Ground Realty

Home owners’ nightmare

Dampness & leaks
Jagvir Goyal

Four things every house owner dreads are termites, cracks, leakages and dampness. Any of
these occurrences is enough to send the home owner deep into the throes of misery.
Though there are several remedies available to set the house in order, wary eyes are on the
constant lookout for reappearance of any signs of distress. As they say, prevention is better
than cure — the best remedy is to take extra care at the time of construction.

A systematic approach towards handling these problems can well lead to their elimination.
Let us consider waterproofing of a house first. To get rid of dampness and leakages,
following six fronts need to be handled:

Basement construction, damp-proof course, water supply piping, sanitary and rainwater
piping, sunken floors and leak-proof roofing . We have already covered the first four. Let’s
discuss the last two.

Sunken floors

IN most houses and buildings, there are sunken floors in bathrooms to accommodate Indian
type water-closets and floor traps. Floor traps don’t demand much depth but the gradient
given to pipes necessitates their fixing at a lower level. Sunken floors are often a cause of
leakage and dampness in houses if proper water-proofing treatment is not done. Here are
some guides for waterproofing:

Fill the cracks: First clean the surface of the sunken floor of all mortar deposits that might
have fallen during plastering . Now, check the floor surface for cracks. If any, these need to
be treated. Cut the cracks into small ‘V’s and fill them with a polymer compound. Use a
compound like ‘crack fill’. These are available at shops selling waterproofing material or
paint.

Applying waterproofing: Mix 1 part of acrylic emulsion (liquid) with 2 parts of polymer
modified cement (powder) by weight to form a cream-like paste. Apply 2 coats of it with a
brush on the slab surface. It can be applied even on wet slab. Apply on walls as well up to a
height of 6 inch above the bathroom floor level. On drying, it will form a flexible
waterproofing film. One litre of this paste covers 7 to 8 sqft area in one coat. Pidifin 2K,
Fosroc Hydroproof and Roff Hyguard ex are good products to use here.

Membrane alternative: An alternative to the above waterproofing application is readymade

membrane. There are synthetic versions available. These need to be notched into walls. Lay
the membrane as prescribed by the supplier.

Cement plaster: After waterproofing application or fixing of membrane, apply a 0.5-inch

thick 1:3 cement sand plaster layer over the surface or the membrane and on walls up to
the height of water proofing application. Allow to dry and cure well for at least seven days.

Bitumen application: When the cured plaster surface is fully dry, apply two coats of bitumen
over it. Use 85/25 grade bitumen for it. Apply 150 grams bitumen per sqft in each coat.
After application of bitumen, immediately lay a PVC sheet over the bitumen so that the
sheet sticks to it. See that all areas get covered well.

Clinker filling: Next, fill the sunken area with clinker or foam concrete fill till you get the
bottom screed level. Clinker and foam concrete are lightweight and don’t burden the slab.
The base is ready. Next, lay the floor like any other.

Leak-proof roofing

Leakage from the roof slab has a negative effect on the health of inhabitants. It gives rise to
a sinking sort of feeling besides damaging the house and making it weak. Thus full
precautions must be taken during the laying of roof slab against dampness and leakage.
Mostly RCC roof slab is used in the houses. Treatment it as under:

Provide bearing plaster: Always provide bearing plaster on top of brick walls before laying of
RCC slab and giving bearing to it on the walls. This plaster can be ½ inch thick. Use 1: 4
cement sand mortar for it. Cure this bearing plaster well and allow it to dry. Now, apply two
bitumen coats on it by using about 200 gm of it per running foot of 9 inch wall. Now rest the
slab on it. This bearing plaster will allow the free movement of slab during summers and
winters. It will be still better if you can place a 24 guage GI sheet on the bearing plaster
before laying slab on it.

Provide expansion joint: Leave a gap of say 10 mm between the edge of slab and the end
course of bricks while resting slab over the wall. This gap will take care of expansion in
summer. It will allow the slab to expand and no cracks shall appear at the wall-slab
junction. Fill this gap with sand or a compressible material so that nothing undesirable gets
filled in it. Don’t use thermocole, shaltex board is a good choice.

Provide proper slope: Always provide proper slope to the roof towards rainwater pipes. Keep
this slope as 1 in 50. If there are a number of rainwater pipes, divide the roof into pockets
and slope each pocket towards nearest pipe. Keep pipes covered with iron gratings so that
no debris or stone pieces fall and block them. If you are able to keep the rain water pipes
choke-free and allow no rainwater to stand over the roof by providing proper slope to it, you
have almost clinched the issue. Some slope can be provided in the concrete slab’s top
surface and balance can be made with mud plaster and clay layer.

Provide concrete gola along junctions: All along the junction of brick walls and slab, provide
a concrete gola of 3 inch radius. This should be done before plastering the inner face so that
there is no vertical joint between the plaster and the gola to allow water to travel.

Roof slab coating: In general, roof slab is well cured after its laying, allowed to dry and then
covered with two coats of 85/25 grade bitumen laid hot at a consumption of 150 gram per
sq. foot per coat and then sanded. This technique has a number of flaws. Slabs are not
allowed to fully dry before applying bitumen. Even if that is ensured, bitumen used is not of
good grade and density is not maintained. Generally, bitumen is bought from road makers.
It is mostly of 80/100 grade and not good for slab. Its application doesn’t bring desirable
results.

Applying waterproofing compound: Clean the slab surface well of all debrisand dust. Now,
prefer to apply waterproofing compound on the top of slab. Don’t use non-flexible
compounds. Use breathable, flexible, cement-based compounds like Pidifin 2K. These are
two part cementitious acrylic compounds that when applied in 2 coats, should give 1 mm
thickness.

Lay the topping: Now, lay topping material layers. Avoid brickbats; these unnecessarily
increase weight on slab. Provide mud plaster over the slab followed by a 3 inch layer of
earth — these are good insulators. Give required slope. Over these 2 layers, chosen tiles are
laid and grouted.

