Ground Floors

:: IN HILLY AREAS, WHERE THE CLIMATE IS DAMP AND WOOD IS EASILY AVAILABLE, WOODEN FLOORS PROVE ECONOMICAL AND AS SUCH ARE COMMONLY USED. ITS USE IS NOT EXTENSIVE IN OTHER PLACES. HOWEVER, THEY ARE USED FOR DANCING HALLS, CARPENTRY HALLS, AUDITORIUMS ETC. :: IN THIS TYPE OF FLOOR, PREVENTION OF DAMPNESS IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE AND HENCE EVERY PRECAUTION IS TAKEN TO CHECK THE DAMPNESS FROM RISING ABOVE. THE ENTIRE AREA OF GROUND BELOW THE FLOOR IS COVERED WITH A 15 CM LAYER OF CEMENT CONCRETE. THIS LAYER IS CALLED SITE OR OVERSITE CONCRETE. :: TIMBER JOISTS ESSENTIALLY CONSIST OF BOARDING SUPPORTED ON TIMBER JOISTS CALLED BRIDGING JOISTS OR FLOOR JOISTS WHICH ARE NAILED TO WALL PLATES AT THEIR ENDS AND SUPPORTED BY INTERMEDIATE WALLS CALLED SLEEPER OR DWARF WALLS, ALONG THEIR LENGTH. :: THE SLEEPER WALLS ARE GENERALLY 10 CM THICK AND ARE HONEY-COMBED. THEY ARE INTENDED TO REDUCE THE SPAN FOR THE FLOOR JOISTS. THE SLEEPER WALLS ARE SELDOM SPACED MORE THAN 1.8 M APART AND ARE HONEY-COMBED TO ENABLE FREE CIRCULATION OF AIR IN THE SPACE BELOW THE FLOOR. ::LONGITUDINAL TIMBER MEMBERS CALLED SLEEPER PLATES ARE FIXED ON THE TOP OF SLEEPER WALLS. THE FLOOR JOISTS ARE SE CURED TO THE SLEEPER WALLS BY BEING NAILED TO THE SLEEPER WALL PLATES. A DAMP PROOF COURSE LAYER IS LAID IMMEDIATELY BELOW THE WALL PLATES TO PREVENT THE RISING OF DAMPNESS. THE HOLLOW SPACE BETWEEN THE FLOORING AND THE OVERSITE CONCRETE IS KEPT DRY AND FULLY VENTILATED.

(1) SINGLE FLOORS: :: THEY ARE THE CHEAPEST FORM OF WOODEN FLOORS. THEY ARE EASY IN CONSTRUCTION AND ARE FREQUENTLY USED IN DOMESTIC BUILDINGS. :: THESE FLOORS ARE CONSTRUCTED BY FIXING 25 TO 30 MM . THIK BOARDING TO WOODEN JOISTS KNOWN AS BRIDGING JOISTS SPACED AT 30 TO 40 CM. APART . THE BRIDGING JOISTS ARE PLACED ALONG THE SHORT SPAN OF THE ROOM AND ARE NAILED TO TIMBER WALL PLATES FIXED IN THE WALL ON EITHER END. :: THE SPAN FOR SINGLE FLOORIS LIMITED TO 3.66 M. AS FOR GREATER SPAN, THE JOISTS BECOME VERY DEEP AND CONSEQUENTLY THIS SYSTEM PROVES UNECONOMICAL. THE DEPTH OF JOISTS DEPENDS UP ON THE LOADING CONDITION OF THE FLOORING.

