Floors and flooring

10/27/2014
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Prepared by: Engr Fazal E Jalal

Flooring is the general term for a
permanent covering of a floor, or for the
work of installing such a floor covering.
Floor covering is a term to generically
describe any finish material applied over a
floor structure to provide a walking surface.
Both terms are used interchangeably but
floor covering refers more to loose-laid
materials.
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 FLOORS:
 The surface with their necessary supports which
provide accommodation to the users to live at
different levels in a building.
 “Ground Floor” is just above GL & “ Basement
Floor” is constructed below GL in one basement of
a building. “ Upper/Suspended Floor” is any floor
above the GL except the terrace or roof of building.
Such floors are named as 1st Floor, 2nd Floor and
so on (in ascending order).
 “Single storeyed buildings” are buildings with only
one ground floor. “Double storeyed” has got a
ground and one first floor.
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 COMPONENTS OF FLOOR:
 Sub Floor: The lower portion of floor structure
consisting of beams, slabs, rammed earth etc.
prepared to provide necessary support to the floor
covering.
 Purpose: To provide proper support to floor
covering without sinking & settlement.
 Floor covering / Paving: The upper portion of floor
structure consisting of base, under layer & topping.
 Purpose: To have clean, smooth, non absorbent
and a durable surface. It also shall not be slippery,
noisy and unpleasant in appearance.
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SUB FLOOR FLOOR COVERING
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 IMPORTANT TECHNICAL TERMS:
 Base course: Base is the prepared surface on
which floor topping or under layer is laid. The
layer of material provided for this purpose is
known as Base course.
 Under layer: Layer of material provided in
between the base & floor topping.
 Topping: Topmost layer of floor provided over
the under layer / base course, in the absence
of under layer.
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BASE COURSE UNDER LAYER
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IMPORTANT TECHNICAL TERMS:
 Floor finish: Top surface of floor. Also
known as “wearing surface”
 Bedding: A layer of mortar applied to the
base or sub floor and brought to a
prescribed level
 Screeds: Narrow strips of wood, bands of
plaster or pieces of tiles laid on the floor to
act as guides for bringing the toppings to a
true even surface.
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FLOOR FINISH BEDDING
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 Screeding: The art of bringing the floor to a
true and level surface by means of
screeds.
 Floor systems: Arrangement provided to
support the toppings of floor. It may be
single, double or triple joist system.
 Floor boards: Wooden boards which form
the floor toppings.
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SINGLE JOIST FLOOR
SYSTEM
DOUBLE JOIST FLOOR
SYSTEM
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 Bridging Joists: Horizontal structural
members place along shorter spans
immediately below floor toppings. They are
used as main supporting members in
timber floors.
 Binders: Horizontal structural members
placed at right angles two bridging joists to
take their load and that of floor toppings.
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 Girders: Horizontal structural members
placed to supports the load of binders,
bridging joists and that of floor toppings.
Used as main supporting member in a
triple joist floor system.
Wall plates: Horizontal wooden members
which support one end of bridging joists
and distribute the load from joist to the
wall.
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GIRDERS WALL PLATES
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 IMPORTANT TECHNICAL TERMS:
 Sleeper/Honey comb brick wall: Wall
constructed with holes for free circulation of
air in case of single joist wooden floor at
ground level. This act as a dwarf wall and is
generally constructed longitudinally in the
middle of the room.
 Air brick: A brick provided with holes for free
circulation of air in the interior of wall or floor.
They are placed in external wall of wooden
ground floor.
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GROUND FLOORS:
Constructed at plinth level of different
buildings. They may consist of bricks,
stones, concrete, wood etc. The various
materials used for floor covering of ground
floors are bricks, tiles, concrete, terrazzo,
mossaic, timber etc.
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TYPES OF GROUND FLOORS:
 Murum/ Mud floors
 Brick floors
 Tile floors
 Flag stone floors
 Cement concrete floors
 Terrazzo floors
 Mosaic floors
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TYPES OF GROUND FLOORS:
 Timber floors
 Linoleum floors
 Rubber floors
 Cork floors
 Asphalt floors
 Glass floors
 PVC floors
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BAMBOO FLOORING:
Bamboo flooring is made from a fast
growing renewable timber (technically
grass). It is natural anti-bacterial, water-resistant
and extremely
durable. DIY installation is easy, as
bamboo flooring is available with tongue-and-
groove technology familiar in
hardwood/laminate alternatives.