Roof tiling: People prefer kota stone or choose marble, brick tiles or ceramic porcelain tiles.
Brick tiles don’t look that good but are cheap and best if well grouted and finished with flush
pointing. Otherwise, ceramic tiles of tough type and Group V laid and grouted well are a
good option. Avoid kota or marble as these are porous and trap water.

Follow these steps and enjoy happy dry days!

This column appears fortnightly. The writer is deputy chief engineer, civil, PSEB.

Pre-monsoon check

Before the onset of monsoon, get the roof cleaned of all debris and tree leaves. Check for
visible cracks and get them repaired with water proofing material or cement grout. This is
vital. In addition to draining off rain water, you are not to allow its entry below the topping.
This water gets entrapped in between the slab and the roofing material and later surfaces
on the underside of the ceiling. Check all rain water pipes. All should be free of debris. 
 An ideal cupboard
Jagvir Goyal

Several tips on woodwork, joinery fittings, wood

substitutes and cupboard shutters have been shared
with the readers in this column. Yet queries are
being received to discuss the cupboard design and
its provisions for best comfort of the user. A
common request is to suggest a design that may
help in classifying the wardrobe items. Well, here
are a few valuable tips on the issue:

Most of the cupboards are provided with a major

compartment with a hanger rod in it. This
compartment is used to put hangers for suits,
sarees, shirts, and trousers on the hanger rod and
to store some ironed clothes on the shelf. The
balance area of the cupboard is divided into a number of shelves. Among these, the lowest
ones are used to store some un-important items, the uppermost ones store some clothes
and items but are difficult to operate. Only the middle ones, to the side of hanger
compartment, offer convenient space for storage of shirts, hankies, socks, night suits etc.
Under this arrangement, often it is not possible to classify the items properly. Overall, the
cupboard gives a cluttered look and the house owner remains dissatisfied with the
arrangements in his cupboard.

Desirable design

Normally, the top level of cupboard is 6’9” above the floor

level. Out of it, the skirting portion of the room consumes
four inches. Thus a net height of 6’5” is available for
utilisation. Width of the cupboard varies from room to
room as per space available. Depth of cupboard should
be more than 18 inches if hangers are to be hung inside
properly.

The bottommost part of the cupboard is always

inconvenient to use. It demands squatting or sitting on
the floor. It is better to create a horizontal shoe rack here
by providing a horizontal wooden shelf 11 inch above the
bottom and dividing the horizontal space through a
central partition. The doors to the two compartments
thus created at the bottom should be bottom hung and
open in a slanting manner at such an angle that you may
conveniently put in or take out your footwear from it
while standing. Provide the doors with magnetic catchers
to close them with your foot itself. Next, provide two or
three drawers in a row of 7-inch depth. Above these
drawers, another row of drawers of 7-inch depth can be
created. All these drawers and the shoe rack will consume a vertical height of 2’3”. Leave
the balance area of 4’2” height for the hanger compartment for full width of the cupboard.
 The drawers

Depending upon the width of cupboard, you have four to six drawers with you. Use the
drawers for storage of different items. One can be used for the undergarments, second for
night dresses, third for shorts and sports-wear, fourth for handkerchiefs and socks so on.
Everything except the main attire can be put in there in a planned manner. Provide each
drawer with a folding or flush handle so that the handles do not protrude beyond drawers’
surface and interfere with cupboard’s shutters.

Front niche of drawers

While the lower set of drawers is of full depth, create vertically open niches in front of upper
drawers. Let the horizontal depth of these niches is 3 to 4 inch while the vertical depth is
equivalent to depth of the drawers. These niches prove very useful for storage of perfumes,
cuff links, tie-pins etc. Under such arrangement, the upper set of drawers need not be
provided with front handles. You can easily pull them out by inserting your fingers in the
front niches.

The hanger compartment

Normally, painted or chrome plated MS pipes or aluminium pipes with brackets are provided
in the cupboards as hanger rods. In such cases, see that the pipe diameter shouldn’t be
more than ¾ inch. 1-inch diameter pipes often obstruct proper resting of hangers on them.
Standard sized wardrobe rails are also available in the market. These are 15 mm wide and
30 mm deep. Choose such rails in chrome painted steel or anodized aluminium. While the
end supports for them are in steel, the central supports are in plastic and are supplied with
these rails. There is no play of hanger rods in these supports. Run the hanger rod for full
width of cupboard by using central supports wherever necessary.

Pull-out hangers & racks

Also add a trouser pull out hanger in the second corner of the cupboard. Pull out belt racks
are 500 mm long and 75 mm deep. These can hang 8 belts at a time. One such belt rack
should be provided on the back wall of the cupboard.

Organisational drawer

This is an optional item and can be provided in place of one of the drawers. This drawer is
divided into 24 small sized rectangles of 5”X4 ½ ” size, each of 4 inch depth. This drawer is
available for a width of 800 mm with net sliding drawer dimension of 764 mm. This drawer
has a weight bearing capacity of 20 kg. Mostly walnut wood is used for it. It can be well
fitted in your cupboard if planned in advance. The 24 rectangles can be used for storage of
small items.

