FLOORING:

 Floors are horizontal elements of building structures which divide building

into different levels for the purpose of creating more accommodation with
in the restricted space, one above the other and also provide support to
the occupants, furniture and equipment of a building.
 A floor finish is a liquid which is applied to a resilient tile floor and dries to
a hard, durable and smooth film. This film is about the thickness of waxed
paper and is expected to protect and extend the life of the floor while
providing an attractive appearance and slip resistant surface.
FACTORS TO CONSIDER
 Durability and wear factors
 Cleaning and maintenance
 Acoustics
 Static electricity
 Moisture in slab
 Price
 Appearance
 Safety
CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD FLOOR
FINISH
• It should be durable
• It should be easy to clean
• Noiseless
• Have Good Appearance
• Free from dampness
• Fire Resistant
• Low Maintenance cost

COMMON FLOORING TYPES

• Resilient floor finishes - Artificial Floor Finish
• Hard floor finishes -Classified - Artificial Floor Finish and Natural Floor Finish
• Smooth floor finishes - Artificial Floor Finish

Soft/Smooth Flooring – (warm, quite, difficult to maintain, allergens)

• Rugs and Carpets
Resilient Flooring (durable, good acoustics, easy to maintain)
• Sheet Vinyl
• VCT (vinyl composition tile)- requires waxing which is not easy to
maintain
• Asphalt Tile & Sheet
• Cork
 • Rubber
• Linoleum
Hard Flooring (durable, noisy, more expensive)
• Stone (Slate, marble, flagstone, Shahabad, kota, limestone , sand
stone, granite)
• Brick
• Terrazzo
• Tiles(Ceramic Tile, Terracotta tiles, Vitrified tiles, Mosaic tiles,
Porcelain tiles)
• Wood- hardwood, softwood, engineered (strips, planks, parquet)
• Cement tiles
• Concrete
• Laminate
• Epoxy, polyurethane flooring

FLOORING TYPES NATURAL FLOOR FINISH ARTIFICAL FLOOR FINISH

NIL Sheet Vinyl

Vinyl Composition Tile
Linoleum
Asphalt
Cork
Rubber
HARD FLOOR FINISHES Stone (Slate, marble, Tiles(Ceramic Tile,
flagstone, Shahabad, Vitrified tiles, Mosaic
kota, limestone , sand tiles, Cement tiles,
stone, granite) Porcelain tiles)
Brick Concrete flooring
Hardwood, Softwood Laminate, Engineered
Terrazzo
Epoxy , Polyurethane
SOFT/SMOOTH FLOOR NIL Carpets and Rugs
FINISHES
 RESILIENT FLOOR FINISHES
The word "resilient" means able to bring back to the original form after
compression or stretching. Floors such as rubber floors, linoleum floors, PVC
floors are called resilient floors. Such floors are used in places where we want to
reduce noise to the minimum level as in libraries, computer rooms, office rooms,
etc. and also where we want electrically-insulated floors.

1. Vinyl Composition Tile (VCT)

Overview and General Characteristics: Vinyl composition

tile is the most popular resilient flooring today for
commercial applications. These 12” x 12” tiles come in a
variety of colors and grades. They are easy to install and
are cost effective. VCT offers good dimensional stability,
durability, impact resistance, UV light stability and heat
stability.
Composition: Approximately 60 - 70% limestone/clay/talc mixture, 15 - 20%
binder (filler), 10% vinyl (resin), 5% fibreglass, 3 - 5% plasticizer and 1 - 5%
pigment.
Maintenance Characteristics: VCT holds all types and brands of floor finish
beautifully due to its porous nature.
Installation: Vinyl tiles are composed of colour vinyl chips formed into solid sheets
of varying thicknesses (1/8” is most common) by heat and pressure and cut into
12” squares. Tiles are applied to a smooth, levelled sub-floor using a specially
formulated vinyl adhesive that remains tacky but does not completely dry. Tiles
are typically waxed and buffed using special materials.
Step 1- Measure the Floor
Step 2- Prepare the Room
Step 3- Centre the Tile
Step 5- Finish Up
Step 4- Cut to Fit

2. Sheet Vinyl
 Overview and General Characteristics: This
flooring is produced in sheet widths from 6’ to
15’, making it easy to install and eliminating
seams which can trap dirt and moisture. Sheet
vinyl is not commonly used in commercial
buildings since it sacrifices durability when
compared to VCT.
Composition: Similar to VCT but contains more vinyl resin and less limestone
filler, giving it greater flexibility.
Maintenance Characteristics: Holds finishes nicely though generally not
recommended in residential settings since finishing requires more maintenance
and eventually stripping. Clean with neutral detergent.

