UNIT – IV

FLOORINGS
INTRO

THE FLOOR OF A BUILDING IMMEDIATELY

ABOVE GROUND IS KNOWN AS GROUND FLOOR.
AND THE REMAINING AS UPPER FLOORS.

IF A PART OR FULL BUILDING HAS BASEMENT, THE

FLOOR IS TERMED AS BASEMENT FLOOR.

FLOORING IS THE MATERIAL WE USE TO COVER

THE FLOORS.
INTRODUCTION
THERE ARE VARIOUS TYPES OF FLOORING
MATERIAL WHICH ARE COMMONLY ADOPTED
IN RESIDENTIAL, PUBLIC, INDUSTRIAL
OR EDUCATIONAL BUILDINGS.

EACH TYPE OF FLOORING HAS ITS OWN MERITS AND

THERE IS NOT A SINGLE TYPE THAT COULD BE SUITABLY
PROVIDED UNDER ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.

WE USE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FLOORING

MATERIAL FOR INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR APPLICATION.
TIPS
IN SELECTING TYPE OF FLOORING MATERIAL SHOULD
BE CONSIDERED BEFORE MAKING FINAL CHOICE.

IT SHOULD BE DURABLE.

IT SHOULD BE EASY TO CLEAN.

IT SHOULD BE MAKE NOISE WHILE WALKING.

IT SHOULD HAVE A GOOD APPEARANCE.

IT SHOULD NOT BE POROUS AND FREE FROM DAMPNESS.

SHOULD HAVE LOW MAINTENANCE COST.

IT SHOULD BE EASY TO WORK.

IT SHOULD BE FIRE RESISTANT.

TYPES OF FLOORING
MUD FLOORING

MURRAM FLOORING

BRICK FLOORING

FLAGE STONE FLOORING

TILED FLOORING

CEMENT CONCRETE FLOORING –EPOXY.

GRANOLITHIC FLOORING

TERRAZZO FLOORING

MOSAIC FLOORING

MARBLE FLOORING

TIMBER FLOORING

RUBBER FLOORING

LINOLEUM FLOORING

PVA AND PVC FLOORING

MUD FLOORING:

Mud flooring is commonly constructed

in villages.
They are cheap and easy to maintain.
they remain warm in winter and cool in summer.

A 25cm thick layer of selected moist earth

is evenly spread and rammed well so as to get
a consolidated thickness of 15mm.

No water is used in the process of ramming to

prevent cracks after drying.

Finely chopped straw or sand is often mixed with moist

earth in the proportion of 1:5.

Every now and then the surface is treated with

a thin cement cow-dung wash ( 1: 2 or 1: 3 )
MURRAM FLOORING:

Method of construction: In this type of floor, a

hard bed is prepared by laying
25cm thick layer of hand packed rubble
boulders and then wetted and rammed hard.
Upon this hard bed, a 15cm thick layer of murram
with course pieces at the bottom and finer at the
top is laid.
Over this layer of murram another 25mmthick
layer of powdered murram is spread. Water
should then be sprinkled on the entire surface and
rammed well.
Finally over the dry hand surface a
thin coat of cement plaster is applied evenly and
wiped cleanly by hand.

Suitability: Mud floors are generally used for

unimportant buildings particularly in villages.
BRICK FLOORING:

Method of construction:
In this type of flooring the sub grade is compacted
properly to the desired level. 10to 13 cm thick
layer of lean cement concrete or lime concrete is
laid over the prepared sub grade. This forms the
base course, over which bricks are laid in desired
pattern on 12mm thick mortar bed in such away
that all the joints are fill with mortar.

