Well-chosen marble or granite has greater advantages over other floor types. Contrary to popular belief, these materials are not very expensive. There is a range of options available, observes K R Srikanta Prasad
My friends recently visited a marble and granite store to select a suitable flooring material for their home, which was being renovated. After spending hours at the store, they came back dazed and confused.
"It is not easy. There is a whole lot to choose from, including colours, varieties, textures, grains, finishes, sizes, etc. I think we need professional help," they pointed out. The options available when it comes to marble and granite is mind-boggling.
The flooring of your home is probably the most important aspect among the many specifications a home has. It is the floor that we walk and sit on, and are constantly in physical contact with.
Marble and granite are materials that stand out in a building, whether used as flooring or cladding.
The popular phrase, 'all teak - all marble' usually denotes high-end home specifications.
Well chosen marble or granite has greater advantages over other floors, and provides value addition. So, how does one choose and what? Contrary to popular belief, marble and granite are not very expensive. There is a wide range starting from Rs. 50 per sq. ft up to Rs. 3,000 per sq ft.
They are mostly available in 20-mm thickness.
For people who cannot afford this, they are available as less expensive tiles. The choice of material depends on many aspects such as the design, layout, purpose, budget, interior details and personal preferences. The flooring colour and texture more often dictates the colour specifications of other interiors. The choice also depends on the intended flooring pattern.
The general advantages of marble and granite over other tiled floorings are:
They are available in big size slabs. Hence the joints are few.
Thin 'paper joint' is possible while laying.
They can take a high degree of polish, wear and tear, and are durable.
Re-polishing of old surfaces is possible even after many years.
They are naturally available materials and are available as tiles of 12 mm thickness.
With the availability of modern tools, cutting, shaping, drilling, and polishing to detail is done with ease.
Smooth as marble
Marble is relatively soft compared to granite. It is durable too. There are examples of many ancient structures where marble has been extensively used. In India, Rajasthan is a major source of this material. Perfect joints can be achieved during laying, and seamless floors are produced after polishing.
Marble is available in various colours and is ideal for making floral and geometric patterns. White marble is extensively used and in great demand. The whiter the marble, the more expensive it is. In typical Indian homes, marble is preferred in places like the puja room for the floor as well as cladding. Imported exotic and exclusive marble like Italian beige, Potto Chino, Roman secilia, Prlato secilia, Omani to name a few, are available.
Factory-made marble slabs from Europe are also in the market. They have pure white and other colour options. Because of its adaptability, marble has been used for many centuries. There is hardly any wastage while laying.
The small pieces can be used in skirting and borders. They can also be used in cast - in situ mosaics. Natural grains when matched give a pleasing pattern.
Granite: This flooring material is harder than granite. Darker granite is harder and more expensive. It can be used in flooring and wall cladding.
This material is also widely used for kitchen platforms, counters, pantries, shelves, staircases, etc. India is a good source for various types of granites. The states of Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa are the major contributors. Bangalore is the hub of granite processing units in India.
Granite takes very good polish. The cutting process can be done with kerosene or water, while the polishing can be done using water, diamond, or chemicals. Being hard, granite can take heavy wear and tear. That makes is suitable for common areas in homes prone to heavy traffic.
In granite, large gangsaw-sized slabs are available. The size of each slab can be 60 sq. ft. to 80 sq. ft. that can cover almost an entire room!
Granite is suitable for external use also, for purposes like cladding and paving. Finishes and textures such as glossy, flaming, leather, silky, waterjet, and honed are given using state-of-the-art machinery. Widely used local granite includes black, Sadhally grey, raw silk, multicolour, etc.
Granite is a low-maintenance material. Being a 'fix-it-and-forget-it' kind of material, granite is the most popular flooring material among home builders. Generally, the pores in the material are filled with chemicals to get an even surface, and then they are polished.
Care needs to be taken while selecting marble or granite. Defective, fissured, cracked, and inferior material needs to be rejected.
It is also important to cut and fix them in place with care, for which expert agencies need to be employed.
The process of polishing is also equally important. After the whole sequence of selecting, fixing, and polishing, a well-done polished floor is potent enough to floor anybody! Inputs from an architect could be vital for a right combination.