:: THE JOISTS ARE DESIGNED BOTH FOR STRENGTH AND RIGIDITY . IN OTHER WORDS , THE JOISTS PROVIDED SHOULD BE SUCH THAT THEY MAY SAFELY CARRY THE FLOOR LOAD WITH OUT DEFLECTION .THE JOISTS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOUED TO COME IN CONTRACT WITH GREEN MORTAR OR MASONRY AS THIS WOULD CAUSE THE WOOD WORK TO ROT AND DECAY. THUS , A GAP IS LEFT BE TWEEN THE END OF THE JOISTS AND THE WALL ,SO THAT THERE MAY BE FREE CIRCULATION OF AIR AROUND THE ENDS OF THE JOISTS . STRUTTING OF BRIDGING JOISTS : WHEN THE SPAN OF THE ROOM IS MORE THAN 2.44 M. THE BRIDGING JOISTS HAVE A TENDENCY TO BUCKLE. IN DEEP JOISTS THIS TENDENCY OF TILTING OR BUCKLING SIDEWAY IS PROMINENT .TO PREVENT THIS, THE JOISTS ARE STRUTTED APART IN THE MIDSPAN ALL ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE FLOOR. THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF STRUTTING ,NAMELY, (1) HERRING BONE STRUTTING (2) SOLID STRUTTING (a) HERRING BONE STRUTTING: HERRING BONE STRUTTING CONSISTS OF A SYSTEM OF INCLINED PIECES OF TIMBER 2.5 TO 3.8 CM. THICK AND 5 CM. WIDE FITTED DIAGONALLY BETWEEN THE BRIDGING JOISTS IN SUCH A MANNER THAT THEY CROSS EACH OTHER IN THE MIDDLE OF JOIST . AT THEIR ENDS , THE TIMBER PIECES ARE SPLAYE AND ARE SECURED TO THE JOIST BY NAILING . TO GIVE ADDITIONAL STRENGTH TO THE STRUTTING JOIST, WEDGES ARE INSETED BETWEEN THE WALLS AND THE END JOISTS OF THE STRUTTING . (b) SOLID STRUTTING: SOLID STRUTTING IS NOT SO STRONG AS HERRING BONE STRUTTING . THIS CONSISTS OF SHORT PIECES OF TIMBER 2.5 TO 3.8 CM. THICK , FIXED BETWEEN THE JOISTS IN CONTINUOUS ROW . THE LENGTH OF EACH PIECE BEING EQUAL TO THE CENTER TO CENTER SPACING OF THE BRIDGING JOISTS. TO STRENGTHEN THE STRUTTING , A 13 TO 25 MM. DIA STEEL ROD , PLACED BY SIDE OF STRUTTING , IS PASSED THROUGH THE MID DEPTH OF ALL THE JOISTS AND IS TIGHTENED AT ITS ENDS. METHODS OF FIXING CEILING:THE UNDER SIDE OF THE FLOOR DOES NOT PROVIDE A GOOD APPEARANCE FOR THE USERS OF GROUND FLOOR . IN ORDER TO HAVE THE PLEASING EFFECT OF PLAIN CEILING , THE BRIDGING JOISTS MUST BE CONCEALED . CEILINGS OF WOOD , JACK BOARD , FLOOR BOARD ,ETC. ARE FITTED TO THE BOTTOM OF JOISTS FOR THIS PURPOSE . METAL LATHE AND PLASTERED CEILING ARE ALSO COMMONLY PROVIDED . THE VARIOUS METHODS OF FIXING CEILING TO THE JOISTS ARE DESCRIBED BELOW: (1) CEILING BOARDS WHICH MAY BE OF WOOD, JACK BOARD , FIBER BOARD OR OTHER SIMILAR MATERIAL ARE DIRECTLY NAILED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE BRIDGING JOISTS . THIS IS THE SIMPLEST AND CHEAPEST FORM OF CEILING . DUE TO THE VIBRATIONS ARISING IN THE FLOOR JOISTS ON ACCOUNT OF THE FLOOR USAGE , THIS CEILING IS LIABLE TO CRACK OR OPEN AT JOINTS. THIS TYPE OF CEILING IS NOT SOUND PROOF UNLESS SPECIALLY TREATED. (2) IN THE SECOND METHOD , EVERY THIRD OR FOURTH JOIST IS MADE DEEPER THE CEILING IS

