Catha For Council Blog

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Various kinds of cloth can be used to easily high-light your collectibles and -if you use the right stuff- provide a safe and acid-free environment for your most valuable collectibles. I know this is a strange subject for wood-worker to write about,but it turns out that fabric stores have a lot to offer, and are not altogether scary places. Setting your proud collectable item down on an elegant cloth background -or nestling it into a nice fabric pocket- is an easy way to both protect the item from shock -think padding- and an even easier way to make the transition from an ordinary drawer or shelf, into a custom display. To paraphrase -fabric is good padding, and it turns out that it is as important to finishing fine woodwork as paint and varnish -and- -I’m beginning to learn- sometimes easier to use then the stuff that comes out of a cans and goes on with a brush.

So I’ve been buying the fabric I use on certain of my work at Wall-Mart but one day recently I wondered into a real fabric store. Met a very knowledgeable women there and got myself an education. Much of what follows came from this kind lady. (And I do hope that stores like Home Depot and Wall-Mart do not run all the little independent stores out of business. There is little enough wisdom in this world with out having to trying to find it from some overworked underpaid 19 year old trying to answer questions in the plumbing aisle.)

You will need a good sized fabric store to find these fabrics, but it will be worth the effort of finding such a place,-both in terms of selection and the expertise of the people who work there. Just a couple of suggestions–in any fabric that you’re going to get at any fabric store, 100% cotton is the way to go. You can get different colors, and wash them with a bio-degradable fabric soap, (most on the market will qualify) and NO fabric softener. The key is the highest % cotton and least amount other things.

HEADLINER FABRIC:

The very stuff used to cover the “ceilings” of cars. It has various finished surfaces -some with a flock-like surface and some with a fuzzy weave. The back is sort of a thin foam rubber. Depending on the store, it comes in a number of subtle -unobtrusive- colors.

Good news:

The stuff is easy to use -the edges finish with nothing more then careful work with scissors. (This means there is no need to hem the edges -(”hem” means to fold the raggedy edges over, iron them, and sew it all together -a right pain in the butt.)

Bad news:

It isn’t cheap, but if a single layer does the same job as layers of foam, padding, and fabric, it might save you both bother and money in the long term. Be careful though with things prone to tarnish or discolor -the foam is synthetic and liable to out-gas all manner of nasty chemicals and gases.

UNBLEACHED MUSLIM:

This is your safest choice and is what museum experts use as a default. It has no chemicals or bleach added.

Good news:

Cheap and safe. So cheap, in fact, that you could easily buy about a mile of the stuff and just drape the heck out’ta your collection.

Bad news:

Looks like what it is -not that it looks cheap, but it is anything but luxurious. For certain collections -say rustic or authentic historic items, it might be just the ticket.

TEA-DYED MUSLIM:

I don’t pretend to understand why, but apparently the stuff is bleached and then dyed back to it’s original off-white color with tea. Tea has about a million ingredients, but one of the most common is tannin, and tannin is one of the things that tarnish silver.

CRUSHED PANNE VELVET (and how is this word pronounced???):

This is my favorite material for both lining drawers and French-lining specific collectible items. You can find it both as a weave and knit fabric. If you aren’t sure what I mean by this, ask someone to show you a bit of each. The knit stuff is easier to use -it seems to me to be more liquid or willing to drape- and is often cheaper then the woven fabric. If it strikes you as a bit garish, it is likely you are looking at too bright a color. Look again at the fabric that is a nice dark color. Maroon rather then purple, burgundy rather then red for example. Remember that your collection will be covering up some of the fabric, and buy more then you think you will need. Buy about twice as much as you think you need and you will not have to go back to the store to finish your project. This is because the draping, or going up and down into the various recesses and pockets uses a LOT of fabric.

Good news:

Beautiful -elegant -shimmering fabric.

