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The color options are endless when selecting a terrazzo floor system for any commercial or residential application. But where to start? In this blog post, we’ll provide recommendations on selecting colors for your terrazzo floor.
Terrazzo floors get their color from either epoxy resin or cement and aggregates. In fact, aggregates make up over 70% of the terrazzo floor.
For newcomers to the terrazzo industry, they must know what selection of aggregates are available to them. The most common terrazzo chips used today are marble, glass, and shells. What’s great about aggregates is that architects and designers can find any chip color they desire from terrazzo contractors around the United States and the world.
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White marble is a popular color choice in terrazzo, but you have options to select aggregates that come in different shades of grays, blues, greens, yellows, and other colors. Glass is another popular option allowing for more vibrant chip colors compared to marble chips.
The selection of clear glass blends in nicely with any floor color. You can even match the aggregate color with the floor color for a uniform look. But you can also make your floor stand out by either grouping together different aggregate colors or pick an aggregate that contrasts with the floor color itself.
Terrazzo today comes in two main varieties: monolithic (also called poured-in-place) or tile. As the names imply, one is a product that is poured wet in large areas subdivided by metal strips, while the other is factory-made tiles in varying sizes that are installed much like a ceramic or porcelain floor tile. Another difference is in the component materials of terrazzo. Again, there are two main types - a cementitious (or concrete) matrix, or a resin binder, most often epoxy. Some will say that epoxy-based terrazzo is not terrazzo and that only products made with cement are true terrazzo. (We'll leave that up to the reader to decide.) There are also "terrazzo look" tiles which are actually porcelain tiles, or vinyl tiles printed or manufactured to look like terrazzo. These would definitely fall on the "not real terrazzo" scale, but you should know that these exist as they may be more budget-friendly for your project.
Cementitious terrazzo is a much thicker application and is best planned for during the design process. Because of the thickness, the floor slab may need to be lower than normal to account for the 1"+/- thickness of the final flooring. While the cement matrix can be dyed to create a more colorful terrazzo, it will never be as vivid as epoxy terrazzo. This material also takes much longer to cure and finish. Cementitious terrazzo may also be installed outside, depending on your climate.
Epoxy-based terrazzo is often called "thin-set" terrazzo. The polymer basis of this style of terrazzo was invented in the 1970s as plastics were taking off. Epoxy terrazzo has several benefits over its cementitious counterpart: it tends to have a bit more flex and is more forgiving over larger areas, it has a much faster dry (and thus finishing time) and as the thin-set name implies, it is a much thinner (and lighter) product than original terrazzo making it easier to install in existing homes. Additionally, the epoxy matric can be tinted in a myriad of colors and because of the smoother grinding surface, the colors are much bolder than that in cementitious terrazzo. One major drawback is the inability to install epoxy terrazzo in outdoor use situations.
Unlike the original terrazzo, more aggregate materials are available for modern terrazzo applications; both for cementitious and epoxy types. Besides granite and marble, recycled glass pieces are a popular and colorful addition along with more unusual items such as quartz or shell. Some manufacturers have specific color lines of terrazzo, while others produce custom blends based on the aggregate you choose for your design.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of custom terrazzo slab. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.