how much thicker should I have a floor slab poured if I want to have a terrazo ground finish on it???
Thanks
mdler
garpike
Nov 4, 05 7:14 pm
I recently spoke with the owner of Hermosa Terrazzo, and he directed me to his details page.
Note: He mentioned that he preferred applying terrazzo to a plywood. Not sure if that helps your situation.
garpike
Nov 4, 05 7:15 pm
Not "a plywood" just plywood.
mdler
Nov 4, 05 7:21 pm
I was looking more for info on a terrazzo ground finish on a poured concrete slab, but these details are helpful for regular terrazzo
garpike
Nov 4, 05 7:49 pm
Ground? As in past tense of grind? Or ground like the noun? I am lost.
bLAyer
Nov 5, 05 4:59 am
ground as in floor,earth I suppose
jh
Nov 6, 05 3:25 am
you aren't going to have to grind very much to get to the aggregate. 1/16" would be too much if you are looking for a terrazzo look. i would not use regular concrete to get that look. 3/4" aggregate is going to be too big. 3/8" aggregate would be perferable and possibly think about putting in smaller. smaller aggregate = less grinding. i would consider just using actual terrazzo (resin or cement based) unless you are trying to get this look on an existing slab.
aseid
Nov 7, 05 9:55 am
something im working on currently
Concrete; Polished & Ground
• Concrete is over cast by 3/16â€
• Aggregate to be ¾†Haverstraw Traprock
o http://www.nssga.org/
• Matrix to be Long Island sand
Concrete Hardener
Material: Seal Hard
Manufacturer: L & M Construction Chemicals
Contact: Gary Nylen
Nylen Network LLC
42 Robinson Rd.
Bow, NH 03304
(603) 224-0952
Mobile: (603) 496-5239 http://www.lmcc.com/products
• Will increase the wear surface of concrete floors subjected to pedestrian and vehicle traffic
• Apply sealer pre-cure & pre-grind
• see attached literature
Material: Euco Diamond Hard
Manufacturer: The Euclid Chemical Company
19218 Redwood Road
Cleveland, OH 44110
(800)-321-7628 http://www.euclidchemical.com
Distributor: Allied Building Products
245 42nd Street
Brooklyn, NY 11232
(718)-788-6682
Concrete Water & Oil Repellant
Material: Prosoco Stand Off SLX 100 Water & Oil Repellent
Manufacturer: Prosoco, Inc.
3741 Greenway Circle
Lawrence, KS 66046
(800)-255-4255 http://www.prosoco.com/
• To be applied post-cure / post-grind
• See attached literature
David Cuthbert
Nov 7, 05 11:31 am
Well it depends are you looking to do terrazzo tiles/slabs or insitu terrazzo?
If you are looking to do either it would be best not to have a screed finish - chances of it seperating on cast. The concrete slab for the tiles will need to be cast to falls (unless of course you are using it indoors)...the slabs can be applied via thinset or cemet with binder. Some of the thicker tiles - sizes over an inch and a quarter (1-1/4") can be further cut & polished to the fall but only over smaller distances.
If its insitu you can apply the fall to that...as long as the angle is set before the cutting of the terrazzo chips. This is important to mention in the detailing - contractors will like to skip this step as it can be time consuming.
hope this helps. My recommendations on terrazzo would be anything from cuba, jamaica, or brazil - if you can get your hands on any.
aseid
Nov 7, 05 12:28 pm
mdler is talking about a polished ground concrete, not terrazzo
terrazzo finish is a generic term used to refer to a finish that is highly polished with
here is another spec for "ground" concrete
GUIDE SPECIFICATION
FOR
TERRAZZO STYLE GROUND CONCRETE FINISH
REVISED MAY 2003
SECTION 33__ GROUND CONCRETE FINISH
PART 1 – GENERAL
1.1 RELATED DOCUMENTS
A. Drawings and general provisions of Contract, including General and Supplementary
Conditions and Division 1 Specification Sections, apply to this Section.
