10 Factors Affecting Selection of Floors
Before selecting flooring material for a particular building, the following factors should be carefully considered.
1. Appearance
The selection of flooring material should be such that it gives a pleasing appearance to the floor users, and should produce color effects in conformity with the use of buildings.
Generally, tile, marble, terrazzo, and cement mortar floors provide a good appearance, but on the other hand, floorings with asphalt covering give an ugly appearance.
2. Durability
The flooring material should be durable and strong enough to impart resistance to wear, tear, and chemical action.
3. Hardness
The floor should be hard enough. Floors like cement concrete, terrazzo, and mosaic are sufficiently hard, whereas asphalt, cork, ribbon, plastic, etc. are not hard.
4. Noise
A good floor should not be produced any noise. Noise causes discomfort to the occupants. At places where silence is of paramount importance, only sound-absorbing materials should be preferred for the construction of floors, like dancing halls.
5. Comfort
The floor should give comfort to occupants under living and working conditions. Floors like Cork flooring, rubber flooring, linoleum flooring, etc. are preferred from a comfort point of view.
6. Fire Resistance
A good floor should offer sufficient resistance to fire so that it offers a barrier to spread fire at a different level in the building.
7. Dam proof
It should be damp-proof so that a healthy and dry environment prevails in the building.
8. Cleaning
The floors should be such that they can be easily and effectively cleaned.
9. Slipperiness
The surface of the floor should be smooth but not too slippery. The slippery surface is dangerous for old people, children, and pregnant women.
10. Maintenance
The flooring material should be such that minimal maintenance is required.
Read More: