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Granite and tile floor finishes

Short answer

Granite floor finish uses polished slabs on mortar bed (1:4), grouted and polished; very durable but costly and slippery. Tile finish uses ceramic/vitrified tiles laid on mortar or adhesive with grouted joints; moderate cost, hygienic, but can crack under impact.

Explain in brief granites and tiles floor finishes.

Granite floor finish

Granite is a hard, natural igneous rock cut into polished slabs (18-20 mm). Slabs are laid on a 20-30 mm cement-sand mortar (1:4) bed with thin joints, then grouted, cured and polished. It is very durable, stain-resistant and gives a rich look. The disadvantages are high cost, weight and a slippery surface when wet. Used in lobbies, kitchens, staircases and public buildings.

Tile floor finish

Tiles are thin factory-made units of ceramic, vitrified, mosaic or terracotta, in sizes such as 300 x 300 and 600 x 600 mm.

  • Laying: the base is cleaned and a 20-25 mm cement-sand mortar (1:4) bed spread. Tiles, soaked if ceramic, are pressed into a skim of cement slurry (or adhesive for a thin bed) and levelled with a mallet. Joints of 2-3 mm are kept with spacers.
  • Finishing: joints are grouted with cement or coloured grout after 24 hours; excess is wiped off; the floor is cured for 3-7 days.
  • Merits: wide variety of colours, easy cleaning, moderate cost, hygienic. Demerits: can crack under heavy impact, joints hold dirt.
   tile (8-10 mm)   =========
   adhesive/slurry  ~~~~~~~~~
   mortar 1:4       .........
   PCC base         ---------

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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