Bad news:

Usually synthetic and therefore there is no assurance that it will not effect the surface of your collectibles. Let me quote directly from one of my technical consultants: “And velvet, well, my opinion is still bad, bad, bad. Velvet and silver is a 500% Don’t Do It.–you will have hundreds of etchings over the surface that look as if tiny worms had burrowed just beneath the surface–and they’re not fixable. Saw it firsthand once, and it was amazing.”

ULTRA SUEDE:

Beautiful stuff -and EXPENSIVE. (If you want leather and $’s are a real problem, -buy a chamois cloth at the auto-parts store. It’ll be cheaper -but you get the color you get.) Ultra-suede tends to be a little stiff -like leather after all. An alternative is cheap suede which is more limp. It doesn’t feel quite as nice to the fingers as ultra suede, but it looks just about the same.

Good news:

These fabrics are so perfect as to be all but essential for certain collectibles. I built a case for a chap that wanted to display his great-great-great-etc-grandpa’s shooting-iron and I put it on some suede. Came out beautifully and perfectly appropriate. While on the subject of “appropriate,” certain old and rustic items might benefit from a fabric background as rustic as burlap, or even -grass cloth !

Bad news:

Once again, we have the problem of synthetic materials.

TARNISH CLOTH:

The last word for silver things. This is the way to go -unless you enjoy polishing silver. This soft elegant fabric actually has tiny bits of silver imbedded in the fabric. The idea being is that this will protect the silver -the little bits act as a sacrificial lamb. The fabric store I went to had this in stock, but if you can’t find it in your neighborhood, you can find it at Gaylord International (1800-448-6160). This is a good company with an excellent web site for advice and products for protecting books and papers, -an altogether worthy thing to do.

Good news:

Beautiful fabric and the only way to go for valuable silver.

Bad news:

EXPENSIVE -depending on how much you get -plan to spend as much as $20 / yard. But remember, it has actual silver in it. Additionally, it only works when it covers the object completely. If you use tarnish cloth to line a display of some sort, it will to a wonderful job of keeping the backside of your silver nice and shiny, but the part that actually shows will still tarnish.

MEMBRABE SEAL:

You won’t find this stuff in a fabric store, but I need to talk about it anyway. Wood -and many other materials “out-gas.” This means they constantly emit small amounts of various gasses. Some of these gases are harmful to various materials. This turns out to be complicated issue as to what material out-gases what gas and what gas harms what fine collectibles. You put young wine in oak, for example, and good things happen. Put silver in on oak -without tarnish cloth- and bad things happen. Oak chips and pork in a smoker -good thing. Oak splinter in your finger -bad thing.

Know what a new plastic shower curtain smells like? What you are smelling is plasticizer. A liquid form of plastic that keeps other plastic -for want of any other word- plastic. It evaporates -which is not big deal, but then it condenses on other things. Leaves a gummy residue. It’s a complicated issue and I don’t have a lot of advice as to what collectable needs to be protected from what material. But what I can tell you is that if your collection is sufficiently valuable and you are not confident about your storage, you owe it to your self to look into installing a membrane seal. Marvelseal is a lamination of three different plastics and is absolutely gas-proof. You buy it in rolls and you can then either staple it down and seal the staples with special tape, or use a hot iron and stick it to whatever. It’s not an aggressive tack, you can simply peal it off later. University Products / Archival Suppliers sells it. If you have Mylar close at hand -or find it easy to get -it is about the same stuff, but not quite as good.

BATTING:

This is the stuff that is used in quilts. It is a big old sheet of something like a soft cotton ball. It is useful for a number of reasons. First, it adds a nice touch of luxury when it is under the fabric and pads / cushions the item(s) you mount. Second, and perhaps more important, it is very forgiving. If your measurements or the cuts you made in your backing are a little ragged, a layer of padding will nicely hide them. And here again, cotton is better then polyester. Turns out that they make it out of cotton or polyester but the cotton stuff lasts longer.

