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Flooring materials to last forever
Fashionable tiles, especially the ones that complement furniture can liven up a dull room. PHOTOS BY ISMAIL KEZAALA
What you need to know:
Although its look might be dull, the ordinary floors can be enhanced by a series of floor coverings like a carpet, mats or rugs, with an assortment of designs and colours.
As soon as you step into any room, one of the first things that will catch your attention, and from then on, determine your perception of the house is the look on the floor. Floors define the face of any interior and mood around the house. The colour or make of the floor can either make it dull, passable or attractive.
And because floors play such an important role in the look of our house, which will most likely stick for years, the decision on what type of floor to have shouldn’t be taken for granted.
Ordinary cement
According to Mr Robert Ssentamu, the chief contractor of Ssentamu and Sons Contractors, there are mainly three types of floors that are commonly used in houses today. These include; ordinary cemented floor, tiles and wood.
He says the most common of these is the cemented floor, which is a mixture of motor, concrete and a layer of cement on top.
“The advantage of using the ordinary cement is that it’s cheap and can easily fit anywhere,” he says.
He adds that the key factor is to get an honest but competent contractor who will make the right mixtures of concrete and cement. Failure to mix the materials appropriately would result into floor erosion, six months after it is installed.
“The only problem about them is that if not well done, they can start developing cracks, which further disintegrate and the floor starts falling apart,” he says.
Although its look might be dull, the ordinary floors can be enhanced by a series of floor coverings like a carpet, mats or rugs, with an assortment of designs and colours.
Mr Allan Masiko who has an ordinary floor says a cemented floor does not look nice but it serves the purpose. If one doesn’t like the way it looks, they can cover it up with designer floor fabrics.
Wooden slacks
Mr Ssentamu suggests wooden slacks to anybody who plans to build a temporary house.
“If it is not for the pricing, you would need strong pieces of wood, probably from the Mvule or Mahogany, if you are to get a strong wooden floor,” he says. “Otherwise, it is not common or even advisable to have wooden floors in a residential house because in case of a fire, the wood on the floor would act as fuel for the fire and spread it faster and further,” he adds.
Mr Ssentamu says wooden floors are supposed to be dry all the time, which is hard to achieve in a home, especially if one has children around. They are much easier to maintain in an office or business environment where one can control the movement of furniture or spilling of any liquids.
Slick tiles
Mr Ssentamu, however, notes that tiles would provide a better floor because they are harder and stronger as they have a concrete under coat, just like the ordinary floors do. Another bonus is that tiles are plastered.
Ms Aisha Ssentamu, the deputy managing director of Mirage Trading Company, which specialises in tiles and other house hardware, says the choice of tiles should based on the function that the premise is going to perform as well as the location to which the tile will be placed.
“Tiles with a rough surface usually work in bathrooms and kitchens. These do not need smooth tiles because they are most likely going to be wet most of the time and would hence easily make one slip,” she says.
Although bathroom tiles are rough, they may have a shiny look to enhance the bathroom’s disposition.
“There is also a type of tile called stone, which is supposed to be used in places that are busy. They for instance, could be used in supermarkets, offices, banks, and restaurants where people keep on walking fast,” Ms Ssentamu explains.
She adds that the reason stone tiles are suitable for these areas is because they do not easily fade or look dirty.
Mr Siragi Kazibwe of CTM (U) Ltd says flooring a veranda also requires tiles that have an ability not to fade. These include; porcelain, marble and ceramic tiles.
Tiles that are meant for the stairs are usually marked with grooves at one of the four ends. This feature is added so that in case one is climbing the stairs, their feet do not slip back and cause an injury, especially when they are in a hurry.
Maintenance tips
With a wide range of tile manufacturers coming up, some people may sell you something that is inferior, simply for the sake of making money.
“To avoid getting cheated in your quest of purchasing tiles, it’s better to visit different showrooms, where the original sellers or makers of tiles are,” Mr Ssentamu says.
Ms Ssentamu, however notes that one could check if a tile is of poor quality, especially when it feels unusually too light or sounds hollow when one knocks on its surface.
If tiles are well placed by a competent contractor, they should not fall off or get loose.
“Take good care of tiles by varnishing and washing them daily. You should also avoid things like cooking with charcoal stoves,” he says. He adds that one could use a chemical called Combat, which is common in most hardware stores and helps to retain the tile’s original colour.
Alfred Mugisha, who has a tiled living room, says he keeps a rug and mud-rack at the door to prevent floor stains. He also keeps them dry all the time by using a rug but does not scrub them because that would make their glow fade.
Above all, before you choose what to do with your floor, first decide the kind of traffic you will have in your house as well as how you will maintain it, and then go out and get it.
Pros of wood floors
• Easy to clean. No worries of trapping dust
• Holds warmth and thus feels warm to the feet, unlike cemented or many tiled floors
• Adopted for people living with allergies as it is not a breeding ground for moulds and dust mites the way carpets might be
Cons of wooden floors
• Water can damage your floor and cause warping
• Wooden floors can be noisy; especially if one or two planks are not tightly in place
• In case of fire, wood could hasten the spread of the blaze in the house
Pros of concrete floors
• Most affordable among the floor types
• Moisture and insect resistant
• Durable
• Easy to clean
Cons of concrete floors
• Unfriendly cold feel to the feet
• Requires regular cleaning
• If poorly installed, concrete can easily crack and achieve an ugly look
• Resealing costs can prove high in case of repairs
Pros of tiled floors
• Hard and usually durable
• Easy to clean and maintain
• High visual appeal
Cons of tiled floors
• Cold feeling to the feet
• May chip or break
• May be slippery if it is wet
• In case of repairs, one may fail to find a tile that fits the
already existing pattern in your house
Floor price
Mr Kazibwe says if one wants to get the total cost of laying tiles on the floor, they should multiply the total size of the floor by the price of a square metre of the tiles
• Stone tiles cost Shs25,000 per square metre
• Bathroom tiles cost Shs18,000 per square metre
• Stair fittings cost Shs35,000 per square metre
• Porcelain tiles cost Shs36,000 per square metre
• Wood slacks cost Shs40,000 per square metre
• Cement is at Shs27,000 per bag.
Where to buy flooring materials
• CTM (U) Ltd: 0312 266 188
• Mirage Trading Company: 0782 456 726
• Tororo Cement: 0414 344 578
• B.V Enterprises Ltd: 0752 300 961
• Kitchen and Office Concepts: 0414 341 200
• China Ceramic City (U) Ltd: 0414 235 518
• Bamwe House of Ceramics (U) Ltd: 0414 236 442
Compiled by John K. Abimanyi
