Historic Terrazzo Restoration Preserves 1913 Atlanta Home
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Historic terrazzo porch before restoration, showing extensive cracking, lippage, and years of structural settlement.
Close-up of one of the major structural cracks requiring professional terrazzo repair.
Color-matched epoxy and stone aggregate being applied to restore and stabilize the original terrazzo.
Professionally repaired cracks before grinding and polishing to blend seamlessly with the original terrazzo.
Grinding and lippage correction to eliminate uneven surfaces and prepare the terrazzo for polishing.
Diamond grinding in progress to refine the terrazzo surface and restore a level, uniform finish.
Professional honing and polishing bring back the terrazzo's natural beauty and clarity.
Historic terrazzo restored with repaired cracks, corrected lippage, and renewed natural beauty.
Completed restoration of the original 1913 terrazzo porch, preserving a historic architectural feature in Atlanta's Ansley Park Historic District.
Project Overview
When the owners of a historic 1913 American Foursquare home in Atlanta’s Ansley Park neighborhood noticed growing cracks in their original terrazzo front porch, they knew the problem extended beyond appearance. Years of structural settlement had caused extensive cracking and uneven surfaces, threatening both the beauty and safety of this historic property.
As part of a larger preservation and rehabilitation project, the homeowners sought a contractor capable of restoring the original terrazzo rather than replacing it. After searching for a specialist with the necessary expertise, they selected DEZ Services to perform the terrazzo restoration work.
Unique Project Highlights
- Historic Preservation
- Original Terrazzo Preserved
- Trip Hazard Eliminated
- Featured in Published Article
- Historic Tax Credit Rehabilitation
- Aggregate Color Matching
The Challenge
The exterior front porch featured approximately 250 square feet of original terrazzo flooring with approximately 68 linear feet of cracks. Structural settlement over time had created significant lippage (uneven surfaces), resulting in trip hazards while diminishing the appearance of this historic architectural feature.
Because the property is located within Atlanta’s historic Ansley Park district and qualified for Georgia Historic Preservation Tax Incentives, preserving the original terrazzo rather than replacing it was an important objective of the overall restoration.
The homeowners needed a restoration specialist who could:
- Preserve the original historic terrazzo
- Repair extensive cracking without replacing the floor
- Eliminate trip hazards caused by uneven surfaces
- Closely match the original terrazzo’s color and aggregate
- Restore the floor’s original beauty while maintaining its historic character
The Solution
After the porch structure had been stabilized, DEZ Services performed a comprehensive terrazzo restoration designed to preserve the original flooring while creating a durable, seamless repair.
The restoration process included:
- Cleaning and preparing approximately 68 linear feet of cracks.
- Filling the cracks with a custom color-matched epoxy blended with carefully selected stone aggregates to closely match the existing terrazzo.
- Grinding repaired areas and correcting excessive lippage using professional metal-bond diamond abrasives.
- Transitioning through copper-bond abrasives before honing and polishing the terrazzo with progressively finer diamond resin pads.
- Polishing the terrazzo to restore its natural richness and clarity.
- Thoroughly rinsing and cleaning the restored surface.
- Applying a penetrating sealer to help protect the restored terrazzo.
This meticulous multi-step restoration process preserved the home’s original terrazzo while blending the repaired areas into the surrounding floor for a natural, historically appropriate appearance.
The Results
Completed in May 2025, the restoration successfully preserved approximately 250 square feet of original terrazzo while eliminating uneven surfaces and restoring the beauty of this historic front porch.
The finished project included:
- Approximately 250 square feet of restored historic terrazzo.
- Approximately 68 linear feet of professionally repaired cracks.
- Trip hazards eliminated through lippage correction.
- Color-matched repairs blended seamlessly with the original terrazzo.
- Natural gloss restored through professional honing and polishing.
- A penetrating sealer applied to help protect the restored surface.
- An important architectural feature preserved as part of the home’s historic rehabilitation.
The completed restoration helped protect a significant architectural element of this 1913 residence while supporting the owners’ commitment to preserving the home’s historic character for future generations.
Featured in a Historic Preservation Article
The quality of DEZ Services’ work was recognized in a published article documenting the restoration of this historic Atlanta home. The homeowners specifically acknowledged DEZ Services for its expertise in restoring the original terrazzo and preserving an important architectural feature of the property.
“We were really lucky to have found Aularndez Mattison, DEZ Services. He was able to grind down raised areas around the cracks to make a level surface, fill the cracks with matching aggregate, and polish the floors to bring back the rich colors. He is also able to work on stone and tile inside as well as outside.”
Need Historic Terrazzo Restoration?
Whether your terrazzo floors are located in a historic property, commercial building, condominium, or private residence, DEZ Services has the expertise to repair, restore, polish, and preserve terrazzo surfaces while maintaining their original beauty and character.
From historic homes to modern properties, DEZ Services provides professional terrazzo restoration, crack repair, honing, polishing, sealing, and natural stone restoration throughout the greater Atlanta area.