Shirt pull-out drawer

It is another optional item that can be provided in place of one of the drawers. This drawer
has a 764 mm wide pull out shelf sliding over another 800 mm wide shelf. The pull out shelf
is a plain shelf of the shape of a tray. Shirts can be stored on it, one above the other. The
shelf has built in drawer runners with ball bearing slides and can move most smoothly even
 PRACTICAL TIPS

Measurements

While noting down the measurements of

after laden with 20 kg load. It is a good item to glass panes for getting glass cut to size,
store ironed shirts or sarees. always note the width first. It is a
standard practice. Suppose a
windowpane is 12 inch wide and 36 inch
The glass edge deep, it should be noted as 12”X36” and
Jagvir Goyal not as 36”X12”. In plain glass sheets, it
may not matter but in panes with
Glass is an integral part of every building. Earlier, designs, etching or painted surfaces, it
it was mostly used for windowpanes or partly may cause problems. When a list of
glazed and panelled doors or for bathroom dimensions is sent to the glass dealer,
shelves. Besides this, there was no other use of he’ll always take the first figure as the
glass in buildings. width not depth. Also keep in view that
the glass pane measurements are noted
But now the use of glass has rapidly increased in by leaving a margin of 1/16” or 1.5 mm
buildings. People have started preferring so that the panes fit well into the space
aluminium windows with larger frames and more left for them.
glass. Glass doors are being provided in centrally
air-conditioned houses. Double-door system is Fixing
used so that the outside heat doesn’t enter the
house. While fixing glass panes, see that there
is no kink or distortion in the window
Glass is being used on a much larger scale in shutters. If there is even a slightest kink
commercial buildings. Use of reflective glass in or distortion, the glass panels will
high-end hotels, high-rise buildings housing develop cracks after being fixed in
modern offices, corporate houses has increased position.
immensely. Structural glazing and curtain walling
are fast becoming common.

Preference for glass has resulted in the production of many types of glass, each type is
suitable for a particular purpose. To save the user from getting lost in the glass-maze and
choosing the wrong type of glass, here is a description of each type of glass with guidelines
for its best use:

Float glass: This glass is made by floating molten glass over a bed of molten tin. It is made
perfectly flat and uniform in thickness. It is used in windowpanes. It is also called as “Soda”
or clear or flat glass. Though it breaks easily, it is most suitable for windowpanes as it is
cost effective. Its thickness varies from 2 mm to 25 mm.

Coloured glass: It is prepared by adding colouring material to the molten mass before
converting it into sheets. The coloring material used is in the form of metallic oxides.

Plate glass: It has both surfaces flattened and made parallel to provide complete visibility
and reflection. Its thickness is 6 mm or more. It is used in luxury buildings.

Prism glass: Glass with ribs of prism shape on it is called prism glass. The ribs are provided
at different angles. It deflects light.

Ground or frosted glass: It has a rough surface. It is made by grinding the polished surface
of glass. It has reduced visibility and ensures privacy. It is used for the windowpanes of
bathrooms, toilets or areas where privacy is required.
Wire glass: This glass is produced by embedding wire mesh in it. Electrically welded 13 mm
square mesh is used in this.

Toughened glass: As the name tells, this glass is produced by treating the normal glass
chemically or through thermal treatment. It is also called tempered glass. On breaking, it
shatters into small pieces instead of creating sharp and cutting angles. That’s why it is
mostly used in vehicles. It can withstand impact, shock and high temperatures.

Laminated glass: It is used in bulletproof cars and cabins. It is also used for glass floors. For
structural glazing also, this glass is often used. It is called bulletproof glass also. AIS’s
laminated glass is termed as security glass and costs around Rs 450 per sq. feet. It is also
termed as burglar resistant glass.

Insulated glass: It is used for sound as well as thermal insulation.

Reflective glass: It is used to reflect heat.

Shatterproof glass: It is an extremely strong glass that takes five hours to break when hit
by sledgehammers continuously.

Different types of glass available in the market can be used for different purposes. So select
appropriate type according to your need:

Windowpanes

For windowpanes, one should choose float glass. While doing so, see that it is free of cracks,
bubbles, air holes, veins or blisters. Also see that it is flat and clear. Further see that it has
no distortions. If looking for IS mark, check that it is IS 2835 marked. Earlier, IS 1761 mark
was used but now, this mark stands withdrawn.

Use 4 mm thick glass in windows. Its weight should not be less than 10 kg per sq. m area.
However, if the windows are of large size and panel area is more than 5 sq. feet, use 5 mm
thick glass. Its weight should not be less than 12 kg per sq. m area.

For bathrooms and toilets, use frosted glass. See that the weight of frosted glass is not less
than 10 kg per sq. m. While fixing the frosted glass panels, see that the frosted face of
glass is on the inner side of the window.

Door panels

The use of frosted glass in internal doors of residential houses is also increasing. If using a
single panel of glass for doors, choose a minimum 10 mm thick glass as the panel area is
often above 15 sq. feet. Prefer etched frosted glass to painted or stained glass. Flower
designs are less in fashion for doors. Architectural designs combining curves and
geometrical figures look more beautiful.

Wide choice

Choose glass panes from glass sheets manufactured by reputed companies like Modi Guard,
Saint Gobain, Asahi, AIS, a subsidiary of Asahi, Fuso and Pilkington. In India, till 1992, only
sheet glass was produced and limited quantity of other types of glass was imported.
In 1993, first float glass company was set up in India by Gujarat Guardian limited, a joint
venture of Guardian Inc., USA and Modi group of India. Today, it claims to be the only
ISO9002 glass company of India. The French major, Saint Gobain has also opened up its
branches in India. Pilkington, the largest producer of glass in the world, has also set up a Rs
600 crore unit.

GROUND REALTY
Sound building blocks
Jagvir Goyal
Residential sector in India is undergoing a complete transformation. The architects are
suggesting path-breaking designs. Air, light and openness are receiving extra attention.
Stunningly beautiful interiors and exteriors are being invented every day and marketed
vigorously by the construction industry. However, the basic building material has remained
the same — the bricks.

Ancient times saw extensive use of bricks in forts. Today also, almost cent percent buildings
use bricks one way or other. Even if we adopt earth-quake resistant, framed structure,
bricks fill up the space between beams and columns to act as walls. And bricks will continue
to dominate as the main building material for many more years to come.

