Flooring Materials

In architecture, a floor is generally the lower horizontal surface of a room, and/or the supporting structure underneath it. A floor typically consists of a support structure called a subfloor, on top of which is laid a floor covering to provide a walking surface. The work of installing a floor covering is called flooring. This term is also used to refer to any permanent floor covering and in particular to wood flooring.

Contents 1 Support Structure 2 Floor Covering

Support Structure

Most floors have a supporting structure underneath called a subfloor. Sometimes, as for earthen floors, there is no separate structure. In addition to providing support, the subfloor may house underfloor heating or ducts for air conditioning.

A ground-level floor can be an earthen floor made of soil, or it can be a solid ground floor made of concrete slab. Floors above may be built on beams or joists or could use structures such as hollow core slabs.

Ground-level Floor Construction

Ground-level slab floors are prepared for pouring by grading the base material so that it is flat, and then spreading a layer of sand and gravel. A grid of rebar is usually added to reinforce the concrete, especially if it will be used structurally, i.e., to support part of the building.

Upper-level Floor Construction

Floors in woodframe homes are usually constructed with joists that are centered no more than 16 in. or 40 cm apart, according to most building codes. Heavy floors, such as those made of stone, are more closely spaced. If the span between load-bearing walls is too long for joists to safely support, then a heavy crossbeam (thick or laminated wood, or a metal I-beam or H-beam) may have to be used. A subfloor of plywood or waferboard is then laid over the joists.

Special Floor Constructions

Where a special floor structure, such as a floating floor, is laid upon another floor, both may be referred to as subfloors.

Special floor structures are used for a number of purposes:

• balcony—a platform projecting from a wall
• floating floor—normally for noise or vibration reduction
• glass floor—as in glass-bottomed elevators
• nightingale floor—makes a noise when an intruder walks on it
• raised floor—utilities underneath can be accessed easily
• sprung floor—improves the performance and safety of athletes and dancers

Utilities

Utilities are also run through the floor, by drilling small holes to go crosswise. Where the floor is over the basement or crawlspace, the utilities may instead be run under the joists, making the installation less expensive. Ducts for air conditioning (central heating and cooling) are large and cannot cross joists or beams; thus, they are typically at or near the plenum, or come directly from underneath (or from an attic). The floor of one level typically also holds the ceiling of the level below (if any).

Pipes for plumbing and sewerage or underfloor heating may be laid directly in slab floors, as is sometimes the case for other utilities. Maintenance of these systems can be very expensive, however, since it could require the opening of concrete or other fixed structures. Electrically heated floors are also available, and both kinds of systems can be used in wood floors as well.

 

Floor Covering

Floor covering is a term used to refer to any finish material applied over a floor structure to provide a walking surface. Flooring is the general term for a permanent covering of a floor, or for the work of installing such a floor covering. Both terms are used interchangeably, but floor covering refers more to loose-laid materials.

Materials almost always classified as floor covering include carpet, area rugs, and resilient flooring such as linoleum or vinyl flooring. Materials commonly called flooring include wood flooring, ceramic tile, stone, terrazzo, and various seamless chemical floor coatings.

The choice of material for floor covering is affected by factors such as cost, endurance, noise insulation, comfort, and cleaning effort. Some types of flooring must not be installed below grade (lower than ground level), and laminate or hardwood should be avoided where there may be moisture or condensation.

Carpet

Carpet is a floor covering woven or felted from natural or man-made fibers. Fitted carpet is attached to the floor structure, extends wall-to-wall, and cannot be moved from place to place. An underlay can extend carpet life and improve comfort.

Laminate

Laminate is a floor covering that appears similar to hardwood but is made with a plywood or medium density fiberboard (MDF) core with a plastic laminate top layer. Laminate may be more durable than hardwood, but it cannot be refinished like hardwood. Laminate flooring is available in many different patterns, which can resemble different woods or even ceramic tile. It usually locks or taps together.

Area Rugs

Rugs are also woven or felted from fibers, but are smaller than the room in which they are located, have a finished edge, and usually lie over another finished floor such as wood flooring. Rugs may be temporarily attached to the flooring below by adhesive tape or other methods to prevent creep, or it may be loose-laid.

Resilient Flooring

Resilient flooring includes many different manufactured products such as linoleum, sheet vinyl, vinyl composition tile, cork (sheet or tile), and others.

Wood Flooring

Many different species of wood are fabricated into wood flooring in two primary forms: plank and parquet. Bamboo flooring is also available. While bamboo is technically not a wood, bamboo flooring is installed and functions much like wood flooring. Reclaimed lumber has a unique, greenish appearance.

Ceramic Tile

Ceramic tile includes a wide variety of clay products fired into thin units, which are set in beds of mortar or mastic with the joints between tiles grouted. Varieties include quarry tile, porcelain tile, terra cotta tile, and others.

Stone

Many different natural stones are cut into a variety of sizes, shapes, and thicknesses for use as flooring. Stone flooring is usually set in mortar and grouted similar to ceramic tile.

Terrazzo

Terrazzo consists of marble or other stone aggregate set in mortar and ground and polished to a smooth surface.

Seamless Chemical Flooring

Many different seamless flooring materials are available. These are usually latex, polyester, or epoxy compounds that are applied in liquid form to provide a completely seamless floor covering. These are usually found in wet areas such as laboratories or food processing plants.