Even a few decades ago, air-conditioners were the ultimate luxury item in a city where summer was especially cruel. For the vast majority which could not dream of buying the devices, the best alternative was constructing homes that had floors which remained cool despite the heat. Many in their 40s would remember the time spent in their grandmother’s home playing indoor games and rolling about on the cool, smooth red oxide floors.
“But that time is past now. With people preferring vitrified tiles that come in appealing colours, patterns and finishes to match the deco of the interiors, red oxides have been given a quiet goodbye. The masons, who made them, too have learnt new skills,” says Karunakaran a mason-turned contractor, who even now does red oxide floors on request.
“People don’t realise that the shine on the red oxide floors only increases with time and usage, unlike other floors that break and become old. Oxide floors also cost less when compared to vitrified flooring. The only drawback is they are time-consuming since the mason has to spend time polishing them to get the shine. You need a minimum of three hours of polishing and that could go up to over 12 hours. It is back-breaking and you need to take care of your feet during work,” Mr. Karunakaran adds.
“The proportion for this is one kilo of red oxide with one kilo of cement and fine sand. On small floors, we use only the colour and cement and apply it with a brush and then use a trowel to polish it. If done well, the oxide flooring does not crack and stays bright and shiny for long. There are buildings that have been in existence for over 50 years with such floors. You cannot break them,” says Jebaraj, another mason, who is an expert on red oxide flooring.
“But I no longer do red oxide flooring on a large-scale since people want tiles. Even recently, I made a red oxide floor in an office in the city. But, that was done to reduce the cost and not because the owner really liked it,” Mr. Jebaraj says.
He added that it is a pity that nobody opts for such floors.
Like mosaic floors, red oxides too have lost their sheen and so have the people who make them.
With red oxide floors increasingly becoming nothing more than a memory, masons who once spent hours polishing it are searching for options