EVERYTHING ELSE:

If you are not worried about the archival issues -and lets be honest here -just how valuable and delicate is your collectable- consider your item when selecting fabric and use a little imagination. Is it porcelain doll that Great-Gramma had as a girl? Calico or satin might be appropriate. But if it’s a set of old wood-working tools, canvas or burlap might be appropriate. Children’s stuffed animals -perhaps simple cotton printed in bright colors that kids would like. An authentic Chinese tea set? -raw silk, or something with the look of tapestry -I think it might be called “brocade.” Take a picture of your collection and ask the people at the fabric store. This brings us back to the ideal of a good fabric store with employees that know their stuff and enjoy helping customers.

TECHNIQUES:

There are two basic and opposite directions to go with fabric. You can either sort of drape it all over and let it flow and such, or you can iron and smooth and cut and stitch and glue. Think of the former as a flowing Roman toga and the later as an impeccably tailored Seville Row suit. Both have their place, but I have to say that if you want advice on fussy cutting and stitching you have come to the wrong place. (Everything I do have to say about sewing can be said in two words -FUSE-TAPE -a great invention! -works with an iron! -no needles or thread!) I can, however, offer one technique that comes down on the carefully tailored side of things.This technique is to make….

Fabric covered cardboard panels / inserts -the neat tailored look
This technique looks harder then it really is. Takes a little time and care though. You simply cut cardboard inserts, wrap fabric over them, and stick them in the drawer or display case. Here are some tips:
 Corrugated cardboard is easy, but makes for bad edges and bent corners. Press-board (mat-board)is better.
 If you have more money then skill, go to a framing store and have them cut mat-board for your needs. They will be able to cut it to close tolerances and precise 90 degree angles.
 Use stretchy fabrics -knits for example- and polyester batting. The combination of stretch and padding allow you to hide a number of sins & mistakes and it still comes out beautifully.
 Good-old masking tape does an admirable job of sticking the edges of the fabric to the back ot your cardboard or pressboard liners. White glue takes too long to dry but contact cement also works more or less instantly, as does spray adhesive.
 Near as I can tell, much of sewing involves sewing things together and then turning them inside-out. This hides the hem. Try to think inside-out / backwards to hide the bits you want hid.

Loose flowing method -the Roman toga look:
This technique is also easier then it looks. You simply start with a lot of fabric and sort of drape/ swirl / flow it around your collectibles. Here are some guidelines:
 The hardest part is attaching the fabric to the case. Get yourself some spray adhesive and Velcro dots / strips.
 If you decide you need some actual shape and substance to support your items under the flowing swirling fabric, don’t get hung-up making little woden blocks and shapes. Buy a small piece of builders foam at the home-improvement store -or have them give you a broken piece- and cut it with a bread knife. A little white glue and you are in b’ness.

© 2004 Bill Harvey

Bill Harvey is an expert cabinet maker and the Author of COLLECTOR’S CORNER -a series of usefull online articles for the dedicated collector or hobbyist to use in protecting and displaying his or her valuable items. He is also the owner of Home-Museum.com -a source for display cases and drawer cases designed and built specifically for collectors.

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Shades Shutters & Blinds Product Information

Every thing you wanted to know about blinds, shades, and
shutters but were afraid to ask. A beginner’s guide for buying
window blinds.

by Lawren Gourney

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Ever shopped on line for blinds, shades, or shutters and were
confused by all the different products and prices? This page
should help. We are currently working on Window Shades 101 and
Plantation Shutters 101 to help with your plantation shutters or
window shade decisions.

