The representative of a local stone restoration company came out to do an estimate, and he gave me a demonstration of what to expect from their services. He asked me to show him the spot in the house where the floor is in the worst condition, so I pointed him in the direction of a group of 9 tiles near the back door that I thought were damaged and covered with 66 years' worth of wax (and who knows what else). He sprayed some Mar-Tek Pro-Strip on one tile, scrubbed it with a brush, and toweled the area dry. Here's what resulted.
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| Stripped terrazzo tile |
He was almost as surprised at the dramatic difference as I was. This tile was put down 66 years ago. Who knows how long it's been since this floor was stripped and honed? Maybe never.
His estimate: $2422. Naturally, we'll be getting other bids, but this is definitely on our Must Do list.
That will sure brighten your floor. The flooring looks more like the aggregate flooring that was in our high school. If it is, it is even better than tile since it is concrete with colored stones in it that gets ground and highly polished to produce a great floor with really high luster, and it is super strong and durable.
ReplyDeleteYes, Bill, that's exactly what it is. It is extremely durable. I just wish previous owners had known not to wax it!!!
DeleteIt's going to look lovely Dana! So bright and shiny!
ReplyDeleteWe had a terrazzo hearth in our last (Modernist) home and the old shop house has a terrazzo front verandah (it was "modernized" by Italian immigrants in the 50's)
Did you track down your painter?
Isn't it going to lighten up the whole house? Yay! Nope, not a word from the painter, but I have a line on someone else. If all fails, we'll do it ourselves. I'm no stranger to a paintbrush, but I've never managed to get the flawless finish on doors that we want for this house. That's why we keep hoping he'll resurface.
DeleteI love that it's almost a white terrazzo! You see a lot of terrazzo in older homes in Florida but I don't think I've ever seen white. :)
ReplyDeleteIn my wildest dreams, I never expected it to be white. Amazingly, it's almost exactly the shade of white that we chose for the walls, which will be perfect for a stark modern look.
DeleteHit the jackpot! The floor will out last all of us.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's held up surprisingly well with apparently little maintenance. Imagine how it will be if we take care of it properly.
DeleteDoes it cover the entire floor?
ReplyDeleteThe bedrooms and the formal living room are the original hardwood (oak). One bathroom has been updated (badly) and has very generic tile on the walls, floor, and walk-in shower. My daughter plans on completely redoing it as soon as possible. Terrazzo is in the hallway, the entryway, what was once a small dining room but is now our office, the kitchen, and the large dining area/family room. I'd say that 75% of the house is terrazzo.
DeleteWow! That's crazy that all that discoloration lifted away like that- that'll be a nice save!
ReplyDeleteI bet a good bit of the discoloration came from cigarette smoking in the house over the years. I'd rather not even think about what the rest of it is. :)
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