Thus the selection of bricks has to be made carefully by the buyer. Checking that the bricks
are red in colour is not enough. Certain points if checked while selecting the bricks may
save the house owner from a lot of trouble later on. Good quality bricks can resist both, the
dampness and the cracks. Here are certain points to be kept in mind:

Soundness

All bricks produced by a kiln are not good. Some bricks have received full heat while others
may not have. Among the stacks, certain stacks are of well-burnt bricks while others are of
under burnt or over burnt bricks. Check bricks in different stacks by selecting two bricks and
striking their free ends against each other. Select such stacks whose bricks give a ringing
sound when struck against each other. Such bricks are hard and free from cracks. Bricks
made out of sandy soils will not produce such ringing sound.

Strength

The bricks should be strong, having a compressive strength of not less than 105 kg per sq.
cm. Right method of checking the strength is to draw a few sample bricks and take them to
a laboratory for testing on a compression testing machine which will tell the strength of
each brick. Ideally, the bricks need to be immersed in water for 24 hours; their frogs filled
with mortar and allowed to dry, before putting them under test. Otherwise, a quick method
to test bricks at kiln site is to hold one brick vertically in left hand, to place second brick
horizontally and centrally over it with the right hand and then to allow them to fall to solid
ground from the chest height. The brick placed horizontally shouldn’t break into two pieces.

Size

Checking the bricks for size is very important. Bricks are sold in numbers and a smaller size
may result in their extra consumption, causing extra expenditure. Exact size of a brick is
9”x 4 3/8”x 2 11/16”. Smaller size bricks also cause problems during masonry work. The
size of the frog, commonly called dabbi in the brick is 4”x 1 ½”x ¼” or 100 mm X 40 mmX
6mm. It carries manufacturer’s mark in it. All the faces of the bricks should be smooth and
corners should be sharp, not blunt or broken. Distorted bricks, even if well burnt in having
deep red colour, should be avoided.

Variation in size

Another important point to be checked is to see that there is no variation in the size of
bricks. Such variations cause lots of problems to the masons who find difficulty in
maintaining the lines and levels in masonry work. Generally, variation in size or thickness of
bricks occurs when we buy bricks from different kilns. One should prefer to get bricks from
one kiln only. That’s why the initial survey should be done carefully. Also avoid distorted
bricks.

Water absorption

Bricks are porous material. Yet these must have minimum possible water absorption
property. Lesser is the water absorption of bricks, more solid, strong and dampness
resistant these are. For checking water absorption, again the ideal method shall be to get a
few samples checked in a laboratory. Otherwise, one may choose a few bricks and note the
weight of each brick. Effort should be to choose bricks as dry as possible. A sunny day
should be preferred for their selection. Now, each brick should be given an identification
mark and then immersed in a bucket full of water for 24 hours. After 24 hours, each brick
should be taken out, wiped and weighed. The increase in weight shouldn’t be more than 20
per cent of the original weight of a brick.

Efflorescence

Often, people complain of shora appearing on the walls of their houses and damaging the
costly finishing work. This happens when the bricks contain free lime that comes out after
sometime when the moisture soaked by the bricks during rainy season begins to dry. It
evaporates, leaving the shora on the surface of walls. The problem keeps on recurring. Best
way to avoid it is to select efflorescence free bricks. To check whether the bricks are
efflorescence free or not, best way is to get them checked in a lab where the bricks are kept
in a pan in semi-immersed condition, allowed to soak water and then checked for
appearance of salts on their surface. A rough method to check bricks at site for
efflorescence is to break a few bricks and to check their broken faces for any lumps of free
lime, but this is not a guaranteed method.

IS Code

If a buyer is particular enough to buy bricks conforming to IS standards, the IS code for
clay bricks is IS 1077.

Hand moulded vs machine moulded bricks

Most of the brick kilns produce hand moulded bricks. Installation of machines at kiln site
demands extra capital and heavier power connection. However, machine moulded bricks are
certainly better in size and strength and should be preferred for use in face-work.

Other kinds of bricks

Though clay bricks are most popular and mostly under use in India, Clay Fly ash bricks and
Fly ash lime bricks are also under use these days. Ministry of Environment and Forests has
made it mandatory for all brick kilns located within 100 kms radius of a thermal plant to use
fly ash in the production of bricks. Bricks produced in a conventional kiln by mixing fly ash
with clay are certainly better in strength, size and have least water absorption property. The
IS code for these bricks is IS 13757. Fly ash lime bricks don’t use clay but lime, sand and fly
ash. These are not burnt. These are also called FAL G bricks. The lime used in these bricks
should be only C class, hydrated lime as per IS 712. The IS Code for these bricks is IS
12894. When used, these are generally prescribed for buildings having less than two
storeys.

This column appears fortnightly. The writer is deputy chief engineer, civil, PSEB. He can be
reached at www.jagvirgoyal.com 

Ground Realty
Chic walls
Jagvir Goyal
A few years back, a premier paint company launched ‘Royale
Play’, a product aimed to highlight one of the walls of each room
in a residential house. These special effect paints, applied with
special effect tools like sponge, ragging roller, comb, special
effect brush and spatula soon became quite popular. Many
householders were seen getting one of the walls, normally the
one against which the double bed was placed, painted with these
paints.

These paints are prevalent today also and mostly, dark colours
are chosen while the other three walls are painted with light
coloured paints, colour family remaining the same. These colours
and application-methods add three-dimensional effects to the
walls. The highlighted wall looks like a curtain or painting or sky
or fabric. The house owners also choose these paints for the wall
where they want to do a mural. However, wallpapers have
become very popular as these add a stylish look to the walls that
no amount of paints can. The range of designs, patterns and colours available is mind-
boggling. Name a colour, a shade or a style and the wallpaper is available. Once an expert
craftsman fixes the wallpaper on a wall, it becomes impossible to judge whether the wall is
covered by a fabric or wood or stone or bricks or mural. Wallpapers were popular in many
parts of the world in 1960s. Then, these were almost wiped out of the scene, but now these
have re-emerged most luxuriously and have stormed the market.

