FEATURESPROPERTYPLUS

July18,2014

Bringingbackredoxides
RANJANIGOVIND

ColouroxideflooringfelloutofpopularityintheSeventiesandwasrelegatedtobeingmoreorlessapoorman'soption.Designerswith
anearthyeyearetryingforitsrevival.

Thequalityofoxideflooringdoesnotpurelydependoncraftsmanship.Themakeupofcementhasaparamountroleinthefloor
acquiringtherequiredsheen.

Evencarpetlikepatternswereonceembossedonthefloorusingdifferentcolours.Suchwerethedefthandsofthecraftsmen.
Themodestandearthyredoxideswerenearlyforgotten,butforafewarchitectswhoshowedtheimaginationtokeepthemgoinginspite
ofthedrawbackstheypose.
ArchitectK.Jaisim,knownforbuildingwithvaluesofenvironmentalsustainability,believesintheageoldoxidefloorsandtheirintrinsic
worth,especiallytheircosteffectiveimplicationsthatcouldhelptheaffordablehousingsegmentreapthebenefits.Jaisimruesthatthe
techniqueofusingcolouredcementforflooringwouldhavefoundnewercustomerseventodayinappreciablenumbershaditbeen
technologicallyupdatedforitsjudiciousmixing,applicationandspread.
Whendidtheoxides,ortheredstobemorespecific,loseground?Redoxidewassidelinedandevenpushedoutofthewayeverytimeanew
flooringmaterialarrivedinthemarket,saysarchitectSathyaPrakashVaranashi.Whileneweroptionsturnupandmakenoisefortheir
specialproperties,olderonesneednotbeoutdated,hesays.Butunfortunately,intheurbancontext,redoxidelayingturnedoutatime
consumingaffair,withlabourtoobecomingcritical.Peoplestartedpreferringprepolishedgranite,marbleandindustrydrivenvitrified,
albeitbeingenergyguzzlers.
Mr.Varanashigoesontoexplainthatnothingisimpossibleevennow.Achievingqualitydependsononeswillpower,saysthearchitect,who
perhapsisonedesignerdoinguphomeswiththeearthyreds,theoxidemixbeingperfectedwitheveryhousegainingonthegleam.
Roleofcement
Letslookintothedetailing,thewayredoxideswerebeingusedoncementedfloorsafewdecadesago,andtheiractualusagetoday,says
architectB.S.Bhooshan,urbanplannerandresearchadviser,whohashandledmyriadsofoxidefloorings.BhooshanshouseinMysore,built
25yearsago,stillretainsitsredoxidesheen,whilethehouseshetakesupnowmaynotactuallyclaimtobringinthesametopgradeglossy
makeup,althoughhefollowsafaultlessapplication.Letsfaceit,beitcement,thegradedGulbargalimethatwasmixedortheageold
oxides,noneisthesamenow.Thematerialqualitywereceiveisdifferenttoday,explainsBhooshan.Highgradecementprocuredtodaysets
quickerasithashigherbleachingcontent.Whenoxidesaremixedintothiskindofcement,theancientqualitythatslowsettingcement
offeredshouldbeforgotten,asleaching(orbleaching)leaveswhitepatches,andthecolorationisduetothecalciumsurfacing,hesays.
Butmanysuchchemical/technicalsnagscanbeovercomewithnaturaladmixturesthatnullifytheexcesscalcium,saysBhooshan.InSri
Lanka,redoxidesareusedperfectlyforaseamlessflooringeventoday.Vaststretchesofcementflooringgenerallytendtocrack,ashigh
strengthcementoftodayshrinksandsettlesfaster,releasingexcessheat.Anoxideblendwithgreycementorflyashcanmakeitnonsticky
andworkmanfriendly.Addinglimetooslowsdownorretardsthesettingprocess,helpingonegetabetterfinish.Longstretchesofcement
flooringcanbeabridgedwithinterveninglinesthatactasseparators,toavoidcracks,advisesBhooshan,addingthattheIndianindustry
badlyneedslessonsonallthis.
Evencarpetlikepatternswereembossedonfloorswithmeticuloususeofmultipletintedoxidesforcolouring,saysBhooshan.However,only
anexpertcraftsmancanlayaperfectfloorwithoutcracksthatdoesnotdeveloppatcheswithtime.Theprocessislaboriousasitneedstobe
trowelledevenlybyhighlyskilledmasonswhocangivetherightattention.Eggwhite,coconutoilandricebranareusedwhilestone
scrubbingthefloor.Eventwodecadesago,redoxideflooringwascompletedovernightforaroom,hesays.
Costfactor
M.R.Satheesh,acontractingconsultantforconstructionmaterials,saysoxidesmayworkouttobeonethirdthenormalgranitecost,ifthe
masonsdonotchargealot.Theopenandwetareasmaynottaketheoxides,hesays,asatmosphericchangescanbringinlightfissures.
Calciumandmagnesiumaresensitivetodirectradiations.
Ifcoloursspeakofanera,redoxidesonyourfloorarethegloriousredstransportingyoutonearlyacenturyofrichtradition.Severalpartsof
SouthIndia,especiallyKerala,coastalKarnatakaandinteriorTamilNadu,sawagleamingspreadoftheoxideinshadesascherry,crimson,
rubyorscarlet.Itsuniformfinishandjointfreestretchesmakesitmoreeyecatching,whiletheglowthatthecolourexudeswithevery
passingyearmakesitspecial,contendsSatheesh.