Method of Application & Precautions

Coloured oxide flooring is roughly a quarter-to-half-an-inch thick spread of a specialised measure of oxide-cement-water with deft hands dealing with the slurry mixture on plastered concrete. The flooring must be done only after the concrete flooring has completely dried otherwise the pigment may be absorbed by the concrete below & sand particles may come up on the surface, leaving dirty patches.

Cement & oxide should be first mixed in dry form, slowly adding water to get a consistent slurry-like mix. The oxide to cement ratio could be anywhere from 1:8 to 1:4 depending on depth of colour required and also on the quality of colour. Any lump formation in the mix will show up in the flooring. It is later trowelled evenly by highly skilled masons.

Trowelling to get an even surface is very important. While the minor undulations vanish during the hand polish, the major ones may remain.

The day after doing the floor, cure the floor by sprinkling water every 2 to 3 hours for a whole day, to avoid a dry floor. The second day, a thin sheet of water should be stocked up to check if white patches appear on the floor. If they do, remove the water, rub them off with a cloth and again refill water, until no white patches are visible.

Once the floor is laid, no one should walk on it for a minimum of four days, except for watering and waxing. Let the floor dry for a few days, clean it by wet and dry mopping and apply 400 grade sand paper in case smoothening and levelling is required. Red colour wax should now be applied directly on the surface with a soft cloth.

As the wax dries, rub the surface with rice husk or coconut pith in circular fashion until the wax disappears. Keep the room closed for three days so that the floor absorbs the wax fully.

The water should be clean or treated, and definitely not the mineral-rich borewell water. White cement should be used for light colours like yellow. For red, black and other dark colours, grey cement is fine. Cement with a higher setting time is preferable. White cement hardens faster so whenever it is used, the application must be done immediately after preparation of the mix.

Oxide floors need to be done in one continuous stretch without break, often taking the whole day and night depending upon the area to be covered.

History of Coloured Oxide Flooring

Coloured cement flooring has been in use in India since ages and can be seen in many of the historical buildings, old houses, churches etc.

It has traditionally been more prevalent in South and East India. In Kerala the technique of red oxide flooring had arrived much before the use of reinforced cement concrete started. Commonly found in the palaces and the houses of nobility of the early days, the red and black oxide floors had become associated with tradition in Kerala. Same can be said about the upper class Bengalis in West Bengal as evident from the Thakurbadi’s in the state.

After the seventies newer materials came into the market and led to the downfall of coloured cement flooring in the urban and semi urban areas. First came mosaic tiles which were later replaced by ceramic tiles and marble. Both of these were commoditised by mass production and thus available at very low cost. Oxide floors were left mainly for the poor and quality available in the market also generally dwindled.

But, these days oxide floors have made a comeback. Lot of architects are using it in new buildings and houses especially where a rustic effect is required. The thing about oxide colours is that apart from the quality of the oxide, the skill of the mason is equally important. It is almost like an art now. With multitude of colours available now-a-days, beautiful patterns can be created on the floor. In fact skilled masons for the job are much in demand and rarely available. Only an expert craftsman can lay a perfect floor without cracks and that does not develop patches with time. The process is laborious and requires keen attention.

The beauty about oxide flooring is that, once done properly, it is maintenance free. Just simple mopping is enough. It has better longevity than tiles which tend to wear over a period of time. There are no joints for dirt to accumulate and the best part is that its shine gets better with use. Every walk on a red-oxide floor is a smooth friction akin to a round of extra polish!