Suitability:
Brick floors are suitable for warehouses, stones
and go downs or in places where bricks are
available economically.
Advantages:
This floor is cheap, non slippery, durable,
sufficiently hard and easily repairable.
Disadvantages: It is water absorbent.
STONE FLOORING:

Method of construction:
The sub grade is prepared by laying 100mm to 15
mm thick layer of cement over a bed of well
consolidated earth. The stone slabs may be of
square or rectangular usually 300x 300mm, 450 x
450mm, 600 x 600mm or 450 x 600mm size. The
thickness of stone varies from 20mm to40mm.
The selected stone should be hard, durable and of
good quality and of uniform thickness and the
surface. They should be finely chisel dressed on
surface and should have their edges true and
parallel from side to side. When the stone slabs
are properly set, mortar in the joints are raked out
to a depth of 20mm and flash pointed with
cement mortar 1:3.
Suitability: This type of flooring is suitable for go
downs, sheds, stores, bus, shelter, schools,
hospitals etc.
Advantages: Where stones are available in plenty,
this floor is economical. It is hard, durable, easy to
construct and having good resistance to wear and
tear.
CEMENT CONCRETE FLOORING:

Method of construction: This flooring is

commonly used for residential, commercial and
even industrial buildings. The floor consists of two
components:

a)Base Concrete

b)Wearing Surface

The above components can be explained as

follows:
a) Base Concrete: The base course is laid or a well
compacted soil, compacted properly and leveled
to rough surface. The base course consists of 7.5
to 10cm thick cement concrete. The top surface
of the concrete base is roughly finished to develop
good bond between the base and topping.
CEMENT CONCRETE FLOORING:

b) Wearing Surface:

After the base concrete has hardened, its surface

is brushed with stiff broom and cleaned
thoroughly.
The entire surface is divided into square of
rectangular panels not exceeding2.5m in length.
Cement concrete 1:2:4 of thickness 25mm to
40mm is then laid in alternate panels.
The top surface is beaten and made in a uniform
line and level and finally it is smoothened by
trowelling.
The surface is kept under curing for 10 days.

Suitability: Suitable for residential, commercial,

industrial and public building of all types.

Advantages: It is cheap and durable easy to

maintain and it is fire resistant.
GRANOLITHIC FLOORING:

Method of construction:
In this flooring the sub – base preparation and
concrete base laying is done in a similar manner,
as explained for cement concrete flooring.
A finishing layer is given above is made of very
rich concrete mix with hard stone chips called
granolithic finish.
To improve wearing qualities, sand may be
replaced by crushed granite powder.
The surface may be finished smooth with a steel
trowel. The floor area may be divided into panels
of size 600 x 600mm or 600 x 450mm using
threads, if desired.
Suitability: This type of flooring is mostly suitable
for industrial floors.
Advantages: It is durable, cheap, resistance to
abrasion and does not wear easily.
TERRAZZO FLOORING:

Method of construction:
In this flooring the sub – base preparation and
concrete base laying is done in a similar manner,
as explained for cement concrete flooring.
The top layer may have about 40mm thickness,
consisting of
(1) 34mm thick clement concrete layer laid over
the base concrete and
(2)about 6 mm thick terrazzo is a specially
prepared concrete surface consisting of white
cement with marble chips of different colors in 1:2
proportion laid in a thin layer over a concrete base
course. Even though this flooring is expensive, it is
decorative and has good wearing properties.
Suitability: This type of flooring is suitable for
hospitals, public buildings, living room and
bathroom of residential buildings etc.
Advantages: It provides an attractive, clean and
durable surface.
Disadvantages: It is more expensive.
.
MOSAIC FLOORING:

Method of Construction: Mosaic flooring is made

of small pieces of broken tile of glazed china or
of cement, or of marble, arranged in different
pattern. These pieces are cut to desired shapes
and sizes. This floor is normally laid over a hard
bed of cement concrete. The top surface of
concrete base is cleaned and wetted. On a small
portion of the floor, a layer of rich cement, mortar
1:3 is evenly spread in a thickness of
nearly 1cm and mosaic tiles are laid with hand
and set properly in desired pattern. Dry cement
either ordinary or colored is sprinkled and pressed
in the joints. The process is continued for the
whole floor.
The joints of the tiles are then rubbed with a
carborandum stone. After the tiles are set, the
surface is completely polished with mosaic
polishing machine.
.
MARBLE FLOORING:

Method of Construction:
This flooring is laid over the prepared sub grade
which is cleaned, wetted and mopped properly. A
layer of cement mortar 1:4 is spread in average
thickness of about 20mm. Marble slabs are laid in
these bedding mortar, pressed and leveled. The
marble slabs may be rectangular or square in
shape and their thickness vary from 20 to 40mm.
The joints between two slabs must be very thin.
The cement that oozes out of the joints is cleaned.
The paved area is cured for minimum seven days
Suitability:
Suitable for places of worship and for public
buildings which require rich appearance.

Advantages:
It is attractive and easily maintained

Disadvantages: It requires high initial cost.

TIMBER FLOORING:

Method of construction: Timber flooring is used

for dancing halls, home theatres, auditoriums etc.
There are two types of timber floors.

I. Suspended Type
II. Solid type/ on a base

The types mentioned above can be explained as

follows:
I. Suspended Type Timber Flooring:
Where the problem of dampness is acute, the
timber flooring is provided above the ground
level. In such a case, sleeper walls are constructed
at center to center distance of 1.2 to 1.8m. Wall
plates are provided along the sleeper walls. The
bridging joists of timber are nailed to the wall
plates at their ends.
 II. Solid Type Flooring:
When the problems of dampness is not acute,
timber floors may be supported
on the ground all along. In this type of flooring,
base concrete is first laid in
15 to 20cm thickness. Over it a layer of mastic
asphalt / damp proof membrane is applied or laid.
Wooden block flooring is then laid over it.
Suitability: Suitable for dancing halls, indoor
stadia, auditorium, in hilly areas, where timber is
available cheaply and in areas where temperature
is very low.
Advantages: It provides a non – slippery platform
and is easy to repair.
Disadvantages: This flooring is not commonly
used for residential building due to its cost.
ASPHALT FLOORING:

Method of Construction:
Mastic is melted and clean sand is mixed with it
and laid in one or two layers on
the base of concrete with trowel. A uniform level
surface can be obtained by quick trowelling
before the mastic losses in plasticity and before it
gets hardened.
Suitability: It is suitable for use under wide range
of service conditions from light domestic buildings
to heavy duty commercial and industrial buildings,
storage houses, foot paths etc.

Advantages: Mastic asphalt flooring is dustless,

joint less and impervious. The flooring is easily
cleaned and resistant to acids.
LINOLEUM FLOORING:

Linoleum is a floor covering made from

renewable materials such as solidified linseed oil,
pine rosin( natural resin), ground cork dust, wood
flour, and mineral fillers such as calcium
carbonate, most commonly on a canvas backing.

Pigments are often added to the materials.

The finest linoleum floors, known as 'inlaid', are
extremely durable; they were made by joining and
inlaying solid pieces of linoleum.

Cheaper patterned linoleums came in different

grades or gauges, and were printed with thinner
layers which were more prone to wear and tear.
Good quality linoleum is sufficiently flexible to be
used in buildings in which more rigid material
(such as ceramic tile) would crack.
RUBBER FLOORING:

Rubber flooring is available as a sheet or tiles .

It is laid on a base made of cement mortar
or on wooden decking on upper floors.

They are pasted with synthetic resin.

They are mainly used in gymnasiums, nursery
schools and etc.
PVC and VINYL FLOORING:

PVC or Vinyl flooring is

only a finishing material, which is pasted on a
hard base.
Research from 2009 discovered that
infants who lived in homes with vinyl floors were
twice as likely to have autism five
years later, compared to those with
wood or linoleum flooring.
Vinyl floors can emit chemicals
which are widely used in plastic
softeners found in much more
than just vinyl flooring.
END