SOUTHERN TILE & TERRAZZO

Founded on Family

Rooted in Italian craftsmanship and family tradition, Southern Tile & Terrazzo Co. has been creating award-winning flooring projects in the Houston area since 1956.

Founded by Mike Maraldo, the company became a family business when Frank Maraldo joined his brother, putting their artistic skill and North Italian heritage to work. Trained by Italian immigrants in the trade of their grandfathers, the Maraldo brothers perfected their craftsmanship, building a respected name for themselves in South Texas. In 1990, Mike passed the business on to his son, Michael, who continues to carry on the family legacy of terrazzo excellence.

Southern Tile & Terrazzo Co. takes great pride in the terrazzo tradition that quite literally runs in our veins. It is an honor to carry on the Maraldo family business and artistic vision.

Blood, Sweat & Terrazzo

When Michael first joined the company at age 16, he spent his first day in the field with his father pushing wheelbarrows full of marble chips up a two-story ramp. As the day wore on, Michael got blisters on his feet and others noticed his hands were raw and bleeding. Both father and son worked on, heads down and sweat dripping. “Leave him alone,” Mike said of Michael, “he’s learning the trade.”

Southern Tile & Terrazzo Co. is proud to be a part of the following professional organizations:

NTMA Logo
SouthernWest Terrazzo Logo
American Subcontractors Association Logo
AGC Logo
TTC Logo

Recent Awards & Recognition

  • 2019 NTMA Honor Award – Alief ISD Career Center View Portfolio
  • 2018 NTMA Honor Award – Emancipation Park View Portfolio
  • 2018 NTMA Honor Award – IAH United Airlines Terminal C View Portfolio
  • 2013 NTMA Honorable Mention – Ella High School/9th Grade Center  View Portfolio
  • 2012 NTMA Honor Award – Spring Branch ISD Spring Branch Elementary View Portfolio
  • 2010 NTMA Honor Award – Houston Community College Stafford Learning Hub & Classrooms View Portfolio
  • 2009 NTMA Honor Award – Houston ISD Walnut Bend Elementary View Portfolio

Qualifying LEED Credits

Points may be awarded for using materials with recycled content. Terrazzo allows for easy incorporation of recycled glass, as well as stone or marble that has been salvaged from other buildings and re-crushed and sieved for use in terrazzo. A floor incorporating 100 percent recycled glass aggregate could contain as much as 75 percent recycled raw material by volume. Aluminum strips may also contain recycled metal.

Points may be awarded if terrazzo sealers do not contain VOCs in excess of certain limits. Sealers used in finishing terrazzo will generally comply. For schools, flooring elements must meet testing and product requirements of the California Department of Health Services Standard Practice for the Testing of Volatile Organic Emissions from Various Sources Using Small-Scale Environmental Chambers, including 2004 Addenda. Generally, epoxy terrazzo products will comply.

Points may be awarded if the terrazzo installation does not include adhesives and sealants that contain Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in excess of certain limits. Cement based terrazzo systems use inorganic binders that contain no VOCs. The manufacturers of thin set epoxy terrazzo systems have moved to 100 percent solid formulas, eliminating the addition of any VOCs in the material. Certification of compliance may be obtained from the individual epoxy manufacturer.

Points may be awarded be re-using a portion of existing non-structural elements, including floors. Terrazzo floors typically last the life of the structure. As such, in many renovation projects, the original terrazzo flooring can be restored to its original luster following some inexpensive repairs and refinishing. The ability to preserve the floor intact rather than replacing it will cut costs and contribute towards this LEED® credit.

Points may be awarded by recycling or salvaging nonhazardous construction and demolition debris. In projects that require demolition of an existing structure with terrazzo flooring, terrazzo components may be salvaged for reuse or recycled. A qualified terrazzo contractor can assist with component recovery. If terrazzo flooring is to be used in the new construction, the salvaged aggregate can even potentially be used in the new flooring.

Points may be awarded if a portion of the project building materials are extracted, harvested or recovered, as well as manufactured within a 500-mile radius of the project. The calculation is based on the cost of raw materials. Marble chips, glass aggregate, as well as cement and epoxy binders are available throughout many areas of the United States. Terrazzo can contribute to points if raw material suppliers are located within 500 miles of the project site.

Additional points may be awarded under the Innovation inDesign category for innovative performance in categories not specifically addressed by LEED or for achieving exemplary performance in an established LEED credit.

6829 Lindbergh Street | Houston, Texas 77087 | 713.649.2434