WINDOW BLINDS Grab & Go Blinds vs. Custom made Blinds Grab & Go
blinds are simply a name given to pre-cut shades that you buy
off the self. They are made to common generic window sizes.
Because all windows are not exactly the same dimensions and grab
& go blinds have to fit windows in certain size ranges, grab and
go window coverings do not fit as well as a custom made blind or
shade. The widths of a grab and go window blind must be shorter
to accommodate as many windows as possible (this usually causes
a light gap, or reveal, at the sides of the blind or shade). The
blind’s length also has to fit several different sizes and quite
often must be shortened. Grab & go blinds are usually the lowest
priced blind or shade on the market. The lower price is due to
the use of lighter weight cheaper materials, lower quality
hardware, fewer sizes, colors and lack of a warranty. A grab &
go blind has a product life expectancy of 2 to 6 years. Price
makes these a good choice for certain applications like
basements, garages and attics. These window coverings are
available at most discount chain stores, large department
stores, and home improvement centers.

Custom made blinds is made to measure. Each window is measured
for it’s width and height to the nearest 1/8″ and the blind is
built to fit the opening. The light gap, reveal, on each side is
about 1/4″ and the bottom rail (bottom of the window shades)
comes right to the window sill. Custom blinds are made with
better materials and hardware. The come from well known
companies such as Hunter Douglas, Levolor, Graber and Bali. They
are usually warranted for as long as you own the home. The color
choices range from several shades of white to the most common
stained wood tones. The material choices are PVC blinds, wood
composite blinds, and real wood blinds. These custom made blinds
can be purchased at most retailers and internet companies such
as Shades Shutters Blinds. They are usually slightly more
expensive than the grab & go blinds.

Mini Blinds Mini blinds are made in several slat widths, 1/2″,
1″, 2″. The slats of this blind are made from several different
gauges (thickness) of aluminum. Some of the Grab & go mini
blinds use plastic slats to further lower their cost. The higher
the gauge the better. Mini blinds were very popular in homes
about 10 years ago and are still used extensively in commercial
building. Color choices for mini blinds are unlimited. For
affordable mini blinds. See Mini Blinds.

Venetian Blinds Venetian blinds is a large category in blinds.
The original Venetian blinds were made with wide curved metal
slats much like a mini slat. Over time the slats have evolved to
different materials, sizes and shapes. Venetian blind slats are
made from plastics, woods, and combinations of plastics & wood.
They are made in 1, 2, 2 1/2, & 3 inch slat widths. Venetian
Blind’s shapes can be curved, flat or elliptical. Most window
covering manufacturers buy slats from the same 3 or 4 companies
that produce them. To confuse things further, the window blind
manufacturers have made their own names for the same materials,
same sizes, and same shapes (a 2 1/2 ” composite blinds slat can
have as may different names as there are companies using them).
Hopefully this site can simplify this for you. We will attempt
to break down this mess to 4 basic types, PVC blinds, Composite
blinds, and wood blinds. See products. PVC Blinds or Faux Wood
Blinds

Faux or PVC blinds are made of a solid or foamed poly vinyl
chloride plastic. That’s right, the same stuff milk bottles are
made of. PVC s is one of the newer materials being used for
blind slats. Slat widths are generally 2″, 2 1/2″, and sometimes
3″. The blind slat’s surface can be smooth or embossed with a
wood grain. Color selection is limited most often to whites but
there are a few wood tone colors available. PVC blinds are
starting price point in this category. They are very durable, UV
resistant, waterproof (as in when the windows are left open and
it rains or the sprinklers come on), and easy to clean. The one
main draw back to Faux Blinds is the weight of the slats. PVC
slats are heavier than wood or composite slats and with large
windows can make raising the blind a little difficult.

The large building centers offer a PVC window blind that is a
cross over between the grab & go blind and custom made window
treatment. These are “cut as you wait”. You take the
measurements in and they cut your blind at the store. These PVC
blinds are cheap and you get what you pay for. The slats are
PVC, but so is everything else like the head rail (normally
metal), tilt mechanism (normally metal), barrels (metal best)
and etc. Customers are more often than not are dissatisfied with
this type of PVC blind and there is no warranty.

PVC blinds -Synonyms Here a brief list of some of the trade
names blind companies give to blinds made with PVC slats. Many
of these are trade marked names.

