Looking to tear up terrazzo flooring and replace with wood. Anyone have any experience, lessons learned?

Thanks!

This. If you don't like it your best bet would be to float engineered wood with a quality underlayment over the top. You'll get the look you're going for, and at some point years down the road it can be removed without harming the flooring underneath which may be a major selling point.

I took it up myself in our old condo. It wasn't much (kitchen, entry, half bath, and bathroom), but it was worth not paying for demo. Did it over a weekend.

I used a mini sledge hammer and a tile scrape bar and it came up pretty easily. I would break a tile first with the mini sledge and then scrape it up with the long handled tile pry bar.

The hardest part was the tile itself was HEAVY and really sharp. Assume you're going to get scratched up and cut. Definitely wear safety glasses. Plan on double bagging contractor bags half full of tile to avoid bags being cut by the tile or being too heavy to lift.

I get some people like retro materials, but the average person doesn't. Don't worry about keeping it for resale. There's only so many Fifes in the world and it doesn't sound like he's looking to buy soon. It was a fad no different than pink toilets and popcorn ceilings.

That's why I said engineered + good underlayment, the OP gets the best of both worlds in addition to the job being faster and a whole lot easier.

Even with the existing flooring removed they would still have to bring whatever slab/subfloor there is up to snuff for them to put in wood after all.

Is this legit, cast in place terrazzo, or tiles? If it's tile, just crack it and scrape it up like any other tile. If it's actual terrazzo, ease of demo depends on how well it's bonded with the slab.

Aggietaco said:

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Is this legit, cast in place terrazzo, or tiles? If it's tile, just crack it and scrape it up like any other tile. If it's actual terrazzo, ease of demo depends on how well it's bonded with the slab.

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Yeah, two VERY different things here.

Cast in place, just go over it with laminate/engineered wood floor. Don't damage it for future owners would be my goal.

Shined up, the cast in place stuff is pretty awesome.

Aggietaco said:

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Is this legit, cast in place terrazzo, or tiles? If it's tile, just crack it and scrape it up like any other tile. If it's actual terrazzo, ease of demo depends on how well it's bonded with the slab.

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Good point. I assumed tile since he was considering removal.

I assumed the other way since I thought the OP was in Texas and slabs were common by the time residential terrazzo came into play.

Tiles are no big deal. Cast in place must be a big adventure to remove or a selling point because I've known a flipper in FL who's had it restored in two houses now when it turned up underneath ceramic tile. I have no clue how they removed the ceramic without screwing it all up.

I've lived in places with both types here in Houston.

While I'm not in love with the slab terrazo floor in my current house, it looks good enough for the time being. I can't even imagine how hard it would be to remove, so we'll probably look to refurbish / polish it when our kids aren't so rough on it.

What other options would I have? Could I skim coat and do stained concrete?

The entire house looks like this...

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The Fife said:

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I would definitely float engineered on that. Epic PITA for minimal gain and the same end result if you want to remove what's already there.

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Completely agree. I wrongly assumed tile.

Word.

Terrazzo is essentially concrete with fancy aggregate that is ground and polished after placing. Float some engineering flooring over top or one of the thin laminates if necessary.

Anyone have a good contact in Houston for new floors?

There is a reason that stuff is used in airports. It's nearly impossible to damage. If you want it to look new there are people who specialize in concrete and terrazzo polishing and I wouldn't hesitate to have it refinished now. It's in my grandmother's house and has survived 3 generations of wear.

If that is poured in place it could be as thick as the slab itself or thicker and sitting on a sand cushion. Removal would be cost prohibitive. I agree if you don't like it then float an engineered product over the top with a foam underlayment. Personally I would do murder for terrazzo floors. I got bids from an installer to do about 2000 sq-ft and it was about $45k. The same guy did the bright football complex. It is a selling point for the home in the future. I would avoid damaging it.

Holy crap, that much? I'd like to have 300-600 sq ft installed over an existing slab.

