TABLE OF CONTENTS Materials for floor coverings range from painted concrete to custom-made ceramic tiles or carpeting. This section deals primarily with those materials most frequently encountered on construction projects: wood flooring, resilient flooring and carpet, and secondarily, with less frequently used materials (stone veneer, seamless flooring, and terrazo).
The species of wood most commonly used for flooring is oak (red and white) and maple. Yellow birch and sweet birch are used on occasion, as are more exotic and costly species (such as pecan, walnut, cherry, ash, hickory, and teak).
Oak Available in two grades of quartered sawed and five grades of plain sawed, generally milled as tongue-and-groove, oak flooring is sold in plank, strip, block, or parquet form.
Maple Obtained from the sugar maple or rock maple trees, this wood is exceptionally hard and finds wide usage in gymnasium floors. Its resistance to abrasion and ability to take an excellent finish makes it desirable for all wood floor applications where heavy wear will be anticipated.
Acrylic-impregnated hardwood Radiation polymerization of hardwood flooring replaces the air in the wood cells with a liquid polymer using a vacuum and pressure process. The liquid polymer can be colored or clear. The resultant finish will greatly improve the wood s resistance to wear.
Vinyl Composition Tile (VCT)
The two types of vinyl composition tile are available in several thicknesses:
Type 1 Smooth surface
Type 2 Embossed surface
A thoroughly...
