VENETIAN FLOORS
Venetian Terrazzo is a handcrafted product made by terrazzo workers using ancient techniques: there is no design behind their work, but only the discerning eye, the skill and imagination of a craftsman who selects marble fragments of various colours and sizes and masterfully combines them together. Embedded into a “skim coat”, largely consisting of cocciopesto mortar, these marble fragments will add a dash of colour to an antique gold base.
Venetian Terrazzo floors come with decorative bands in contrasting colours and feature figurative and ornamental decorations made with marble chips of carefully selected shapes and colours at the centre and in the corners.
“Terrazzo” floors are tamped by hand, rolled and pressed with heavy rollers, sanded and polished by machine and with vegetable oils.
Their mottled finish disguises dirt, while their smooth, jointless surface lends itself to easy cleaning, which makes it possible to maintain their appearance unchanged over time
EXECUTION In addition to ensuring meticulous compliance with all applicable regulations on safety at construction sites and specific technical requirements, each floor will be carefully designed by the project manager, who will provide us with a copy of the drawings. General technical features of a cement-based Venetian terrazzo floor: Total thickness Minimum 6 cm, maximum 8 cm COMPOSITION: Thickness min. 7-8 cm Insulation from the subfloor, with thin sheathing, nylon, bituminous paper felt; from the walls, with strips of polyethylene foam or other compatible materials COMPOSITION PREPARATION
Insulation From the subfloor, with thin sheathing, nylon, polyethylene, bituminous paper felt; from the walls, with strips of polyethylene foam or other compatible materials.
UNDERBED Preferably prepared by the terrazzo worker, and in any case under his responsibility.
Composition Reinforced concrete with welded wire mesh.
Materials Cement 32.5 – washed coarse sand (rough coat) – welded wire mesh with a diameter of 2 to 6 mm, mesh size of 5×5 to 20×20 cm.
Dosage 200-300 kg of cement per cubic metre of inert material
SURFACE LAYER Laid on a consolidated underbed
Skim coat Minimum thickness 1.5 cm, maximum thickness 3.0 cm
Binders Mainly white cement 52.5; grey cement 42.5 or 32.5
Dyes Iron oxides, earth pigments
Granules Marble and/or stone chips with grain size ranging from no. 0 to no. 5 according to the particle-size distribution curve
Seeding Manual introduction of larger granules; marble and stone chips – screened and washed, with a grain size ranging from no. 4 to no. 6 – are carefully and evenly seeded into the cement in a single round. When using larger chips of unscreened stones with a grain size above no. 6, the seeding is performed in subsequent rounds.
PREPARATION
Rolling, tamping Floors are rolled and tamped to embed the seeded chips into the skim coat and achieve a smooth, compact surface.
Tools Metal rollers, trowels, smoothing tools and heavy irons in general.
Decorations
Friezes, ornaments and frames, created with wood jigs or other suitable material. Bordered around the edges with tiles, stones or specially selected chips.
FINISHING
Sanding and grouting At least 10 days after the terrazzo floor is laid.
Polishing With sanding machines, abrasive and polishing products available on the market, at least 30 days after the floor is laid.
Treatment With natural wax or linseed oil.
UNDERBED the same as for a cement-based terrazzo, with the addition of hydraulic lime, slaked lime and gravel, sand, select brick scrap
SURFACE LAYER Laid on a consolidated underbed
Skim coat thickness 2.5 – 3.0 cm
Binders white cement 52.5, 42.5; hydraulic lime, white hydraulic lime 42.5 or 32.5, pozzolan lime;
Dyes earth pigments
Granules marble, recycled terracotta tile chips and powders with a grain size ranging from no. 0 to no.4
Rolling and tamping to embed the cocciopesto mortar into the skim and achieve a smooth, compact surface.
Tools metal rollers, trowels, smoothing tools and heavy irons in general.
Decorations friezes, ornaments and frames, created with wood jigs or other suitable material.
bordered around the edges with tiles, stones or chips of the same size and shape.
FINISHING
Sanding, grouting at least 10 days after the terrazzo floor is laid.
Polishing with sanding machines, abrasive and polishing products available on the market at least 30 days after the floor is laid.
Treatment with linseed oil and straw oil
MAINTENANCE Known for their durability and easy maintenance, Venetian terrazzo floors do not require any special care.
After some time, dull areas may appear on the floor due to dust accumulation; to restore the floor to its original shine, simply remove the dust with a damp cloth and polish with a floor polisher.
The floor should be re-waxed regularly over time, at least in the areas that are the most exposed to wear.
We recommend wiping the floor with a damp cloth, applying a thin layer of common liquid wax and polishing thoroughly with a polisher machine.
For a particularly shiny finish, we recommend applying a layer of steel wool to the brushes of your polisher machine, which will also rub away any wax residue from the surface.
This operation must be carried out very rarely (once a year), because any excessive wax that is not absorbed by the floor would remain on the surface and create unsightly marks.
Floors treated with linseed oil should only be washed and cleaned with neutral detergents, and treated every 3-4 years (depending on use and wear).
Maintaining the floor by washing it with water and wax enhances the surface and keeps it shiny.
It is preferable not to wash the floor with inappropriate detergents – ammonia, bleach, detergents containing hydrochloric acid – as they may corrode the surface over time.
Although the wax treatment protects the flooring from rapid penetration of accidental spilled liquids, it is worth remembering that all liquids, especially those most used in the home environment such as wine, soft drinks, vinegar and coffee, should be removed quickly from all marble floors before they can penetrate to any depth.
RESTORATION Proper restoration of a Venetian Terrazzo floor involves taking the following steps:
a) determining when the floor was constructed;
b) identifying the materials it is made of, with special regard to the type of binder (lime or cement) used;
c) planning a restoration work that will not significantly change the original features of the existing terrazzo, that is by making sure that the historical origins of the floor are still clearly identifiable, even after restoration;
d) working with appropriate (and, where possible, original) materials, tools and techniques, especially when reconstructing or adding new parts to the terrazzo, so as to restore the floor to an aesthetically acceptable appearance while following the correct procedures;
e) avoiding the use of materials and techniques (additives, treatments, synthetic resins, etc.) that are incompatible with the materials making up the terrazzo floor and not sufficiently tested for use.
SALES TERMS & CONDITIONS The company Franchini geom. Lelio will ensure that the work provided is performed in a workmanlike manner for a period established by Section 2226 of the Italian Civil Code. To avoid any misunderstanding upon delivery, it is best to remember that:
The stone chips in a finished terrazzo floor must be evenly exposed in terms of both colour and size.
The chips must be clearly visible, “spaccato”, that is, split in their best section, especially for larger stones.
The floor should be perfectly level in its entirety, according to the nature and characteristics of each terrazzo.