Recently I was on vacation traveling the orient.  When I went into Hong Kong’s MRT (Mass Rapid Transportation System) I was amazed to see the use of terrazzo tile.  As you may notice from the photo that the station was very clean and I believe they choose terrazzo to execute the vision of freshness, similar to why Thailand’s new international airport choose to use exposed concrete and terrazzo flooring.   Of course terrazzo is the easiest floor system to maintain, proven statistics prove that.  Initially it is the most expensive flooring system to install but to maintain in a life cycle it the cheapest.  Plus terrazzo lasts for ever!  Go to Venice Italy or Pompeii Italy and see for yourself.

Here in the United States, this beautiful floor is used in many states.  Especially here in South Florida.  As the owner of Colonial Floor Care, I have seen the historical beauty of this durable floor in many of the the homes in South Florida.  In the 1920’s through the 1960’s many of the homes being built had this type of floor included into the  homes design.  This was called the “Mid Modern” floor.  Many great architects such as Frank Loyd Wright use natural elements in their design.  Terrazzo, being made of marble and Portland cement, brought that natural feel to this floors. Bringing in the natural flow of nature into the home, and also lending these homes a way to stay cool before air conditioning during the humid summers that are famous in Miami and other surrounding cities.  These floors were also very durable and added color and beauty to what otherwise would be a wooden floor.  Because of the high humidity, wooden floors could be damaged if they became wet.  Where as, with Terrazzo, even after a flood from the tropical storms and hurricanes, would be able to be cleaned back to it’s original condition.  Most of the home were built with concrete block and still stand today after decades of sever weather.  However in the 1970’s what I call the “great Terrazzo cover up”  when new materials, such as “shag carpet and vinyl flooring” were used to cover up these beautiful floors.  However in the 1980’s these old flooring materials started to be taken up to reveal the Terrazzo again.  Many people unfamiliar with this floor wondered why their foundation floors had color in them.  And soon found out that what they had was a hidden treasure that could be restored, and made beautiful again.  Colonial Floor Care has been restoring these historical floors for over 20 years, for far less than a new Terrazzo installation.  If you are one of the fortunate homeowners to have Terrazzo, we can help keep your floor remain beautiful with our special proprietary methods of cleaning and polishing.  Call for a free estimate today.

We have all had to make this decision.  Do we hire the person with the lowest price for a service or item, or do we take that chance that this price will be reflect in the quality of the workmanship which we expect?  In this economy it is hard to make these types of choices.  There are many people selling their products or services that “talk the talk” but do not “walk the walk” when it comes to quality.  Especially when it comes to Terrazzo flooring. contractorround for literally for thousands of years. It came into its own in Venice Italy around the 15th century when the Marble workers used the chips and smaller pieces and pressed them into a clay type surface for their terraces, thus the name Terrazzo. It is durable, easy to maintain, and will last a life time if taken care of properly.  Needing little more than a yearly professional Terrazzo cleaning and polishing with a sealer, you only need to keep it swept clean and mopped with a neutral soap.  It cost $30.00 or more to install today, which is a large amount of money to spend.  However some contractors who say they have the experience can really do a terrible job.  As seen in the above video, money can be wasted because the customers choose the “lower” price.  Which sometimes in the long run will cost more to repair than the higher bid in the first place.  So let talk about hiring a contractor.

First, the best recommendation are from prior customers, people who have worked with that contractor, have seen their work ethic, and how they supervise the work that is being done.  Always ask for customers references, but even better see if someone you know have has restoration or cleaning of their Terrazzo done.  A contractors “references” may or may not be the “real deal”.  Knowing someone your self that you trust is always better.

Second, call the BBB, as they will have any complaints on file if any.  You can also ask for pictures of some of the recent projects that their work.  Make sure they show you close up shots of any restoration of cracks or chips out of the Terrazzo.  Restoring Terrazzo is an art as well as a craft.  Color matching of cement and marble chips are of the utmost importance.  If you find Terrazzo that has been hidden under carpet or tile for years, you will need to have a company with the experience and dedication to their craft to bring that floor back to life.

At Colonial Floor and Stone Care, we have over 20 years of experience in restoring Historic Terrazzo, as well as other natural stone, such as Mexican and Cuban tile.  Also decorative concrete, which is also considered a stone material which can be acid stained and polished to a show room quality appearance.  We have a passion for these types of flooring.  We treat your floor as if it was our own.  Call us for a free estimate and let us earn your business.