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BAMBOO FLOORING:
Bamboo flooring is often more expensive
than laminate, though it is generally
cheaper than traditional hardwood flooring.
Some bamboo floors are less sustainable
than others, as they contain the toxic
substance formaldehyde (rather than
natural-base adhesives).
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CORK FLOORING:
Cork flooring is made by removing the
bark of the Cork Oak (Quercus
Suber) without harming the tree (if
harvested correctly); as such, it is a
renewable and sustainable resource. It is
naturally anti-microbial and has excellent
insulation properties, ensuring minimal
heat loss and comfortable warm walking
surface
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CORK FLOORING:
Cork is resilient and 'springs back'
preventing imprints due to heavy traffic and
furniture, it also provides excellent noise
insulation. Cork is low in volatile organic
compounds (VOC) emissions, however it
is important to check the finish applied.
Cork is not suitable for bathrooms, as it
absorbs moisture.
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RUBBER FLOORING:
Rubber flooring is made from a rubber
tree, a 100% renewable resource. It is
easy to install and maintain, is anti-static
and provides effective sound insulation
and vibration reduction. Rubber flooring is
also resistant to fading and cigarette
burns. Some rubber flooring is made from
synthetic rubber, this is not a sustainable
product.
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 TERRAZZO FLOORING:
Terrazzo is a composite material, poured in place
or precast, which is used for floor and wall
treatments. It consists
of marble, quartz, granite, glass or other suitable
chips, sprinkled or unsprinkled, and poured with a
binder that is cementitious, chemical, or a
combination of both. Terrazzo is cured and then
ground and polished to a smooth surface or
otherwise finished to produce a uniformly textured
surface.
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SUSPENDED FLOORS:
All the floors constructed above the level
of ground floor except the terrace or roof of
building.
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TYPES OF SUSPENDED FLOORS:
 Timber floors
 Steels joists and flag stone or precast
concrete slab floors
 Jack arch floors
 RCC floors
 Reinforced brick floors
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FLOOR FINISHES OF SUSPENDED
FLOORS:
 The materials of construction for topping of
suspended floors are known as floor finishes
and the art of finishing the topping with a
suitable finish is known as floor finishing.
 Objects of floor finishes are: To provide a
hard, clean, smooth, impervious and durable
surface. Also to achieve the desired
appearance that should be pleasing.
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REQUIREMENTS OF GOOD FLOOR
FINISH:
 Provide a clean, smooth and an
impervious surface
 Hard and durable surface
 Good resistance to fire
 Shock absorbing qualities
 Provide a non slippery, noiseless and
resilient surface
 Provide pleasing appearance
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ISSUES WITH FLOORS:
Wood floors, particularly older ones, will
tend to 'squeak' in certain places. This is
caused by the wood rubbing against other
wood, usually at a joint of the subfloor.
Firmly securing the pieces to each other
with screws or nails will remove this
problem.
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 ISSUES WITH FLOORS:
Floor vibration is a particularly annoying
problem with floors. Wood floors tend to
pass sound, particularly heavy footsteps and
low bass frequencies. Floating floors can
reduce or eliminate this problem. Concrete
floors are usually so solid they do not have
this problem, but are also much more
expensive to construct, and much heavier,
resulting in further requirements regarding the
structure of the building.
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ISSUES WITH FLOORS:
The flooring may need protection
sometimes (e.g., a gym floor used for a
graduation ceremony).
A Gym floor cover can be used to reduce
the need to satisfy incompatible
requirements.
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 Sustainable flooring:
Sustainable flooring is produced from
sustainable materials (and by a sustainable
process) that reduces demands on
ecosystems during its life-cycle. Some think
that sustainable flooring creates safer and
healthier buildings and guarantees a future
for traditional producers of renewable
resources that many communities depend on.
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GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR
DIFFERENT TYPES OF FLOORS:
 Base course for all floors in contact with
ground shall consist of: a. 100 mm of sand
layer or stone filling b. Anyone of: 1. 100
mm of lime concrete 2. 100 mm lean
cement concrete (1:8:16) 3. Flat single
brick or flat brick blocks , having 25 mm
wide joints filled with cement concrete
(1:2:4).
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 GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR DIFFERENT
TYPES OF FLOORS:
 Earth filling shall be stopped at such a height to allow
full thickness of sand, base concrete and the correct
thickness of surfacing.
 Where WT is near the G.L, a suitable treatment shall
be provided to prevent the rise of moisture into the
floor.