(The writer is a civil engineer.)
My friends recently visited a marble and granite store to select a suitable flooring material for their home, which was being renovated. After spending hours at the store, they came back dazed and confused.
"It is not easy. There is a whole lot to choose from, including colours, varieties, textures, grains, finishes, sizes, etc. I think we need professional help," they pointed out. The options available when it comes to marble and granite is mind-boggling.
The flooring of your home is probably the most important aspect among the many specifications a home has. It is the floor that we walk and sit on, and are constantly in physical contact with.
Marble and granite are materials that stand out in a building, whether used as flooring or cladding.
The popular phrase, 'all teak - all marble' usually denotes high-end home specifications.
Well chosen marble or granite has greater advantages over other floors, and provides value addition. So, how does one choose and what? Contrary to popular belief, marble and granite are not very expensive. There is a wide range starting from Rs. 50 per sq. ft up to Rs. 3,000 per sq ft.
They are mostly available in 20-mm thickness.
For people who cannot afford this, they are available as less expensive tiles. The choice of material depends on many aspects such as the design, layout, purpose, budget, interior details and personal preferences. The flooring colour and texture more often dictates the colour specifications of other interiors. The choice also depends on the intended flooring pattern.
The general advantages of marble and granite over other tiled floorings are:
They are available in big size slabs. Hence the joints are few.
Thin 'paper joint' is possible while laying.
They can take a high degree of polish, wear and tear, and are durable.
Re-polishing of old surfaces is possible even after many years.
They are naturally available materials and are available as tiles of 12 mm thickness.
With the availability of modern tools, cutting, shaping, drilling, and polishing to detail is done with ease.
Smooth as marble
Marble is relatively soft compared to granite. It is durable too. There are examples of many ancient structures where marble has been extensively used. In India, Rajasthan is a major source of this material. Perfect joints can be achieved during laying, and seamless floors are produced after polishing.
Marble is available in various colours and is ideal for making floral and geometric patterns. White marble is extensively used and in great demand. The whiter the marble, the more expensive it is. In typical Indian homes, marble is preferred in places like the puja room for the floor as well as cladding. Imported exotic and exclusive marble like Italian beige, Potto Chino, Roman secilia, Prlato secilia, Omani to name a few, are available.
Factory-made marble slabs from Europe are also in the market. They have pure white and other colour options. Because of its adaptability, marble has been used for many centuries. There is hardly any wastage while laying.
The small pieces can be used in skirting and borders. They can also be used in cast - in situ mosaics. Natural grains when matched give a pleasing pattern.
Granite: This flooring material is harder than granite. Darker granite is harder and more expensive. It can be used in flooring and wall cladding.
This material is also widely used for kitchen platforms, counters, pantries, shelves, staircases, etc. India is a good source for various types of granites. The states of Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa are the major contributors. Bangalore is the hub of granite processing units in India.
Granite takes very good polish. The cutting process can be done with kerosene or water, while the polishing can be done using water, diamond, or chemicals. Being hard, granite can take heavy wear and tear. That makes is suitable for common areas in homes prone to heavy traffic.
In granite, large gangsaw-sized slabs are available. The size of each slab can be 60 sq. ft. to 80 sq. ft. that can cover almost an entire room!
Granite is suitable for external use also, for purposes like cladding and paving. Finishes and textures such as glossy, flaming, leather, silky, waterjet, and honed are given using state-of-the-art machinery. Widely used local granite includes black, Sadhally grey, raw silk, multicolour, etc.
Granite is a low-maintenance material. Being a 'fix-it-and-forget-it' kind of material, granite is the most popular flooring material among home builders. Generally, the pores in the material are filled with chemicals to get an even surface, and then they are polished.
Care needs to be taken while selecting marble or granite. Defective, fissured, cracked, and inferior material needs to be rejected.
It is also important to cut and fix them in place with care, for which expert agencies need to be employed.
The process of polishing is also equally important. After the whole sequence of selecting, fixing, and polishing, a well-done polished floor is potent enough to floor anybody! Inputs from an architect could be vital for a right combination.
(The writer is a civil engineer.)