NAILED TO THE CEILING JOIST FIXED TO THE DEEPER JOISTS. ALTHOUGH THIS TYPE OF CEILING RENDERS THE FLOOR MORE SOUND PROOF , BUT THE INCREASED DEPTH OF BRIDGING JOISTS REQUIRED FOR FIXING CEILING ,MAKES THE FLOOR DEEPER AND COSTLY. (3) IN THE THIRED METHOD , THE CEILING IS SUPPORTED ENTIRELY INDEPENDENT OF THE FLOORING . SEPARATE BEAMS CALLED CEILING BEAM ARE LAID PARALLEL TO THE BRIDGING JOISTS AT SUITABLE DISTANCE APART , THE CEILING , STRONG AND RIGID ENOUGH TO CARRY CEILING LOADS ,IS FIXED IN THE WALL PLATES IN THE END WALLS AND IS KEPT ABOUT 20 TO 25 MM. BELOW THE BOTTOM FACE OF THE BOARDING . CEILING JOISTS ARE FIXED AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE CEILING BEAMS. CEILING OF REQUIRED MATERIAL IS THEN FIXED TO THE CEILING JOISTS AS SHOWN.

:: IN CASE THE SHORTEST SPAN OF THE ROOM IS MORE THAN 3.66 M. AND IT IS DESIRED TO PROVIDE A TIMBER FLOOR, DOUBLE TYPE OF TIMBER FLOOR MAY BE CONSTRUCTED. :: THE SPAN OF DOUBLE FLOORS IS RESTRICTED TO 7.32 M BEYOND WHICH FRAMED FLOORS HAVE TO BE PROVIDED. :: IN DOUBLE FLOORS THE BRIDGING JOISTS DO NOT SPAN THE WHOLE ROOM, BUT REST ON OTHER JOISTS PLACED AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THEM :: THE JOISTS ARE CALLED BINDING JOISTS OR BINDERS AND ARE PLACED ACROSS THE SHORT SPAN. :: THUS, IN DOUBLE FLOOR, THE BRIDGING JOISTS SUPPORT THE BOARDING AND THE BINDERS SUPPORT THE FLOOR LOAD THROUGH BRIDGING JOISTS. :: THE CENTRE TO CENTRE SPACING OF THE BINDERS VARIES FROM 1.8 TO 2.4M. AT THEIR ENDS, THE BINDERS REST ON STONE OR CONCRETE TEMPLATES EMBEDDED IN THE WALLS. :: AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, THE BINDERS SHOULD NOT BE PLACED IMMEDIATELY OVER DOOR OR WINDOW OPENINGS. IN CASE THIS CANNOT BE AVOIDED, THEY SHOULD REST ON LINTEL OR BEAMS(OF STONE OR R.C.C) WHICH MAY SPAN OVER PIERS BETWEEN THE OPENINGS.. :: THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT WAYS OF FIXING THE BRIDGING JOISTS TO THE BINDERS. IN ONE, THE BRIDGING JOISTS ARE COGGED TO THE BINDERS(I.E. NOTCHES ARE CUT ON TOP OF BINDERS AND THE BRIDGING JOISTS ARE FIXED ON THEM). :: THE DEPTH OF THE NOTCH SHOULD NOT BE MORE THAN 2/3RD DEPTH OF THE BRIDGING JOISTS AND WIDTH OF NOTCH MAY BE 25 MM. THE DISADVANTAGE OF THIS METHOD IS THAT THE CUTTING OF THE NOTCHES ON THE COMPRESSION SIDE OF THE BINDERS RENDERS THEM WEAK IN STRENGTH. :: IN THE SECOND METHOD, TIMBER PIECES OR FILLETS ARE FIXED ON EITHER SIDE OF EACH BINDER AND THE BRIDGING JOISTS ARE CUT AS SHOWN, SO AS TO REST ON FILLETS. THIS METHOD OF FIXING IS BETTER THAN SINGLE FLOOR CONSTRUCTION AND HAS BETTER SOUND INSULATING PROPERTY. THE PLASTERED CEILING FIXED TO THE BINDERS THROUGH THE FORMWORK OF FILLETS AND CEILING JOISTS, IS NOT LIABLE TO CRACK IN THIS TYPE OF FLOOR. :: DOUBLE FLOORS ARE COSTLIER THAN SINGLE FLOORS AND HAVE INCREASED DEPTH WHICH REDUCES THE HEADROOM. IN SOME PLACES WHERE THE FLOOR IS SUBJECTED TO HEAVY LOADING WHICH WOULD REQUIRE DEEP WOODEN BINDERS, THE DEPTH OF THE FLOOR CAN BE APPRECIABLY REDUCED BY PROVIDING R.C.C., STEEL OR FLITHCED BINDERS.

