FINISHING THE FLOOR

For creating and finishing the floor, be sure that the mason is skilled and has years of experience in making cement floors. If done poorly, the cement will crack, chip and break off into pieces, requiring a complete re-making of the entire floor. Having the most qualified mason to do the job, even if you have to pay them for it as a separate job, will pay off in the long run, especially in communities that have long, hard rainy seasons.
• Make sure that the ground is level and firmly packed down.

• Fill holes and unleveled areas with earth if needed.

• Pour the floor (between 5cm and 8cm is generally a good thickness, seek local advice) into four quadrants, separated by boards.

• The floor should be poured in four quadrants because if you try to do it all in at once, it will be hard to get it to be uniformly level.

• Smooth the cement with long, straight boards.

• Finish by sprinkling finely sifted cement over the floor as you pull a trowel over it.

• You can add a final smooth layer of cement over the floor to finish it if desire, or add pigment to the cement, or paint over the floor.