Always get multiple estimates for different companies before you make your choice.  Remember paying abit more for high quality work usually is the best decision.  However, it is you, the consumer’s choice.  So make it the right choice.

Colonial Floor Care and Stone Care has been in business for over 20 years restoring historical Terrazzo for over 20 years.  And as small business, we understand the reality of having to decide if putting  a bit more money into the best equipment, materials, and employee’s or trying to save some dollars and get just the next least expensive.  As many businesses as well as home owners out there have to do every day.  What to do??  We choose the best quality, as it is a hard lesson to learn “you get what you pay for”.

For an example.  This job that we were called to do at the high ranking Breaker’s Hotel in Miami.  They too, a few years ago, opted out for the less expensive fix for their exquisite  Grand Ball Room.  This room had a foundation crack that also crack the historical Terrazzo Floor Polishing Miami, and it was decided to hire the lower bidding contractor, even tho Colonial Floor and Stone Care had done work for their sister hotel the Essex with wonderful outcome we had proposed a higher bid. The Hotel decided to hire  the company with the lower bid to fix the cracking in the Terrazzo.  What they got for their money was sub standard quality work.  Unfortunately, what is always said “you get what you pay for”.  We were told that when the Hotel complained to this company, they just walked away from their work.  We were called back approximately two years later to see what this luxury Hotel had been presenting  as a supposed restoration to their customers.

The previous restoration company used resin to fill the cracks that was not color matched correctly, what compounded the problem is that they did not use any marble chips to give a flawless, seamless repair to the cracks.  Our Technicians came in and took all of the resin out of these cracks, filled them with the proper Portland cement and proper color matched the cement and  marble chips which were   in two colors, to do the job right.  The above video shows the restoration process they way it should have been done the first time, the right way!

So the question is, do you pinch your pocket book and hope for the best, or do you invest in your business or your home and choose a quality company that will restore your Terrazzo (which today would cost $30.00 per square foot to install) to its original condition?

We hope at Colonial Floor Care will come and talk to you about your individual needs for your Terrazzo, Marble, granite, even concrete or any other natural Stone care.  The estimate is free, the consultation will be done by a highly trained and professional representative of our company.  We hope to keep this from happening to your restoration need.

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Colonial Floor and Stone Care were called to another Historical Hotel to help fix the Hotel Clevelander Terrazzo in this historical hotel.  There were many cracks  multi colored Terrazzo.    We were called in to inspect and recommended repairing Terrazzo flooring on 3 floors of and outside areas of the hotel.  We found that there were multi  colors to the Terrazzo floors that had been cracked.  So with our expertise, our technicians matched the color of all the different Terrazzo that had been crack and filled with the appropriate color match  cement, match the marble chips that were placed in the cracks and then after the repair was done, the areas were ground to a smooth finish and polished leaving a seem less restoration.  In this hotel, Colonial did the Terrazzo inside and out.  Once done, the customer was so happy with the repair they had us do the sister hotel, the Essex.

Colonial Floor and Stone Care not only does these types of restoration and repairs to South Florida’s historic Hotels and businesses, but also many of South Florida’s  historic Mid Modern designed home with Terrazzo.  We take pride of our customer satisfaction, and treat the customers Terrazzo with it’s individual restoration or cleaning needs.  Many home owners can have the same problems, cracking or chipping, and may think that they may have to cover it up with carpet or tile, however Terrazzo is one of the flooring that can be restore to it’s original beauty, if done correctly.  We have the years of experience of reclaiming these beautiful and durable floors.

Colonial Floor and Stone Care has been restoring Terrazzo, along with other natural stone floors, counter top and vanities for over 20 years.  We take pride in our restorations.  Call for further information and your free estimates.  It is our privilege to help all owners of Terrazzo flooring to keep it in the best condition.

My husband and I recently remodeled a home and are fortunate enough to have found this company.  Being new to the South Florida area, but not new to the remodeling business, my husband was in complete surprise when he found this type of flooring when we pulled up the cracked and stained ceramic tile in the 1950’s home we were remodeling.  He and I both didn’t know what it was underneath, but knew it wasn’t just plain concrete foundation flooring through out the house.

