Flooring

FLOORING

Flooring is the permanent covering of a floor using any finishing material applied over the floor structure to provide a walking surface. The purpose of floor is to provide a level surface capable of supporting the occupants of the building, furniture, equipment and some time interior wall. The floor must satisfy the following requirements:

❖ Adequate strength and stability

❖ Adequate fire resistance.

❖ Sound proof

❖ Damp resistance

❖ Thermal insulations

TYPES OF FLOORING

Based on the materials used flooring shall be classified as follows:

(a) Mud flooring and muram flooring

These floorings are used in low cost housing, especially in villages. Over the hard layer of earth filling, mud or murum layer is provided. Muram is a form of integrated rock with binding material. To construct such a floor a 15 cm thick layer mud or muram is laid over prepared sub grade over it 2.5 cm thick powder layer of muram is spread and rammed. The floor needs a thin wash of cow dung at least once a week. In order to prevent cracks small quantity of chopped straw is mixed. This type of flooring is cheap, hard highly impervious.

(b) Brick flooring

This is also a cheap floor construction. It is commonly used in godowns and factories. Bricks are laid flat or on edges. The sub grade is compacted properly, to the desired level and 7.5 cm thick layer is spread. Over this a course of brick is laid flat in mortar is built. Brick layer is provided on sand bed or on lean concrete (1: 8: 16) bed. In both cases joints are rendered flush and finished with cement mortar.

(c) Flag stone flooring

Laminated sand stones or slates of 20 mm to 40 mm thick in the form of slabs of 300 mm × 300 mm or 450 mm × 450 mm or in the form of rectangles of size 450 mm × 600 mm are used as floor finishes. The stone slabs are laid on 20 to 25 mm thick mortar spread over concrete bed. The joints are to be finished with rich mortar. This type of works also called paving.

(d) Cement concrete flooring

Cement concrete flooring is commonly used for residential, commercial even industrial building. This flooring is moderately cheap, quite durable and easy to construct. The floor consists of two components like base concrete and topping or wearing surface. The base course may be 7.5 to 10 cm thick and the topping is of 1:2:4 cement concrete. It needs curing for 7 to 14 days. To get good appearance many times red-oxide finishing coat is provided.

(e) Terrazzo Flooring

Terrazzo flooring is another type of floor finish that is laid in thin layer over concrete topping. It is very decorative and has good wearing properties. Terrazzo is a specially prepare concrete surface containing cement and marble chips in the proportion to 1:1 1/4 to 1:2. When the surface has set the chips are exposed by grinding operation. Plenty of water is used during grinding. After each grinding, cement grout of cream-like consistency is applied and cured for 6-7 days. After final grinding and curing the floor is washed with plenty of water and then with dilute oxalic acid solution. Then floor is finished with polishing using machines and wax polish.

(f) Mosaic flooring

Mosaic flooring is made of small pieces of broken tiles of china glazed or of cement or of marble arranged in different pattern. These pieces are cut to desired shape and sizes It consists of a finishing coat of small pieces of broken tiles of marble arranged in different patterns set in lime-surkhi or cement mortar. The base coarse is concrete flooring and on it 30 to 40 mm mortar layer is provided. On this mortar layer broken pieces of China glazed or marble are set to get different attractive patterns. After 20 to 24 hours of drying the top is rubbed with carborundum stone to get smooth and polished surface.

(g) Tiled flooring

This is an alternative to terrazo flooring, used commonly used in residential, office and commercial buildings. Tiles of clay, cement or terrazo of standard sizes are manufactured in factories under controlled conditions. On the concrete base, 25 mm to 30 mm thick mortar is laid and these tiles are placed and pressed with trowel or wooden mallet. Before placing tiles cement slurry is applied to bottom side and sides of tiles to get good bond. Next day joints are cleaned of loose mortar and raked up to 5 mm depth. Then that is filled with coloured cement slurry to get uniform colour on the top surface. After curing for 7 days grinding and polishing is made.

(h) Marble flooring

Marble slabs are cut to get marble tiles of 20 to 25 mm thickness. They are laid on floors similar to other tiles. With power driven machine surface is polished to get even and shining surface. This type of flooring is widely used in hospitals and temples.

(i) Timber flooring

Timber flooring is used in dancing halls and in auditoriums. Timber sheets may be directly placed on concrete bed or may be provided over timber frame work. In latter case it is necessary to provide proper ventilation below the floor. This flooring is costly.

(j) Rubber Flooring:

Tiles or sheets of rubber with fillers such as cotton fibers, asbestos fiber or granulated cork are manufactured in variety of patterns and colours. These sheets or tiles may be fixed to concrete or timber floors. These floors are attractive and noise proof. However they are costly.

(k) P.V.C. Flooring:

Poly-Vinyl-Chloride (PVC) is a plastic which is available in different colour and shade. Nowadays tiles of this material are used widely. Adhesives are applied on concrete base as well as on bottom of PVC tiles. Then the tile is pressed gently with 5 kg wooden roller till the oozing of adhesive is seen. The oozed out adhesive is wiped and the floor is washed with warm soap water. The floor finish is smooth, attractive and can be easily cleaned. But it is slippery and costly.