Woodmates (Hunter Douglas), Doverwood (Comfortex), Faux Wood
Blinds (Generic Term), Infusion, Lake Forest (Graber), Wood Look
(Levolor), Wood Plus, Inspire, Panama and many other generic
names. Be sure to ask your dealer if it is a solid foam PVC
blind and ask about the warranty. See faux wood blinds.

Composite Blinds

Composite blinds are made from a combination of wood by products
and polymers. Composite Slats are also a newer material being
used for the window covering. Slat widths are generally 2″, 2
1/2″, and sometimes 3″ and come in flat or elliptical shapes.
The blind slat’s surface is a smooth poly-coating or a solid
composite material. Like PVC, the color selection is limited
most often to whites but there are a few wood tone and stain
colors available. Composite blinds are priced in the low mid
range. They are very durable, UV resistant, water resistant,
less likely to warp than wood and easy to clean. The one main
draw back to composite blinds is the weight of the slats.
Composite blinds slats are lighter than PVC blinds but heavier
than wood and therefore a good choice for large windows
coverings.

Composite Blinds- Synonyms- Here a brief list of some of the
trade names blind companies give to blinds made with Composite
slats. Many of these are trade marked names.

Everwood (Hunter Douglas), Devonwood (Comfortex), Wood
Impressions (Timber Blind and Shutter), NuWood (Levolor), Faux
Wood (generic term). Other copywrited names for composite blinds
are: Windsorwood, Woodperfect, Woodwinds, Distinctive Blinds,
Privacy Plus, Shutter Blinds, and Intrigue. See Composite blinds.

Wood Blinds

Both value & premium wood blinds are made from real woods. The
value wood blind slats are made from assorted Oriental
hardwoods. The premium wood blind slats are made from American
hardwoods (usually Basswood). Slat widths are generally 1″,2″, 2
1/2″, and sometimes 3″. The blind slat’s surface is either
painted or stained. The color selection of this window covering
is quite large with several different whites and the most
popular hardwood stain colors. If you are wanting to match a
cabinet or trim stain, wood blinds are your best bet. Wood
blinds are the most expensive blinds in this category. All wood
slats can warp and may color fade over long periods of time.
Wood blind slats are the lightest material and work well for
large windows.

Wood Blind- Synonyms- Here a brief list of some of the trade
names blind companies give to blinds made with wood slats. Many
of these are trade marked names.

Country Wood (Hunter Douglas), Design Basics, ValueWood (Timber
Blind & Shutter), Southeastwood, Olympian Wood, Classique,
Chalet Wood (Hunter Douglas), Premium Woods (Timber Blind &
Shutter), Northern Heights. See wood blinds.

FAQ’s about Shades Shutters and Blinds

I also have an article about the frequently asked questions
about shades shutters and blinds. See Frequently Asked Questions.

I hope this information about this type of window blinds was
helpful. If you would like to get more information about these
blinds and the many other products we provide, please visit us
at Shades Shutters Blinds or e-mail me at
support@shadesshutterssblinds.

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Dear friends,

If you have read any interior design books/articles, visited
a few websites on the internet, you will find the word theme used
quite often.

What exactly is a theme-based design?

A theme according to me is a collection of various parameters of
design of an interior space. So a theme may include a certain set
colors, materials, repetition of a certain element, such as
a decorative item, etc…

Primarily there are two basic themes under which a design can
be categorized, 1)Oriental 2)Contemporary.

Oriental Bedroom Design Theme:

These kind of themes have a still drilled down niche design
themes, such as country, rustic, vintage, elegant, etc…
One of the major thing about these kind of themes is that much
emphasis is given on the natural beauty of any material.
These designs are close to nature or are shown to be close to
nature.

These kind of design styles are very rarely found in the urban
city interiors. Mostly the countryside homes adopt these kind if
themes, to replicate the flora and fauna of the outside environment.

