Can old terrazzo be restored to look new?

Yes. Grinding and polishing bring it back to a fresh finish, even after decades of wax or wear. It's one of the easiest surfaces we restore.

Why restore terrazzo instead of replacing it?

Restoration costs about $2.50 to $20 per square foot, versus $75 to $140 to replace. You keep a floor built to last and skip weeks of demolition.

Can school terrazzo be done over the summer?

Yes, summer is the usual time. We split large buildings hallway by hallway so the work fits the break. Our GTA school board case study shows how this works across a board's schools.

Is tiling over terrazzo a good idea?

Rarely. You pay for new flooring, lose a durable floor that could have been repaired, and raise the floor level. Grinding and polishing almost always costs less and lasts longer.

When is terrazzo replacement necessary?

When the slab has failed or cracked badly from settling, or you're redesigning. Wear, yellowing, and chips can be restored. In older buildings we check for asbestos-era material before heavy grinding.

Restore vs. replace

Restore or replace terrazzo?

Terrazzo is one of the easiest floors to restore. Grinding and polishing bring decades-old terrazzo back to a like-new finish for about $2.50 to $20 per square foot. Replacement costs $75 to $140 per square foot plus tear-out, and rarely makes sense unless the slab has failed.

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Restored terrazzo floor ground and polished to a fresh finish

The short answer

Almost always restore. Terrazzo grinds back to look new, so replacing it rarely makes sense.

Terrazzo was built to last generations. Dull, yellowed, or chipped floors in schools, lobbies, and corridors can almost always be ground and polished back. Tiling over it costs more, makes more waste, and hides a floor that would have lasted. Restoration fits a summer break or overnight hours; replacement doesn't.

Disruption

How long each option takes.

Restore: lobbies in stages, overnight or on weekends, and schools over the summer, hallway by hallway. Replace: demolition, disposal, and installation, with tear-out alone often $3,500 to $12,000 on a commercial floor and corridors closed for weeks.

How to decide

When to restore terrazzo and when to replace it.

Restore when

Dull, scratched, or waxed-over floors
Chips and small cracks
Decades of traffic wear in corridors and lobbies
You want to keep a heritage or original floor
Work has to happen in stages or after hours

Replace when

The slab has failed or cracked badly from settling
Asbestos-era material that must be removed (we check first)
You're redesigning the space

Estimate your project Read the cost guide Residential restoration

Typical jobs

What restoration can do for terrazzo.

Stained agglomerate marble elevator lobby

Agglomerate marble tile (marble chips bound into tile) outside a building's elevators, stained and dulled by daily traffic. Cleaning, honing, and sealing can bring back an even floor while the building stays open.

How we treat this