Page 22 - Designing Ways 285

FLOORING

Flooring

by Stienie Greyling

loors have been around since
humans first started to take shelter
Findoors. From dirt floors to
expensive hand-painted tiles, flooring
options have evolved over the centuries,
allowing us to take a peek into the way
people in the past used to live. Flooring
is also not something people think about produce; the Persian Kerman (KIRMAN)
when looking at how society and home is an example. Other hand-knotted rugs
life have evolved. For example, if you include SAVONNERIE rugs of France and
think carpets and rugs are a modern day the modern RYA rugs of the Scandinavian
commodity, think again. countries. Handmade rugs woven by the
The floor is the largest surface in a tapestry method, often described as the
building, and picking the best type of Aubusson type, from the French town in
flooring for the space depends on budget, which the method was perfected, have a
lifestyle and benefits, and determining flat or slightly ribbed surface instead of
which flooring is best depends on each pile. Hooked rugs are made by drawing
room’s needs and location. yarn or fabric strands through a basic
Popular flooring options include wood, material so as to form a pile of loops that
engineered flooring materials, vinyl, tile, may be clipped or remain uncut.
bamboo and carpet.
Hard flooring.
Handmade carpets and rugs. Hard flooring (not to be confused
Handmade carpets and rugs are with ‘hardwood’) is a family of flooring
usually made by knotting a number of materials that includes concrete or
pile tufts to a backing structure so that cement, ceramic tile, glass tiles and
the loose knot ends form the pile. Mainly natural stone products.
produced in Asia and the East, knotted Ceramic tiles are clay products that are
types are often given the general name formed into thin tiles and fired. Ceramic
of Oriental carpets and may be classified tiles are set in beds of mortar or mastic,
according to the country of manufacture (resin obtained from the mastic tree),
such as Persian (originating in Iran) or with the joints between tiles grouted.
Chinese. Well-known district or towns Varieties of ceramic tiles include quarry
may give their names to the carpets they tile, porcelain and terracotta. Many

22 Issue 285 • dw