3. Asphalt Tile & Sheet

This consists of thoroughly bonded composition of

thermoplastic binder (asphaltic type for standard
asphalt tile and resinous for greaseproof asphalt
tile), asbestos and other fibers, inert filler materials
(various stone dust, diatomite, mica, etc.) and inert
colour pigments, formed under pressure while hot
and cut to size. Asphalt tile is usually made in 9”
squares and less commonly in 12” squares.
Rectangular borders18”x24” are made in a limited
variety of colours and patterns. Usual thicknesses are 1/8” and 3/16”.

4. Cork
Cork tile is made from the outer bark of cork oak
trees grown in Spain and Portugal. The cork is
ground into large granules, mixed with synthetic
resins, and pressed into sheets, which are then
cut into tiles. Contemporary cork tiles for floors
usually have a top layer of clear vinyl applied to
them. This vinyl layer protects the cork from
staining and wear. Cork tiles traditionally have had limited application in industrial
or institutional settings. One reason is that cork is susceptible to staining because
it is one of the most porous of all floor coverings. Another limitation is that it is
 not durable; it is highly susceptible to abrasion. Cinders, sand, and gravel tracked
on to a cork floor will severely shorten its life span. Finally, it is expensive. Cork is
the outer bark of cork oak tree. This flooring is perfectly noiseless and is used in
libraries, theatres, art galleries etc. It may be in the form of either carpet or tiles.
Its size varies from 10 cm X 10 cm to 30 cm X 90 cm and thickness varies from 5
mm to 15 mm.

5. Rubber Floors

All modern rubber floors are made from

synthetic rubber, such as styrene
butadiene rubber (SBR). Rubber tiles are
cured or vulcanized by the application of
heat. Rubber floors are nonporous,
waterproof surfaces. One major advantage is
that they are quite resilient and will remain
resilient over a considerable temperature
range. Rubber flooring is susceptible to alkalises, oils, grease, solvents, ultraviolet
light, and ozone in the air. When attacked by these components, a rubber floor
will often become tacky and soft. It will then become brittle and begin to crack
and powder. Rubber Floors Rubber tiles often have knobs n the surface or will
have a tread pattern to improve traction, especially if liquids are frequently spilled
on the surface. Consists of sheets or tiles of rubber in a variety of patterns and
colours with thickness varying from 3 to 10 mm.

6. Linoleum

Overview and General Characteristics:

Invented by a British rubber manufacturer in
1860, linoleum is a tough, natural ingredient-
based flooring that has enjoyed a slight
resurgence with homeowners recently due to its
positive environmental profile. It is still used in
 commercial applications because of its high durability. It is nearly impossible to
tell sheet vinyl from linoleum once installed.
Composition: Linseed oil mixed with powdered wood and/or cork, ground
limestone, resin binders, drying agents and pigments applied to a jute backing.
Maintenance Characteristics: Linoleum should be kept finished at all times since
it is quite porous. New installations may be tough to finish for a few weeks since it
off-gases linseed oil vapors. Stripping with highly alkaline strippers is not
recommended since bleaching and fading can occur. Clean with neutral
detergent.

