before deciding to hammer down on your current ceramic floor. Just make sure that it’s in an inconspicuous spot in the area, so as not to damage your current floor should you decide to keep it.

Now, if you’ve set your mind on reviving your old floor, remember that doing so is bound to create a huge mess, so be prepared. Any type of floor grinding and polishing would produce an enormous amount of dust, so the room that you’ll be doing work in should be devoid of all furniture. If you’re going to be extra cautious, you could also cover the walls with either newspaper to avoid having to clean them afterwards. Also, if your floor has stains which will need to be removed, you should know that your contractor will be using chemicals on your floor. As much as possible, keep the windows open during and after this period. If the room doesn’t have windows, you could provide electric fans to aid in drying.

Stains are a staple on most old floors, so be ready for it. You could be a homeowner who prefers to do this whole restoration by yourself, or you could also be the one who opts to have professionals deal with restoring their old floor- it doesn’t matter. Knowing how to rid your floor of stains is always best, because though most professional contractors know how to deal with pesky stains on your terrazzo floor, new ones are always bound to come up. So, to be able to remove a stain, you must first try to find out what it is. Is it oil-based, acid-based or what? You should first try to remove it with basic water and cloth. Chemicals should always be the last option for stone floors, because some of them can actually cause stains, instead of removing them. It’s best to do research before embarking on any stain removal attempt.

After we’re done with stains, we move on to repairing holes and cracks before we move further on to terrazzo polishing. Cracks can be caused by a lot of things, but holes are most often caused by carpeting. The good news is, if your floor was covered by a carpet, chances are that majority of the floor surface is in very good condition. The downside is that carpeting always leaves carpet tracks and nails on the flooring beneath it. Some contractors choose to pull out the nails, while some would rather cut the heads off and level it with the floor instead, as this leaves out the option of having to make a filling. If your floor has other cracks or open holes, then you’ve no choice but to make filling material. For the fillings, try to make sure that the colour of the patch compound to be used is closest to that of the floor. Once done with the filling material, fill the hole or crack to the brim with it, then scrape off the excess material. Wait for it to dry before polishing it off along with the rest of the floor area. That should give your floor a smooth and even finish. Once restored, the terrazzo floor will hardly need any more polishing, and will be good to serve you well in the years to come.