FLOOR SURFACES (3RD YEAR) A.O.

Floor Surfaces

Floor surfaces cover a large area of the room and are subjected to constant wear. They are expensive and replace less frequently than other furnishings. Improperly laid floors or damaged floors can cause accidents and damage to the equipment.  Floor surfaces must be comfortable and quiet besides contributing to the décor of the room.  The traffic in the area and utility of the room must also be considered.

FACTORS FOR DETERMINING FLOOR SURFACES:

Appearance:

Colour, pattern and texture of the floor surfaces should be compatible to the size, décor and activity of the room. Pale colours provide a cool appearance of warmth. Patterned surfaces add interest to the room.

Comfort:

Foot fatigue should be reduced by use of soft resilient surfaces.  Floor surfaces should not be noisy or slippery.

Durability:

Grit, dragging of furniture and placement of equipment or circulation of heavy traffic should not damage the floor surface.  They should also not be affected by the cleaning reagents and food spillages.

Life Expectancy:

Since floor surfaces are not changed frequently, they are expected to last for longer time.

Safety:

Safety to the guests and occupants must be considered.  Fire resistance, slip resistance and accident proof surfaces must be selected.

Ease of Cleaning:

Ease of maintenance and cleaning costs must be considered while selecting them.

Cost:

The cost of floor surface, cost of laying and maintenance should be considered before selection.

Types of Floors:

Floor surfaces are divided into two types hard and soft floors.  A sub floor is laid below the floor surface, which may be made of soft wood or hard board.  It should be free from dampness, dirt and unevenness.  This protects the top floor.

HARD FLOOR SURFACES

Stone Floor Surfaces:

These are commonly used in areas that must withstand heavy traffic, repeated washing and movement of goods. These floors are extremely durable and hygienic.

Concrete:

It is composed of cement and sand. Pigments may be added to provide colour.  This floor can withstand large weights but is damaged by acids and alkalis. It is suitable for stores, sub-floors, laundry, staircase etc. Concrete is extremely porous, hard and soiled easily.  A scaler may be applied to make it stain resistant.  These floors are suitable in halls, lounges, corridors, and bathrooms and as tabletops.

Wooden Floor Surfaces:

These floors are used in all types of establishments for corridors, dance floors, bar areas, dining halls, game rooms etc.  They are more attractive than stone but are very porous and easily damaged by moisture and pests.  A ceiling polish must be applied to increase durability. Strips of wood are cut into varying lengths and laid on a sub floor.  The colour of the floor will depend upon the type of wood used.  Oak and teak are the common types of wood used for flooring. Designs can be created by varying the colour of wooden tiles (blocks) and arranging them in different patterns.

Cork Tiles:

Cork is obtained from the bark of the cork of oak tree.  It is the least resistant of hard floor surface.  It is a good insulator, warm, resilient and quite easy to maintain.  It has high degree of slip resistance but the tiles cannot withstand heavy furniture, grease, and moisture and alkalis.  The colour of natural cork is brown and pigments may be added to obtain other colours e.g. Green.

Resilient Floor Surfaces:

These floor surfaces include certain plastics or finishes which make them moisture and grease resilient. 

Terrazzo:

This consists of marble chips, set in cement.  It may be plain or coloured and ground smooth.  This is not used in small areas but preferred around pools and in gardens.  These floors are porous and damaged by acids, alkalis and grease.  They are unharmed by water and have good slip resistance when polished.  The common colours are white, green, blue and black.

Ceramic Tiles:

Ceramic tiles are made of clay and fired at high temperature.  They are hand or machine made, glazed and unglazed. Shapes of the tiles may be square, rectangular or hexagonal. Tiles are waterproof and impervious to cleaning liquid.  They are commonly used in bathrooms, kitchens, laundry, canteens, bars etc. These floors are hard, noisy and tire the feet.  Ceramic floors should not be polished since that would make it dangerously slippery.

Mosaic:

They are made of glass, silica and clay.  They may be set directly on the floor or made as tiles and laid on a sub floor unaffected by pests or fungi and the glass can be retained for a long time.

