New Terrazzo Floors
Cast In-Situ vs Terrazzo Tiles (2026)

What new terrazzo is today

Terrazzo is a composite floor: chips of marble, granite or glass set into a cement or resin matrix, laid in situ and then ground flat and polished. In Malaysia it was the everyday quality floor in older terraces, shophouses and schools. It is back in fashion as a design material, and owners who like the look now choose between a traditional poured floor and factory-made terrazzo tiles. If you already have old terrazzo, restoring it is usually the better route; our terrazzo restoration guide explains how.

Terrazzo floor design ideas: 10 concept designs

Ten terrazzo floors for Malaysian homes, poured in-situ or laid as tiles: a brass grid under a dining table, a pink foyer, terrazzo stairs and a honed bathroom floor. Each card is an illustrative concept render; filter by type or by room, tap an image to enlarge it, and open the details for where it suits, the finish and what to watch.

StyleAllCast in-situDivider strips & inlaysTerrazzo tiles

RoomAllLiving roomDiningMaster bedroomKitchenBathroomEntranceBalcony

10 designs shown

These are illustrative concept designs created to show the options. They are not completed ClickBina projects. No prices are shown because a new terrazzo floor, poured or tiled, is quoted case by case on the mix, area and design. We design and renovate homes. WhatsApp us your job details (the area, which rooms, in-situ or tiles, and whether the existing floor stays) for a quote.

More galleries: browse all design ideas by area of the house, from cabinets and kitchens to porches and grilles.

Cast in-situ versus terrazzo tiles at a glance

Cast in-situ terrazzo: how it is laid

1. The base slab is checked for level, cracks and damp, and a screed or bedding layer is prepared.
2. Divider strips (brass, aluminium or plastic) are set out in a grid or pattern; they control movement and separate colours.
3. The chip-and-matrix mix is placed between the strips and compacted.
4. The floor cures before grinding, so it does not tear the chips out.
5. Coarse to fine grinding passes expose the chips; pinholes are filled with a matching grout.
6. Final honing and polishing, then a penetrating sealer.

Because the grinding is wet and messy, in-situ terrazzo is best done early, before joinery, painting and fittings. Everything nearby must be protected.

Terrazzo tiles: how they differ

Terrazzo tiles are the same material made in a factory and cut to size. They are laid on a mortar bed or adhesive like other tiles, with narrow joints, and are usually ground and polished again after laying to flatten small lips between tiles. The joints limit how aggressively the floor can be ground later, but a damaged tile can be replaced. Buy spare tiles from the same batch, because colour varies between batches.

Cement or resin (epoxy) matrix

• Cement terrazzo: the traditional mix; thicker, very durable, and suited to ground floors and outdoor-adjacent areas. Colours are more limited.
• Resin (epoxy) terrazzo: a thinner system with brighter colours and finer detail, common in commercial interiors. It needs a dry, stable base and is more sensitive to heat and sunlight.

For most Malaysian homes, cement terrazzo or cement-based tiles are the practical choice; resin systems suit specialist interior projects. If you want a seamless look without chips, microcement is the thin-coat alternative.

Design choices: chips, colours and divider strips

The character of terrazzo comes from the chip size and colour against the base colour. Small chips on a pale base read calm and modern; large, mixed chips read bold. Brass strips add a traditional line; plastic or zinc strips almost disappear. Ask for a sample panel in the exact mix and see it in daylight in the room before the whole floor is poured.

Where terrazzo works in a Malaysian home

• Living and dining areas: the classic use; cool underfoot and hard-wearing.
• Stairs: terrazzo treads and nosings are traditional; our staircase tread guide covers recladding stairs.
• Wet areas: a polished finish becomes slippery when wet, so choose a honed or textured finish near bathrooms and kitchens; our anti-slip tiles guide explains slip ratings.
• Outdoor-adjacent floors: cement terrazzo copes better than resin with sun and heat.

Floor height, the slab and movement

A poured terrazzo floor adds thickness, so check door thresholds and the step to adjoining rooms before you commit. The slab below must be sound: wide cracks, uneven edges or damp under the floor will reflect through any new finish. Divider strips at regular spacings and over any structural joints let the floor move without cracking across the room.

Sealing and care

New terrazzo should be sealed with a penetrating sealer and cleaned with a pH-neutral cleaner. Acidic cleaners, including many bathroom and descaling products, etch the marble chips and dull the floor. Wipe spills quickly, use mats at entrances to keep grit off, and plan a re-hone and re-seal when the shine fades rather than waxing over it.

Choosing a terrazzo installer

Terrazzo is a craft with fewer specialist crews than ordinary tiling, so check experience before price. Ask to see floors the installer has laid, ideally in person and in daylight, and look along them at a low angle for ripples, open pinholes and chips pulled out by grinding too early. Ask how the base will be prepared, which divider strips they use, how many grinding passes they plan and which sealer they apply. Agree who protects the walls, doors and joinery from the grinding slurry, and who removes it. For tiles, ask for the batch number and a written allowance of spare tiles. A written scope that answers these questions is worth more than the lowest quote, because a poorly laid terrazzo floor is very hard to put right later.

What terrazzo costs

No ClickBina guide publishes a price for laying a new terrazzo floor or for terrazzo tiles, because it depends heavily on the mix, area and design, so new work is quoted per job. These are the related published lines (indicative 2026, Klang Valley):

For a new floor, the quote should itemise base preparation, divider strips, the chip and matrix specification, grinding passes, sealing, protection and any threshold adjustments.

How ClickBina can help

New terrazzo is specialist work and is quoted case by case. WhatsApp us your job details for a quote: the area, which rooms, in-situ or tiles, and whether the existing floor stays or comes out. ClickBina is an experienced KL & Selangor contractor that handles whole-house refurbishment and trade coordination. We reply within the hour, the price we agree is a flat price with no hidden charges, and a site visit is RM150, waived if you go ahead.

Sources & methodology

• ClickBina terrazzo restoration guide — what terrazzo is, divider strips, terrazzo tiles, acid damage, and restoration and retile prices.
• ClickBina convenience store fit-out guide — site visit wording.

How we estimated prices: every RM figure on this page is quoted unchanged from the ClickBina guides named above. They are indicative Klang Valley ranges for 2026, not fixed rates; new terrazzo has no published ClickBina price and is quoted after a site visit.