Terrazzo, an ancient artistic creation, consists of chips of glass, marble, or similar material fixed in tinted cement and then ground and polished to a smooth sheen.
During the 15th century, Italian mosaic craft workers pushed the leftover marble chips outside to their terraces where, over time, they became smooth from the foot traffic.
As one can see in today's perfected flooring and countertops, it was the similar beauty, uniqueness, and durability that led the architects and designers of past times to use terrazzo in numerous places such as St. Peter's Basilica and George Washington's Mount Vernon.
Never before have such vibra nt colors been available to designers of terrazzo flooring. Recycled glass chips are a modern ddition to an ancient flooring methodology that dates back to Michelangelo and the Renaissance. Glass chips can be used in poxy terrazzo or sand cushion cement terrazzo either by themselves or in combination with traditional marble chips. As in typical terrazzo, the combination of sizes #0 and #1 provide a traditional look while the use of sizes #2 and/or #3 provide a bolder more aggressive appearance. Due to its weight, glass contributes substantially to a project’s overall recycled content in LEED alculations. Its unique hues contribute significantly to the impact of an environmentally sustainable floor. Arguably, glass increases the durabilit y and lifespan of a terrazzo floor installation.