FCC

How to pick the right flooring solution for you

2022-09-29

The flooring market in India is witnessing an increased demand for luxury flooring materials owing to the latest trends. The Indian tile industry today has matured and come at par with international standards, becoming a global hub with multiple manufacturing locations.

“A myriad of designs and flooring materials are available, and with this, architects and designers are constantly experimenting with newer and better flooring solutions in their projects,”says Khozema Chitalwala, Principal Architect and Designer, Designers Group. “It is a known fact that multiple Spanish, Italian, and German flooring manufacturing units are being set up in India and gradually taking over the global market.”

“We strive to achieve materials that resonate with the client, the context, and the climate,” says Pavithra Lakshmi, Associate, Morphogenesis. Every material comes with a cultural origin, and imbibing their traditional uniqueness with commercially poised material palettes can indigenously highlight the visual experience. The synergy among indoor and outdoor surfaces across various functional spaces is key in determining predominant factors like dust, glare and heat resistance. “The design trends in the flooring industry are determined solely by the client’s brief, the overruling context and climate consciousness,” she adds. The timelines and quality benchmarks, however, continue to remain a major challenge for leading large-scale manufacturers.

“With the construction industry being more in tune with the modular approach, the flooring industry could also incorporate this concept where a non-professional can install these on their own based on individual choices,” suggests Chinmay Patil, Vertical Head - Medical Planning & Interiors, Edifice Consultants. “They can be easily removable, which leads to adaptive usage and lesser wastage. It would also be sustainable if more sizing options are available, that help in providing designers flexibility to use them depending on the different dimensions of spaces and reduce wastage caused by cutting tiles.”

The industry needs flooring with a specified life cycle warranty. “Custom printed heavy-duty flooring tiles, tiles with no edge warping, and large format full body tiles of 20 mm thickness that can substitute granite and stone are also some improvements that can be considered,” Vivek Singh Rathore, Principal Architect, Salient Design Studio, says. “A revival of the patterned terrazzo flooring is also something to be considered, along with multiple blending colour tiles.”Speaking of what is popular in mixed-use constructions, he adds, “Heavy-duty self-levelling flooring using epoxy or similar materials is a trending material that makes laying and fixing easy as well as saves on-site time. Other popular materials include non-toxic nature-green certified flooring options and hybrid composite flooring with natural stone dust or stone particles that can be laid together for waste recycling and cost efficacy.”