Is Terrazzo Good for Bathroom Floors and Shower Base?

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Is Terrazzo Good for Bathroom Floors and Shower Base? Pros and cons

Terrazzo is a rather popular flooring material due to its durability and opulent appearance. However, many homeowners are still skeptical about the use of terrazzo in frequently wet spaces such as kitchens and bathrooms. Mainly because traditional terrazzo comprises a cement-based binder that is porous and can soak in water.

Epoxy terrazzo is a great choice for your bathroom flooring project as compared to traditional cementitious terrazzo. Epoxy terrazzo won’t get damaged when soaked in water or even get stained and discolored. Terrazzo offers durable flooring wide variety of stylistic designs for your bathroom

So- will your terrazzo absorb bathroom water or not? Can you install terrazzo as your shower base? What are the advantages and disadvantages of installing terrazzo flooring in your bathroom? We answer these questions and more in this article.

Is Terrazzo Good for Bathroom Floors and Shower Base?

Can you install terrazzo on bathroom floors?

Yes- you can install terrazzo flooring on bathroom floors- either as a new installation or as part of a remodeling project. However, we recommend going for epoxy terrazzo as opposed to traditional, cementitious terrazzo. This is because bathrooms are typically wet and non-porous epoxy terrazzo won’t get damaged as it won’t soak in the water lying on the floor surface. Porous cement-based terrazzo, on the other hand, may end up getting stained or discolored as the cementitious grout absorbs the bathroom water.

If you’re considering installing terrazzo flooring as part of your bathroom remodeling project. Here’s a detailed procedure for properly installing terrazzo tiles:

  1. Start by dry-fitting the tiles. To achieve the look of slab terrazzo using terrazzo tiles, lay the tiles up against each other, while cutting the edge tiles to fit using a diamond-edge wet saw.
  2. Next, spread a single, light layer of wet-set adhesive over the entire bathroom subfloor. Give it about 15 minutes to set.
  3. Once the adhesive sets, install the first row of terrazzo tiling by starting at the center of the bathroom floor as you work your way towards the wall. The tiles should fit tightly against each other such that there are no joint spaces. You can then use a rubber mallet to make the tiles stick better to the adhesive.
  4. Next, install the row of edge tiles that you’d previously cut to size. You can then proceed to lay the rest of the terrazzo tile sheets in continuous rows.
  5. Ensure even stronger bonding between the installed tiles and the adhesive underneath. You can roll a 150-pound floor roller over the entire bathroom floor surface.
  6. Finish off by sealing your new terrazzo bathroom floor with a commercial terrazzo sealer such as Laticrete sealer. This will help prevent any kind of water penetration. Consequently, prevent staining on the terrazzo surface and damage to the concrete or wood subfloor like OSB and Plywood

See More on Penetrating natural stone sealer

Tip: Installing terrazzo floors in your bathroom has its benefits, drawback, pros, and cons. To minimize the drawbacks you can hire a professional installer to do the work for you. In addition, you can get a professional cleaner.

Get a quote for terrazzo repair and maintainance of your old-looking floor.

Is Terrazzo Good for Bathroom Floors and Shower Base? Pros and cons, drawbacks and benefits

Pros of Installing Terrazzo bathroom floors

Below are some of the advantages of installing terrazzo floor tiles in your bathroom:

  1. Terrazzo flooring is relatively durable. Non-porous epoxy terrazzo- specifically- can withstand wear for years due to its water and stain-resistant capabilities. What’s more, unlike vinyl flooring which is quite susceptible to microbes, terrazzo flooring is bacteria-resistant.
  2. Terrazzo floor tiles come in a wide variety of stylistic designs. This depends on the arrangement and colors of the marble and natural stone chips. For instance, if you’re going for that minimalistic, contemporary look in your bathroom; monochromatic terrazzo tiles would fit right in. Conversely, if you prefer a grandiose, expressive style in your bathroom; we recommend going for terrazzo tiling with multicolored design patterns.
  3. A couple of types of terrazzo flooring- epoxy terrazzo and polyacrylate terrazzo- are great for bathroom restoration projects. They can be laid over existing wooden or concrete subfloors. Epoxy also boasts greater sanitary qualities compared to other types of natural stone flooring. This makes it a great choice for bathroom flooring.
  4. Polyacrylate terrazzo offers great UV light protection. This makes it a perfect flooring for bathrooms that are exposed to a substantial amount of natural light. Using other types of natural stone in such settings would result in the floor getting discolored.

Cons of Installing Terrazzo Bathroom floors

Despite all the benefits that it offers, installing terrazzo flooring in bathrooms presents a few drawbacks, as discussed below:

  1. Terrazzo has high maintenance requirements. Regular sweeping and mopping is necessary to preserve the high-gloss finish on terrazzo surfaces. What’s more, terrazzo floor restoration is recommended every two years. It’s a labor-intensive and costly process that involves grinding and polishing the terrazzo surface to restore its factory shine.
  2. Terrazzo is rather slippery due to its satiny finish. This makes it a significant safety hazard, especially in homes with children or elderly people. As such, we advise the use of anti-slip mats for bathroom floors if you’ll be installing terrazzo in your bathroom.

Can you install a terrazzo shower base?

Your shower base is probably one of the wettest areas in your bathroom. As such, you may be wondering whether it’s a good idea to install terrazzo flooring in such an area. The answer is yes, so long as the terrazzo has been sealed. Sealed terrazzo is non-porous and won’t allow water to penetrate its structure and cause staining or structural damage.

The good news is that most commercial terrazzo tile sheets come pre-sealed, albeit at the expense of increased costs. You can install a slab terrazzo shower base, or unsealed terrazzo tiles. However, you have to seal the surface with a premium-quality terrazzo floor sealer.

Finally, before installing a terrazzo shower base, read the terrazzo manufacturer’s instructions and recommendations. For instance, some brands only recommend you install their terrazzo flooring over a grout or mortar base to prevent cracking.

Read More: How to Stain Terrazzo Floors

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AUTHOR

Joe McGuinty
I’ve been working with floors for over 12 years. I started as a flooring contractor, primarily in materials selection. Then, I switched careers into accounting, so my wife and I began buying, renovating, and re-selling homes on the side. You’d be surprised how much value you can add to a home simply by adding new floors.

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