Posted on : 19-10-2012 | By :
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Concrete
Slabs are used extensively today by concreters. This construction style uses steel reinforced concrete of varying thickness to form the ceiling and floors of buildings. Or ground floor construction the concrete and its reinforcing structure is laid on the ground directly. For buildings of multiple stories the slabs are mostly prefabricated pieces that are laid on top of the supporting steel structure to form the floors on the upper levels.
The thickness of the slab used can be anywhere from 100 to 500 millimetres and the steel used for supporting the slab plays a huge role in holding up the structure of the construction. Thin slabs of concrete can also be used for pavers on gardens and other exterior places. The main advantage of this form of flooring is that it is very practical and functional. It is also very strong and could withstand a lot pressure.
Thermal Consideration- In modern types of construction, construction using concrete slabs takes the thermal conditions as a factor. A slab that is laid directly on the ground can drain the heat away from a room. That is why modern construction methods call for the use of insulations being laid on the ground first before the laying of the concrete. This would help to prevent the heat from escaping and being drawn away from the room.
Design- The strength of the slab can be improved by certain features in its design. This is especially important when it comes to the construction of high rise buildings because of the strength of the concrete slab would mean much to the overall strength of the structure. Certain design features such as corrugated surface of ribbed construction greatly enhances the strength of the structure.
Construction of Slabs- There are two methods of creating concrete slabs. The first one is to create them on the site. That means the reinforcing steel frame is created and attached to the structure first and then a moulding tray is constructed around it. The concrete is then poured and allowed to dry. It is important that the whole frame should have some additional support at this point because the still softening concrete would be unable to hold its own weight. Only when the concrete has hardened enough can the support be removed.
The second method of construction is through prefabricating the slabs. These are made to standard sizes and thickness and they can just be attached to a structure.
Posted on : 21-09-2012 | By :
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Tiling
Thinking of having wooden tiles installed in your home? That’s actually not a bad idea since wood is one of the most elegant materials that can be used for flooring. It doesn’t really matter what form of wood that you would be using. It still has the same effect to a place. Even if a material has just been made to look like wood, it would still have the same effect. That’s what wooden tiles are. They are ceramic tiles that have made to appear as if they are made out of wood. That’s how varied ceramic tiles can be.
With the modern manufacturing techniques that are now available, it is now perfectly possible to create these tiles that look exactly like as if they were made from hardwood. The thing is, that it is not only in appearance that people can get fooled. Even the texture of these materials is uncannily close to the real thing. People can actually believe that it is made from natural hardwood. Isn’t that exciting? The beauty and elegance of hardwood combined with the ease of installation and maintenance that one can get from ceramic tiles. That is such a perfect winning combination.
The pricing of wooden tiles is actually very competitive and it is actually similar to getting a carpet for your home instead. You can’t use the excuse that you don’t enough money, that’s why you did not get this sort of flooring.
The floor isn’t the only place where you can use wooden tiles. You can have it installed on the walls where it can serve an excellent decoration. You can create the impression that you have hardwood panelling. Wooden tiles are available in almost any kind of finish that you might want. They can mimic the look and appearance of the real thing pretty well that it really is amazing to look at.
Wooden tiles are different from wood tiles. The latter is actually made from real wood pieces. They are a lot more difficult to install than the usual types of tiles because you would have to mind their properties as wood.
When installing wooden tiles, you can just follow the same procedure as when you are using common ceramic tiles. The important thing is for the ground to be level and even, or the installation would not work out properly.
So what are you waiting for? If wooden tiles have started to interest you, then this is your chance now.
Posted on : 02-09-2012 | By :
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Tiling
Using ceramic tiles has numerous advantages. If you are not familiar with those advantages, then here are a couple of things that you ought to know:
- Ceramic tiles are very easy to install. You can place it on almost any kind of surface. The only requirement is that the surface should be level so that the tiles would not tilt to one side and the resulting floor surface would all be even.
- Ceramic tiles are available in so many styles and colours that you would have the freedom of choosing the design that would match your ideas. You can mix and match tem in order to come up with designs that are truly your own. You can let your creativity go wild and see where it will carry you.
- One of the biggest attractions that ceramic tiles have over other types of flooring is the fact that it is very easy to clean and maintain when compared with other flooring materials. It does not require daily cleaning especially in the low traffic areas. It would be enough for you to sweep it for removing dust and dirt. The most intense cleaning that you will be doing there is when you wash it with some cleaning product and disinfectant which could be a weekly thing.
- Though tiles might not be on the low end of flooring materials when it comes to cost, they are sure worth their cost. That’s because they are so durable that they would last a lot longer than most of the other materials that can be used.
- You can use ceramic tiles in order to give a cohesive and consistent look to your place. That is something that you cannot achieve with other flooring materials. In order to get that benefit you have to pick a material that can really give it a good look.
- You have so many options to choose so you can be sure to find something that would fit your taste and needs when it comes to the flooring. You don’t have to settle for anything less because there is nothing else that’s available.
- In case a tile is damaged, the good thing is that you only have to replace that single piece. It can be removed and easily replaced with exactly the same kind of tile that you have in reserve exactly for that purpose.
These are just some of the advantages that you can get out of floor tiling.

Posted on : 21-08-2012 | By :
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Carpets
When it comes to difficulty in cleaning, your carpet would stand out among all the other items that you have in your home. It is difficult to clean because there are so many small spaces within it where dirt and germs could find places to hide and you can’t just ignore it and not get it cleaned thoroughly. Dirt, dust mites and animal hair could accumulate on the surface of the carpet and is a leading cause for asthma attacks.
Maintenance cleaning for carpets is relatively easy. All that you have to do is to vacuum it thoroughly. It would be more complicated if you need to get it rid of some stain or some fluid that was spilled on it. How can you remove the stain without causing discolouration or causing permanent damage to the carpet? It’s not an easy thing to accomplish, that’s why some people prefer to hire professional carpet cleaners to do it for them.
Here are a few carpet cleaning tips that you can use on your own:
- When it comes to vacuuming your carpet, it has to be done at least each week. Aside from the fact that it removes potentially harmful dirt, it can also lengthen the life of the carpet.
- An effective way of doing your vacuuming is to divide the carpet into areas and then to do the cleaning per area.
- You should not rush the vacuuming of the carpet. The dirt can be deeply embedded in it. One pass is not going to be enough. You need to repeat it several times in order for the vacuuming to be thoroughly effective.
- One way to prevent the carpet from becoming overly dirty is to apply soil retardants which you can buy commercially. Just be sure that you follow the instructions when applying it and that you only use recommended application process and equipment.
- Pet urine is one of the major causes of stain or carpets. Not only is there a problem with stains, there is also the matter of the smell, because cat urine has a strong odour. You need to get it cleaned right away so the stain will not stick.
- There are stain removers that are commercially available. You ought to follow the instructions for using those products because they are made from very strong chemicals which can potentially cause more harm than good, if you use too much.
These are just a few of the carpet cleaning tips that you can follow.

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