1.2 SUMMARY
A. This Section includes mechanically processed concrete finish applied to cast-in
place concrete surfaces as follows:
1. Ground (TERRAZZO STYLE) Concrete Floor Finish.
1.3 SUBMITTALS
A. Submit each item in this article according to the conditions of the Contract and
Division 1 Specification Sections.
B. Submit ___ samples of concrete with ground finish. (General Contractor to provide
2’x2’ cured samples for grinding and finishing by Advance Terrazzo).
1.4 QUALITY ASSURANCE
A. Mockups: Prior to applying special concrete finishes, construct mockup for each
finish required to verify selections made under the sample submittals and to
demonstrate aesthetic effects. Build mockups to comply with the following
requirements, using materials for final unit of the work.
B. Locate mockups on-site in the location and size indicated or, if not indicated, as
directed by the Architect. Provide an area of 4’x4’ min. in a typical floor condition to
be used as a control sample.
C. Installer Qualifications: Engage an experienced terrazzo grinder and finisher who
has completed special concrete finish work similar in material, design and extent
to that indicated for this project and with a documented record of successful
in-service performance.
PART 2 – PRODUCTS
2.1 FINISHES
A. Finishes by Advance Terrazzo or approved equal.
2.2 MATERIALS
A. Use materials indicated in Section 03300, Cast-In-Place Concrete, except as modified
GROUND CONCRETE FINISH 2
in this section.
B. Normal Weight Aggregate: ASTM C33.0, (suggest Size 57, or specify nominal
aggregate sizes: 1â€-, _â€-, _â€-).
C. Concrete Mix Design: Conform with Specification requirements.
D. Integral matrix color: Bayferrox or approved equal (insert number of pounds of color
powder per 94 lb. sack if integral color concrete is required).
2.3 CONCRETE SEALER
A. Concrete Sealer for Polished Concrete interior locations. A clear, highly penetrating
solvent based acrylic sealer to form a tack free barrier against stains from oils,
greases, water, acids, and chemical discoloration. Sealer shall intensify color of
ground aggregates, shall not discolor or amber.
B. Manufacturers: Subject to compliance with requirements, products that may be
incorporated in the work include, but are not limited to the following:
1. Penetrating Sealer: Key Acrylic Sealer by Key Resin Company (or equal).
PART 3 – EXECUTION
3.1 POLISHED CONCRETE
A. General: Decorative ground concrete is produced by grinding and finishing
trowel finished cured concrete in a manner similar to that for terrazzo.
B. Do not consolidate concrete with the use of vibrating or tamping. Allow
concrete to cure minimum 28 days.
C. Preparation: Clean concrete of loose foreign matter.
1. Cleaner: Chemically neutral, liquid cleaner, with Ph factor between 7 and 10,
biodegradable and phosphate free that will not stain or otherwise effect color
of concrete.
2. Remove “fuzzing†of glass fiber reinforced concrete with torch prior to grinding.
(Optional).
D. Saw cut control joints and accent lines as indicated, (by General Contractor).
E. Clean dust and debris from saw cut joints and fill with _†(nom) silica sand bed and
approved epoxy joint filler colored to match (or contrast) with concrete color.
(OPTIONAL)
F. Finishing:
1. Rough Grinding: Grind with 26 grit diamond plugs to remove surface fines
and expose aggregate. Maintain specified concrete flatness.
2. Following initial grind with two additional grinds using 80 grit diamonds and
80 grit stones (max depth of grind = 1/8â€).
3. Wash floor with clean water and rinse. Remove excess rinse water to prevent staining and allow to dry..
GROUND CONCRETE FINISH 3 4. Steel trowel Portland Cement grout onto surface to fill all voids, cement
grout to match color of concrete, allow to cure overnight.
5. Fine Grinding: Grind with 80 grit (or finer) stones to remove grout and 120
grit diamonds until polished terrazzo-like surface is achieved. Concrete
shall show a minimum of 60 percent aggregate.
6. Wash all surfaces with neutral cleaner with Ph factor between 7 and 10,
biodegradable and phosphate free.