Timber:

Well-maintained timber floor surfaces provide attractive hygienic, warm and serviceable floors for a long time.  They may be laid as strips, boards or blocks.  Floorboards are made from soft woods while strips are constructed from hard woods.  The colour of the floor depends upon the natural grain.  A sealer may be applied or a polish given to the wooden floor to make it glossy and dirt resistant.

Chip Board:

Chipboard is obtained by mixing wood chippings or sawdust with resin or cement at high temperature and pressure.  Unlike timber it does not warm or split.

Linoleum:

This is made up of lignum, i.e. flax and ileum in oil. Ground corkwood, linseed oil and resins (gum) are pressed on to jute backing.  This is prepared in sheet or tile form.  Plain colours marbling or patterns may be applied for decorative effect. Linoleum may crack if laid on poor quality sub floor. It is hard wearing, resilient and warm, but may peel, rot and gets destroyed by alkalis.  It is non-flammable but burn marks can be seen.  This is suitable in the linen room, store pantry, kitchen stores.

Rubber:

Rubber floors are usually made by a combination of natural and synthetic rubber.  They may be laid in sheets or tile form.  They may be coloured and mottled with inlaid patterns.  The floor is hard wearing, resilient, quiet and waterproof.  It is non-slip and may be grease resistant.  Damage may occur due to alkalis, acids and spirits.  They are not affected by mould, bacteria and pest infestation.  It is commonly used in kitchens, bathrooms, health clubs, near swimming pools etc.

Thermoplastic Floors:

These are made of asphalt, fibres, mineral fillers and pigments or synthetic resins with vinyl binder.  The tiles are usually dark coloured and quite durable.  They have good thermal insulation and are resistant to water.  They are damaged by heat, acids and alkalis.  They are useful in canteens, corridors, shops and offices. PVC may be added to make hard thermoplastic more flexible.

Vinyl:

Vinyl is made from asbestos, fibres, mineral pigments and PVC.  They are very hygienic and deal in hospitals, kitchens, dining area, nurseries, common rooms, lifts etc. They are water and oil resistant and can be made slip resistant.  They are damaged by cleaning gels, high temperature and acids.

FLOOR COVERINGS

Floor coverings or soft floors are used for variety in colour, texture and design.  They are warm, durable, quiet, slip resistant and economical.  Various types of colourings may be used in different areas depending upon cost of maintenance, cost of installation, attractiveness and use.  Soft floor coverings commonly consist of two types: Carpets and Rugs.

Carpets:

Carpets are used extensively in hotels and institutional establishment.  The type of carpet selected will depend upon the suitability and traffic in the area.  They may be used in bedrooms, lounges, TV rooms, restaurants, office and corridors.  A good quality carpet should be able to withstand spillages, cigarette ash and grit.  They must also be resilient to heavy furniture.

Carpet Construction:

Carpets consist of three layers: a pile, a background and an underlay.  The pile is held into the backing with knots and adhesives.  The underlay acts as a shock absorber between the backing and the sub floor.  It makes the carpet softer and provides insulation.  Underlay may be made of felt, rubber, foam or jute with polypropylene backing.

Backing:

Natural materials like jute, hemp, glue and starch are used along with resin, synthetic rubber and polypropylene to form the backing.  A secondary backing may be added to improve resilience.

Pile:

The carpet pile absorbs most of the wear.  It should be strong and resilient, shrink- proof, moth proof and flameproof.  The carpet pile is frequently made of blends of fibres.

Wool:

Woollen carpets are warm, soft, resilient and do not attract dirt.  However, they are difficult to maintain and quite expensive. They may be blended with 20% nylon.

Acrylic:                   

This is close to wool in appearance, wears well, is warm and resilient but soils easily.  This is not easy to clean and not fire resistant.

Polyester:

This is often blended with nylon.  This is waterproof, easy to clean, soft and hard wearing.

Viscose Rayon:

This is inexpensive and not hard wearing and is sometimes used in blended carpets along with nylon.

TYPES OF PILING:

Cut Pile:

In these types of carpets, the ends are cut on the surface of the carpet. The pile may be short and smooth or long and shaggy.  It may also be cut long and short.

Looped Pile:

It is uncut and may be tufted.  It could be shaggy or smooth.

