Q. I am a project manager for an insurance company. I have a project at a post office that has terrazzo floors. It looks like there are long cracks that I assume follow a stress crack in the concrete below. I need to give the customer an idea what it will take to repair it.
A. Your assessment of the cause of this problem is accurate. A long stress crack in terrazzo almost always indicates movement in the substrate, in this case, a concrete slab. A professional stone restoration contractor can perform a cosmetic repair to the terrazzo surface or install a divider strip in the terrazzo. To find a vetted PRO in your area, visit www.surfacecarepros.com and click on Find a PRO.
A simple cosmetic repair to the terrazzo surface can be performed, but unfortunately, the crack will reappear in time. To accomplish the repair, a stone professional stone restoration contractor will use a diamond blade or router to widen the crack just a bit so that there is enough surface area for filler to adhere. They may apply a primer to improve adhesion and then fill will a color-tinted polyester or epoxy resin. Once cured, the repaired area will be ground flush, honed, and polished to match the reflectivity of the surrounding floor.
A better, long-term solution would be for a pro to install a divider strip. They saw through the terrazzo to the slab along the existing crack. This will not prevent concrete slab movement, but it will stop stress transfer from the concrete to the terrazzo in that area. The divider strip will provide some cosmetic improvement, but its primary function is to help accommodate movement. The aluminum, zinc, or brass finished line will be visible, but it will look like it is an intentional part of the terrazzo system design.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Fred Hueston is the Chief Technical Director at SurfaceCarePROS.com and Director at StoneForensics.com. He is also the author of Stone and Tile Restoration: The Manual, a comprehensive online manual for stone and tile restoration contractors. [Learn more about Fred.]
Article ID: 853
Created: January 9, 2026
Last Updated: January 11, 2026
Author: Fred Hueston
Online URL: https://surfacecarepros.com/kb/article/what-will-it-take-to-repair-a-long-stress-crack-in-a-terrazzo-floor-853.html