Choosing tiles for a small bathroom
Size, colour and layout tricks that make the room feel bigger.
Terrazzo: how it is made and how to care for it
From marble chips to a polished floor, and what keeps it looking new.
Terrazzo is one of the oldest floors in India. Many old Jaipur havelis and government buildings still have their original terrazzo, polished smooth by decades of feet. It is made from just three things: cement, marble chips and water.
At our unit in Sitapura, we mix white or grey cement with crushed marble in sizes from 3 to 12 mm, add colour if needed, and press the mix into moulds. The tiles cure for 28 days. Then they are ground flat, filled, and polished in several stages until the chips show clearly.
Terrazzo is hard-wearing, cool underfoot and easy to repair. Its main weakness is acid. Lemon juice, vinegar and some floor cleaners etch the surface and dull the shine. Clean with plain water and a mild, pH-neutral cleaner, and wipe acidic spills quickly.
Once a year, a coat of sealer keeps stains out. Every ten to fifteen years, a terrazzo floor can be machine-polished back to new. That is something no printed tile can offer.