Cut and Looped Pile:

This is a combination pile used in pattern carpets.

TYPES OF CARPET CONSTRUCTION:

Woven Carpets:

Here, the pile and backing is produced simultaneously.  The pile is secured with a knot and is therefore very strong.  The pile may be either cut or uncut.  This type of weave gives a sculptured effect E.g. Axminster carpets, Wilton carpets.

Pattern Carpets:

These are woven on the jacquard looms which draw up one thread at a time to form the pile while the remainder stay hidden in the backing giving strength, warmth and resilience.  Up to five colours may be used in the carpet construction. E.g. Wilton and Brussels.

Woven carpets are expensive but very durable and are used in hotel reception areas, corridors, dining area, bedrooms, lounges etc.

Tufted Carpets:

These are cheaper than woven carpets and forms 50% of the carpets produced.  These are made by inserting tufts into a backing and securing with latex. The pile is looped, cut or combination.  The carpet manufactured by this technique is very fast and comes in various dimensions.  They are commonly used in hotels and institutions.  Care is necessary to prevent over wetting which may damage the adhesive.

Needle Loom:

These carpets have no pile but are made by needle punching and entangling a mixture of fibres through a backing fabric and coating it with resin.  Nylon, jute and polypropylene are used.  Heat may be applied to fix the fibres.

Bonded Pile:

In this type of carpet, the pile is compacted and bonded to an adhesive backing.  Shortcut pile, loops, cords or electrostatic flocking may be used.  Application of heat causes firm bonding.

Hand Made Carpets:

These are traditional carpets, backed by centuries of excellence in manufacture.  They are functional as well as aesthetic.  They have a long life, durability and richness of weave and design.  They are made by knotting pieces of yarn on to a backing weave.

Carpet tiles and carpet felt may be fixed to areas where low cost carpeting is necessary.

LAYING OF CARPETS

Carpets in hotels and institutions are fitted from wall to wall and along the skirting.  The carpets may be fixed by using glue or narrow strips of wood, which are tacked to the wall, or sunken into a recessed area in the floor carpets along staircases must be fixed permanently with metal tacks to prevent accidents.  Special treatments like flame proofing, moth proofing, water resistance and anti static treatment may be given to carpets to improve their function of durability and ease of maintenance.  Disinfectant solutions may be also added in carpet treatment.

CARE AND MAINTENANCE

Carpets are easily soiled and damaged. They require regular and frequent care.  Daily attention must be provided to remove stains and dirt from carpets.  Dust, dirt, grit, organic substances and cigarette ash may cause damage.  Furniture indentation and cigarette ash, residue shampoo and pests may damage the pile.  Spot cleaning of stains immediately is essential to prevent penetration and built up stains.  Dry suction, vacuum cleaning must be done everyday to remove surface dust and grit.  Scraps of paper, pins and other wastes must be brushed away before vacuuming.  Shampooing of carpets is essential periodically.  The frequency depends upon the type of traffic and nature of carpets.   Most housekeeping departments may call for contract cleaning.  Carpets must be tested before shampooing.  Hand shampooing is very tiresome and ineffective.  It is suitable for corners and stairs.  Liquid or dry foam shampoo may be used.  This traps the dirt and loosens it from the pile.  Special brushes help to clean from the pile.  Special brushes helps to clean the pile.  Spot cleaning of stains using apt reagents may be necessary before shampooing.  Use diluted agents to prevent damage.  Freshly spilt liquids can be absorbed or squirted with a soda siphon. 

RUGS AND MATTINGS:

Rugs may be used on floors where wall-to-wall carpeting is not advisable. In heavy traffic areas, rugs can be turned over to neutralize wear and tear.  They can be rolled and removed for cleaning and modifications in arrangement.  Rugs may be used to control noise and add colour or pattern to the floor.  They are made of cotton, wool or blended with synthetic material. Special rugs may be constructed according to the requirement.  Finishing around the rugs is essential to prevent accidents.  Turned up covers must be avoided.

Matting is used in corridors, building entrances around swimming pools and outdoors to prevent heavy soiling and provide noise control in the area coir, cotton and filtered fibres are most common.