HARD FLOOR FINISHES - NATURAL FLOOR FINISH

1. Marble

Overview and General Characteristics: A

beautiful floor surface that is not suited for
large commercial areas or heavily trafficked
areas due to its soft nature (scratches easily),
high absorbency (stains easily) and acid
sensitivity. This is a form of metamorphic
rock. It is made up of calcium carbonate. It
comes in numerous colors, white, grey, green,
ochre, and beige and is usually veined. It is a hardwearing beautiful product,
expensive to purchase and lay as it is heavy and comes in slab form.
Variety of marble available is tremendous:
Albeta
Dungri
Aranga
Kumari
Chak dungri
Costliest and best marble is the Makrana white: Very soft, snow white and high
quality finishing. Chittor brown, Jaisalmer Yellow, Udaipur green, Baroda green,
Teak Grain marble, Banswana.
Composition: Combination of calcite and calcium carbonate.
 Maintenance Characteristics: Penetrating sealers perform best on marble.
Acrylic-based finishes can be used but success is often spotty. Marble should only
be cleaned with neutral cleaner – avoid acid-based products, high alkaline
products and products with high chelation.
LAYING OF MARBLE FLOORING
The size of marble slabs to be used in flooring depends upon the pattern to be
used. The slab for normal works is square or rectangular in shape and their
thickness varies from 20 mm to 40mm. The flooring is laid on prepared sub grade
of concrete or on RCC floor slab. Before laying of flooring, the sub grad4e in
cleaned wetted and mopped properly. Then a layer of bedding mortar which can
be 1:4 cement mortar(1 cement:4 coarse sand) or lime mortar is spread in
average thickness of about 20mm under the area of each slab. The marble slab is
laid on the top of the bedding mortar, pressed and tapped with wooden mallet.

2. Slate

Overview and General Characteristics:

Slate is a smooth, soft, natural stone
available in a wide variety of textures,
colors and sizes. It offers good durability
and stain resistance due to its semi-
porous nature.
Composition: Shale, clay quartz.
Maintenance Characteristics: Slate is generally not finished with acrylic-based
products although, if used, they will usually adhere. Penetrating sealers can be
used if desired and are often recommended for areas exposed to food and liquid
spills. Clean with neutral detergent.

3. Granite

Overview and General Characteristics:

Granite is used sparingly in commercial
buildings due to its high cost. It is hard, doesn’t
easily scratch and is stain-resistant – making it
ideally suited for residential flooring. It is long
 lasting, as it is hardwearing and resistant to chemicals and has a timeless look. If
highly polished it is slippery, but a honed finish provides a more manageable
finish. It comes in limited colors - black, red, green, grey, blue, pink.
Composition: Quartz and feldspar mixture.
Maintenance Characteristics: Granite’s hard, smooth nature makes it unsuitable
for finishing with acrylic-based products. Clean with neutral detergent.

4. Limestone and Sandstone

These are derived from sedimentary rocks.

Limestone is rarely used for floors today as it
becomes slippery when it is worn. It is grey or
beige in color. Sandstone is used more in
outdoor paving than indoor, but looks great in an area that flows to the outdoors
such as a conservatory. Its irregular natural pattern is its best feature and can
range from a grainy timber look to stripes and speckles. It is beige, brown, reddish
brown, in color and some stones are hardwearing.

5. Shahabad
They are made of Shahabad grey in colour and Cuddapah stone, black in color.

6. Kota stone
Kota stone is a naturally available limestone with
an elite blend of shades. It is usually available in
the Kota district of Rajasthan state of India . Kota
stone is well known for its attractive colors.
However, the brown color is the popular. Other
colors are - Black, Pink, Grey, and Beige. Physical
properties like hardness, non- porous and
homogeneity make it extraordinary from other
stones. Kota stone is used in two finishes i.e.
rough dress and polished finish. It is an excellent
building stone for Pathways, Corridors,
Driveways, Commercial buildings. It is also used in chemical industries due to its
resistant properties. LAYING Same as that of marble Except that the edge of slab
to be jointed should be buttered with grey cement.
 INSTALLATION
• Ensure that the tiles are of regular shape
• Base mortar 1:5 or 1:6 with low water cement ratio.
• Min. thickness of base mortar is 25mm
• Fix the marble tiles temporarily then press it using wooden handle of the
hammer to bring them in a level.
• After fixing them in pattern remove the tiles and spread white Cement
slurry(2:1) and refix the tiles.
• Press with wooden handle.
• Fill up joints with white cement.
• First grinding min. after 5 days of fixing.
• Apply white cement slurry over marble floor after first grinding and cure for a
day.
• Minimum 3 grindings required.

