This is the continuation of our blog on Cleaning Terrazzo Floors and if you haven’t check the first part, you can do so here. Enjoy!
Today, we will start by giving you some recommendations for prolonging the shine of terrazzo for as long as possible. Here they are:
– If liquid is spilled on terrazzo, it should be cleaned quickly before it penetrates so that it does not absorb dirt and liquid through the pores, thus avoiding loss of shine or the appearance of spots. Also, if the liquid dries, it will be much more difficult to remove.
– Keep the terrazzo floor clean, as this will help prolong the shine.
– Occasionally apply a small amount of special terrazzo maintenance wax in the scrubbing water while cleaning our terrazzo, a fact that will help us prolong the shine of our terrazzo.
– We recommend not to buy cheap or supermarket waxes, because their low quality will only create a layer of grease and will not properly perform the function it should.
– Strategically protect high-traffic or high-use areas with mats, pads or doormats; as these will always be the areas most affected by scratches or scuffs.
– Do not scrub terrazzo with steel wool or harsh brushes, as they may scratch or dull it.
How to Polish a Terrazzo Floor to Restore Its Shine
There comes a time when our terrazzo floor has lost its shine and we need to polish it back to its original shine and splendor. In this case, it is no longer useful to use waxes or homemade solutions as indicated in many places, because it is true that a layer of wax on a dull terrazzo will give it a little shine, but the terrazzo will not shine. In fact, it is rather the wax that will shine.
Therefore, in this situation, we must apply the terrazzo polishing or crystallization technique, which is done with a polishing machine and the necessary supplements and liquids, in order to reduce the porosity of the terrazzo’s surface and give it back its shine, as well as providing it with greater hardness and protection.
How Do You Polish Terrazzo?
Polishing terrazzo is a simple process, although if done by a professional polisher you will always get a better finish, it can be done without problems by any home user and get a very correct result for a much cheaper price.
To perform this process, the user will only need to have a rotary machine (very easy to use and can be rented or purchased) and buy the necessary products to polish the terrazzo.
What Do We Need to Polish Terrazzo?
To polish a terrazzo floor, we will need the following products that you can find in the cleaning and finishing section of our online hardware store:
– A polishing machine
– Steel wool
– The necessary chemicals (stripper, crystallizer and wax).
The Steps to Follow to Polish a Terrazzo Floor
The steps to follow to restore the shine of a terrazzo floor are as follows:
- The first step in polishing the floor is the use of a floor stripper, also known as a base crystallizer, which is a product with great cleaning power responsible for deep cleaning the floor (from wax residues, crystallized and dirt), and at the same time make the base of the polish. To do this, we will spray the liquid stripper on the floor and rub it with steel wool using a rotary machine at low speed.
– Many users skip this process indicating that the floor is clean, and surely they also get a good result and gains in gloss, but with the use of the stripper the results are much better since the use of a base before the crystallizer has a remarkable final result.
- Once the stripping process is done, we will proceed to the application of the liquid crystallizer for floors, which will be the product responsible for making the terrazzo shine again.
- To apply the crystallizer, we will do it in the same way as the stripper, with a low speed rotary machine and steel wool.
- At this point, we will have the terrazzo crystallized and it will have regained its shine. At this point, there are two options: one is to finish the process and leave it at that; the second, and highly recommended, is to apply a layer of terrazzo protective wax to extend the life of the shine. This wax is normally applied with a mop, broom or other manual means.
– In particular, and in the opinion of many trusted polishers, we recommend applying the wax as it will give us protection by extending the life of the shine and will remove small defects or imperfections, thus improving the final result.
Here you go! With these tips, you can be sure to have a shiny and flawless terrazzo floor. Did we miss anything or do you have any further tips? Share them in the comments below.
