Making Your Home “Green”

Terrazzo floors are not only valuable, beautiful, and durable, they add significantly to the environmental health of your home and community. In this article, you will learn how to make your home environment healthier, and the role terrazzo floors play in these improvements.

According to the National Terrazzo and Marble Association, one of the key benefits of terrazzo floors is durability.

“Sustainable construction is at the core of green construction. Terrazzo floors have an outstanding record of durability and performance dating back over a thousand years. Terrazzo floors will typically last for the life of the structure. In many older buildings, the floors can be restored to their original luster at a fraction of the cost of replacing the finish”.

Another benefit is low maintenance.

“Both cement and thin set epoxy terrazzo floors have extremely low maintenance costs. Annual stripping and resealing can utilize environmentally friendly, water based products. Routine maintenance includes dry and damp mopping with an occasional spray buffing. In comparison, carpet requires energy intensive daily vacuuming and periodic steam cleaning”

Terrazzo floors make and keep homes healthy and “green”. There are four key areas of home heath that terrazzo floors address.

1) Composition and Embodied Energy

“Terrazzo is composed of naturally occurring agregates, recycled glass or plastic and processed cement or epoxy binders. The binders constitute approximately 25%-30% of the volume of the terrazzo floors” the remainder of the floor is composed of aggregates, pigments and fillers. Initial life cycle assessments of embodied energy appear extremely favorable due to the longevity and low energy usage for maintenance.

2) Recycle/Reuse Content

“Several glass aggregate suppliers are currently providing post consumer, recycled glass to the marketplace. Several slab marble and granite quarries have supplies of post industrial stone left from slab granite and marble processing. The plastic chips actually contain as much as 20% recycled plastic. Aluminum divider strips may also incorporate recycled metal”.

3) VOC Offgassing and Indoor Air Quality

“Both cement based and thin set epoxy terrazzo systems are comprised of zero VOC materials. Terrazzo exhibits little or no offgassing over the life of the cured floor. The non-porous, cleanable terrazzo finish does not support microbial growth, nor allow moisture to accumulate, helping to maintain a mold free environment, with improved indoor air quality”.

4) Local Sourcing

“The United States terrazzo industry consists of many manufacturers, suppliers and distributors, are located throughout the country. Terrazzo is manufactured on-site, minimizing post-commercial waste and transportation costs. By comparison, much of the marble and ceramic floor tile used in the United States is manufactured overseas and imported”.

Explanation of Key Terms (taken from “Nature Natural”)

1) Offgassing

“Offgassing is the evaporation of volatile chemicals in non-mettalic materials at normal atmospheric pressure. this means that building materials can release chemicals (VOCs) into the air through evaporation. The evaporation can continue for years after the products are initially installed, which means you continue to breathe these chemicals as you work, sleep and relax in your home or office. Building materials that offgas are paints, stains, varnishes, carpet, insulation, flooring, kitchen cabinets and countertops, plywood, particle board and paint strippers. Terrazzo floors do not offgas, even as thay age. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns against the negative health effects of poor indoor air quality from the offgassing of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)”.

2) VOCs

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gasses (commonly referred to as offgassing) from certain solids and liquids. VOCs include a varity of chemicals, some of which are known to have short -term and long -term health effects. Concentrations of many VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which are known to have short-term and long-term health effects. Concentrations of many VOC’s are consistently higher indoors(up to 10 times higher). Common health problems from exposure to high levels of VOC’s include asthma, nausea, vomitting, nose bleeds, eye irritation, nose and throat discomfort, headache, fatigue, dizziness, allergic skin reaction and dsynea (shortness of breath).