The range

Almost all of the good quality and durable wallpapers available in the market are the
imported ones, Germany being the main country. While every colour is available in all dark
and light shades, the designs concentrate on nature, floral and fabric patterns, stone look,
wooden texture, metallic look and veneers. Velvet and silk finishes can’t be distinguished
from fabric. Many types of wallpaper also provide 3D effects.

As the vast range may leave a person undecided, one should always look for the following
points while using wallpapers:

Where to apply

Instead of making wallpaper application on all the four walls of a room, apply it on one wall
only. Let the other walls be painted with oil-bound distemper or acrylic emulsion. If you
insist to use wallpaper on all the four walls of a room, let one wall be chosen as the feature
wall and highlight it with dark-coloured wallpaper of your choice and other walls may be
treated with light-coloured wallpapers. The colour combination should be chosen carefully.
Red and pink, green and pastel green, blue and sky blue combinations are quite popular.

Choose the finish

Choose whether you want a shiny touch or a matt finish. Next, choose whether you want a
fabric-look or wooden texture or metallic finish. Apart from these, floral patterns or natural
sceneries can also be chosen. For kids’ rooms, special wallpapers having fancy names like
wild safari, dragon castle, little princess, space mission etc are available. Keep the colour of
your carpet and furniture in mind while selecting the colours and patterns. Silk, velvet,
wood and leather like finishes look most attractive.

Quality

Ensure that the wallpapers are durable, non-fading and washable. Their being washable is a
great advantage. Test it practically and see that the wallpaper doesn’t fade or wear out
when a mark put on it is washed off. Mostly, wallpapers are vinyl wallpapers or vinyl coated,
very sturdy and pass the test. Get supplier’s guarantee for this. Try scratching wallpaper
hard and see that it resists any scratches. Carefully check the pattern to be uniform. Check
for no printing errors or waviness in design.

Surface preparation

Ensure that the wall is completely dry before wallpaper is pasted on it. Plug all sources of
seepage or leakage or dampness. Don’t try to hide the leakage by stone or tile covering
before fixing of wallpaper. It shall be of no use. Detect the source of leakage or dampness
and get it plugged. Further ensure that the wall is completely smooth. Wallpapers have a
thickness in fraction of a millimeter and it becomes difficult to hide any unevenness of the
wall surface. Get all nails removed completely and finish the surface smooth with sand
paper after filling the hole with putty. Get all holes filled, all joints treated and finished.

Application

Hire only the skilled workers of the supplier to paste the wallpaper on the walls. Let it be a
complete ‘supply and fix’ job contract. Skilled workers fix the wallpaper with such precision
that you can’t detect the joints in rolls. If there is a small wooden niche in the wall with its
plywood or board cover’s face even with the wall, get it covered too. Only you’ll know that a
niche exists there.

Speed

Skilled workers can completely finish all the four walls in a day. If single wall is to be done
in each room, the job can be completed for whole of the house in two to three days. That is
pretty quick in comparison to paint jobs. And there are no floor droppings and minimal
nuisance.

Cost

The cost of wallpapers varies from as little as Rs 10 per sq. ft to as high as Rs 900 per sq.ft.
Mostly, wallpapers are supplied in rolls with a standard width of 53 cm which gives 50 cm
finished width. Length of wallpaper in each roll is plus 10 metres. One such roll should be
assumed to give 5 sq. m finished area. However, when the job is assigned for supplying and
fixing, actual measurement of walls can be taken. The wastage of wallpaper, if any, is to
supplier’s account. Gratex, Marshall, Disney, Esprit are some of the well known brands.

Availability

Mumbai, Delhi, Pune and Bangalore are witnessing a great takeover by wallpapers for
internal finishing of walls. Good suppliers have arrived in Ludhiana and sectors 19, 17 and 7
of Chandigarh, too. Most of the wallpapers supplied by these are imported from Germany.
Highly attractive all-inclusive wallpaper finishing usually costs around Rs 50 to Rs 55 per
sq.ft.

Magic of steel
Last few years have seen a complete switchover to stainless steel kitchen sinks. Ceramic or
chinaware sinks used earlier are fading from the kitchens. Sensing the trend, the
manufacturers have flooded the market with many models of stainless steel sinks.

Here are a few guidelines to make the right choice when it comes to stainless steel sinks:

Number of bowls

A stainless steel sink may have a single bowl, two bowls, three bowls, single bowl with
drainage board, two bowls with drainage board, two bowls with two drainage boards, two
bowls in L shape with central drainage board and three bowls with drainage board. Further,
the bowls may be of equal or unequal sizes. Decide which system you want for your kitchen.
Normally, a two-bowl sink with or without a single drainage board should be preferred.

Shape

Sinks are produced in many shapes. It may be rectangular, square, L-shaped or curved.
Prefer a rectangular sink if a double bowl sink is chosen and a square or rectangular sink if
single bowl is chosen. Don’t choose a curved shape sink. Also see that inner radius of sink is
small so that maximum capacity is achieved in minimum space.

Thickness

A thicker sink provides better service and durability and also helps in reducing the noise
that steel sinks usually make. Thickness also acts against dents. See that the sink steel is
not less than 1.2 mm in thickness. Some companies produce sinks of even 1.6 mm thick
steel plates. However, such sinks are costlier.

Gloss factor

Stainless steel sinks come in three types of finishes — glossy, satin and linen finish. Sinks
with glossy finish are the cheapest. Those with satin finish are costlier and the ones with
micro linen or linen finish are the most expensive. Purpose of this finish is to give a
sparkling look to the sink and its easy cleaning after use. A sink that can be cleaned of all
the greasy stains after use should be chosen. Normally, satin finish sinks should pass this
test. See that cleaning doesn’t require hard detergents or scrubbers.

Steel quality

Stainless steel sinks should be made of AISI 304 grade stainless steel. To be more precise,
the steel should have at least 18 per cent chrome and 8 per cent nickel in it. Looking for
higher grades of stainless steel will unnecessarily increase the cost of the sink.

