Blog 5

Flooring

There are three main types of floor framing systems: wood, steel, and concrete. There are also

two main types of wood floor framing systems: light frame and heavy timber frame. Wood light

frame uses multiple smaller wood joints to carry the load. The wood heavy timber frame relies

on columns and beams to carry the load.

The steel floor framing system relies on columns that support steel beams. Girders span the beams

and carry metal decking. Concrete is then poured into the metal decking to create the floor

system. There is also another form of steel floor framing where open-web steel joints are used to

carry metal decking for a concrete-metal decking floor system. 

A concrete floor framing system is either poured in place on the site or cast at a plant and

assembled on site. Flooring also requires insulation to keep cold air from the ground from moving

into the finished space above. Insulation is used when the floor is installed above a crawl space

or above the earth. There are also many different materials that can be used in flooring, but the

space being designed and building codes can narrow the options. These materials are divided into

two main categories: hard surfaces and soft surfaces.

Hard Surfaces

There are many possible hard surfaces that can be used for flooring, including concrete, brick,

stone, terrazzo, and ceramic tile. Concrete is used mainly as a sub-floor, but can also be used as a

finished floor. Various textures and colors are available. These can be used in both commercial

and residential design. Brick or brick pavers can also be used for finished flooring. These are

often seen more in historical homes. There are many ways the bricks can be laid to create

different, unique patterns, such as basket weave and herringbone.

There are many types of stone that can be used as flooring, such as marble, granite, limestone,

travertine, etc. Stone has a variety of compositions and colors. Stone is a great material to use, but

it is a natural material that we have a finite supply of, so it is important to look at the origin of the

stone when sourcing it.

Terrazzo is considered a green building material. It consists of marble or glass chips in a cement

or resin base. It has a very unique appearance and can contain a variety of colors. It is also very

strong and durable, which is why it is most often seen in high-traffic areas like lobbies or on

garage floors.

Ceramic tile is another very common hard surface flooring. It is either an installed think set or a

thick set. It is always laid starting in the center of a room. Ceramic tiles come in a wide variety of

shapes and colors, which allows a designer to make a lot of very unique designs with them.

Soft Surfaces

The most common soft surface floorings are carpet, wood, and resilient flooring. Carpet is used in

both commercial and residential spaces. It contains two main parts: the pile and the backing.

Carpet is made from natural fibers like wool or synthetic materials like petroleum, polyester, or

nylon fibers. Carpet is a great choice for large rooms because it has great acoustical qualities. 

Wood flooring is also very common in both commercial and residential spaces. It most commonly

comes in strips, planks, or blocks. It also comes in a variety of different wood species, such as oak,

walnut, cherry, maple, etc., that have different appearances. It has been used in flooring for

thousands of years. When choosing wood flooring, it is important to consider if it is coming from

a sustainably managed source, as well as if the wood is being finished with a low-VOC product.

Resilient flooring has become very popular in more recent years. It has a variety of options,

including vinyl, rubber, linoleum, cork, and bamboo flooring. Vinyl flooring is used in both

commercial and residential spaces. It usually comes in sheets or tiles that are either glued down or

connected together and laid on top of the subfloor(floating floor). Vinyl flooring is not a

sustainable product.

Rubber flooring is usually used as a non-slip flooring option. It usually comes in tiles or sheets. It

is made of natural or synthetic rubber, which makes it a sustainable product. It is important as a

designer to look at what products are in the rubber flooring. Linoleum flooring was much more

popular before vinyl flooring was introduced. The ingredients are more environmentally safe. It is

also anti-microbial and resists static build-up. It is mainly seen in more commercial areas such as

healthcare and education facilities. 

Cork flooring is a very sustainable product. It is mainly made from the bark of cork trees. It inhibits

fire, has good acoustical properties, and is anti-microbial. It is also very durable. Bamboo is

another very sustainable flooring option. It is a grass that grows around 3 feet in a day. It provides a

stable flooring and does not absorb water as much as wood does. Although this is a good,

sustainable option, it can be very expensive to ship and use.

Home Depot Tour

Grace and I toured Home Depot to observe and learn more about the flooring options they

provided. One of the workers was nice enough to give a tour. He described the main different

flooring options they carried and the different benefits of each. He started with the vinyl and

laminate flooring they had. He explained how it was the cheapest and easiest to install flooring

option. He also showed how they had a variety of different design options, as well as options that

were more waterproof or scratch-resistant. They also had some that clicked together like a puzzle

and some that were peel-and-stick. He explained how the peel-and-stick option is easy to install

but also breaks easily. He explained how vinyl flooring is very practical in both residential and

commercial areas because of its durability and easy installation. It is also very good for families

with children or pets. He showed us that the vinyl flooring was more durable and waterproof than

the laminate flooring. He even broke off a piece of the laminate flooring to show us the inside of

it, which was compressed wood core. 

He then showed the ceramic tile flooring they carried. They had a wide variety of sizes and designs.

Most of the options could be used as flooring or on the walls. He explained how, although the

ceramic tiles were more expensive because you would want a professional to install them. He said

it also takes preparation for the area where you are installing it. If installed incorrectly, it can

easily crack. He showed us their stone flooring samples, which he explained were often used for

outdoor spaces such as patios. 

He lastly showed us the carpet they carried. He described how they had a wide variety of designs

and colors, but the carpet was mainly separated by what material it was made from. The thicker

and more textured carpets are often seen more in residential products, while the flatter, stronger

carpets are seen in commercial spaces. These are often made from nylon and come in

easy-to-install squares. This also makes them very easy to replace in smaller areas that may get

damaged. Overall, it was very interesting and fun to learn more about specific floorings and see

the wide variety of design options they had.