This document provides information on selecting, caring for, and classifying different types of flooring materials. It discusses factors to consider when selecting a floor like appearance, comfort, durability, cost and safety. It also describes how to clean and maintain floors made of various materials like stone, wood, tiles, thermoplastic and more. The document classifies floors as hard, semi-hard and soft and provides details on common flooring options like ceramic tiles, wood, vinyl and linoleum.

1. FLOORINGS: STONE, WOOD,
TILES
Floor finishes :Selection ,care, classification
BY DR. BHAVYA KHAMESRA

3. SELECTING A FLOOR
 Appearance-colour, pattern, texture, pale/intense colours, scale
of room by pattern, pattern makes room larger,
 Comfort-resilient :comfortable, hard :noiser , no heat/sound
insulation, shiny slippery floors accident prone /easy to
maintain
 durability-wear & tear ,grits cut easily; water, acid, spillages
cause harm/pale colours ; Cigarette burns, trolley wheels, heavy
traffic areas
 Life expectancy-bedroom floor changed frequently/kitchen
floor long
 Safety-non slip qualities, over polishing
 Ease of cleaning- running costs, extra initial cost, difficult to
maintain day long, colour/pattern choose carefully
Cost-true cost=initial + laying+ maintenance

4. INTRODUCTION
 Floors –importance , functional & decorative, large area,
wear
&tear
 Lot of Cleaning & maintenance – reflects standard
 Always in hygienic condition , good appearance
 Basic of décor of a room/public area
 Floor finish- purpose of area , Eg
 Kitchen-tiles; hygiene, durability are important
 room- granite; style, comfort are important

5. CARE & CLEANING OF FLOORS
 prevent penetration of dirt: sealed / polished
 Seal: aplied to clean ,dry floor, offers non absorbent finish
 seals last 1-4 years, To clean floor remove seal .
 Polishes applied to sealed/unsealed floors
 Floor finishes harmed by water, spirit,
 Water based polishes-wax/plastic emulsion+water-liquid
 Spirit based polishes-paste/liquid
 daily /special / spring cleaning

6. Daily cleaning-
 Dust, dirt by sweeping, mopping vaccum cleaning,,washing
 Marks removed by rubbing a damp cloth+abrasive
 Stain removed as fast as possible
Special cleaning
 Remove dirt by scrubbing/spray cleaning
 Buffing/ spray buffing –improve polish appearance
 Re polishing
Periodic cleaning
 Stripping polish & seal
 Re sealing
 Re polishing

7. Spray cleaning
 Dilute solution sprayed,floor machine scrubs, pad absorbs
Buffed, dried
To prevent accidents
 No loose edges Metal strips on corners
 Spillages wipe Immediately Wet floor sign boards
 Damaged floor repair clean while low traffic

10. HARD FLOORS SEMIHARD FLOORS
CEMENTED-
TERRAZO,GRANOLOTHIC
THERMOPLASTIC TILES
STONE-
MARBLE,GRANITE,SANDSTONE
VINYL TILE/SHEET
CERAMIC TILES
QUARRIRS, HARD GLAZED TILES
RUBBER
RESIN FLOORING
WITH /WITHOUT MARBLE CHIPS
LINOLIUM
BITUMASTIC CORK
MAGNESITE SOFT FLOOR COVERINGS
HARD WOOD
STRIP/BLOCK/PARAQUET
CARPETS

12.  Granite chips set in
cement
 Laid in plastic state on
subfloor
 Heavy duty
 Basement corridors ,
stairways, laundry
 May be machine ground
 Marble & other chips set
in cement
 Machine ground
 In situ /precast tiles
 Or large marble pieces
 Large floor divide in
sections with strips
 Attractive flooring
 Harmed by strong acids&
alkalis
 Entrance halls,
cloakrooms, staircases,
GRANOLITHIC TERRAZZO

14. HARD FLOORS
 STONE-marble, granite, sandstone, quartz , slate,
local/imported – Italian marble
 Hard wearing, available in different colours,
 Rooms, bathrooms, slippery when wet
 Dust & dirt cause yellowness in marble
Ceramic tiles
 Clayware, blended, fire under pressure, hard but slippery,
 10cm/15cm/24cm size, different colours & patterns
 Laid close without gap ,in cloakrooms, kitchen, canteens,
 Glazed tiles in rooms,
 not affected by water, acid, alkalis,, grease,
 Crack/ break by heavy weight,marks by spillages