For reliability and longevity it's hard to beat.

What most on this thread seem to not understand is those qualities are not important to most people today. Everything else we buy is designed to last a specific usable life. Whether structurally, aesthetically, or mechanically.

Very few home buys care how durable terrazo is. To them it's outdated and doesn't have the look and appeal of marble, travertine, wood floors, or even stained concrete. Terrazo just doesn't have resale value no matter how much you think it should.

Fife - There is another thin coat polymer terrazzo product available but it isn't any cheaper from what I saw. The other option I considered was grinding the slab to expose aggregate. It's a very similar look and you don't buy anything but the labor. My slab is old and not in great shape. For the labor cost over the large area it was going to be $18k from the only reputable guy I could get to bid and call back. I went with a glued down finishable engineered wood product. Void free substrate with white oak top layer that is finished like traditional hard wood. It also wasn't cheap but I knew moisture could be an issue and didn't want cupped floors.

AgLA06 - you may be right. To me it's timeless in appearance and more durable than anything else you can get. I like modern aesthetic so it works well for me. I also think people are uneducated and succeptable to marketing and trends. That's why I can't get a contractor worth a damn to do projects on my house. Most people are fine with a caulked up finish, trim everything to hide the seams and heavy texture. It's just not worth it to someone to work my house when they can make more doing lower quality, easy work across the street. Ship Lap the world.

Attached a photo of flooring I used below.

This photo shows correct orientation on my mobile and 90 degrees off on desktop.

Looks like my place is the same age as yours but with less style.

The area I'm going to be dealing with is the dining room (1 step down) and the den (another step down from the dining room). We have wood everywhere else in the house except for bathrooms so I may end up looking into age appropriate stone if cost turns into an object here. I'll have to bring it up early with whichever architect we go with on that project. The design on that one is beyond what I can come up with.

Don't care about resale, this type of flooring and look compliments the overall architecture of the house and we aren't moving. Schools are 9/10, under 10 minutes to downtown, four parks within reasonable walking distance, 3,300 sq ft house and the garage is 1,000 sq ft with high bays on a half acre.

jtp01 said:

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Out of curiosity, why remove the terrazzo? When it's done right, it can look amazing. Any interest in just floating wood over the terrazzo? Years from now you might want to consider returning the home to its original state and replicating terrazzo will likely be impossible as it is becoming a lost art.

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Removing terrazzo flooring is not always the best option, especially when considering its unique beauty and durability. As you mentioned, when properly restored and maintained, terrazzo can look truly amazing. Instead of removing the terrazzo, it's worth considering professional terrazzo restoration services, such as those offered by JK Marble Maintenance terrazzo restoration[url=https://jkmarblemaintenance.com/terrazzo-restoration/][/url] .
Their expert team specializes in terrazzo restoration, which includes polishing, sealing, resurfacing, and repairing damaged floors. This process can bring back the original shine and luster to your terrazzo floors, making them look even better than before.
Floating wood over the terrazzo is an alternative option, but it's essential to consider the long-term implications of covering the terrazzo. As you pointed out, terrazzo is becoming a lost art, and replicating it in the future might be impossible. Preserving the original terrazzo flooring not only maintains the historical value of your home but also offers a timeless, elegant aesthetic that will continue to impress for years to come.
In conclusion, instead of removing the terrazzo or covering it with wood flooring, consider investing in professional terrazzo restoration services from a reputable company like JK Marble Maintenance. Their skilled team can help you restore and maintain the beauty of your terrazzo floors, ensuring that this unique flooring material remains a cherished feature of your home.

We're doing large form factor 24"x24" terrazzo tile in a new place since don't want to spend the coin on the real thing. Love the look and durability of it, but it's definitely not appreciated now a days by most folks.

I personally think it's quite stunning and adds a ton of character over basic tile or polished concrete. Sure, it's expensive but it's a unique look.

Restore or overlay to preserve it is all I'd do.