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Floors & Flooring

Components of a floor (sub-grade, base course, sub-floor, floor finish); requirements of a good floor; ground floor construction; types of floor finishes — mud, brick, flagstone and Kota stone, cement concrete (IPS), granolithic, terrazzo, mosaic, marble and granite, ceramic and vitrified tiles, timber (strip, parquet), rubber, linoleum, PVC/vinyl, cork, mastic asphalt, industrial (trimix, epoxy, PU) floors; laying of tiles and stone slabs; skirting and dado; upper floors — timber, jack arch, RCC slabs, ribbed and flat slabs, precast, filler slab and composite deck floors; selection of flooring — with solved numericals.

Floors & Flooring
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📑 Contents (10 sections)

Last reviewed 16 Sept 2026 · 9 min read

Components of a floor

Component Description
Sub-grade Natural ground or compacted filling (sand, moorum, earth) forming the base
Base course (soling / hardcore) Layer of brick bats, stone soling, broken stone or sand — distributes load, provides a firm and capillary-breaking layer
Sub-floor (base concrete) Layer of lean cement concrete (e.g. 1 : 4 : 8) or lime concrete, commonly about 75–100 mm thick, giving a rigid level base
Damp-proof membrane (where required) Polythene sheet or bitumen layer against rising moisture
Bedding / screed Mortar bed or screed for laying finishes
Floor finish (topping/covering) Wearing surface — concrete, stone, tiles, timber, resilient finishes

Requirements of a good floor

  1. Durability and hardness — resistance to wear, abrasion and impact.
  2. Smoothness yet non-slip surface (especially in wet areas).
  3. Cleanliness and hygiene — impervious, easy to clean, no dust.
  4. Damp resistance and water resistance in wet areas.
  5. Thermal insulation (warm to touch) and sound insulation (upper floors — impact noise).
  6. Fire resistance and chemical resistance (industrial floors).
  7. Good appearance, ease of maintenance and repair.
  8. Economy in initial and maintenance cost.

Ground floor construction

  1. Excavation and levelling of the area; removal of organic topsoil.
  2. Filling in layers (commonly with sand or moorum) with watering and compaction; anti-termite treatment of soil where required.
  3. Soling / base course — brick bats or stones laid and consolidated; sand filled in joints.
  4. Base concrete (e.g. 1 : 4 : 8 PCC) laid to levels and slopes; cured.
  5. Damp-proof membrane, if specified.
  6. Floor finish laid on a mortar bed or screed; joints and panels formed; curing.
  7. Skirting/dado and finishing (polishing where specified).

Types of floor finishes

Floor finish Description / features Use
Mud (earthen) flooring Rammed earth finished with a cow-dung wash Rural and low-cost buildings; needs frequent maintenance
Moorum flooring Compacted moorum (gravelly soil) layer Low-cost, temporary
Brick flooring Bricks laid flat or on edge in mortar over a base, joints pointed Godowns, stables, pavements, low-cost buildings
Flagstone flooring Stone slabs (sandstone, slate, Kota stone) laid in mortar Durable — verandahs, courtyards, corridors, public buildings; Kota stone (a limestone from Rajasthan) is widely used
Cement concrete flooring (IPS — Indian patent stone) Topping of rich concrete (e.g. 1 : 2 : 4), commonly about 25–40 mm thick, laid in panels over base concrete, trowelled smooth; panels separated by glass or aluminium strips to control shrinkage cracks Economical, durable — residences, stores, schools
Granolithic flooring Hard-wearing topping of cement with granite chips (e.g. 1 : 1 : 2), laid monolithic or bonded Heavy traffic — factories, workshops, garages
Terrazzo flooring Marble chips mixed with white/coloured cement laid over a base, ground and polished after hardening; divider strips (brass, glass, aluminium) form panels; in-situ or precast terrazzo tiles Attractive, durable, hygienic — hospitals, offices, residences
Mosaic flooring Irregular pieces of marble/tiles or small glass tiles set in cement, ground and polished Decorative floors, bathrooms
Marble flooring Polished marble slabs or tiles Elegant, smooth — residences, hotels, public buildings; slippery when wet; softer than granite
Granite flooring Hard, durable polished or flamed granite slabs Heavy traffic, lobbies, stairs, exteriors (flamed finish anti-slip)
Ceramic tiles Glazed/unglazed burnt clay tiles Residences, bathrooms, kitchens
Vitrified tiles Fully vitrified, very low water absorption, high strength and abrasion resistance; polished, glazed or full-body Most common modern flooring — residences, offices, commercial buildings
Timber flooring Strip flooring (tongued and grooved boards), parquet (small wood blocks in patterns, e.g. herringbone), engineered/laminated wood Warm, resilient — auditoria, gymnasiums, dance floors, residences; needs protection from moisture and termites
Rubber flooring Rubber sheets/tiles — resilient, noiseless, non-slip Hospitals, offices, sports areas
Linoleum Oxidised linseed oil with cork/wood flour on hessian backing — resilient, quiet Offices, hospitals, schools
PVC / vinyl flooring Sheets or tiles fixed with adhesive — waterproof, easy to clean, variety of designs Hospitals, offices, residences
Cork flooring Cork tiles — resilient, sound and thermal insulating Libraries, recording studios, auditoria
Asphalt / mastic asphalt flooring Hot-laid mastic asphalt — impervious, acid resistant, jointless Industrial floors, chemical plants, basements, roofs
Industrial concrete floors (trimix / vacuum dewatered) Concrete compacted, vacuum-dewatered (lower w/c), power floated and trowelled, often with floor hardeners Warehouses, factories — high abrasion resistance
Epoxy and polyurethane floors Seamless resin coatings/screeds — chemical resistant, hygienic Pharmaceuticals, food industries, laboratories, car parks
Glass flooring Laminated, toughened structural glass panels Architectural features
Carpets Textile floor coverings Offices, hotels, residences — acoustic comfort

Laying tiles and stone slabs

  1. Base preparation — clean, level base concrete or screed; wetted.
  2. Bedding mortar — cement mortar (commonly 1 : 4, about 20 mm thick) spread in small areas, or tile adhesive (thin-bed) for modern practice.
  3. Cement slurry (neat cement) over the bed or back of tile for bond.
  4. Laying tiles/slabs to line and level, tapped with a rubber mallet; uniform joints with spacers; slopes towards drains in wet areas.
  5. Grouting joints with cement grout or polymer/epoxy grout after the bed sets.
  6. Curing (for cement-based beds) and protection from traffic; cleaning and polishing (stone, terrazzo).

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