Sealing a terrazzo floor is essential to protect it from stains and enhance its appearance, with water-based sealers being the recommended choice. The sealing process involves applying thin coats after polishing, and resealing is necessary every 1-2 years depending on traffic and sealer type. Proper maintenance, including burnishing and applying additional coats, can significantly extend the lifespan of the terrazzo floor finish.

1. SEALING A
TERRAZZO
FLOOR
TERRAZZO INSTALLATION

2. Sealers are coatings that are
applied to surfaces to protect the
floors against stains and
damages.
Sealing is the final step of a
terrazzo installation. Once the
sealer is dried, the floor can be
walked upon.
Using a terrazzo sealer protects
the aggregates and the topping
itself from elements of dirt,
moisture intrusion and stains. It
can even enhance the aesthetic
of the terrazzo floor.
What are
Sealers?

3. Should
Terrazzo Be
Sealed?
According to the National
Terrazzo and Mosaic
Association, all terrazzo should
be sealed. It is common practice
that a terrazzo contractor installs
a sealer recommended by the
manufacturer. Sealing is required
to display the true color of
aggregates and must be resealed
occasionally.
It is also important to avoid using
the wrong type of sealers to get
the best finish for the terrazzo
floor. Apply only sealers
recommended for terrazzo.
Never use all-purpose sealers.

4. What is The Best Sealer for Terrazzo?
Water-based sealers are recommended for terrazzo floors. They are widely
adopted by terrazzo contractors for epoxy terrazzo floors that offer high
performance and have low levels of VOC (volatile organic compounds),
making them easy to work with and less harmful to the environment.
For epoxy terrazzo installations using TERRAZZCO EZpour Epoxy 158, it is
recommended to pair Betco Sure Cure and Untouchable. The more coats
applied, the higher the gloss level. But typically the floor finish will receive 2-
4 coats.

5. How Do You Seal Terrazzo?
Sealing occurs after the terrazzo floor has been
polished. The floor is cleaned using fresh water
and neutral cleaner then left to completely dry.
Once the terrazzo floor is dried, an installer will
apply a thin coat of sealer to a microfiber pad.
Installers will apply sealer in thin coats over heavy
coats.
The entire area is applied with one coat of sealer.
Once the first coat has dried, a second coat is
applied to the terrazzo floor. It is suggested to
apply these coats of sealer in a cross-directional
manner.
After two coats of sealer have been applied, the
terrazzo installation is complete. At this time, the
terrazzo project can be turned over to the general
contractor. The floors are protected until it is time
for the building to open to the public.
Sealer applied after terrazzo polished, cleaned and dried.

6. How Often
Should You
Reseal Terrazzo?
New terrazzo floors require two or more coats of sealer. This will
provide a good sheen for the floor for about 45 to 60 days before
needing additional coats.
As the terrazzo ages, the floor will require resealing. This is dependent
on the amount of traffic the terrazzo is exposed to and the type of
sealer used.
To give you an idea of how often it takes to reseal a terrazzo floor,
here is our technical representative’s advice when using Betco sealers
with TERRAZZCO products:
Sure Cure is a great initial protective coating to be applied by the
terrazzo contractor right after install. It can be left by itself or a finish
coat can be applied over the top such as Betco Untouchable (by the
maintenance team/ownership).
If ownership chooses to use only Sure Cure, the sealer should
probably be reapplied 1-2 times per year in high traffic areas with 2-3
coats (stripping is required).
If the floor finish is applied on top of the sealer (Untouchable), you
can simply burnish the floor and apply additional coats of floor finish
(Untouchable). This would reduce the need for a complete strip and
reseal to as little as once every 5 years or so. If the finish coat is being
well maintained, the sealer coat will last much longer. Untouchable
will save the owners time and money in the maintenance portion of
their business.

7. Recommendations for Owners:
Burnish existing floor with Sure Cure applied to ensure the surface is completely clean.
Dust mop to ensure all dry debris from the burnishing process is removed.
Apply 2-4 coats of Betco Untouchable Floor Finish in alternating hatch pattern allowing
each layer to cure completely. If a high gloss appearance is desired, burnish the floor
one more time. Each coat of Untouchable will add to the gloss level. If you apply 4-5
coats and burnish, this should look like glass.
The Untouchable Finish Coat will protect the sealer coat and you can simply come back
and burnish, add more Untouchable, burnish as needed when you can see the sealer
becoming a little dull.
Burnishing is needed to get the surface completely clean to prevent dirt from being
trapped between the old finish coat and the new finish coat. It is important to not apply
more finish coat over a dirty layer of finish as the floor will never look clean.

8. 1818 University Commercial Place
Charlotte, NC 28213
Phone: 704.921.4928
info@terrazzco.com
www.terrazzco.com
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