BIS confirmation

Prefer to choose a sink that conforms to IS 13983, the ISI mark issued by Bureau of Indian
Standards for stainless sinks to be used for domestic purposes.

Depth
Depth of sink is an important factor. Stainless steel sinks are not as deep as the ceramic or
chinaware sinks. Indian cooking conditions demand deep sinks for bigger utensils as cookers
and karahis. Always look for the deepest steel sink possible. Most of the branded stainless
steel sinks are 7 to 10 inch deep. Some reputed companies also produce 10 to 12-inch deep
sinks. Right method of checking the depth of sink is to measure it vertically near the waste
drain.

Time to buy

Decision over size of the sink and number of bowls in it should be taken before the water
supply pipes for the faucets and waste pipes connecting the sink drain pipes to the drainage
system are laid by the plumber in the kitchen wall. Preferably, the sink should be purchased
at that time itself and kept at a safe place. This will allow the plumber to know the exact
location of water outlets and waste pipe. Otherwise, at a later stage, the wall fittings may
need to be removed and re-laid causing unnecessary wastage of time and money.

Prefer to choose a double bowl single faucet sink. Faucets are so shaped and positioned that
these can be swiveled to open water flow in any bowl. Whenever, there are space
constraints, choose a corner sink with two bowls at right angles and a central drain board in
between. The tap is at the centre and can be turned towards any bowl. Look for the
removable vegetable washing bowl.

On firm footing
Jagvir Goyal
Slipping on the wet bathroom floor is something everyone fears the
most as it can cause grievous injuries. That’s why people are always on
the lookout for a bathroom floor that is not slippery when wet or soapy.

Three types of bathroom flooring options are prevalent — marble, tiles

and terrazzo flooring. While teraazo flooring with skirting was popular
in the 1970s, marble was the preferred choice in 1980s. These days tile
flooring is the most popular choice. However, the problem of having
wet and slippery bathroom floors still troubles many of us.

Let us examine all three kinds of floorings in regard to this factor of

providing a firm foothold.

Tile flooring

Two types of tiles are available in the market. These are vitrified tiles and ceramic tiles.
Ceramic tiles are categorised in different groups with Group V tiles being the strongest.
Porcelain tiles are also available under names like porselano etc. These tiles also belong to
ceramic group tiles.

Vitrified tiles have zero water absorption property. These are very strong and come in highly
glazed and matt finishes.

Ceramic tiles are not as strong and impervious as vitrified tiles. These are manufactured
with glazed, matt and anti-skid finishes. Porcelain tiles, though a type of ceramic tiles, look
like a separate group and are manufactured mostly in matt finish.

Suitability for bathrooms: Use of vitrified tiles in bathrooms is ruled out. Having high gloss,
these may make a person slip when wet. Moreover, these are mostly available in 2 x 2 feet
or bigger size. These sizes are not suitable for bathroom floorings unless the bathroom has
more than 10’x10’ size.

Among the ceramic and porcelain tiles, the use of glossy tiles in bathrooms is again ruled
out. Anti-skid tiles are the most suitable for the bathrooms. These are available in size of
1’x1’ and above. These are non-glossy type and have a textured surface.

Here one must note that the so-called anti-skid tiles are not fully slip-proof. These are fine
till the floor is simply wet but don’t save a person when the floor is wet as well as soapy.
Many people have slipped on wet and soapy anti-skid tile floors.

Marble flooring

Marble is a natural product, a metamorphic rock and therefore varies in colour, density,
porosity and hardness. White, green and pink are its preferred colours, though it is available
in brown, gray and black colours also. It accepts polish very well. Its fixing and polishing
take a lot of time, while tiles need no grinding and polishing. Yet marble is preferred by
many due to its natural look. Imported Italian marble is very popular in India. Botticino,
Rover, Greek Thassos are some of its hard, compact and durable varieties. Indian marble
weighing more than 2,800 kg per cubic meter is good.
Suitability for bathrooms: Both, Indian and imported marbles are widely used for bathroom
flooring in India. Marble is quite porous in comparison to tiles. But when laid in bathrooms,
it loses its polish very soon due to the repeated use of water on it. It also develops stains
along the joints of floor and skirting and begins to look dull after sometime. So it is hard to
maintain in bathrooms.

The whiteness of imported Italian marble, however, lasts longer and it keeps giving crystal
like appearance for a long time.

Marble, too, turns slippery when it is wet as well as soapy. One has to be extra vigilant in
the initial stages when the marble flooring in bathrooms is newly polished. After sometime,
its performance is similar to that of anti-skid tiles. Thus both, anti-skid tiles and marble
provide non-slip floors when wet but not under soapy conditions.

One should avoid going in for high polist or granite polish for marble floors in bathrooms.

Terrazzo flooring

Once extremely popular and a unanimous choice for houses, terrazzo flooring is vanishing
now. It has been virtually replaced by marble and tile floorings.

Terrazzo flooring looks strikingly uniform, perfectly level, non-porous and above all is
cheaper than marble and tile floorings. It can be provided in any colour and design by
mixing the necessary colour pigment with white cement. When laid in right manner and
cement-chips composition with good quality chips like Dehradun or Narnaul chips, the
results are excellent.

Suitability for bathrooms: Earlier, terrazzo flooring was usually provided in the
bathrooms.But it has been written off only due to the advent of new materials and not
because of any technical or performance faults.

Like marble, it, too, loses its polish and develops stains along joints and strips if not kept
properly clean. However, its shine can be restored easily through polishing after a few
years. It offers anti-slipping floors even under wet and soapy conditions. Unless one is too
careless, there are hardly any chances of a person slipping on a terrazzo floor.

