What is in situ Terrazzo?
If you are looking for a highly customisable flooring material that can offer your clients an elegant finish, but also a completely different look than usual stone and wood, in situ terrazzo could be a great option.
What is in situ terrazzo?
In situ terrazzo is the technique of pouring terrazzo on site rather than precasting it in a factory to create slabs and tiles. The terrazzo mix is prepared as usual with marble chips, pigments, and either cement or resin as a binder, and is then laid onto an area.
It’s a technique that enables large meterages to be laid efficiently, and reduces the needs for joints. The rule of thumb is to have joints in the terrazzo where the slab underneath has them. That way the risk of cracking is kept to a minimum.
Laying in situ terrazzo
The surface that will receive the terrazzo needs to be prepared and flat in order to reduce the risk of visual defects, and also that cracks appear down the line. Cement terrazzo is usually laid at +40mm, the thicker the better really, but note that cracks are likely to appear over time. As a result resin can also be used as a binder, as it doesn’t crack but is also much thinner at 12mm laid finish.
Apart from thickness the other main difference between cement and resin in situ is the drying time. Cement will take over 20 days to be dry as resin dries in 24hrs.
To give an example, a 50sqm surface could be laid in 4–5 days in resin in one go, but would take over a couple weeks on and off with cement.
Despite this fact, cement is still often the preferred choice as it has a more natural and traditional finish. Resin has a texture that makes it look more artificial and plastic like. Sealants often do need to share part of the blame for this visual effect of resin.
Designing in situ terrazzo
The great thing about in situ terrazzo compared to regular tiles or slabs is that by nature it is always bespoke made. The mix is prepared on site just before being poured with the binder, pigments to get the background colour and the aggregates chosen.
Marble chunks and shapes can be incorporated into a floor as well. These are fixed to the floor prior to pouring the terrazzo mix. These marble pieces can either be random shapes broken with a hammer from slabs or precisely cut using a water jet or standard cutting machine.
Patterns and borders can also be created with marble chips to make mosaic like patterns or a completely different terrazzo mix altogether. Very precise pre-laying work is required to mark out the design sought and is then hand laid by craftsmen.
To recap some of the key facts of in situ terrazzo:
- Thickness: 12mm for resin, +40mm for cement
- Fewer joints as it is poured on-site
- A completely customisable product with background colour and aggregates
- Possibility to create complex patterns, borders, and designs
If interested by in-situ terrazzo for one of your project, don’t hesitate to contact us: studio@variostone.com