We knew  Concrete didn’t have what looked like color in it. We stopped removing the tile so we could do some research, or I should say I did, as my husband continued to put up new drywall in the bedrooms. And found that this was  a really expensive flooring to put in today.  Costing around $30.00 a square foot!! That  this flooring was used in South Florida construction of homes in the 1950’s and 60’s.  So I did some more research and found that Colonial Floor and Stone Care was near by.  So I looked over their web page,watched a few videos,  read the company’s credentials and time in business seemed to fit the bill.  So I gave them a call and had a free estimate done.  After we had replace and prepped all the walls we made an appointment to have them come in to remove the tiles properly as to not damage the Terrazzo, and come to do these dull, ugly floors restoration. ( and yes they were ugly! Stained and dull beyond belief!)

Well to our surprise, once the floors were done they shown like glass!  To the  point of seeing reflections from  the outside through the windows.  I couldn’t have been happier.  And my husband, well he was amazed at the professionalism the crew that came to do the floors had.  Let me tell you, if he had found something wrong, as a contractor who has been doing remodeling for 25 years, he would have found a reason to complain!

Today, we call it our “winter home”, I call it beautiful!  If you have discovered Terrazzo under an old carpeted or tiled floor, think twice about recovering it!  We are glad we did.

We love living in South Florida; the warm air, the sunny skies and the beautiful beaches. We also love the charm of our “old” Florida homes.  However, with the charm, sometimes we can face issues. The most prevalent one being floods caused from leaky, rusty pipes leaving your wood, tile or carpet floors damaged forever.

When this occurs, a homeowner is faced with many decisions. What to do with the floors? Insurance companies will most often give the value of the current floors. Great, right! What may not be known is that what is underneath those floors is something far more valuable!

Installing new terrazzo in your home can cost up to $30.00 per square foot. It is the most expensive floor you can do. So…..the question would be if you have it, why not restore it.

Restoring your mid century modern floor is not only far more economical than laying down new wood or marble, but it also green friendly, easy to maintain, and has no grout lines for dirt and grime to hide.

We have a propriety method in grinding your terrazzo and bringing them to a natural shine that is why we have been in business in South Florida for over twenty years. It is a true labor of love for us to see these floors brought back to life! Don’t let a flood get you down, it could be the best thing to happen to your floors!

Call us today for a free estimate and get ready to enjoy a new look to your home without breaking the bank!

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Let’s face it! We are in harder times. Everyone is conserving. We have to get the best value without sacrificing the quality. Whether you are trying to sell a home or investment property or just looking to do upgrades, restoring your terrazzo is a great way to save a little and add major value to your home.

Did you know that terrazzo is so hot that some are spending up to $30.00 a square foot to have it installed! Yes, in this economy. We are now finding out what contractors and architects new years ago. Terrazzo is a durable and beautiful floor to live with. It is also easy to maintain and environmentally friendly. Some would even go as far to say it is better for your health.  Grout can be a haven for dirt and bacteria, leaving it impossible to clean with out a professional.  With no grout lines and a flat surface, terrazzo stays cleaner and assists keeps your living area allergen free.

We have a propriety method in grinding your terrazzo and bringing them to a natural shine that is why we have been in business in South Florida for over twenty years. It is a true labor of love for us to see these floors rejuvenated.

If you are lucky enough to have these magnificent mid century modern floors in your home…set them free! Removing your tile can be easy and affordable. We will even take it away.

Call us today for a free estimate and get ready to enjoy a new look to your home without breaking the bank!

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Watching the Today Show this morning I saw that Miami is one of the top 10 cities to buy housing at a bargain price and where job growth is on the up-rise. I said to myself  “way to go Miami”.  So with so many home for sale at bargain prices, a great percentage of these being Mid Modern homes built in the 50’s and 60’s will probably have Terrazzo.  Many may be covered up with carpet or tile, which was the thing to do in the 70’s.  Many homeowners are now discovering the timeless beauty, durablity of Terrazzo.  Many ask their real estate agents to look for homes with these type of floors.  Unfortuneatly foreclosure home may not be in the best condition.  You can tell if you have covered up Terrazzo at the door way of your potential home.  If you see something that may be dirty, dull, but with spec’s of color, you most probably have Terrazzo in that home.  Yes it may be covered up with tile or carpet , and yes when you remove that you may find a floor that looks like it would be impossible for it to be restored.  That is where Colonial Floor Care will be able to help.  We have been restoring this historical floor for over 20 years for Miami/Dade, Broward and Palm Beach county resident home owners for over 20 years.  If you decide to restore your Terrazzo, have pull out the carpet and tile, and find that possibly a foyer or kitchen was not terrazzo but fondation concrete, don’t be discouraged.  Once again Colonial Floor Care can come to help you with the newest trend in flooring, which is decorative concrete.  If you are looking to restore and be one of the lucky owners of Terrazzo, or need help deciding what to do like these homeowners, please call us for a consultation and free estimate.