The final choice

Thus the first choice for an anti-skid bathroom floor is terrazzo. Thereafter, marble and anti-
skid tiles score equally. Anti-skid tiles, if chosen, should have extra-textured or embossed
surface. In case a person uses marble or anti-skid tiles, he should take following
precautions:

Provide grab bars near the shower and bathtub. These are especially useful for older people
for getting up if in a sitting posture. Also, while standing and using soap or shampoo, these
save a person from slipping. Bathtubs often become slippery and grab bars help in getting
up from the lying position.

See that the towel rack or towel hook is within your reach and one should be able to grab a
towel after taking a shower without stepping towards the rack or towel hook.
Use slip-guard treatment on the floor. Under this treatment, a special chemical liquid
composition is painted on the floor with a brush. The liquid is transparent and doesn’t affect
the appearance of the floor, but increases its coefficient of friction. Once applied, the
treatment remains effective for many years.

Fix anti-slip tape on the floor around shower area. The tape will prevent a person from
slipping beyond it. As this tape is available in many colours, a colour matching that of the
floor can be chosen so that it doesn’t look odd. It is cost effective in comparison to the
chemical coating treatment of the whole floor.
 GROUND REALTY
The LIGHT issue
Jagvir Goyal

The consumer has nothing to lose by switching over to

CFLs. His power bill will scale down and that is always
welcome. Only pain in the neck, though, is the initial cost
of CFLs. Competition and government incentives may
soon push down the cost of CFLs. It is therefore, time for
the house-builders to know which CFL they should
choose.

Here are a few tips:

LED lights (top) are good for recess
lighting and have a long life
Choose high PF

The ‘power factor’ (PF) of CFLs plays a crucial role in deciding the amount of energy that is
saved. CFLs with low PF may hardly save power. Power Factor is the ratio of the power used
by the CFLs to the product of voltage and current supplied to it. It can lie anywhere
between 0 and 1. Most of the CFLs have a PF of around 0.5. A CFL with low PF shall draw
more current than a CFL with high power factor even if both are of the same wattage. CFL
with PF of around 0.8 is a good choice.

ROHS compliant CFL

All CFLs are not ROHS compliant. ROHS stands for

‘Restriction of Hazardous Substances’. It is also called Lead
Free Directive. Hazardous substances are lead, mercury,
hexavalent chromium, cadmium, PBB (Poly Brominated
Biphenyls) and PBB PBDE (poly brominated di-phenyl ether).
The last two substances are flame retardants and are used in
plastics.
A large variety of CFL lamps are
available in the market these days
ISI mark

IS 15111 Part 1 & 2 cover the safety and performance requirements of CFLs. These
standards cover rated wattage up to 26W and rated voltage up to 250 Volts. An ISI marked
CFL will always be safer and long lasting.

Right wattage

An 11W CFL gives illumination equivalent to 60W Tungsten filament GLS (General Lighting
Service) lamp. A 20W CFL is equivalent to 100W GLS. General formula is that 1 watt of CFL
gives illumination equivalent to 5 watts of GLS. So replace your 25W GLS with 5W CFLs,
40W bulbs with 8W CFLs, 60W bulbs with 11W CFLs, 100W lamps with 20 W CFLs and 200W
lamps with 36W CFLs.

No liquid mercury CFL

Many CFLs are produced by using liquid mercury in them. Such CFLs are cheaper than
others. Liquid mercury is harmful to environment. Also, when liquid mercury is used, the
prescribed ISI norms on weight of CFLs are hard to meet. Disposal of used CFLs that
contain lead or liquid mercury is harmful for water and environment. So prefer the CFLs that
are marked ‘liquid mercury free’.

Brand power

All CFLs may look similar but all are not the same. Market has a variety of them. For the
consumer, cost difference is the only criteria for choice. Choose a CFL produced by a
reputed manufacturer.

Digest cost factor

The biggest deterrent behind non-usage of CFLs is their initial cost. However it is a proven
fact that combined with the power saved, these lamps prove cheaper than conventional
lamps. A genuine 11W CFL is priced around Rs 125, a 15W CFL at Rs. 130 and a 20W CFL at
Rs 180. Due to government incentives, there are discounts available on these prices.

Save environment

Whenever a CFL gets fused, don’t throw it in the dustbin. CFLs may contain mercury. If
thrown in dustbin, these get broken, causing environmental pollution. Take it to the CFL
seller and hand it over to him. Sellers further handover all fused CFLs to processing units
who extract the mercury out of these and re-use it.

LED LIGHTS

Reputed companies are now producing LED lights and luminaries for the consumers. LED
means Light Emitting Diode. One LED emits little light. Therefore, in a LED lamp, a number
of LEDs are combined. These have no glass or filament in them. Nor do these contain any
mercury. These are very costly but have a long life. The future belongs to LED lighting. In
case you plan to buy LED lights, keep following points in mind:

Not for general illumination

LED lights available in the market are not suitable for general illumination. These are
suitable either for decorative purpose or at the maximum for task light where these focus on
a particular spot. LED lights usable for general illumination are expected to arrive in the
market soon.

Only for recess mounting

Most of the LED lights launched are suitable for recess mounting. These can, therefore, be
fixed in false ceilings only. Edison screw type LED lights are easy to install but have not
arrived in India so far. These can be screwed in the holder like a normal bulb or CFL. Some
Chinese lights have arrived and these are quite cheap also but are not reliable at all.

White light LEDs

LED lights are known to emit multiple colours. However, for visibility, white light similar to
daylight is necessary. Therefore, for task lighting, LED lights that emit ‘daylight white’ light
may prove suitable. Before buying their light-spread and brightness should be checked by
the user. Coloured lights can be chosen for decorative purpose.

‘No UV’ lights

While choosing LEDs for whatever purpose, it should be ensured that these don’t emit any
ultraviolet (UV) radiations. Check the manufacturer’s written specifications on the box to
ensure this.

Long-life

LEDs are supposed to compensate their initial higher cost through energy saving as well as
very long life. The LED lights have a life of 50,000 hours or so. This means that if a light is
kept on for 10 hours per day, then it would last for more than 13 years.

