What Is The Aging Process Of Terrazzo in Retro Style? How To Control The Degree Of Aging?

The aging process of terrazzo in retro style mainly revolves around three core elements: surface treatment, color matching, and texture simulation. By combining physical and chemical methods, the degree of aging is precisely controlled, creating a natural and historical visual effect. The following are specific processes and control methods:

1, The core steps of making old crafts
Surface pretreatment: simulating erosion over time
Mechanical polishing: Use coarse grinding discs (such as 50 # -100 #) to remove the surface gloss of terrazzo, forming fine scratches and simulating long-term wear and tear.
Acid washing treatment: corroding the surface with diluted oxalic acid or hydrochloric acid solution to produce irregular mottled effects and enhance the retro texture.
Local tapping: lightly tap the surface with a tool to create small pits or cracks, mimicking natural aging marks.
Color blending: Creating a sense of history
Pigment penetration: Adding pigments such as iron oxide and carbon black to the cement substrate, adjusting the base color to gray white, beige, or dark brown, simulating the yellowing or fading effect of old terrazzo.
Layered dyeing: Dyeing the repaired area or overall surface in layers, enhancing the sense of layering through the transition of different shades of color.
Imitation stain treatment: Apply tea, coffee, or specialized stain removers to the surface to create natural stains and enhance realism.
Texture simulation: restore natural texture
Aggregate selection: irregular crushed stones, broken glass, or recycled old terrazzo fragments are used as aggregates to increase surface roughness.
Handmade tiling: By manually dividing, embedding or tiling, imitating the traditional terrazzo splicing traces, avoiding the regularity of mechanical construction.
Imitation crack treatment: Apply elastic crack agent on the surface and wait for it to dry to form small cracks, simulating the cracking effect caused by long-term stress.
2, Methods for controlling the degree of aging
Precision of process parameters
Grinding depth: Adjust the number of grinding discs according to design requirements. Coarse grinding (50 # -100 #) is used for deep polishing, and fine grinding (300 # -500 #) is used for smooth transition.
Acid washing concentration and time: Dilute the acid solution to 5% -10%, soak for 1-3 minutes to avoid excessive corrosion and surface looseness.
Staining times: By layering 2-3 times, gradually adding colors to prevent a single dyeing from being too deep and unnatural.
Material selection and proportioning
Cement type: Use low strength cement (such as grade 32.5) or add retarders to extend the setting time and facilitate manual shaping.
Aggregate ratio: Increase the aggregate content (60% -70% of the total volume), improve surface roughness, and control particle size distribution (such as 5-15mm mixing).
Additive use: Add a small amount of cellulose ether or water reducing agent to improve construction performance and avoid surface defects caused by poor fluidity.
Environmental simulation and maintenance
Temperature and humidity control: The construction environment should maintain a temperature of 15-25 ℃ and a humidity of ≤ 70% to prevent cracking caused by temperature differences or rapid drying.
Maintenance period: After construction, cover with plastic film for 7-14 days of maintenance, spray water daily to keep it moist, and ensure even development of strength.
Post processing: After completing the aging process, apply a sealing curing agent or wax layer to protect the surface and enhance stain resistance. At the same time, regularly clean and maintain to prevent accelerated aging caused by human contamination.
3, Application Cases and Effect Comparison
Case 1: Retro coffee shop floor
Craftsmanship: Using dark brown base color and irregular crushed stone aggregate, simulating 20-year usage traces through acid washing and manual tapping.
Effect: The surface presents a natural mottled feeling, with cracks and stains evenly distributed, forming a harmonious match with vintage furniture.
Case 2: Restoration of Historical Buildings
Process: Match the color and texture of the original terrazzo, repair damaged areas through layered dyeing and crack imitation treatment.
Effect: The repaired part has almost no color difference with the original ground, and the aging effect is natural, meeting the requirements of cultural relic protection.