The designer tries to include the patters seen in nature, such as
leaves, flowers, plants. All these natural patterns are seen on
wallpaper patterns, decorative lamps, curtains, furniture
upholstery, wall paintings, etc…

Homes which are build on country side such as farm houses, the scarcity
of space is not an issue, but this creates another problem as far as
designing interiors is concerned.

A bedroom, no matter of what size it is, requires some basic
furniture elements as functional needs, such as a double bed,
dressing table, wardrobes, study tables, a book shelf etc..

It is sometimes possible that because of the large spaces, the
bedroom looks empty after the furniture is arranged. At such
times “decoration” plays a major role. During ancient years
the palaces and castles had such large built spaces, where
extensive use of decoration was used in the form of paintings,
heavy decorative flooring patterns, carvings, moldings as a
decorative architectural elements.

So in this oriental design trend, decoration of the space using
various accessories plays a major role.

Contemporary design Theme:

These kind of design themes are very new as compared to the
previously mentioned oriental design theme. But how did the
designers came along using these kind of designs?

During the starting years of the 20th century, the “Industrial
Revolution” in Europe changed the face of our planet. It
was easy to design and manufacture goods on a mass scale
with amazing speed and efficiency.

This created a flood of industries in and around the cities.
These cities attracted large amount of people to migrate from
rural areas to city centers in search of a living.

Because of this migratory effect there was a sudden need of
housing requirement for the workers. This is where the concept of
an “apartment” was introduced. Because of the pressure of demand,
a school of thoughts emerged within the architects, who
believed that “simplicity” is the need of today’s era.

They thought that, the design of the building has to be simple
and easy to build, then only we can compete with the growing
demand of housing needs in cities. That’s why simple designs with mostly plane and square faces with square or rectangular openings
were used. These forms and masses were easy to build and still
beautiful. If everything from “safety pins” to “space ships”
could be built on a mass scale, why not “buildings”.

The school of thought believed that a plane rectangular form
is in itself beautiful and they proved this using infinite
permutations and combinations of the basic square form. That’s
why decoration was given a second preference. Today we call this
school of thought as “contemporary”. In contemporary design
every element has an order.

That’s why in today’s modern interior design, simplicity is the
key to an efficient design. Unlike the previous oriental design
theme, the contemporary design theme states that any kind of
architectural decoration is always dependent on the basic form
of the building. The form itself is so beautiful, that the need
to further decorate it is not required. Today’s modern interiors
spaces are simple to understand, simple to construct, and
project a kind of simplicity.

By reading the above paragraphs some of you might say that,
decoration is no more needed. But this is not true. I am not trying
to force some ideas here. But most people confuse the whole
concept of “Interior Design” and “Interior Decoration”. Both
are quite different and both have a unique value in today’s
complex society.

Decoration was something the primitive man learned, looking at
the nature around him. He saw plants, flowers, birds, animals
and tried to copy these elements. We still use “embroidery” on
our dresses. But the modern design theory says that any sort
of decoration can only “enhance” the existing form, but can not
be an element of design.

What does this mean?

In the above said example the “embroidery” pattern can certainly
add to the beauty of the cloth, but the modern theory denies to
accept the cloth to be of a cheap quality. It states that every form, texture, material, shape is in itself beautiful and must be
accepted as it is. Because of this the need to further decorate it
does not arise.

Thus decoration whether used in architecture or elsewhere is always
dependant on the form on which it is used, but design is
an independent entity which does not need any justification from the
external factors.

The two design themes mentioned above are still widely used today.
The user must look upon them from a point of view of what best suits
his/her likes and dislikes. Only then can you give yourself and
your family the best quality of living.

I hope this article was informative to everyone.

Copyright Shrinivas Vaidya

Shrinivas Vaidya is the webmaster of Bedroom-Design-And-Decorating-Ideas.com .Visit TODAY to get an in-depth knowledge of master bedrooms, teen bedrooms and child bedrooms.