7. Rinse with clear water and allow surface to dry thoroughly.
8. Seal surface with two coats of approved solvent based acrylic penetrating
sealer.
3.2 CLEANING, FINISHING, AND PROTECTING
A. Clean ground concrete after initial sealing operations are complete, complying with
sealer manufacturer’s instructions.
B. Apply hard surface seal and liquid floor finish to cleaned ground concrete surfaces
to comply with manufacturer’s instructions.
1. Apply two coats SC Johnson FORTIFY hard surface seal (or approved
equal).
2. Apply two coats SC Johnson VECTRA liquid floor finish (or approved equal).
C. Protection:
1. Upon completion, the work shall be ready for final inspection and acceptance
by the Owner.
2. The General Contractor shall protect the finished floor from damage and
wear from the time that the concrete grinder completes the work.
4.1 FINAL CLEANING (OPTIONAL)
A. Clean ground concrete finished areas as recommended by the manufacturer of the
sealer and finisher. Machine buff terrazzo floor as required when building is ready
for occupancy.
artechstone1
Feb 26, 16 1:21 am
Epoxy terrazzo floors are even more durable and can often be expected to outlast the life of the building in which they are installed.Terrazzo is a polished concrete surface with special aggregate of marble chips(or other decorative material) mixed with white or colored cement in proportion of 3:1(three marble chips : one cement).
The flooring may be laid in different thicknesses. 40mm thick flooring will consist of a 6-8 mm thick layer of terrazzo topping and 34-40 mm thick under layer of cement concrete 1:2:4.
Prior to laying flooring, the whole area is divided into suitable panels by use of dividing strip (made from copper, brass, aluminium or glass) , in order to reduce the risk of cracking, the area of a panel shall not exceed 2sq m.
I hope this is helpful for you... Thanks !!
Leandro Llorente
Feb 27, 16 4:49 am
50mm is a good assumption. Consult manufacturer and Main Contractor.
BulgarBlogger
Feb 27, 16 11:21 am
3/8 terrazzo, 1 inch +- epoxy substrate (if floor isn't level) with 1/4" per 10' slope max, 5/8" concrete topping for leveling of existing floor slab otherwise you can put the epoxy directly on top of the existing floor slab. Also use a crack membrane to isolate the terrazzo from the epoxy.
BulgarBlogger
Feb 27, 16 11:22 am
Forgot to mention- you need control joints at 30 feet o.c, max
how much thicker should I have a floor slab poured if I want to have a terrazo ground finish on it???
Thanks
mdler
I recently spoke with the owner of Hermosa Terrazzo, and he directed me to his details page.
Note: He mentioned that he preferred applying terrazzo to a plywood. Not sure if that helps your situation.
Not "a plywood" just plywood.
I was looking more for info on a terrazzo ground finish on a poured concrete slab, but these details are helpful for regular terrazzo
Ground? As in past tense of grind? Or ground like the noun? I am lost.
ground as in floor,earth I suppose
you aren't going to have to grind very much to get to the aggregate. 1/16" would be too much if you are looking for a terrazzo look. i would not use regular concrete to get that look. 3/4" aggregate is going to be too big. 3/8" aggregate would be perferable and possibly think about putting in smaller. smaller aggregate = less grinding. i would consider just using actual terrazzo (resin or cement based) unless you are trying to get this look on an existing slab.
something im working on currently
Concrete; Polished & Ground
• Concrete is over cast by 3/16â€
• Aggregate to be ¾†Haverstraw Traprock
o http://www.nssga.org/
• Matrix to be Long Island sand
Concrete Hardener
Material: Seal Hard
Manufacturer: L & M Construction Chemicals
Contact: Gary Nylen
Nylen Network LLC
42 Robinson Rd.
Bow, NH 03304
(603) 224-0952
Mobile: (603) 496-5239
http://www.lmcc.com/products
• Will increase the wear surface of concrete floors subjected to pedestrian and vehicle traffic
• Apply sealer pre-cure & pre-grind
• see attached literature
Material: Euco Diamond Hard
Manufacturer: The Euclid Chemical Company
19218 Redwood Road
Cleveland, OH 44110
(800)-321-7628
http://www.euclidchemical.com
Distributor: Allied Building Products
245 42nd Street
Brooklyn, NY 11232
(718)-788-6682
Concrete Water & Oil Repellant
Material: Prosoco Stand Off SLX 100 Water & Oil Repellent
Manufacturer: Prosoco, Inc.
