Accessible - Floor Finish

Think about: the balance between hygiene and safety. Floors need to be smooth enough to be washed and swept, but not so smooth that they are slippery when wet.

Construction	Advantages	Disadvantages	Improvements / variations	Cost / labour
Rammed earth floor without marram (small stones)	Materials locally available Sweepable but not washable	Difficult to get the floor texture right: see above Floor dusty and not very hygienic Not easy to clean	Ensure good water drainage away from the user A slightly rough floor is suitable for people using crutches / sticks.	Low
Rammed earth floor made of marram (small stones) and sand; cow dung is smeared over to make it even and smooth	Materials locally available Repels urine to a certain extent Sweepable and wipeable	Difficult to get the floor texture right - see above Easier to keep clean than above example Needs regular maintenance (smearing with cow dung)	Ensure good water drainage away from the user A slightly rough floor is suitable for people using crutches/sticks.	Low to medium
Cement slab, installed level with earth floor around it	Locally produced Easy to keep clean - washable Durable	If the surface is too smooth it can be slippery when wet Surrounding floor might need maintenance to keep it level with slab		Medium

Acknowledgements

• Content and images: Compendium of accessible WASH technologies WaterAid.