LED wattage

LED lights consume very little electricity. The recess mounted lights now produced are of
1X3 W, 3x1W, 4x3 W, 16 W and 48 W. LED lights have a wide range of operating voltage
and can operate at 110 V to 240 V, AC supply.

Cost factor

Presently, the LED lights manufactured by reputed manufacturers are very costly (around
Rs 2100 approximately). Chinese lights are cheaper but there is no use buying them. It is
hoped that cost will come down once a greater variety of easy-to-use LED lights entered the
market.
 PRACTICAL TIPS

Measurements

While noting down the measurements of

glass panes for getting glass cut to size,
The glass edge always note the width first. It is a
Jagvir Goyal standard practice. Suppose a
windowpane is 12 inch wide and 36 inch
Glass is an integral part of every building. Earlier, deep, it should be noted as 12”X36” and
it was mostly used for windowpanes or partly not as 36”X12”. In plain glass sheets, it
glazed and panelled doors or for bathroom may not matter but in panes with
shelves. Besides this, there was no other use of designs, etching or painted surfaces, it
glass in buildings. may cause problems. When a list of
dimensions is sent to the glass dealer,
But now the use of glass has rapidly increased in he’ll always take the first figure as the
buildings. People have started preferring width not depth. Also keep in view that
aluminium windows with larger frames and more the glass pane measurements are noted
glass. Glass doors are being provided in centrally by leaving a margin of 1/16” or 1.5 mm
air-conditioned houses. Double-door system is so that the panes fit well into the space
used so that the outside heat doesn’t enter the left for them.
house.
Fixing
Glass is being used on a much larger scale in
commercial buildings. Use of reflective glass in While fixing glass panes, see that there
high-end hotels, high-rise buildings housing is no kink or distortion in the window
modern offices, corporate houses has increased shutters. If there is even a slightest kink
immensely. Structural glazing and curtain walling or distortion, the glass panels will
are fast becoming common. develop cracks after being fixed in
position.
Preference for glass has resulted in the
production of many types of glass, each type is
suitable for a particular purpose. To save the user from getting lost in the glass-maze and
choosing the wrong type of glass, here is a description of each type of glass with guidelines
for its best use:

Float glass: This glass is made by floating molten glass over a bed of molten tin. It is made
perfectly flat and uniform in thickness. It is used in windowpanes. It is also called as “Soda”
or clear or flat glass. Though it breaks easily, it is most suitable for windowpanes as it is
cost effective. Its thickness varies from 2 mm to 25 mm.

Coloured glass: It is prepared by adding colouring material to the molten mass before
converting it into sheets. The coloring material used is in the form of metallic oxides.

Plate glass: It has both surfaces flattened and made parallel to provide complete visibility
and reflection. Its thickness is 6 mm or more. It is used in luxury buildings.

Prism glass: Glass with ribs of prism shape on it is called prism glass. The ribs are provided
at different angles. It deflects light.

Ground or frosted glass: It has a rough surface. It is made by grinding the polished surface
of glass. It has reduced visibility and ensures privacy. It is used for the windowpanes of
bathrooms, toilets or areas where privacy is required.

Wire glass: This glass is produced by embedding wire mesh in it. Electrically welded 13 mm
square mesh is used in this.
Toughened glass: As the name tells, this glass is produced by treating the normal glass
chemically or through thermal treatment. It is also called tempered glass. On breaking, it
shatters into small pieces instead of creating sharp and cutting angles. That’s why it is
mostly used in vehicles. It can withstand impact, shock and high temperatures.

Laminated glass: It is used in bulletproof cars and cabins. It is also used for glass floors. For
structural glazing also, this glass is often used. It is called bulletproof glass also. AIS’s
laminated glass is termed as security glass and costs around Rs 450 per sq. feet. It is also
termed as burglar resistant glass.

Insulated glass: It is used for sound as well as thermal insulation.

Reflective glass: It is used to reflect heat.

Shatterproof glass: It is an extremely strong glass that takes five hours to break when hit
by sledgehammers continuously.

Different types of glass available in the market can be used for different purposes. So select
appropriate type according to your need:

Windowpanes

For windowpanes, one should choose float glass. While doing so, see that it is free of cracks,
bubbles, air holes, veins or blisters. Also see that it is flat and clear. Further see that it has
no distortions. If looking for IS mark, check that it is IS 2835 marked. Earlier, IS 1761 mark
was used but now, this mark stands withdrawn.

Use 4 mm thick glass in windows. Its weight should not be less than 10 kg per sq. m area.
However, if the windows are of large size and panel area is more than 5 sq. feet, use 5 mm
thick glass. Its weight should not be less than 12 kg per sq. m area.

For bathrooms and toilets, use frosted glass. See that the weight of frosted glass is not less
than 10 kg per sq. m. While fixing the frosted glass panels, see that the frosted face of
glass is on the inner side of the window.

Door panels

The use of frosted glass in internal doors of residential houses is also increasing. If using a
single panel of glass for doors, choose a minimum 10 mm thick glass as the panel area is
often above 15 sq. feet. Prefer etched frosted glass to painted or stained glass. Flower
designs are less in fashion for doors. Architectural designs combining curves and
geometrical figures look more beautiful.

Wide choice

Choose glass panes from glass sheets manufactured by reputed companies like Modi Guard,
Saint Gobain, Asahi, AIS, a subsidiary of Asahi, Fuso and Pilkington. In India, till 1992, only
sheet glass was produced and limited quantity of other types of glass was imported.

In 1993, first float glass company was set up in India by Gujarat Guardian limited, a joint
venture of Guardian Inc., USA and Modi group of India. Today, it claims to be the only
ISO9002 glass company of India. The French major, Saint Gobain has also opened up its
branches in India. Pilkington, the largest producer of glass in the world, has also set up a Rs
600 crore unit.