3741 Greenway Circle
Lawrence, KS 66046
(800)-255-4255
http://www.prosoco.com/
• To be applied post-cure / post-grind
• See attached literature
Well it depends are you looking to do terrazzo tiles/slabs or insitu terrazzo?
If you are looking to do either it would be best not to have a screed finish - chances of it seperating on cast. The concrete slab for the tiles will need to be cast to falls (unless of course you are using it indoors)...the slabs can be applied via thinset or cemet with binder. Some of the thicker tiles - sizes over an inch and a quarter (1-1/4") can be further cut & polished to the fall but only over smaller distances.
If its insitu you can apply the fall to that...as long as the angle is set before the cutting of the terrazzo chips. This is important to mention in the detailing - contractors will like to skip this step as it can be time consuming.
hope this helps. My recommendations on terrazzo would be anything from cuba, jamaica, or brazil - if you can get your hands on any.
mdler is talking about a polished ground concrete, not terrazzo
terrazzo finish is a generic term used to refer to a finish that is highly polished with
here is another spec for "ground" concrete
GUIDE SPECIFICATION
FOR
TERRAZZO STYLE GROUND CONCRETE FINISH
REVISED MAY 2003
SECTION 33__ GROUND CONCRETE FINISH
PART 1 – GENERAL
1.1 RELATED DOCUMENTS
A. Drawings and general provisions of Contract, including General and Supplementary
Conditions and Division 1 Specification Sections, apply to this Section.
1.2 SUMMARY
A. This Section includes mechanically processed concrete finish applied to cast-in
place concrete surfaces as follows:
1. Ground (TERRAZZO STYLE) Concrete Floor Finish.
1.3 SUBMITTALS
A. Submit each item in this article according to the conditions of the Contract and
Division 1 Specification Sections.
B. Submit ___ samples of concrete with ground finish. (General Contractor to provide
2’x2’ cured samples for grinding and finishing by Advance Terrazzo).
1.4 QUALITY ASSURANCE
A. Mockups: Prior to applying special concrete finishes, construct mockup for each
finish required to verify selections made under the sample submittals and to
demonstrate aesthetic effects. Build mockups to comply with the following
requirements, using materials for final unit of the work.
B. Locate mockups on-site in the location and size indicated or, if not indicated, as
directed by the Architect. Provide an area of 4’x4’ min. in a typical floor condition to
be used as a control sample.
C. Installer Qualifications: Engage an experienced terrazzo grinder and finisher who
has completed special concrete finish work similar in material, design and extent
to that indicated for this project and with a documented record of successful
in-service performance.
PART 2 – PRODUCTS
2.1 FINISHES
A. Finishes by Advance Terrazzo or approved equal.
2.2 MATERIALS
A. Use materials indicated in Section 03300, Cast-In-Place Concrete, except as modified
GROUND CONCRETE FINISH 2
in this section.
B. Normal Weight Aggregate: ASTM C33.0, (suggest Size 57, or specify nominal
aggregate sizes: 1â€-, _â€-, _â€-).
C. Concrete Mix Design: Conform with Specification requirements.
D. Integral matrix color: Bayferrox or approved equal (insert number of pounds of color
powder per 94 lb. sack if integral color concrete is required).
2.3 CONCRETE SEALER
A. Concrete Sealer for Polished Concrete interior locations. A clear, highly penetrating
solvent based acrylic sealer to form a tack free barrier against stains from oils,
greases, water, acids, and chemical discoloration. Sealer shall intensify color of
ground aggregates, shall not discolor or amber.
