Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The only thing I found that worked to remove stains was a case of Magic Erasers and terrazzo floor cleaner. It was knee-breaking work, but I swear by the magic erasers. We are DIYers, so I don't know how the professionals do it. After we removed the stains with the M.E. we rented a floor sander and using a fine grit, we sanded all areas, then wet mopped and vacuumed, then sealed with a terrazo floor sealer. They do look pretty darn good even if they aren't super glossy like some of the pro jobs I see.
the only way to deal with penetrated stains in terrazzo is the following:
If after you have striped, scrubbed, rinsed and dried your terrazzo floor and you still have stained and or darker discolored areas you are going to have to remove them before you can diamond polish your floors.
The diamond polishing restoration process does NOT remove penetrated stains.
These stains took a very long time to reach deep into the stone, perhaps decades of a slow leak through a wall full of rusty nails or a carpeted bedroom being relieved on by the family pets.
There is only one way to remove a penetrated stain and that is to pull the stain back out of the stone from the surface by using an old school method called a "poultice"
There is a test to see if you can remove the stains without using a poultice. you have to sand down a small area with hot water and any floor stripper with a 60 grit sanding/grinding pad for a few seconds maximum.
Then if after you rinse and dry the area if you don't see the stains then you got lucky and can proceed with the full restoration using a succession of diamond pads
if you still see the stains then you need to remove them first with a poultice.
A poultice stain removal is basically reverse osmosis or a "wicking" action re-wetting the area grabbing on to the stain molecules and pulling them back out of the stone
This method is repeated until the stain is completely removed.
It is also important to know which type of stain you have. basically you have either an organic based stain or a mineral based stain
one great source for getting the "poultice recipe" is Ehow.com if you type in there search different ways of saying, terrazzo stain removal,, or poultice stain removal, you will get several different recipes for making a poultice for all the different kinds of stains , like mineral based or organic based.. so try all the different combinations of search terms. or just google stain removal poultice and you will find ready made mixes to use,,,
FLORIDA - ZONE 2 Creative Terrazzo Systems 4300 NW 135th St.
Miami, FL 33054 John Calderbank 305-418-9893
Fax: 305-418-9892 info@terrazzosystems.comHome
Hi Henry! I could use some help getting stains out of my terrazzo floors. Just bought the house, and not too bad, but the stains bother me. I've tried several cleaners - have helped but can still see stains!
I have terrazzo floors in my home. They are a disaster! There used to be carpet over them, and the carpet was removed and now all that's left is grimy, stained terrazzo, that is so hard to keep clean. I tried everything to remove the stains, hand scrubbing, mopping, steaming, and nothing worked. Since the floors are already damaged with no shine to it at all, I decided to apply a little bleach. To my surprise the floor became whiter. However, when i broke out my mop I diluted the bleach. This did not work, but applying it straight did help. This method is really potent, I had to air out my house after scrubbing my little kitchen area. It's too much trouble, I think it best to just leave it be.
Did you ever get these floors redone properly? We just bought a house with terrazzo and we'd like to just do the kitchen but put an acid stain over it. It's too white lol but we love the marble chips. How did they end up fixing it? Thanks, Im in Atlantic Beach
I just bought an old Florida home and I hired someone to come and "restore" my terrazzo; however after hours of buffing w/a the resin pads I am still left with discolored areas as well as the "stain" from the carpet glue that the previous owners had installed years ago. The floor guy left the floor undone and said he would come back in a couple of days after he's had a chance to get more advice from another pro.. But I've lost confidence in this guy. I read online that Krud Kutter Graffiti Remover is good for the old glue stains - which are in this terrazzo like a tattoo. I've also read about the "poultice" method for various "stains". Anyone out there tried any of these? I really don't want this guy coming back and ruining my floors. The area he has already worked on still looks dirty.
Sorry, my above post was supposed to quote this poster. Did you ever get them finished properly? Curious even though this post is old. We are about to have someone come in and refinish ours but put an acid stain over it. Would appreciate a response how it turned out! I'm in Atlantic Beach
I had linoleum on my terrazzo floor. I used a floor stripper on my terrazzo to get the tile and adhesive up. It worked but now my terrazzo is white. When I get the terrazzo wet it goes back to its original color but when it dries it goes white. Like a white residue is on it. I poured boiling hot water on it and nothing. Once it dried it went back to white. The white is like a white residue. Is there anyone with any helpful info.
Thank you
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
stain removal ,, more..
