Materials · 8 min read
Terrazzo Comeback: A Viennese Classic for Floors and Washbasins
You lift the corner of an old linoleum in the hallway, and underneath something shimmers. Grey-pink terrazzo with fine marble chips, a darker frieze along the edges, a few cracks and a broken corner, but astonishingly intact. Suddenly the question is not how to cover the floor but how to live with it. Imagine it ground and sealed, the chips glowing in the morning light, and a bathroom that picks up the same colours.
As an example, take Sophie and Jakob, an imagined couple in an Altbau apartment in Margareten (the pre-1945 Viennese apartment building). The discovery turns into an idea: what if the new bathroom also gets terrazzo, perhaps as a washbasin that picks up the old hallway?
Contents
What is terrazzo?
Terrazzo consists of two components: an aggregate, usually of marble, sometimes of granite, glass or other stones, and a binder that holds the chips together. After curing, the surface is ground until the chips are cut open and show their typical pattern. It is then finished, as desired, honed matt or polished.
The technique comes from Italy, and so does the name. Venetian craftsmen are said to have used offcuts from marble working for floors in this way. From there terrazzo spread across Europe. In Vienna you find it in countless stairwells, corridors and hallways, from the Gründerzeit building (the late-nineteenth-century townhouse) to post-war housing.
A terrazzo floor from 1910 can still bear weight and shine today, and with a fresh grind look as though it had just been poured.
There are several reasons why terrazzo is now returning. It is long-lasting at a time when sustainability counts again. It is versatile in colour and grain. And it has a warmth and craft quality that smooth large formats do not. More on why long-lasting materials are the more sustainable ones can be found under sustainable means long-lasting.
What doing nothing costs. An old terrazzo under linoleum, carpet or a floating floor is easily forgotten, or removed because nobody knows what to do with it. A floor that has carried a house for a century may be thrown away for nothing. Looking first is cheap. But which kind of terrazzo are we talking about?
Three kinds of terrazzo
Anyone talking about terrazzo today means one of three constructions. They differ in build-up, weight, look and field of use.
In-situ terrazzo
Classic terrazzo is placed on site. A cement-bound mixture with aggregate goes onto a substrate and, after curing, is ground in several passes. The result is a low-joint, very robust surface. Because cement shrinks and the floor moves, in-situ terrazzo needs bay dividers, traditionally often brass or other metal strips, which become a design element.
Terrazzo tiles
Prefabricated tiles are made in a workshop and laid on site like ceramic tiles or natural stone slabs. They are more consistent in quality, quicker to lay and available in many formats. The joints are visible, but can be narrow and colour-matched. Washbasin tops and shelves are also often made from such tile material.
Resin-bound terrazzo
Here a synthetic resin replaces cement as the binder. These systems need a considerably lower build-up height, are lighter and allow stronger colours. They are less porous than cement-bound terrazzo. Depending on the resin system, however, they can be more sensitive to scratches or to UV light. Which properties a specific system has we clarify with the specialist contractor.
| Feature | In-situ terrazzo (cement) | Terrazzo tiles | Resin-bound terrazzo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joints | few, bay dividers | visible tile joints | largely jointless |
| Build-up height | high | medium | low |
| Weight | high | medium to high | low |
| Acid sensitivity | high with marble aggregate | high with marble aggregate | lower |
| Restoration | very good by grinding | good | limited, depending on system |
| Typical use | floors, stairwells, large areas | floors, bathrooms, washbasins | living spaces, commercial areas |
Terrazzo in the Viennese Altbau
Two situations are typical in an Altbau: either there is already an old terrazzo floor, as with Sophie and Jakob, or a new one is to be installed.
Saving the old floor
An existing terrazzo is often a treasure. Cracks can be closed with suitably tinted material and chipped areas filled. The floor is then reground and, as desired, polished and sealed. Repairs are rarely completely invisible, but they usually blend in well, because terrazzo has a lively look anyway. The effort is often less than for a new surfacing, and the result is a piece of the building's history. And if you start from scratch?
Installing a new floor
New in-situ terrazzo brings weight and build-up height. In Altbau buildings with timber-beam ceilings it must therefore be checked whether the ceiling can carry the additional load. We clarify this with a structural engineer before the decision is made. Height is also an issue, because it has to meet door thresholds and adjoining floors. Resin-bound systems or thin tiles are often the simpler solution here.
If you want to work with one continuous material throughout the house, you will find pointers in the article one floor for all rooms. How terrazzo fares against parquet, natural stone and ceramic is covered under flooring compared. For the fundamentals of renovating a Gründerzeit building, see renovating an Altbau apartment in Vienna. The bathroom, though, has its own rules.
Terrazzo in the bathroom: floor, wall and washbasin
In the bathroom terrazzo can play a special role, because it looks warm, is robust and goes very well with wood and brass. There are, however, a few points worth knowing beforehand.
Slip resistance
Polished terrazzo is smooth, and when wet it becomes slippery. In the bathroom we therefore recommend a honed matt surface or a treatment that improves slip resistance. In the shower area we check especially carefully whether terrazzo is suitable or whether another surfacing makes more sense there.