B. Manufacturers: Subject to compliance with requirements, products that may be
incorporated in the work include, but are not limited to the following:
1. Penetrating Sealer: Key Acrylic Sealer by Key Resin Company (or equal).
PART 3 – EXECUTION
3.1 POLISHED CONCRETE
A. General: Decorative ground concrete is produced by grinding and finishing
trowel finished cured concrete in a manner similar to that for terrazzo.
B. Do not consolidate concrete with the use of vibrating or tamping. Allow
concrete to cure minimum 28 days.
C. Preparation: Clean concrete of loose foreign matter.
1. Cleaner: Chemically neutral, liquid cleaner, with Ph factor between 7 and 10,
biodegradable and phosphate free that will not stain or otherwise effect color
of concrete.
2. Remove “fuzzing†of glass fiber reinforced concrete with torch prior to grinding.
(Optional).
D. Saw cut control joints and accent lines as indicated, (by General Contractor).
E. Clean dust and debris from saw cut joints and fill with _†(nom) silica sand bed and
approved epoxy joint filler colored to match (or contrast) with concrete color.
(OPTIONAL)
F. Finishing:
1. Rough Grinding: Grind with 26 grit diamond plugs to remove surface fines
and expose aggregate. Maintain specified concrete flatness.
2. Following initial grind with two additional grinds using 80 grit diamonds and
80 grit stones (max depth of grind = 1/8â€).
3. Wash floor with clean water and rinse. Remove excess rinse water to prevent staining and allow to dry..
GROUND CONCRETE FINISH 3 4. Steel trowel Portland Cement grout onto surface to fill all voids, cement
grout to match color of concrete, allow to cure overnight.
5. Fine Grinding: Grind with 80 grit (or finer) stones to remove grout and 120
grit diamonds until polished terrazzo-like surface is achieved. Concrete
shall show a minimum of 60 percent aggregate.
6. Wash all surfaces with neutral cleaner with Ph factor between 7 and 10,
biodegradable and phosphate free.
7. Rinse with clear water and allow surface to dry thoroughly.
8. Seal surface with two coats of approved solvent based acrylic penetrating
sealer.
3.2 CLEANING, FINISHING, AND PROTECTING
A. Clean ground concrete after initial sealing operations are complete, complying with
sealer manufacturer’s instructions.
B. Apply hard surface seal and liquid floor finish to cleaned ground concrete surfaces
to comply with manufacturer’s instructions.
1. Apply two coats SC Johnson FORTIFY hard surface seal (or approved
equal).
2. Apply two coats SC Johnson VECTRA liquid floor finish (or approved equal).
C. Protection:
1. Upon completion, the work shall be ready for final inspection and acceptance
by the Owner.
2. The General Contractor shall protect the finished floor from damage and
wear from the time that the concrete grinder completes the work.
4.1 FINAL CLEANING (OPTIONAL)
A. Clean ground concrete finished areas as recommended by the manufacturer of the
sealer and finisher. Machine buff terrazzo floor as required when building is ready
for occupancy.
Epoxy terrazzo floors are even more durable and can often be expected to outlast the life of the building in which they are installed.Terrazzo is a polished concrete surface with special aggregate of marble chips(or other decorative material) mixed with white or colored cement in proportion of 3:1(three marble chips : one cement).
The flooring may be laid in different thicknesses. 40mm thick flooring will consist of a 6-8 mm thick layer of terrazzo topping and 34-40 mm thick under layer of cement concrete 1:2:4.
Prior to laying flooring, the whole area is divided into suitable panels by use of dividing strip (made from copper, brass, aluminium or glass) , in order to reduce the risk of cracking, the area of a panel shall not exceed 2sq m.
I hope this is helpful for you... Thanks !!
50mm is a good assumption. Consult manufacturer and Main Contractor.
3/8 terrazzo, 1 inch +- epoxy substrate (if floor isn't level) with 1/4" per 10' slope max, 5/8" concrete topping for leveling of existing floor slab otherwise you can put the epoxy directly on top of the existing floor slab. Also use a crack membrane to isolate the terrazzo from the epoxy.
Forgot to mention- you need control joints at 30 feet o.c, max