Flooring: Brawny Beauties

Part 1: Resilient Flooring Options: Improved Design Appeal and Performance

Part 2: Health Care Friendly Rubber

Part 3: Linoleum's Affordable Benefits

Part 4: Vinyl Gaining Respect

Part 5: Long-lived Terrazzo

Part 6: Mixing Resilient Floor Products

Long-lived Terrazzo

By Karen Kroll - February 2011 - Flooring

For lobbies and reception areas, terrazzo often is a top choice. It offers a sophisticated look in a variety of patterns and colors, and will last for decades.

When designing offices for the real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield, Alan Dandron, principal with Mancini-Duffy, used recycled terrazzo in the reception area and activity center, which includes a meeting area and pantry.

"We wanted a look that was clean, modern and global," Dandron says. In addition, the client was working toward LEED Gold, so the recycled content added to the project's points.

That said, the tile presented a few challenges. Because they were handmade, each tile varied slightly from the others in terms of look and thickness. As a result, it was necessary to lay the tile so that the variations occurred in what naturally would be considered different areas. "It required a little extra attention," Dandron says.

Stone color can vary quite a bit, even if it's from the same quarry, Koback says. If the installation doesn't account for these differences, the design can inadvertently present a checkerboard effect, Koback adds. Another option is to cherry-pick certain pieces of tile, although that adds to the costs.