FLOOR FINISHES KIBE SARAH WARIMA KIMANI JOB KOGI KIMANI VICTORIA WANGECHI KIMONDO JOYCE WANGECHI

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.

Places where extra cleanliness is essential 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.

Advantages of Prefinished Flooring Treatments Durability 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 Durability Easier and quicker installation Ease of maintenance

Varieties include quarry tiles, porcelain tiles and terracotta tiles. 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 colour.