HARD FLOOR FINISHES - ARTIFICAL FLOOR FINISH

1. Terrazzo

Overview and General Characteristics: Terrazzo flooring offers high durability

and deep beauty. Its upfront cost is considerably higher than resilient flooring but
when viewed long-term, it can actually be less expensive.
Composition: Marble, granite, quartz and/or glass chips mixed with portland
cement, polyacrylic-modified portland cement or epoxy resin and poured into
place.
Maintenance Characteristics: Portland cement and polyacrylic-modified portland
cement floors hold finish nicely. Some pure epoxy-based floors can be tough to
finish due to its low moisture absorbency and hydrophobic nature (non-affinity
for water). Avoid using high pH cleaners and acid-based products on terrazzo.
Installation
The area is divided in to suitable panels of predetermined size and shape Strips are
jointed to base concrete with help of cement mortar Thickness of strip may be 4 to
6 mm. Surface of base concrete is cleaned and wetted and then base concrete is
laid in alternate panels. The surface is then cured for 7 days. It is then scrubbed and
cleaned thoroughly and cement grout is applied again. After 6 days curing, final
 grinding is done with carborundom stone of 320-grid size. Then it is washed with
dilute oxalic solution and finally the floor is polished with the machine

2. Concrete flooring

Overview and General Characteristics: Concrete is universally used for

commercial building slabs. Most are covered with another flooring material such
as tile, carpeting or wood. Concrete floors that are not covered with another
material are gaining popularity in retail stores and other commercial buildings
since it provides a low cost yet highly durable flooring surface.
Composition: Approximately 10 - 15% Portland cement, 40% stone aggregate,
25% sand aggregate, 15 - 20% water and 5 - 8% air.
Maintenance Characteristics: Concrete can be tricky to finish with acrylic-based
coatings. High alkalinity, high moisture, grease and oils, and unknown curing
compounds and sealants can make finishing difficult. Floors with a history of
accepting acrylic floor finishes can generally be finished with any Essential
coating.
 Installation:
Preparation of sub base:-
•Filling of earth is done.
•10-15 cm thick coarse sand.
Laying of base concrete:-
•Usually of cement concrete or lime concrete.
Laying the topping:-
•Thickness is 7.5-10 cm.
•Area is divided into rectangular or square sections.
•Finally a layer of cement concrete is applied on the top.

3. Cement tiles
Cement tile is manufactured by pressing in moulds a plastic mixture of cement
and sand. Surface color of the tile is achieved by the addition of mineral oxide
colors. Thickness of cement tile is 25mm (1”). Common sizes are squares
200mm x 200mm (8”x8”), 300mm x 300mm (12”x12”), and 400mm x 400mm
(16”x16”).
Installing
When installing cement tile, the top of the base slab shall be left 50mm (2”) below
the finish floor. The tiles shall be thoroughly soaked in water before laying on a
setting bed of cement mortar (1 part of Portland cement to three parts of sand).

4. Ceramic tiles
Overview and General Characteristics: High wear resistance with low density.
Corrosion resistance at high temperatures. Resistance to plastic deformation. Easy
to clean and water-proof. Harder and stiffer than steel, more heat and corrosion
resistant than metals and polymers. Resistant to stains and spillages. Their
incombustibility prevents spread of fire.
Composition: They include a wide variety of clay products fired into thin units
which are set in beds. Varieties include quarry tiles, porcelain tiles and terracotta
tiles.
Installation: - Remove any baseboards and shoe moulding.
•Level the subfloor.
•Install the underlayment.
•Spread the adhesive with the smooth side of the trowel. Make sure it covers the
area evenly and does not cover your reference lines.
•Lightly press and twist the ceramic when setting to make sure the adhesive sticks.
Don't push so hard that the adhesive is forced out from under the ceramic.
•Once a row is in place, level the tile with a rubber mallet and level.
•Grouting.
•Finishing Touches.
5. Vitrified tiles

