Marble Grit Floor a la Veneziana

The sub-base is made of a mixture of crushed pottery and sand – with particle sizes ranging from 4 mm to 12 mm – mixed with lime. Once laid the sub-base is flattened with a roller (about 90 kg) and tool (steel bar with a handle). Once this phase has been completed, a second layer of sub-base is laid and subsequently flattened to prepare it for the laying of the decorative mosaic.

The decoration is drawn on a sheet of glossy paper which is then perforated and deposited onto the substrate. The “dusting” technique allows to deposit white lime in the holes, which will trace the de-sign after removing the sheet of paper. On the design traced with the “dusting “technique the craftsman extends the “pastina” which will tie the marble cubes.
The decorations are performed directly on the spot or, when more complex, made in laboratory on fiberglass.

After laying the decorations we proceed with the preparation of a” seed bed” composed of lime, earth, sand and milled brick .The “bed”can be in powder form rather than in dough for a thickness that varies from 1.5 to 3 cm. On this layer is sown by hand the grit in three phases: a first one with larger grain size, a second with a middle grain size and a final one with smaller size to compact all the interstices. Then we press the grit with a roller “to drown it in the “seed-bed” and sub-base. The Venetian floor is now almost complete.

Since the floors are made of lime, drying time is about from thirty to ninety days. After that we can polish. Subsequently, as soon as the floor is dry, we can proceed in treating with linseed oil and ,after a short period, we will continue with the refinement and polishing by using wax or lead.
Venetian floors (Cocciopesto) are now ready to show themselves in all their glory.