16.  Resin flooring-synthetic resins, polyester, hardeners,
 Vinyl /marble chips may be added
 Hard wearing, unaffected by water, food, alcohols,
 Used in kitchens, canteens bathrooms, corridor
 Bitumastic-jointless floor ,asphalt rolled on floor in molten
state
 Soft textured ,
 impermeable to water, have colours rolled on
 Public bathrooms, hospitals, heavy traffic areas
 Soften on heating, dents by heavy weight
 Harmed by spirit, oil, acids,

18. WOOD FLOORS
 Good quality woods, oak ,teak, maple, neem , walnuts
sandalwood, mango, hardwoods offer better resistance to
wear tear
 Colour, scale, definition of grain,
 Strips, block, parquet ,patterned
 Close joint to avoid entry of dirt
 Moisture content at time of fixing, swell in rainy
season/shrink on drying
 To prevent absorption of spills, dirt, floors are sealed &
polished
 Good insulating, sound resistance, less tiring to walk,
 Inflammable, moths, fungi,attack ,heavy loads damage
 Used in ballrooms, conference rooms, rooms,

20. Strip wood Wood block Parquet
Lengths of hardwood
strips less then 10 cm
wide
Strips are fixed to joists
or to timber insets in
concrete
Has resilience ,
Suitable for ballroom ,
floors, gymnasium
Consist of hard/ soft
wood blocks
23*2.6 cm, 30*5 cm 2.5-
5 cm thick
Panels of 45 cm square
Basket pattern / mosaic
pattern
Is laid in an adhesive
on a level concrete base
Used in entrance halls,
boardrooms, libraries,
offices.
Rectangular piece of
wood 23*2.6 cm,
30 * 5 cm, less then 10
mm thick
Specially selected &
kiln dried hardwoods-
oak, walnut, teak
The pieces are pined &
glued to a wooden
subfloor in a herring
bone pattern
Is used for prestige
areas, foyers, lounge,
boardroom,
Cheaper option –
veneer of good quality
on the surface

22. SEMI HARD FINISHES
 Smooth, durable, resilient, good appearance, easy to clean,
unaffected by pests & fungi
available in tiles / sheet form
Thermo plastic tiles-
binders & fillers & pigments , durable, non porous
23cm squares, laid I warm pliable state,
polished by water based polish, dent with heavy weight,
Soften by heat, scratch easily harmed by grease ,spirit
Vinyl floor finishes-
Vinyl asbestos-tile form rigid
Flexible Vinyl flooring- sheet / tile form
cushioned vinyl floorings- layer of foam underneath
in bathrooms, corridors, canteens, offices

23. Rubber flooring
 Rubber with filling material& pigments is
vulcanised(heated without air) then coloured
 Laid with adhesive on a smooth subfloor
 Soft, quiet, resilient, comfortable to walk, life 20/30 years,
non absorbent,
 Harmed by spirit , grease, sunlight, alkalis, abrasives,
 Polishing done to protect from sunlight
 Used in bars, entrance halls, canteens
 Oil & grease resistant floors available
 Also used for mats, mattings, at front doors, service lifts,

24. Linoleum
 Consist of powdered cork+ linseed oil + pigments
 Put on a foundation of jute canvas ,heat , pressurised
 Colours, patterns are in laid/ printed
 Tile/ roll form
 Should be stuck to surface to avoid shrinkage
 Reasonably priced, hard wearing
 Subjected to denting & scratching
 Absorbent _ so should be sealed
 Harmed by abrasives & alkalis,
 Used in study rooms, linen rooms, offices, corriidors,
bathrooms, canteens, hospital wards,

25. Cork tiles
 Made from granulated cork moulded in blocks, subjected to
high pressure & temperature,
 tiles of required thickness & size
 absorbent in nature , require sealing,
 Factory waxed cork, vinyl cork, resin reinforced cork tiles
 Warm & resilient appeal,
 Burnt by cigarette ends, may decompose or disintegrate