FRAMED FLOORS : :: WHEN THE SHORTEST SPAN OF THE ROOM OR HALL EXCEEDS 7.6M., FRAMED FLOORS ARE PROVIDED. IN THIS SYSTEM OF WOODEN FLOORING, BOARDING IS SUPPORTED BY BRIDGING JOISTS LAID PARALLEL TO THE SHORT SPAN. :: BRIDGING JOISTS ARE FIXED TO THE BINDERS LAID PARALLEL TO THE SHORT SPAN. BRIDGING JOISTS ARE FIXED TO THE BINDERS LAID PARALLEL TO THE LONG SPAN OR AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE BRIDGING JOISTS. :: THE BINDERS ARE FURTHER SUPPORTED OR FIXED INTO LARGE AND HEAVY BEAMS CALLED GIRDERS WHICH ARE PLACED PARALLEL TO THE SHORTSPAN. :: THE CENTRE TO CENTRE SPACING OF THE GIRDERS DEPENDS UPON THE LOADING CONDITIONS AND THE SIZE OF THE BINDERS. AT THEIR ENDS, THE GIRDERS ARE SUPPORTED ON STONE OR CONCRETE TEMPLATES EMBEDDED IN WALLS. :: TO AVOID THE LOSS OF HEADWAY OR TO REDUCE THE THICKNESS OF THE FLOOR, THE BINDERS ARE NORMALLY FRAMED INTO THE GIRDERS BY MEANS OF TUSK AND TENON JOINT.

ADVANTAGES: IMBER FLOORS GIVE AN ELEGANT AESTHETIC AND HIGH END LOOK. IT ALSO OFFERS WARMTH, NATURAL LOOK, BEAUTY AND VALUE OF WOOD AND NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE. ALTHOUGH TIMBER FLOORS CAN INITIALLY COST MORE THAN SOME OTHER FLOORING OPTIONS, IT IS AN INVESTMENT THAT PAYS OFF, INCREASING THE VALUE OF YOUR HOME. IT OFFERS VARIOUS VARIETY OF CHOICES IN APPEARANCE. THE FLOOR BOARDS ARE AVAILABLE IN NUMEROUS TYPES, SHADES AND SURFACE PATTERN FINISH. HARDWOOD FLOORING IS VERSATILE, BECAUSE IT FITS INTO BOTH TRADITIONAL AND MODERN HOME DCOR. YOU CAN ALSO PERSONALIZE YOUR FLOOR BY USING HARD WOODS, SUCH AS CHERRY, WALNUT AND OAK. HARDWOOD FLOORS ARE BEST SUITED FOR PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM ANY KIND OF ENVIRONMENTAL ALLERGIES. DISADVANTAGES: HARDWOOD FLOORING IS HIGHLY VULNERABLE TO MOISTURE AND HUMIDITY. THE HIGH COST OF HARDWOOD FLOORING MAKES IT LESS AFFORDABLE FOR THOSE WHO PREFER FRUGAL LIVING. ALTHOUGH HARDWOOD FLOORS ARE EASY TO MAINTAIN, THEY REQUIRE FREQUENT REFINISHING, TO ENSURE THAT THEIR SHINE LASTS FOR A LONG TIME. EXTREME NOISE, WHEN WALKING ACROSS IT, MAKES HARDWOOD FLOORS A NUISANCE FOR THOSE WHO WANT THEIR HOME TO BE A SAFE HAVEN, DEVOID OF ANY NOISES.