Bringing Back Red-oxides

FEATURESPROPERTYPLUS

July18,2014

BringingbackredoxidesRANJANIGOVIND

ColouroxideflooringfelloutofpopularityintheSeventiesandwasrelegatedtobeingmoreorlessapoorman'soption.Designerswithanearthyeyearetryingforitsrevival.

Thequalityofoxideflooringdoesnotpurelydependoncraftsmanship.Themakeupofcementhasaparamountroleintheflooracquiringtherequiredsheen.

Evencarpetlikepatternswereonceembossedonthefloorusingdifferentcolours.Suchwerethedefthandsofthecraftsmen.

Themodestandearthyredoxideswerenearlyforgotten,butforafewarchitectswhoshowedtheimaginationtokeepthemgoinginspiteofthedrawbackstheypose.

ArchitectK.Jaisim,knownforbuildingwithvaluesofenvironmentalsustainability,believesintheageoldoxidefloorsandtheirintrinsicworth,especiallytheircosteffectiveimplicationsthatcouldhelptheaffordablehousingsegmentreapthebenefits.Jaisimruesthatthetechniqueofusingcolouredcementforflooringwouldhavefoundnewercustomerseventodayinappreciablenumbershaditbeentechnologicallyupdatedforitsjudiciousmixing,applicationandspread.

Whendidtheoxides,ortheredstobemorespecific,loseground?Redoxidewassidelinedandevenpushedoutofthewayeverytimeanewflooringmaterialarrivedinthemarket,saysarchitectSathyaPrakashVaranashi.Whileneweroptionsturnupandmakenoisefortheirspecialproperties,olderonesneednotbeoutdated,hesays.Butunfortunately,intheurbancontext,redoxidelayingturnedoutatimeconsumingaffair,withlabourtoobecomingcritical.Peoplestartedpreferringprepolishedgranite,marbleandindustrydrivenvitrified,albeitbeingenergyguzzlers.

Mr.Varanashigoesontoexplainthatnothingisimpossibleevennow.Achievingqualitydependsononeswillpower,saysthearchitect,whoperhapsisonedesignerdoinguphomeswiththeearthyreds,theoxidemixbeingperfectedwitheveryhousegainingonthegleam.

Roleofcement

Letslookintothedetailing,thewayredoxideswerebeingusedoncementedfloorsafewdecadesago,andtheiractualusagetoday,saysarchitectB.S.Bhooshan,urbanplannerandresearchadviser,whohashandledmyriadsofoxidefloorings.BhooshanshouseinMysore,built25yearsago,stillretainsitsredoxidesheen,whilethehouseshetakesupnowmaynotactuallyclaimtobringinthesametopgradeglossymakeup,althoughhefollowsafaultlessapplication.Letsfaceit,beitcement,thegradedGulbargalimethatwasmixedortheageoldoxides,noneisthesamenow.Thematerialqualitywereceiveisdifferenttoday,explainsBhooshan.Highgradecementprocuredtodaysetsquickerasithashigherbleachingcontent.Whenoxidesaremixedintothiskindofcement,theancientqualitythatslowsettingcementofferedshouldbeforgotten,asleaching(orbleaching)leaveswhitepatches,andthecolorationisduetothecalciumsurfacing,hesays.

Butmanysuchchemical/technicalsnagscanbeovercomewithnaturaladmixturesthatnullifytheexcesscalcium,saysBhooshan.InSriLanka,redoxidesareusedperfectlyforaseamlessflooringeventoday.Vaststretchesofcementflooringgenerallytendtocrack,ashighstrengthcementoftodayshrinksandsettlesfaster,releasingexcessheat.Anoxideblendwithgreycementorflyashcanmakeitnonstickyandworkmanfriendly.Addinglimetooslowsdownorretardsthesettingprocess,helpingonegetabetterfinish.Longstretchesofcementflooringcanbeabridgedwithinterveninglinesthatactasseparators,toavoidcracks,advisesBhooshan,addingthattheIndianindustrybadlyneedslessonsonallthis.

Evencarpetlikepatternswereembossedonfloorswithmeticuloususeofmultipletintedoxidesforcolouring,saysBhooshan.However,onlyanexpertcraftsmancanlayaperfectfloorwithoutcracksthatdoesnotdeveloppatcheswithtime.Theprocessislaboriousasitneedstobetrowelledevenlybyhighlyskilledmasonswhocangivetherightattention.Eggwhite,coconutoilandricebranareusedwhilestonescrubbingthefloor.Eventwodecadesago,redoxideflooringwascompletedovernightforaroom,hesays.

Costfactor

M.R.Satheesh,acontractingconsultantforconstructionmaterials,saysoxidesmayworkouttobeonethirdthenormalgranitecost,ifthemasonsdonotchargealot.Theopenandwetareasmaynottaketheoxides,hesays,asatmosphericchangescanbringinlightfissures.Calciumandmagnesiumaresensitivetodirectradiations.

Ifcoloursspeakofanera,redoxidesonyourfloorarethegloriousredstransportingyoutonearlyacenturyofrichtradition.SeveralpartsofSouthIndia,especiallyKerala,coastalKarnatakaandinteriorTamilNadu,sawagleamingspreadoftheoxideinshadesascherry,crimson,rubyorscarlet.Itsuniformfinishandjointfreestretchesmakesitmoreeyecatching,whiletheglowthatthecolourexudeswitheverypassingyearmakesitspecial,contendsSatheesh.