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.
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
TYPES OF FLOOR FINISHES
• Resilient floor finishes
• Hard floor finishes
• Smooth floor finishes
 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.
 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.
 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.
 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.
 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
 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.
 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.
 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:
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.
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.
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.
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
 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.
 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.
 (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.
 (C) TERRACOTTA TILE

It is made of clay, either baked or unbaked. It

is normally brownish orange in color.