When designing an architecture project, defining the flooring is a key element in achieving the comfort, style and functionality imagined by the design team. Depending on the type of use and its requirements, architects can choose the most suitable materials, textures and finishes for each project. Terrazzo & Marble offers a sustainable option to traditional materials like wood, carpet and ceramic with Terroxy Resin Systems, which are known for their sustainability, design flexibility, durability and low maintenance.
Why is Terrazzo Sustainable?
In addition to its aesthetic qualities, the use of recycled materials for the aggregates, on-site manufacturing and the minimization of post-commercial waste and transportation costs make terrazzo an environmentally friendly product line. Unlike other flooring products that need to be replaced numerous times throughout the life of the facility, terrazzo provides an ideal choice that can even outlast the life of the building. Besides supporting heavy foot traffic –avoiding the formation of wear patterns– its flooring solution doesn't require grout joints, producing seamless systems with almost no concerns for grout discoloration, maintenance or cracking. As it is poured on-site, it bonds directly to the substrate, offering compression and tensile strength properties that allow for permanent adhesion. In the case of any future alterations, the flooring system can be completed by matching the new epoxy color to the existing color upon installation.
Terrazzo aggregates –binders like Terroxy Epoxy Matrix and finished flooring systems– can contribute to projects’ certification on the US Green Building Council’s (USGBC) credits under the LEED Rating System. When analyzing the environmental impact of terrazzo flooring systems, there are many elements to take into consideration, such as: longevity and maintenance of the material, composition, recycled content, embodied energy, and the “cradle-to-grave” environmental impact.
With the increase in awareness of indoor air quality of the last few years, foreseeing the emission of toxins that may affect people’s health inside buildings has also become a priority. Terroxy Resin Systems have been tested to ensure they will not expose building occupants to health risks, attaining the GREENGUARD GOLD certification mark. In the same way, applying materials that include low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOC), like inorganic based binders that contain zero VOC, also contributes to the improvement of indoor air quality inside a building.
Lastly, with a variety of recycled glass chips, the terrazzo flooring mix decreases the environmental impact from extraction and processing of virgin materials. Also, using centrally located manufacturing facilities, which are available from a variety of sources throughout the country, there is a reduced environmental impact due to the lowered transportation of building materials.
The Manufacturing Process
Terrazzo flooring composition is based on three main components: Epoxy Matrix, Aggregates and Divider Strips. After the components are mixed together, the mixture is poured in place and ground down to a high gloss or matte finish, giving projects a seamless flooring solution that ensures the building floor’s lasting quality.
With a long-lasting system, the Epoxy Matrix provides a chemical, oil, grease and bacteria resistant formula which does not allow colors to fade or wear. With a dualist quality, the zinc alloy, aluminum or plastic divider strips serve two basic needs: form and function. While providing a transition between colors, divider strips are usually the skeleton of the floor’s design, giving architects and designers freedom to create their own designs and patterns. Varying the thickness and type of metal according to the design requirements, they are flexible enough to be both eye-catching or discrete. With approximately 70% of the flooring mixture, aggregates are produced with a consistent crushing, cleaning and drying quality. Mostly built of marble chips, they also contain glass and other recycled content aggregates that maintain the qualification for LEED credits.
Design Flexibility in Multiple Project Applications
Architects and designers are able to explore the combination of different aggregates and color palettes to develop limitless unique patterns, enhancing their creativity. In line with each project’s style, floorings can follow plain, geometric or decorative patterns that boost the interior atmosphere.
Terrazzo can be found in different types of architectural designs, especially in commercial, industrial and institutional projects. From bright clothing stores like ‘The Webster’, to sober law firm working spaces like the ‘Venable Law Firm’, the flooring system adapts to the project’s identity. Likewise, ‘Rocky Creek Elementary School’ and the ‘San Diego International Airport’ create their own floor patterns to complement the building’s functional and aesthetic characteristics.
For more information about the original and sustainable flooring, visit Terrazzo & Marble's product catalog.
