Work is being done to make the lobby floor and other spaces with our trademark maroon-ish terrazzo nice and sparkly.

The process is underway now. It’s usually done once a year following the winter. Though they spot buff and treat throughout the year, especially when we have bad weather and prior to most major holidays. Many residents who’ve lived here for sometime may have noticed this done in the past, but we have had more inquiries than usual about the work being done now, so I’ll explain.

For surfaces such as this, it starts with removing the rugs. You know this is done when you can see the lines they leave behind following the salt and grime of the winter. It does build up sometimes around the edges of the mats, especially right at our main entrance.

The process continues with “stripping”, where old wax layers are removed and the floor is deep cleaned and buffed from edge to edge. This year we are making a bigger effort than usual around the seams, columns and edges along the walls and windows, to get into corners a little tighter. This requires the team to sometimes get on their hands and knees to file really good along the edges. Also, to protect the more fragile surfaces, in some locations they use the blue painters tape, which you see now in the lobby. This helps so we have a nice clean transition.

When this is completed, sections of the floor will be covered with a 4 or 5 light layers of wax. This is left in place for about four days, after which it’s buffed. After this, we should have a nice polished, shiny terrazzo floor.

The process from start to finish can take just under a month, as we do it only overnight and usually assign this work to employees who know exactly what the process is needed. For the time being, as they are stripping it section by section, it will have a foggy or dusty appearance. This is not actual dirt or dust, this is just what it looks like without wax.

Anytime you have questions about anything our staff is up to, don’t hesitate to write the office.