Overview and General Characteristics: Vitrified tiles are ceramic tiles with high
percentage of vitrification and less amount of water absorption. Vitrification is
nothing but a development of glass phase inside the tile during firing process. This
is mainly due to melting of some constituent in the body. Vitrified tile When
Special Clay is mixed with quartz and feldspar and burned to very high
temperatures . These extra ingredients melt, creating a glass element inside the tile.
This glass component makes the vitrified files very hard and resistant to any type
of absorption. This word ‘Vitrified Tiles’ is simply a type tile with very low water
absorption. And this property makes vitrified tiles acid/alkali/chemical resistant,
impairs a greater strength & makes it stain resistant. In fact vitrified tiles again falls
into several sub categories as below
1. Soluble salt
2. Full body vitrified tiles
3. Nano polished Vitrified tiles
 4. Glazed Vitrified tiles (GVT)
Installation:

6. Glass flooring

Overview and General Characteristics: It is used where light is to be transmitted

from upper floor to lower floor. Structural glass is available in the form of tiles or
slabs. Its thickness varies from 12 to 30 mm. These slabs or tiles are fixed in
closely spaced frames. It is very costly and therefore not commonly used.

7. Brick flooring

Overview and General Characteristics: Such flooring is used in cheap

construction, especially where good bricks are available. This flooring is specially
suited to ware-houses, stores, go-downs etc. Well-burnt bricks of good colour and
uniform shapes are used. Bricks are laid either or flat or on edge, arranged in
herring bone fashion or set at right angles to the walls, or set any other good
looking pattern.
Installation:
The earth filling is properly consolidated.
--10cm thick layer of dry clean sand is evenly laid.
-- 10cm thick layer of LIME CONCRETE (1:4:8) or LEAN CEMENT
CONCRETE (1:8:16) is laid, compacted and cured to form a base concrete.
 -- Well soaked bricks are laid in CEMENT MORTAR (1:4) in any desired bond
pattern e.g. Herring Bond, Diagonal Bond or any other suitable bond.
-- In case the pointing is not to be done , the thickness of joints should not exceed
2mm and the mortar in joints is struck off flush with a trowel.
--In case the pointing is to be done, the minimum thickness of joints is kept 6mm
and the pointing may be done as specified.

8. Seamless flooring

Overview and General Characteristics: Many different seamless flooring

materials are available. These are usually latex, polyester, urethane or epoxy
compounds which are applied in liquid form to provide a completely seamless
floor covering. These are usually found in wet areas such as laboratories or food
processing plants.
9. Mosaic flooring

Overview and General Characteristics: MOSAIC FLOORING made of small pieces

of broken tiles of china glazed/cement/marble arranged in different pattern. Tiles
used are available in a variety of patterns and colours. Commonly used in
operation theatres, temples, bathrooms and superior type of building floors.
Installation:
1) The sub base is prepared in ratio 1:6:12. It is 3 inch deep A 30mm deep plain
cement concrete is laid in the ratio of 1:2:4.
2) The finishing layer is of cement and marble dust mixed with marble chips.
Cement and marble dust are mixed in ratio of 5:l cement and marble dust with
marble chips, mixed in ratio of 1:2. Then grinding finishes the floor.
10.Wood flooring

There are different types of wooden flooring:-

1) STRIP FLOORING: - this type of flooring consists of narrow and thin strip of
wood joined to each other by tongue and groove joint.
2) PLANKED FLOORING: - in this type of flooring, wider planks are used and these
are also tongued and grooved.
3) HEAVY WOOD BLOCK FLOORING: - these are made up of thicker pieces of
wood cut in short lengths ranging from 5 to 10 cm. So as form block which are set
with the ends of the grains exposed.
4) FABRICATED WOOD BLOCK: - these consist of Small Square of rectangular
block with tongue and groove joints all side.

