Terrazzo (terrazo)
This is the technical, international name. Architects and designers use it for any polished floor with visible aggregate, whether cement-based or epoxy.
Poured terrazzo, terrazzo tile and restoration
Terrazzo and polished granito floors in Medellín
At Pisos Pro Medellín we build terrazzo floors, a material almost everyone in Antioquia calls granito, either poured in place or as tile for homes, shops and lobbies. We are flooring specialists with more than 15 years of work in the Aburrá Valley.
We work with architects and owners who want a seamless floor with a custom design, businesses that need a surface able to take decades of traffic, and families hoping to bring back the original granito in an older house.
Across more than 900 jobs we have seen 50-year-old granito shine again and brand-new terrazzo ruined by rushed grinding. We tell you plainly which system suits you and back it with a 1-year labor warranty.
- Brass or aluminum divider strips
- Cement or epoxy matrix
- Old granito restoration
- 1-year warranty
Terrazzo in Medellín: poured-in-place and tile installation
Terrazzo is a blend of marble, granite or glass chips set in a cement or epoxy resin matrix. It is poured, left to cure, ground with diamond discs until the aggregate shows, and polished to the sheen you choose.
We install it poured in place, as a continuous surface divided by metal strips, or as precast tiles set like any other tile. The service covers base preparation, divider strips, pouring or setting, grinding, grouting the pores, polishing and sealing.
If you want a more understated seamless floor without decorative aggregate, compare it with polished concrete.
Terrazzo, granito and granito lavado: what the names mean in Colombia
Granito or granito pulido
This is what Colombians call the polished terrazzo found in houses and buildings from the 1950s to the 1980s. It is not natural block granite; that rock is part of our natural stone and marble flooring service.
Granito lavado (washed terrazzo)
This is the rough outdoor version: the mix is washed with water before it hardens to leave the stone exposed. It goes on patios, ramps, sidewalks and exterior stairs because it is not slippery.
Poured-in-place terrazzo vs. terrazzo tile
| Aspect | Poured in place | Terrazzo tile |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | COP $180,000 to $350,000 per m² installed | Lower; depends on the tile product |
| Time for about 60 m² | 2 to 3 weeks including curing and polishing | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Design freedom | Open: curves, logos and color changes | Limited to catalog sizes and colors |
| Joints | Metal strips dividing the floor into panels | Grout joint between tiles |
| Finish | Seamless, polished on site | Factory polished; reground on site to remove lippage |
Cement terrazzo vs. epoxy terrazzo
Both are diamond polished and both accept metal divider strips. The choice depends on how much weight the slab can carry, how much sun the floor gets and the design you have in mind.
Cement terrazzo
- 1.5 to 2 cm layer over a mortar bed
- Heavier: on renovations the slab gets checked first
- Mineral pigments, a more muted color range
- More porous, needs periodic sealing
- Suitable outdoors and for granito lavado
- Low to middle of the price range
Epoxy terrazzo
- 6 to 10 mm thick, much lighter
- Ideal over existing slabs without overloading them
- Vivid colors and glass or mother-of-pearl aggregate
- Barely absorbs stains
- Not recommended in direct sun: the resin yellows
- Upper end of the price range
Metal divider strips and inlaid designs
Brass or aluminum strips are anchored to the base before the pour and split the floor into panels. They control shrinkage as the cement dries, so any crack forms at the strip, where nobody sees it, instead of mid-panel.
In cement terrazzo we keep panels to 1.5 or 2 meters per side, and over the building's structural joints we install a double strip or a flexible joint. In a city with frequent tremors, as our guide to earthquakes and floors explains, that detail decides whether the floor cracks.
The same strips make patterns possible: medallions, a brand logo at a shop entrance, contrasting bands or a border framing a lobby. Brass turns golden when polished, while aluminum stays silver and costs less.
Restoring the original granito in older houses
Many houses in Laureles, Belén and La América still have polished granito from 40 to 60 years ago under layers of wax, stains or ceramic tile glued on top. In most cases it can be brought back and ends up better than any new floor at the same price.
The job involves coarse diamond grinding to remove lippage and wear, filling pores and cracks with a color-matched paste, progressive polishing and a final crystallization or seal. Where a piece is missing, because a wall came down or a pipe was run, we fill it with a mix matched in aggregate and color.
We are upfront about the result: a new patch never matches 50-year-old granito exactly, because the original has already shifted in tone. We get it close with color samples tested before the pour.
Terrazzo cost per m²
The system, the design's complexity and the length of divider strip drive the price. A single-color floor with square panels sits at the low end; an epoxy floor with brass inlays sits at the high end.
Brass strips, patterns and color changes are added by linear meter and complexity, and everything is delivered in writing after the visit.
| Work | Reference range |
|---|---|
| Poured-in-place terrazzo, complete system | COP $180,000 to $350,000 per m² |
| Polishing and crystallizing existing granito | COP $25,000 to $45,000 per m² |
| Removing ceramic tile glued over old granito | COP $12,000 to $25,000 per m² |
| Installed terrazzo tile | Depends on the product, quoted at the visit |
| Filling missing areas with a matched mix | Depends on area and color, quoted at the visit |
How a terrazzo floor is made
- 1
Base and divider strips
We inspect the slab, level it with mortar and anchor the strips with beads of mortar at the finished floor height.
- 2
Pour
We mix white or gray cement, pigment and aggregate in fixed proportions, pour panel by panel and compact with a roller and trowel to bring the stone to the surface.
- 3
Curing
Cement terrazzo is kept damp and covered for 5 to 7 days before grinding. Epoxy terrazzo is ground after 24 to 48 hours.
- 4
Grinding
With a planetary grinder and coarse diamond discs we open the surface until the aggregate shows evenly. We work wet and vacuum the slurry to protect the rest of the home.
- 5
Filling pores
We fill pinholes and air pockets with paste in the same color and let it harden before moving on.
- 6
Progressive polishing
We step up through finer grits in several passes until we reach the agreed finish: matte, satin or mirror.
- 7
Sealing
We apply a penetrating sealer or crystallizer and hand over the floor with maintenance instructions.
Terrazzo FAQs
How long does poured terrazzo need to cure before polishing?
Cement terrazzo needs 5 to 7 days of moist curing before the first grind and reaches full strength at around 28 days. Grind it sooner and the stone tears out of the matrix, leaving craters.
Epoxy terrazzo is ground 24 to 48 hours after the pour, depending on temperature and the resin's data sheet.
Does terrazzo crack in earthquakes?
Terrazzo properly divided by metal strips absorbs a building's normal movement, and if a crack appears it usually hides along a strip. Cracks that run across panels almost always come from oversized panels or an ignored structural joint.
A hairline crack can be filled and polished without replacing the floor.
Can old granito be made to shine again?
Yes, in most cases. If the granito is thick enough and still bonded to its base, grinding, filling and polishing give it an even shine in 2 to 4 days for a 40 to 60 m² area.
Deep rust stains and structural cracks fade but do not disappear completely, and we tell you so before we start.
Get a quote for your terrazzo floor
Tell us whether you want new terrazzo or to restore existing granito, and we will schedule a free visit. We run color samples when the project calls for it and send the quote in writing.
Both installation and restoration carry a 1-year labor warranty, with clear terms on what is and is not covered.
Pisos Pro Medellín
Tv. 6 #45-115, El Poblado, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
Monday to Saturday: 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Sunday: 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.