Miami/Dade @ 305-731-2242, Browardcounty@954-566-4555 or Palm Beach county.

Presents have been given and recieved, the Holiday feast have been consumed and now is the time we all start to think about New Years resolutions.

We all have them, and we all start them, but most of us (myself included) don’t stick to them.  We all have great intentions, but alas; the husle and bustle of the new year will get in the way.  While we wait for that big crystal ball be counted down in Times Square or what ever our New years eve will be,  there are a few ways to keep a new years resolutions to completion.  Don’t aim to high, everyone always seems to want to “do it all” and that sets us up for failure.  Keep it simple is my motto.  Another way is to tell as many people as you can what you are resolute in getting it done.  If  is weight you want to loose…take is slow and say 5 lbs instead of 50.  More time spent with the family, make it  a weekly thing you can do easily.  This will go for just about everything.

This year I have resolved to finally get the last remodeling project out of the way and that is going to be so easy!  Our last remodel job is restoring the old Terrazzo Floor we found when we took out the carpet in the 1953 Bungalow we have in South Florida.  Being from the north, this type of flooring I had never seen before.  So when we started the remodel, I had to do my research on it.  What I found was a company that has been recommended by friends for their historical restorations of this type of Floor.  Now that we are ready we are scheduling our restoration with Colonial Floor and Stone Care .  This New Years resolution will be easy, just call and make the appointment and what looks like a mess will put the finishing touch to a newly historical  remodeled 1950’s home. Now I just have to work on the harder resolutions!

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One thing I enjoy seeing  this time of year, is  everyone seems to come together, become a bit more joyful, wanting to connect with family and friends. Enjoying the Holiday decorations that are displayed around town. Driving around with the family to look at  the many homes with their own light show that people enjoy putting up. I have to admit, I am one of those people.  Tis the Season to be Jolly!

Growing up in Western New York I remember the fun as a child (and with my own  children when they were small) playing in the snow. Getting our own tree from our woods behind the farm, decorating the house.  Yes these traditions I continue here in south Florida along with new ones such as making Christmas tree ornaments from shells and sand dollars with my children and now grandchildren.  Putting lights up around a Palm Tree instead of a Blue Spruce tree in our front yard.  Being able to enjoy the beach and festivities without worrying about the bundling up in case of a snow storm to watch the Boat Parades up and down the Intercostal Waterway.  Yes we all keep our traditions, putting some type of variation in there when the need arises.

Just like the winter cleaning, as my Mother use to call it.  From Thanksgiving on, the house had to be ready and spotless for the upcoming festivities.  When I moved to here to Florida, that tradition continued.  As I started to take up old dirty carpet to have it replaced before the holidays, I received a wonderful gift.  Terrazzo flooring under years of vinyl tile and carpeting.  When I first saw it, I had no idea what it was, or what to do with it. I knew it had to be something, it wasn’t just plain concrete it had color in it.  So I call a friend who owned a flooring company to see what this floor was.  It didn’t take but a few seconds for him to tell me what a wonderful, historic and artful floor I had uncovered called Terrazzo.  And even luckier, was that it was not in really bad condition.  His company has been in business restoring this wonderful type of floor for 26 years. He was able to have the house done before that Holiday.  My floors were the talk of my parties!

He was enthusiastic about his business and the natural stone floors his company cleans, polishes and restores.  For much less than what it would have cost to replace the old carpet (and take up the vinyl tile under the carpet) I had this ugly floor restored to what I only can describe as multi-colored, shining art on my entire home’s floor!  So winter holiday time is the time that I clean up, shine up and decorate my home.  Colonial Floor Care keeps my newly reclaimed Terrazzo treasure clean for another Holiday Season.  Give them a call for all you Terrazzo cleaning, polishing and all natural stone care and concrete needs. 561-337-1408 for all of Palm Beach county.  Colonial Floor Care also services Miami/Dade by calling 305-731-2242 and Ft lauderdale by calling 954=566=4555

Enjoy the Holidays!