Traditional terrazzo carries the memory of the times, while epoxy terrazzo represents the integration of technology and aesthetics. The choice of material is essentially a balance between functional requirements, budget investment and aesthetic pursuit. Whether you are a pragmatic person who pursues cost-effectiveness or a life-loving person who advocates quality, you can find the answer in this innovation of floor materials.
From Rome to Modern Times: The Past and Present of Terrazzo
As an ancient building material, terrazzo originated in ancient Rome. Initially, it was a mixture of marble scraps and volcanic ash to pave the ground. In the 16th century,
Venetian craftsmen carried forward this craft, and its English name "Terrazzo" was derived from the Italian "Terrace". In the 1980s, traditional terrazzo became the "national material" for public places such as schools, hospitals, and parks in China with its low cost and diverse colors. However, with the popularization of natural stone and the improvement of environmental protection needs, traditional terrazzo has gradually faded out of the mainstream market due to defects such as easy cracking and strong permeability.
Material innovation: Performance improvement brought by epoxy resin
Traditional terrazzo uses silicate cement as a binder, mixed with aggregates such as quartz sand and stone particles, and is made by grinding and polishing. Its core defects come from the porous structure of cement: it is easy to absorb water and seep dirt, thermal expansion and contraction lead to cracking, and weak corrosion resistance. The revolutionary breakthrough of epoxy terrazzo is to use epoxy resin to replace cement, and solve the traditional pain points through the density of polymer materials. Epoxy resin not only gives the ground high strength and toughness, but also achieves richer color performance through color paste, and can even imitate the texture of jade, while having excellent waterproof and anti-fouling properties.
Performance comparison: Comprehensive upgrade from practicality to aesthetics
1. Physical properties
- Wear resistance: The Mohs hardness of epoxy terrazzo can reach 7, which is far higher than traditional terrazzo, and is suitable for high-traffic places such as airports and shopping malls.
- Crack resistance: The elastic modulus of epoxy resin is lower than that of cement, which can effectively alleviate temperature stress and reduce the risk of cracking by more than 80%.
- Waterproofness: The surface porosity of epoxy terrazzo approaches zero, and the water absorption rate is only 0.03%, while the traditional terrazzo is as high as 0.5%-1%.
2. Decorative effect
- Color richness: Epoxy terrazzo can achieve thousands of color combinations through color paste, and the glossiness can reach more than 90 degrees, while traditional terrazzo is limited by inorganic pigments and has low color saturation.
- Pattern flexibility: Epoxy terrazzo can achieve seamless splicing and complex pattern design, and even supports 3D printing effects. Traditional terrazzo relies on copper strips for separation, and the pattern is relatively fixed.
3. Maintenance cost
- Traditional terrazzo needs regular crystallization treatment, and may turn yellow and wear in 3-5 years; epoxy terrazzo only needs to be wiped with water on a daily basis, and the crystal surface sealing layer can maintain gloss for more than 10 years.
Scene selection: rational decision-making under different needs
Scenarios for traditional terrazzo
- Public spaces with limited budgets (school corridors, community parks)
- Industrial sites with low requirements for decoration
- Temporary sites that need frequent renovation
Ideal scenes for epoxy terrazzo
- High-end commercial spaces (luxury stores, art exhibition halls)
- Medical clean areas (operating rooms, laboratories)
- High humidity environments (swimming pools, underground garages)
- Residential buildings that need to reflect a sense of design (open kitchens, artistic floors)
Construction and cost: value considerations behind quality
The construction period of traditional terrazzo is about 15-20 days, with a unit price of about 80-150 yuan/㎡, but the later maintenance cost is high. Epoxy terrazzo requires 12 processes such as base surface treatment, fiber cloth laying, three times of grouting and polishing, with a construction period of up to 30 days and a unit price of about 500-1200 yuan/㎡. Although the initial investment is high, its characteristics of the same lifespan as the building (more than 20 years) make its full life cycle cost more competitive.
Future trends: Sustainability drives industry change
As the concept of environmental protection becomes more popular, the regeneration characteristics of epoxy terrazzo have become a highlight - it can be partially repaired after damage, and the old floor does not need to be removed when renovated, and can be directly covered with new work. The recycling rate of traditional terrazzo is less than 30%, and it faces the pressure of elimination. At present, epoxy terrazzo has penetrated from commercial spaces to high-end residences, creating an overall aesthetic through the integrated design of walls and floors, and has become an important element of modern space design.
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