This document discusses different types of floor finishes. It describes hard floor finishes such as granite, marble, slate, limestone, sandstone and terrazzo which are made from natural stone. It also discusses ceramic tile floor finishes including quarry tiles, porcelain tiles and terracotta tiles. Additionally, it covers hardwood flooring options like plank, parquet and prefinished hardwood. The document provides details on the characteristics, advantages and uses of various flooring materials.

1. FLOOR FINISHES

2. INTRODUCTION
• 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.

3. 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

4. TYPES OF FLOOR FINISHES
• Resilient floor finishes
• Hard floor finishes
• Smooth floor finishes

5. HARD FLOOR FINISHES
Natural stone floor finish
Granite
· Granite is a form of Igneous rock made
up of feldspar quartz and mica.
This is a luxury floor covering as it is an
expensive product
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.

6. Marble
This is a form of metamorphic rock,
·It is made up of calcium carbonate; it
comes in numerous colors, white, grey,
green, ochre, 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.
Marble used of floor and walls of a hotel
bathroom, very stylish.
Like granite it has a timeless quality.

7. Slate
Slate is a foliated metamorphic
rock. It occurs as a result of shale rock
undergoing metamorphosis.
It is normally grey in colour.
However, it can still occur in other
colours: Purple, green cyan (This can be
found in North Wales).
It can be slippery when used in external locations
subject to rain.

8. 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.

9. Mosaic
This is a superior type of flooring used in
bathrooms and kitchens of residential
buildings and in hospitals, sanatoriums and
temples
Places where extra cleanliness is essential
They are laid in different sizes usually in rectangular and
square shapes.
They are long lasting
They are slippery when polished

10. Artificial hard floor finishes
Terrazzo
This is a composite material made up
of cement and marble aggregate,
it is then mixed and poured in situ
onto a concrete base.
It is then ground waxed and polished.
It has a mosaic look.
It can also be premade and is
available in slabs or tiles.
It is very hard wearing, if it is
polished or wet it is very slippery.
It is very useful in commercial
situations i.e. malls and shopping
centers as it is very durable and easy
to clean.

11. Concrete Screed
These are usually used as a base for other
floor finishes.
There are many forms, monolithic, laid over
the concrete base within a few hours of the
base being laid.
Bonded - existing concrete base with
aggregate exposed has a cement screed laid
over it.
Unbounded - a cement screed is laid over a
plain existing concrete base.
Floating - is laid over thermal or sound
insulation materials.

12. HARD WOOD FLOORING
Many different species of wood are fabricated
into wood flooring.
The two major forms are plank and parquet.
Hardwoods are more durable than softwoods
Most hardwood floors include ash, beech,
birch, hickory, maple, teak and walnut.
They are durable if properly finished and
maintained.
Hardwood flooring can be a durable, long
lasting surface covering material, but it has to
be properly finished in order to protect it from
stains, damage, and moisture penetration.
In addition there are a number of colorful and
creative decorative treatments that you can
apply to make the floor take on a variety of
unique stylistic appearances:

13. Prefinished Hardwood Flooring: This
is applied directly to the material by
the manufacturer before it ships. It
consists of aluminum oxide crystals
embedded in a UV cured urethane
coat, for an extremely durable
surface seal.
Oil Based Hardwood Finish: The most
common hardwood flooring finish, this
is made from an oil-modified acrylic
urethane, which is relatively easy to
apply, and which dries in
approximately 8-12 hours.

14. Hardwood Floor Surface
Treatments
Stains: These consist of a variety of
color changing chemicals which can
soak down into the surface of
hardwood planks, and tint them from
within.
Bleaching: This is a process that uses
harsh chemicals to lighten the color of
the wood.
Distressed: This involves a number of
treatments where you try to damage
the floor in such a way that it looks
like it is aged. This is often done by
staining the material a very dark
color, and then bleaching it to make
the colors look like they faded over
time.

15. Wood Inlays: This is a fairly advanced
decorative treatment that involves
setting different pieces of wood into
an already installed floor.
Marquetry: This is a process where a
very thin sheet of contrasting or
decorative wood is laid over an
existing hardwood floor, and applied
as a veneer using adhesive.

16. Parquet: It is a floor composed of
short strips or blocks of wood forming
a pattern sometimes inlays of other
woods.
Advantages of Prefinished Flooring Treatments
1. Durability
2. Easier and quicker installation
3. Ease of maintenance

17. CERAMIC TILES
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.

18. Quarry tile
The quarry tile comes in various colours. It
normally has an abrasive fit in it to provide a
non-slip quality. It is mostly used in wet areas
like kitchens and bathrooms.

19. (b) Porcelain tile
Have a very low water absorption rate and
hence are mostly used in wet rooms and areas where
wear and tear is high.

20. (c) Terracotta tile
It is made of clay, either baked or unbaked.
It is normally brownish orange in colour.