The interior surface coverings include carpets and linoleum for floors and paint and wallpaper for walls. Because these are visible to guests and hospitality employees, their function and upkeep require little attention. Although the choice of surface-covering material may be made primarily on aesthetic grounds, other factors must be taken into consideration as well.

The material used in these covering should be fire resistant. Smooth and shipper surfaces such as imitation or real marble may cause slips and falls. The edgs of carpets need to be tightly attached to the floor to prevent trips.

Ease of cleaning should also be considered. Dark colours tend to hide dirt and stains better than light ones. Tightly woven carpet surfaces may be more easily and thoroughly cleaned than plush ones. Some types of surfaces may require special cleaning equipment.

It should be remembered that cleaning (housekeeping) and routine maintenance are closely related: in some cases. Cleaning is a kind of routine maintenance, and effective cleaning may allow refinishing (i.e., painting) of surfaces to be delayed.

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Similarly, thorough cleaning will enable more durable surfaces to last longer, thus delaying replacement costs, which include not only the cost of purchasing the material but also the cost of installation labour.

Depending on the size of the catering unit the requirements may vary from one power point and two light points as in the case of a kiosk, to three power and four light points, as in the case of a cafeteria kitchen, which may require to use a refrigerator, a mixer, and a juicier, in addition to lighting the area of display for food and dinning.

For larger kitchens, it is safer and more economical to have a pipeline gas supply which is metered as in the case of electricity, thus avoiding the inconvenience of gas cylinders getting empty in the middle of food preparation activity. Gas cylinders may be used by very small establishments where the menu does not feature many cooked items.

For such establishments it would suffice to provide an inlet from the cylinder to the work top to be positioned correctly for use. Cabinets must be designed below the work surface to place the cylinder out °f sight and away from the source of heat and dirt.

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Gadgets are now available in the market which when fixed on cylinders can indicate the amount of gas in them, so that a replacement can be done before it is completely exhausted.

All pipeline arrangements or wiring should preferably be concealed in the walls, flooring or ceilings. Any unconcealed sections must be properly insulated and earthed, both for economy and safety.

Water Supply:

In large kitchens provision for both hot and cold running water is necessary. This has to be made at the structural stage. For smaller kitchens, arrangements for fitting a water heater above sink units may be sufficient, whereas in kiosks and coffee shops provision for the installation of instant water heaters connected with the normal plumbing is quite effective.

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All water supplies into kitchens must be from purified sources. Non-purified sources may be used only to wash out swilling. Overhead water pipes should be avoided as they collect dirt and cause water of condensation to drop on the work areas. All pipes should preferably be concealed. Where storage tanks are necessary, they should be covered and easy to clean periodically.

Floors:

Kitchen flooring should be smooth but not slippery, hard wearing, free from joints, not easily damaged by spillage, easy to clean, and preferably in dark plain colours which do not show patches easily Choice should also take into account appearance and durability.

It is good policy to avoid any type of tiles as they require a number of joints which are not easy to clean out. A comparison of different floor coverings indicating suitability appears in Table 3.1

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Walls:

Hard plaster with an emulsion finish is the most suitable as it is without joints, smooth, easy to clean, and does not harbour dirt. Ordinary emulsion paints are not washable and able to remove marks or stains which leaves the wall smudgy. Glass paints are washable, but rend to show faults in old plaster work.

In areas where the wall is near steam equipment, a plastic finish is better than tiles. As it is non absorbent and the consideration from steam does not damage the surface. Enamel and oil paints are also hardwearing.

A particular type of finish cannot be specified for a kitchen because the manager of the kitchen must decide what properties should be given priority. Each wall covering has its own plus and minus points. Whatever the choice, the walls should be smooth, easy to clean, and impervious to moisture.

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Ceilings:

Any finish on ceilings should be heat resistant and not affected by steam or gases. A plaster paint finish is most suitable, though it requires frequent redoing.

Glass paints, on ceilings, however, cause condensation and affect humidity in the kitchen, making conditions of work uncomfortable, as also unhygienic. If one can afford them acoustical ceilings are important for absorbing kitchen noise.

In general, while choosing finishes for walls, floors and ceilings it would help to remember that dark colours reduce the level of illumination and affect the visibility in kitchens. It is also a good policy to invest on quality for long- lasting effects.

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Work Surfaces

All work surfaces should be hard hardwearing, smooth and impervious –

(i) Stainless steel is by far the best among work surfaces in the kitchen, though the initial cost is much higher than that of any other surface finish.

(ii) Work surfaces can be covered with laminated plastics, hardwood or ceramic tiles, with certain sections in marble or stainless steel, to reduce the cost. Laminated plastics are quite easy to maintain and not very costly, but they need to be inspected at regular intervals and replaced if they begin to lift at places.

(iii) Hardwood work surfaces are a possibility but would need a lacquered finish to be practical in an institutional kitchen. They also get easily stained and marked and are expensive to install and maintain.

(iv) Marble though expensive is ideal as a work surface for food preparation work, because of its hard-wearing and hygienic qualities as well as beauty. It is, however, impractical for small establishments.