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Answers / Methods

Does terrazzo stain?

Sealed, it resists most things quickly wiped up. It does not resist acid, and acid is not a stain — it dissolves the marble aggregate and the cement matrix and the repair is a full diamond grind. That is the whole answer in one sentence, and it is the reason the sealer and the cleaning chemistry are quoted together rather than separately.
Six terrazzo processes, drawn to one scaleEach column shows the layers of one terrazzo process. Precast and cement-bound are thick; epoxy is thin; porcelain is a fired body. Dimensions are published ranges, not our measured figures.substratePrecast20 mmsubstrateCement-based12 mmsubstrateEpoxy5 mmsubstratePoured10 mmsubstrateLiquid3 mmsubstratePorcelain9 mmSections drawn to one scale from published ranges. Our measured figures are listed separately.
The six processes drawn to one scale. Layer thicknesses are published ranges.
Reference photograph of a terrazzo surface, s82. Not a photograph of our goods.
A kitchen floor. Oil and cooking are the spills a kitchen actually gets.
Reference photograph of a terrazzo surface, s79. Not a photograph of our goods.
A bathroom. Acid cleaners are the habit that costs a floor its life.
Reference photograph of a terrazzo surface, s02. Not a photograph of our goods.
Commercial floor under traffic. A worn sealer here lets a spill in within minutes, not hours.
Reference photograph of a terrazzo surface, s77. Not a photograph of our goods.
A resin-bound floor. Non-porous binder, better stain resistance, and still etches at the chips.

Reference photographs. They show the material and the finish; they are not photographs of goods we made, and the colour on screen is not a colour-match.

The figures, and where each one comes from

Item What the trade publishes Source
Acid cleaners on cement terrazzo below pH 6 etches irreversibly Opora Supply field guide
Acid cleaners on cement terrazzo removal cost 4 to 8 dollars per sq ft Opora Supply field guide
Routine polish, neutral chemistry 1.50 to 2.50 dollars per sq ft Opora Supply field guide
Daily cleaner pH 5 on marble chips visible etching within months Opora Supply field guide
Restoration interval, correct pH 7-9 15 to 20 years Opora Supply field guide
Restoration interval, routine acid use 7 years Opora Supply field guide
Cleaner pH, the whole range strictly 7 to 9, no acid Opora Supply field guide
Sealer re-application, cementitious annually in food service and lobbies Opora Supply field guide
Sealer re-application, epoxy every 2 to 3 years Opora Supply field guide
Sealer test drip water, wait; if it darkens the sealer has worn through Otesse cleaning guide
Coffee, tea, soda low to moderate; wipe promptly ABD Stone guide
Red wine moderate; a good seal prevents absorption but wipe it ABD Stone guide
Cooking oil and grease moderate; dark stain if a seal is damaged ABD Stone guide
Acids: vinegar, lemon, toilet cleaner high — etching, not staining ABD Stone guide
Ink, hair dye, permanent marker high; effectively permanent ABD Stone guide
Rust from wet metal legs high; very difficult to remove ABD Stone guide
Bleach can dull the binder; never with acid or ammonia Otesse cleaning guide
Oil-based soap and wax builds a film that yellows and hides the material Otesse cleaning guide
Cement matrix chemistry alkaline, acid-reactive Stone Polishing Solutions
Epoxy matrix chemistry chemically tougher; yellows under UV Stone Polishing Solutions
Epoxy matrix stain resistance non-porous; lower stain risk, still etches at the chips Otesse cleaning guide
Acid thresholds in Indian code level anti-slip thresholds under about 12 mm Studio Matrx, citing NBC 2016

Why the processes are not interchangeable

Terrazzo is two materials at once: chips that are usually marble, and a binder that is either cement or epoxy. Both are calcium-carbonate chemistry or alkaline, and acid attacks both. A resin binder survives much better than cement, but the chips are still stone and they still etch. So "which terrazzo do I have" changes how bad it is, never whether it can happen.

What these figures are, and what they are not

Every figure below is published by the trade, not measured by us. We have not stained a panel and we hold no test report. What we do is specify the binder, the finish and the sealer in writing and tell you what the cleaning regime has to be for that specification to hold.

Measured data sheets and test reports

If you are specifying this

We have not published products against this question yet. Send us the process, thickness and quantity and we will quote it against what we can actually form, rather than against a catalogue.

Send a specification Ask for a sample

Sealed, it resists most things quickly wiped up. It does not resist acid, and acid is not a stain — it dissolves the marble aggregate and the cement matrix and the repair is a full diamond grind. That is the whole answer in one sentence, and it is the reason the sealer and the cleaning chemistry are quoted together rather than separately.

Terrazzo is two materials at once: chips that are usually marble, and a binder that is either cement or epoxy. Both are calcium-carbonate chemistry or alkaline, and acid attacks both. A resin binder survives much better than cement, but the chips are still stone and they still etch. So "which terrazzo do I have" changes how bad it is, never whether it can happen.