Installation:
1) Firstly ground is leveled and compacted properly. Over the compacted surface
of ground, a layer of lime Concrete 10-15 cm. or cement concrete 5 to 8 cm thick
is laid and properly compacted. Small walls at a distance of nearly 1.5 to 2.0 c/c
are constructed over the concrete bed.
2) Over the dwarf walls, timber beams generally 8x10cm.in size , called sleeper or
needle are laid. The wooden boards, generally 2-3 cm. thick and maximum width
of wooden boards recommended is 10 cm. In another type of timber floor asphalt
layer about 6mm. Thick laid over the lime cement concrete base. Over this base
timber joints are laid dividing the floor area in square or rectangles. Timber planks
3-4 cm. thick over these joints. The wooden planks are joined by tongue and
groove.
11. PVC flooring

Overview and General Characteristics : • PVC flooring material is manufactured

in different patterns to suite different conditions. • Gives a resilient and non-
porous surface. • Burning cigarettes will damage the neat surface of PVC sheet. •
Rubber base adhesives are used for fixing.
Installation:
• Flooring shall be laid on the sub-floor and marked with guidelines
• Adhesive shall then be applied with proper tools.
• When tack free, the flooring is properly placed so that air is squeezed out.
• Roller shall be used.
SOFT/SMOOTH FLOOR FINISHES
Carpet is typically installed wall-to-wall to eliminate the maintenance of hard
flooring surfaces around the edge of a carpet. Rugs, on the other hand, are often
used to accentuate a tile or wood floor. In areas where there is heavy foot traffic,
rugs can be used to equalize wear and help prevent tracking onto other floor
coverings. Carpet Floors Carpet offers a number of benefits over hard and
resilient flooring materials. Carpet prevents slipping; it provides an additional
source of insulation, it has acoustical properties that can effectively lower noise
levels; and it is the most resilient of all floor coverings, which is a major benefit to
individuals who must remain on their feet for extended periods.

FLAT WEAVE RUGS & CARPETS

USED TWO BASIC THREADS
i) The wrap ii) The weft
COLOUR CHANGES ARE ACHIEVED BY WEAVING
THE STRIPES. LENDS BY MECHANIZATION THAN
KNOTTING & MACHINE-MADE ‘KELIMS’.
USES OF STRONG MODERN CHARACTER,
FIGURES&FLORAL PATTERN AND
PATTERN OF GEOMATRIC. SIZES:-120*80,
180*120 AND 240*150 cm.
USE IN AREA: HALLWAYS &PLAYROOMS.

PILE RUGS & CARPETS

-USED THREE TYPES OF THREADS
i) The wrap ii) the weft iii) the pile
-EXPRESSED IN TERMS OF KNOTS PER SQUARE
CENTIMETER OF SURFACE AREA i.e4-8 KNOT TO 36-50
KNOT. MADE WITH TRADITIONAL PATTREN.
-SIZES:-120cm OF RUGS and 300 &350cm OF CARPETS.
-PRODUCED IN: PAKISTAN, INDIA, TURKEY, IRAN,
MOROCCO AND SPAIN.

MECHANICALLY PRODUCED CARPET

 -IT IS COMBINATION OF WOOL AND SYTHETIC FIBERS.
-MADE IN HIGHEST GRADE 80/20 WOOL/NYLON BLEND.
-USE IN DIRECTIONAL MOVEMENT AREA i.e. the top & bottom of stairs and in
flooring in offices.
-AVAILABLE IN PLAIN & VARIEGATED COLOURS
SIZES:-50*50 cm.

1. Plush Carpets

Smooth (known as a Saxony) - This style of cut pile

carpet is achieved when the tufts of yarn are sheared
to a low, smooth pile height for uniform color and a
formal look.
Texture - This popular style offers a smooth, level
finish, but the yarns have more twist, which creates a
less formal look.
Twist (known as a Frieze) - The yarns in this style are even longer, creating a soft, comfortable,
casual appearance.
Shag - The yarns in this style are even longer, creating a soft, comfortable, casual appearance.

2. Loop Carpets

Level Loop (often called a Berber) - In this style,

all the loops are the same height. The dense, firm
surface of a loop pile carpet makes it ideal for
high-traffic areas.
Patterned Loop - The yarns in this style are also
looped, but they are at two or three varying
heights. The various heights can be arranged to
create a wide range of patterns and textures.