 A reference level shall be marked around on the walls
150 mm or so above the floor level with the help of a
water level (It usually consists of a can of water
connected with a rubber tube of sufficient length to a
glass tube which shows the level of water in can, which
is used to mark true horizontal lines)
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 GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR DIFFERENT
TYPES OF FLOORS:
 Base concrete shall be made in a uniform layer 10
cm thick absolutely true and parallel to the required
finished surface.
 The finishing surface (topping & paving) shall not
be laid before the base concrete has set for at
least 7 days.
 The finishing surface shall be laid immediately
after roughening the base course with a steel wire
brush without disturbing the concrete and wetting
its surface.
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 For laying flooring over RCC slab in case of a
suspended floor, a layer of 38 to 50 mm thick
lean cement concrete (1:8:16) shall be
properly laid and compacted over the slab to
achieve a good bond.
 The floors shall be laid perfectly level except
bathroom and verandah floor, which shall
have an outward slope of 1 in 60.
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 A straight edge of length, not less than 2.5
m with parallel sides and a 250 mm long
spirit level shall be used for the purpose of
checking the trueness of floor being laid.
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REPAIR OF FLOORS:
 The art of removing the defects caused in
the floors due to wear, weathering, age,
constructional shrinkage etc. is known as
“Repair of floors”
 The floors which are composed of
separate units of tiles, slates or marble,
can be easily repaired. The floors finished
monolithically are difficult to repair
satisfactorily.
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MAINTAINENCE OF FLOORS:
 The art of keeping the topping of floors clean,
smooth and free from defects by suitable
treatments.
 Different floors for which maintenance
measures are suggested are as follow:
A. Cement concrete floors
B. Terrazzo floors
C. Linoleum & Rubber floors
D. Asphalt floors
E. Wooden floors
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A. Cement concrete floors:
 It shall be daily swept clean with damp clothe.
 If surface of such floor is very dirty then wash
with solution of water and soap. In this case
the soap film shall not be allowed to deposit
on surface otherwise the surface is slippery
and dull in appearance.
 In no case soda. Acid etc. shall be used for
cleaning such floors.
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B. Terrazzo floors:
Wash periodically with clean water. And
occasionally shall be cleaned with dilute
solution of oxalic acid after which they shall
be swept clean with clothe and dried.
 In no case soap shall be used as it is very
slippery. Excessive polish, grease or oil also
makes the surface slippery.
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C. Linoleum and Rubber floors:
 These are cleaned with a damp cloth by using
mild soap solution.
 Such floors shall be periodically wax polished.
And shall not be scrubbed with strong soap
as it is injurious to such surfaces.
 Excessive use of water shall also be avoided
to avoid failure of sub floor.
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D. Asphalt floors:
 Cleaned by washing with warm water and
some suitable detergent. Then clean with a
damp clothe.
 Any spot of oil or grease will stick to such
spots and will provide an ugly look.
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E. Wooden floors:
 These floors are maintained in good
conditions by frequent surface treatments.
These floors are easy to clean if in good
condition.
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1. Write short answers of the following questions:
 What is difference between sub flooring and floor covering.
 What is difference between bridging joist and a binder in floor
system.
 What is purpose of providing a layer of coarse sand in case of a
ground floor.
 What is purpose of providing a hard core on the layer of sand in
ground floor.
 What is difference between a ground floor and a suspended floor.
 Differentiate between a monolithic and a bonded finish for laying
the topping of a floor.
 What do you understand by granolithic floor finish.
 What is terrazzo mix? Give the thickness of terrazzo as topping.
 In what situations Timber floors are preferred.
 What are requirements of a good floor finish.
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2. Write down the methods of constructions, advantages and
suitability of following floors along with neat sketches where
required.
a. Murum Floors
b. Brick Floors
c. Tile Floors
d. Flagstone floors
e. Cement concrete floors
f. Terrazzo floors
g. Mosaic floors
h. Timber floors
i. Linoleum floors
j. Rubber floors
k. Cork floors
l. Asphalt floors
m. Glass floors
n. PVC floors
o. TIMBER FLOORS
p. PRECAST CONCRETE SLAB FLOORS
q. JACK ARCH FLOORS 10/27/2014
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3. MODEL TEST questions:
Q#16 to Q#25 (Page 13-42,
Floors ; in “BUILDING
CONSTRUCTION” by N.L
Arora & B.R Gupta)
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Prepared by: Engr Fazal E Jalal 10/27/2014
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Floors and flooring

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