“I am sure we are biased,
but it is the best looking terrazzo we have ever seen” — Mike
From the day they closed on their ‘House of Good Taste‘, Mike and Lindsey dreamed of restoring the home’s original terrazzo flooring. For a job of this magnitude, the couple called in the professionals — and now after much hard work — they have brought their terrazzo back to gorgeous life.
Before being carpeted — a job that left the floor covered with divots from tack strips and carpet glue — the terrazzo also had been used as a paint ‘drop cloth’, making it desperately in need of refinishing and repair.
Mike writes:
Demo: Check!
Electrical: Check!
Walls and ceilings: Check!
Secondary floors: Check!Now onto what we have been waiting months for: To bring the original terrazzo floors back to life.
This is something we have anxiously waited for since the day we bought the house and rushed straight over pull the carpet back. We did a lot of research, reading, and talking about how to tackle the job. Initially we could not find a company that specialized in terrazzo that we felt comfortable with and was reasonably priced. At one point we had decided to just do a hard core DIY clean job and then later look at getting them professionally refinished.
But once we dealt with Greg at Pro Surface Solutions on the polished concrete we got a better understanding of what it takes to do these jobs right and felt we could trust them with the terrazzo as well. We also liked that one company would be handling the floors in the entire house. We knew the terrazzo was structurally sound, but it was just so yellowed and covered in carpet glue that we were not completely sold that it could ever look like new again.
The process to bring them back to life that Greg laid out for us is as below. We are going with a final finish more on the matte side instead of high gloss. We will bring both the concrete and terrazzo to about a 800 grit and see how that looks.
Sanding the terrazzo floors
NOTE: There were a number of steps in the entire process, Mike told me. Readers, get with your own professionals to determine your course of action.
Precautionary Pam reminds: Remember, readers, that vintage nastiness may be found in the layers of old houses. Be sure to consult with a properly licensed professional to determine what you are working with so that you can make informed decisions about how to handle any potential environmental and safety issues. More info and links on our Be Safe / Renovate Safe page.
Our fears of being able to bring the terrazzo back to life were put to rest after just the first couple of diamond grind passes, they looked absolutely amazing. The bright white base with the different shades of green are just stunning, I am sure we are biased, but it is the best looking terrazzo we have ever seen. Going to see the progress on them each day is about the closest thing an adult can get to being a kid on Christmas day.
Handling the nail holes in the terrazzo floor
We do also have the issue of the divots left behind by the carpet tacks around the entire perimeter. We were given two choices in dealing with those. 1) They could fill them in with a white epoxy that matches (as best they can) the base color of the terrazzo and then they would paint on speckles to mimic the aggregate. This would not cost anything extra and would just be part of the overall refinishing job, but it won’t look perfect. 2) We could have a outside company make us an exact match to our terrazzo and then fill in those divots with new material. This option was presented to us as between $500-$1,000 to just get the match done and then extra for the install.
We went with the 1st option, and no, it is not perfect, but we are ok with it, and in the grand scheme of things you really don’t notice at all.
The only disappointment in the whole process was that as soon as they were finished they had to be completely covered for the next stages of construction. We literally won’t see them again until the very end, when everything else is done. Just like with the polished concrete, they will come back and do a final polish pass right before we move in.
In some ways it feels like things are flying by so fast, and in other ways it feels like we are moving at a snail’s pace. We are roughly half way done in terms of time line and are already about 4 weeks behind. Looks like we will have to ask the buyers of our current house to push back the closing date by a month.
Next up is the build out by the carpenters…. and oh boy do we have a few things planned 🙂
WOW — those refinished terrazzo floors are spectacular. Mike and Lindsey, we are so glad that the refinishing process was so successful, as we know you will enjoy these floors for many, many years to come. The newly refinished terrazzo looks great with the polished concrete. We can hardly wait to see how the whole house comes together. Mega thanks for sharing this whole process so far with all of us retrophiles.
MCMDesignAddict says
Fantastic! I am a huge terrazzo advocate but most people don’t even know what I am talking about. Unfortunately due to severe structural, foundation and plumbing issues, I had to replace the vintage terrazzo in my house. After considerable searching I was able to find a company – Over the Top Terrazzo – to install new terrazzo in the high-traffic areas of my house. They did a phenomanal job! I’m biased too, and not sure how to upload pics here, but it is the same terrazzo that was recently installed at Frank Sanatra’s Twin Palms home. Kudos on your dedication to mid-century restoration!
Laurie Louise says
Beautiful! Thanks for letting us live vicariously through your restoration process!
Lady Zen says
Those floors are stunning!!
Jay says
That terrazzo is looking better all the time – green flecks heh? I hope some green creeps into the decor. The subtle finishes of the terrazzo and concrete floors and the stone walls (note, I did not use the word neutral) will allow you to play up color in the furnishings. Waiting to see the posts on the kitchen and baths.
Mike and Lindsey says
There might be a chance that there is some vintage Danish Modern furniture getting reupholstered in lime green….
Mary Elizabeth says
So nice, these floors! What great job that crew did! First, seeing the floor done makes us want to see the furniture installed. Can’t wait! Second, if you cannot get the buyers of your old house to delay the closing, there are options you can explore. One is to reorganize the order in which things are done (such as make sure there is at least one working bath and one finished room where you can sleep in the new house, then move in during reno). Another option is renting a small apartment for a few months and putting all your furniture and stuff in storage. Neither is ideal, but you have proved yourselves to be very resourceful people, and I’m sure you will work things out.
Anastasia says
Oh WOW but this old gal is looking gorgeous!
Jeanne says
Gorgeous! …and *jealous* 🙂
Cynthia says
Beautiful job, beautiful terrazzo, and the new concrete looks great next to the terrazzo. The workers were very skilled who accomplished both of those projects! Owners made a terrific choice and should be proud of their decision to restore. What a fantastic house. Not sure about the white patches, what are those?
pam kueber says
Cynthia, if you read the story closely, Mike explains the white patches — divots filled in, then faux painted to match…
Mike and Lindsey says
Correct Pam, but one pic that we forgot to include was what the patches looked like finished. The picture in the story only shows them filled and the terrazzo had not yet been fully polished yet so the filled area looks much whiter than the terrazzo base
One it was all said and done, they are not too noticeable unless you look for them. Some of the patch areas are better than others, but overall it works for us
Cynthia says
O I see now. The faux painting camouflages the patches! In the picture of the fully restored floor, no white spots are noticeable. Great solution. The terrazzo also looks beautiful against the masonry walls.
Nancy B says
Beautiful!
JeffK says
Mike & Lindsey – It’s so great to see that you are true enthusiasts restoring this home. I’m looking forward to more!
cellen says
Magnificent!