Floor Finishes

The procedure and method of any one type of flooring

Flooring is done to give the floor good and decent appearance. There are various types of
floor which are commonly adopted for residential as well as public building. Each floor has
its own advantage and disadvantage and there is not a single type that can be suitable
and provided under all construction. The section of type of floor cause a problem and as
such same point are carefully considered before flooring.

1. It should be durable.

2. It should be easy to clean.

3. As far as possible it should be noiseless.

4. It should have a good appearance.

5. It should be free from dampness.

6. It should have low maintenance co

The different types of flooring are

1. Mud flooring.

2. Murrum flooring.

3. Stone flooring- marble, granite, tandur/kota

5. Tiles flooring- mosaic, ceramic

6. Terrazo

7. Wooden flooring

8. Polished concrete flooring

Preparation of Surfaces

Laying

Curing and Finishing, Pointing

Polishing
Mud Flooring
• In tropical countries, mud flooring is commonly constructed in
villages. Mud flooring are cheap, hard, fairly impervious, easy in
construction and easy in maintenance.
• Mud flooring remain warm in winter and cold in summer and hence
are most suitable for places where the temperature is extreme during
these seasons.
• The method of its construction is very simple. Upon the prepared
bed, a 25 cm thick layer of selected moist earth is evenly spread out
and is rammed well so as to get a consolidated thickness of about 15
cm.
• It is important to note that no water is used during the process of
ramming. In order to prevent the formation of cracks after drying,
chopped straw in small quantity is mixed with the moist earth before
ramming.
• The mud floor is maintained by giving a thin cement cow-dung wash
(1:2 to 1:3) once or twice a week.
 Marble flooring
Preparation of sub base: Base coat consisting of cement concrete 1:8:16, 1:5:10 or 1:4:8
should be laid on compacted earth under marble stone flooring.
Laying out of marble stone slabs
The base concrete or RCC slab on which marble stone slabs are laid should be
thoroughly cleaned.
The average thickness of bedding mortar under marble stone slab should be 20 mm
thick and the ratio of cement mortar should be 1:3
The sand used in mortar should be coarse sand.
The thickness of bedding should not be less than 12 mm in any place
The top surface of mortar (bedding) should be leveled correctly by adding fresh
mortar at hollows if any.
The mortar is allowed to harden and cement slurry shall be spread at the rate of 4.4
kg per sq. meter.
Marble stone slab to be paved should then be lowered gently back in position and
tapped with wooded mallet till it is properly bedded and leveled with adjoining slab.
Care should be taken to match the grains of slabs.
All stone slabs should be laid in same manner.
After lying of each slab surplus cement on the surface of slabs should be cleaned.

The surface of flooring as laid should be true to slopes.

The edges of slabs already paved are filled with white cement with or without
admixture to match the shade of the stone slabs
Curing Of Marble Stone Flooring
The Marble stone floor should be cured for a minimum period of seven days.

Polishing and Finishing

The grinding may be done either by hand or by machine.

Manual grinding should be done after two days of laying of marble flooring
Machine grinding should commence 3-4 days after laying marble stone flooring

First Grinding

The grinding should be done by machine with grit No. 60.

The water should be used profusely during grinding.
After grinding the surface should thoroughly be washed to remove all grinding mud.
A grout of cement and pigment in the same mix and proportion apply to the surface.
It should be allowed to dry and then cured for four days.
 Ceramic tile
Ceramic tiles have been a popular material for interior and exterior decoration for
thousands of years. They come in all shapes and sizes, colors and glazes and can be
used plain, decorated or as part of a mosaic.
Ceramic tiles are a popular choice of flooring due to their aesthetic appeal, as well as
their durability and easy care. A properly installed ceramic tile floor will outperform
and outlast nearly any other floor covering product created for the same application.
Glazed ceramic tile resists stains, odors and dirt and can be cleaned with a damp mop
or common household cleaners.
Tiles are made from clay, which once shaped and dried, are fired in a kiln at very hot
temperatures. This process hardens the tiles, creating “bisque,” which can then
be glazed and fired a second time. Tiles can also be used unglazed
Cleanliness: Environmentally friendly, ceramic tile is manufactured using natural
materials and does not retain odors, allergens or bacteria.
Versatility: Modern ceramic manufacturing technology has created a virtually limitless
number of colors, sizes, styles, shapes and textures that can add rich beauty and
character to any room in your home.
Fire Resistance: Ceramic tile doesn't burn or emit toxic fumes. Even hot kitchen pans or
skillets can’t scorch or melt the surface of glazed ceramic tile!
Water Resistance: Most glazed ceramic tile has a dense body that permits little or no
moisture accumulation.
Wooden flooring
Polished cement flooring
 Toilet Floorng
Cement based waterproofing for floor slabs in toilet is provided to stop ingress of
flushing water / floor wash. Following are the steps of waterproofing of floor slabs:

1. Clean the surface of the slab by removing all loose materials, dust, etc. and wash with
clean water.
2. Provide and lay a screed of C.M. (1:3) over the clean and damp surface including
waterproofing agent mixed with C.M. Total average thickness shall be 20 mm. Lay an
average thickness of 115 mm consisting of brick bat layer laid in random pattern to avoid
continuity of joints and 10 mm thick., bedding, 10 mm thick, jointing with water proof
cement mortar of (1:3). This layer shall be laid to appropriate slopes towards floor drain.
This layer shall be cured for minimum 3 days before taking up the next layer. The surface
which is not taken up for next layer shall be continued to be cured for minimum 10 days.

Final Layer Provide and lay minimum 40 mm thick IPS layer in cement concrete (1:2:4)
with maximum size of aggregate 3 mm to 6 mm, simultaneously with polishing trowel,
using C.M. (1:2) above which floor tiles shall be laid.

water-proofing-coating-of-floor
4. Curing – This layer shall be cured for 21 days by flooding the water to 25 mm depth
in panel of 1M x 1M formed by weak cement mortar bonding.

Note – Waterproofing additives of polymer base or other water-repellent types shall

be added to cement. These additives shall be either in powder or liquid form.
Proportionate quantity of additives as per manufacturer’s specifications shall be
mixed thoroughly with cement and used in the job in the form of cement mortar.

5. Testing of waterproofing:

Waterproofing of slabs shall be tested by ponding the surface with water to a depth of
25 mm for 24 hours or longer. The waterproofing shall be considered satisfactory, if no
leaks or damp patches show on the soffit.