Waterproofing
Terrazzo itself is not waterproofing. As with tiles and natural stone, the substrate in a wet area needs professional waterproofing in accordance with the applicable rules. This is applied before the terrazzo and coordinated with the surfacing. How a bathroom comes about step by step is described in our guide to bathroom renovation in Vienna.
The terrazzo washbasin
For many people a terrazzo washbasin is the loveliest use. It can be made from tile material, with a countertop or inset basin, or as a cast piece with an integrated basin. The cast version is more laborious and needs an experienced maker, but yields a seamless, sculptural form.
For Sophie and Jakob, a washbasin is made from terrazzo slabs in a warm grey with pink chips, echoing the hallway. Beneath it sits a vanity unit in oiled oak, with fittings in brushed brass. How to plan washbasin, storage and height correctly is described in the article made-to-measure washbasin. Examples of bathrooms with warm materials are shown on our Bathrooms page. Imagine stepping up to it on a quiet morning: cool stone under your fingertips, warm oak below, brass catching the first light. Our own joinery Tischlerkultur, a Viennese tradition since 1935, builds the vanity unit in oiled oak to measure.
The bathroom picks up the hallway without copying it. Anyone entering the apartment feels the connection without being able to name it.
How do you keep such a surface beautiful?
Care: what terrazzo needs and what it cannot tolerate
The most important rule for cement-bound terrazzo with marble aggregate is: acid is the enemy. Marble is a calcareous stone and reacts to acids. Lemon juice, vinegar, wine and limescale-dissolving bathroom cleaners can leave dull stains that can only be removed by regrinding.
These points have proved their worth in care:
- Use pH-neutral cleaners: no vinegar or citrus cleaners, no limescale removers on the surface.
- Seal it: A suitable sealer reduces the penetration of liquids. Depending on use, it has to be renewed at intervals.
- Remove stains quickly: With oil, red wine and cosmetics especially, wiping up fast is worthwhile.
- Prevent limescale: In the bathroom, wipe dry briefly after use rather than later working with limescale remover.
- Have it restored: After many years a specialist firm can regrind and repolish the surface.
Anyone familiar with natural stone in the bathroom will recognise many of these rules. More on this is in the article natural stone in the bathroom: care and myths.
Terrazzo, micro-cement or large format?
Those interested in terrazzo often compare it with other low-joint surfaces. Each has its own character.
- Terrazzo looks lively, crafted and warm. It is robust and restorable, but heavy and acid-sensitive if it is cement-bound and contains marble.
- Micro-cement is a thin, trowelled layer with a cloudy, calm look. It needs little build-up height but depends heavily on the application. More on this under jointless: micro-cement and its limits.
- Large-format ceramic is easy to care for and dense, and the joints become rare thanks to the large formats. It is also available in a terrazzo look that comes close to the original visually, but does not have the same depth. More on this under large-format ceramic in the bathroom.
Which choice is right depends on the room, the substrate, the use and the overall picture. In the bathroom we often combine: terrazzo at the washbasin, ceramic in the shower. And how does terrazzo sit with the other materials?
Terrazzo in the materials concept
Terrazzo is a material with a presence of its own. It needs partners that leave it room: calm timber surfaces, muted wall colours, metals such as brass or stainless steel. Too many patterned surfaces side by side make the room restless.
The colour of the binder and the grain determine the effect. Fine grain in a light binder looks restrained; coarse chips in a high-contrast binder look bold and playful. We always select patterns in the light of the room and next to the other materials, never alone in a showroom. How materials are coordinated is described in the article the materials concept. At Richard Atelier every material starts from one question: how do you want to live?
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is terrazzo?
Terrazzo is a surfacing of stone chips, usually marble, in a binder of cement or synthetic resin. After curing it is ground and finished matt or polished. It is applied as in-situ terrazzo on site, as a prefabricated tile or as a resin-bound system.
Is terrazzo suitable for the bathroom?
Yes, with a few conditions. The substrate needs professional waterproofing, the surface should be slip-resistant in the wet area, and acidic cleaners should be avoided. It is especially well suited to washbasins and floors outside the shower.
Can an old terrazzo floor be restored?
In many cases yes. Cracks and chipped areas can be filled with suitably tinted material, after which the floor is reground, polished and sealed. Small traces of the repair usually remain visible but blend well into the lively pattern.
How do you care for terrazzo correctly?
With pH-neutral cleaners, without vinegar, citrus or limescale remover. A sealer protects against penetrating liquids and should be renewed as needed. Stains are best removed immediately.
Is terrazzo suitable for underfloor heating?
In principle yes, because terrazzo conducts and stores heat well. A coordinated planning of movement joints, build-up and heating-up with the specialist contractor is important. For resin-bound systems the specifications of the respective manufacturer apply.
Is a terrazzo floor too heavy for an Altbau?
Cement-bound in-situ terrazzo brings considerable weight and build-up height. With timber-beam ceilings a structural engineer should check the load capacity. Thin tiles or resin-bound systems are lighter and often the simpler alternative.
