Terrazzo Flooring
Terrazzo Floor Tile - Things You Should Know
By Kris K Buettmann - Ezinearticles
Terrazzo is a much coveted material for flooring which cannot be afforded by all and sundry. It is expensive given its constituents and history. It is an extremely durable material that can last for eras. Terrazzo was used during the Roman Empire by the Romans to build their structures- buildings, amphitheatre, bath houses, villas, halls etc., the remains of which are still existent. The city of Pompeii that had been excavated from underneath the ground also displayed terrazzo's durability. Even after the volcano made the city go under the ground and it took hundreds of decades to strike upon the discovery, the terrazzo structures were still there.
By Kris K Buettmann - Ezinearticles
Terrazzo is a much coveted material for flooring which cannot be afforded by all and sundry. It is expensive given its constituents and history. It is an extremely durable material that can last for eras. Terrazzo was used during the Roman Empire by the Romans to build their structures- buildings, amphitheatre, bath houses, villas, halls etc., the remains of which are still existent. The city of Pompeii that had been excavated from underneath the ground also displayed terrazzo's durability. Even after the volcano made the city go under the ground and it took hundreds of decades to strike upon the discovery, the terrazzo structures were still there.
Terrazzo is Portland cement with marble, onyx, granite and glass chips. It is quite expensive in today's time to be laid in our houses. But should we not wish for a feel of it too? For this reason there are inexpensive and affordable terrazzo floor tile available. Flooring with such tiles is quite simple a process.
The ingredients needed for terrazzo floor tile set up are:
Terrazzo floor tiles
Wet saw
Tile spacer
Grout sealer
Adhesive
Pencil
Tape measure
Invisible caulk
50- grit sand paper
Palm sander
The sequence of steps to be followed is given as follows:
Clear the area of all the furniture and tools. Except for the fixture that cannot be moved from their certain place everything from the room must be removed. Remove the sink also since its preferable to start from there.
To make the surface of the floor rough it should be sanded. The process of sanding is done by the hand sander preferably. This roughness helps the thin set to stick in a better to the countertop. Use a moist cloth to clean away the residue and then a dry one to wipe it off absolutely.
Clear the area of all the furniture and tools. Except for the fixture that cannot be moved from their certain place everything from the room must be removed. Remove the sink also since its preferable to start from there.
To make the surface of the floor rough it should be sanded. The process of sanding is done by the hand sander preferably. This roughness helps the thin set to stick in a better to the countertop. Use a moist cloth to clean away the residue and then a dry one to wipe it off absolutely.
Begin from the area of the sink and tile toward the countertop's back. The tiles should be measured and then cut in the desired sizes. Adhesive should be applied under the tile before laying them. Press the tile a little hard so that it sets properly on the surface. For the edges, in order to hide the cut tiles and to make them smooth, bull nose tiles should be set. The tiles should be left to stand overnight.
Tile spacer should be put between two tiles every time. This makes the grout. Now the grout sealer made with directions that come on the package should be of the consistency of peanut butter. This should be allowed to set in the grouts and the extra bit while putting it there should be wiped clean.
The sink you had removed while tiling should be replaced and the edges of it should be sealed by the invisible caulk so that water does not percolate under the tiles later. These terrazzo tiles are a good replacement for terrazzo marbles and its expensive counter-parts. The flooring may not be made of the original terrazzo but its meant to give an equivalent appearance.
Terrazzo Flooring