Posted on 3-10-2022 by Fieke
Good to know before ordering Terrazzo tiles
If you take a closer look at Terrazzo tiles, you may find various imperfections. A gravel chip may have come loose in the middle of the tile or the side may look a bit ragged. This may look like a production error but it is precisely not. It is inherent in a handmade Terrazzo tile and should be considered normal.
The structure of the tiles is as follows; The base is formed by white or coloured cement, the top layer is again this coloured cement but with an additional filling of colourful gravel, glass or marble chips. After the tiles are 'poured' into a mould (mould), the top layer is polished to what looks like a Terrazzo tile. During the process of polishing and when removing the mould, filler chips may come loose, also some cement may remain attached to the mould, making the edges look a bit ragged.
In the past, a Terrazzo floor was poured as a whole so there were virtually no seams visible, unevennesses were filled/masked with cement. Since we have Terrazzo tiles nowadays, the grout takes over this filling effect. Holes and unevennesses are filled and are then watertight, just as much as the ragged edges that become a nice tight fit due to a grout of only 2mm. In other words; after the tiles are grouted, the frayed edges will be almost imperceptible.
Tips: Preferably use a non-contrasting colour grout but one that is close to the basic colour of the tile, this will give you a nice even look. Use the least beautiful tiles as cut tiles or lay them along the edges where you plan to place a skirting. This will keep your waste to a minimum and your result optimal!
