They floor you with red oxide revival

The idea took shape after they started an initiative to protect and restore heritage monuments. “It began with understanding and appreciating the different building techniques used in earlier times. That’s when we came across red oxide and how it was widely preferred as a flooring alternative. The best part about it is that the floor looks better over time,”  says Ar. Thirupurasundari Sevvel of Social history group. “The main advantage is that it is our native technique and allows the floor to breathe. It is climate responsive. Tile flooring is not recommended for kids and older people due to risk of skidding. Instead, red oxide flooring is a better option,” she says.

These kinds of floor can be seen in many traditional or native settlements. “Red oxide flooring is still seen in many areas, especially in Mylapore and Triplicane where agraharam type of houses exist. You can find them in houses built during the early and mid -1900 as well,” she says. For those who may find the red colour monotonous, the group has come up with an option of lighter shades. People may think that the floor might look monotonous because of the red but they have worked on techniques to create, new, lighter colours.