Terrazzo is not just a village in Italy; it is also a quite sought after flooring material. It is almost certain that you have walked on a terrazzo floor as it is very popular in hospitals, commercials establishments and government buildings. Often incredibly smooth and polished to a shine, terrazzo is actually made of chips (usually marble, quartz, glass or granite) placed into a cement based mixture.

Terrazzo lasts a very long time but it is a bit more expensive than other flooring materials as it takes a skilled technician to install this labor intensive flooring. To create a traditional terrazzo floor requires a three stages process. First, the installer must make a solid and level concrete foundation for the terrazzo to rest on which is generally between 3-4 inches deep. Second, divides are placed to make the desired design and the areas are filled in with a cement mixture filled with colored chips. While the mixture sets more chips are added for a top layer and then, usually, ground and polished to give a smooth looking surface.

Modern terrazzo is easier to install but still takes skilled hands. Known as epoxy terrazzo, this system is less thick, yet stronger, has a higher resistance to cracking, comes in a wider variety of colors and is faster to install. The only real disadvantage modern terrazzo has is that it is not as good at resisting the elements as classic cement terrazzo, so it is recommended to use cement terrazzo for any exterior Winston Salem project.

Though widely used for commercial purposes terrazzo is great for homes too! Floors, bathrooms, countertops and sinks can all be done in the medium of terrazzo. Depending on the project, Expert Tile And Marble Inc. can prefabricate the terrazzo so the only time spent in your Winston Salem home or business is installing the piece.