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For an excellent way to keep your space why not consider loft
beds. These funky and stylish beds allow you to max up your
living quarters. Just imagine the room that you will save. Most
are fashioned with solid wood oak. Our selection of choice will
allow you to explore the many possibilities out there. Kids loft
beds make great furniture and accessories for the little people
in your household.

If you buy a bunk bed from a reputable retailer, have it
installed properly and use it correctly, a bunk bed is a safe
sleeping and space-saving solution. Find a retailer and
manufacturer you can trust, that will stand behind the product
for the lifetime of the bunk bed. You really want to also review
the loft bed plans to help you understand what is its
construction. You can definitely optimize storage and space with
the use of an affordable wall bed. They come in many shapes,
sizes and colors. Whether you call them wall beds, space saver
beds, lift beds, rising beds or fold up beds they are truly
amazing items.

Some consumers are looking to save space and their biggest
concern is room. That is why wall beds have gotten more popular
over the years. Wall Bed Systems allows you to extend your
living space without costly remodeling and room additions. Turn
your den, study, family room, basement or any corner of your
home into an Instant Spare Bedroom!

College loft beds are a great choice when looking for an
affordable solution to sleeping conditions. Are you looking to
maximize space in an overcrowded room? May we suggest raising
your bed off the floor with a college loft bed? Consumers also
appreciate the area where they can store a loft bed. Price range
is very important along with the quality of the bed that you are
receiving.

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The concept of waterproofing or protecting buildings against the damaging action of water derives from the need to avoid water and humidity related elements that act negatively upon constructions. This negative effect can present itself in several ways, creating health problems, structure deterioration, facility damage and others. Not to mention, that repairing a building damaged by water can be very expensive!

Permeability most frequent causes are: porous or flawed material, badly sealed splices, crack existence, building defects and inadequate surface pendant.

However, we can find different kinds of humidity: the one that gets in from the outside (because of rain, different kind of water infiltrations, ground humidity or underground water), building’s own humidity (permanent or because of the construction) and the one produced gradually by the building (because of its service as well as due to condensation and water leaks).

Basic conditions for waterproofing involve the surface’s fitness for treatment and its cleanness. Building waterproofing can be done in a surface with/without the presence of water and with/without previous treatment.

Building Waterproofing Systems

Based on water’s origin and effects on buildings and concrete, waterproofing systems have been classified:

- Surface waterproofing: done with coating plates, bituminous emulsions, vinyl pastes, resins and sealants.

- Integral waterproofing: integrated to the mass of concrete, affecting its permeability.

- Hydrophanous waterproofing: integrated to the mixing water or used as curing systems, allow the improvement of concrete’s characteristics such as workability, compression resistance, decrease of reinforcement steel corrosion, decrease of fissures and cracks, and extended durability.

Kinds of Waterproofing

- Rigid waterproofing is meant to seal filtrations, make waterproof concrete structures or waterproof coatings. Treatments for rigid waterproofing generally are: concrete and cement integral additives, and cement, epoxic, plastic, or metallic coatings.

- Flexible Waterproofing is intended for structures affected by temperature changes and water settlements. This kind of waterproofing is a protection capable of absorbing movements without suffering damages that could allow water access. Flexible treatments are membranes, hot asphalts, cold asphalts (based in water or solvent), polymer emulsions, vinyl emulsions, and acrylic emulsions.

To fit your particular needs, you will probably need to use one or a combination of the above kinds and systems of building waterproofing. The best way to go is to ask an expert in your area to help you find the best solution for your building.

Something is for sure, if you take good care of waterproofing your building you will keep your structure and investment safe from water!

The information for this article was kindly provided by Sika Mexicana, company part of Sika Group, world renowned manufacturer of specialty chemicals for construction and industry. For more info visit http://www.sika.com.mx

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There are many ways that you are going to be able to heat your water without the use of a traditional water heater. These are called the tankless water heaters. These are mainly used for the homes that have hot water heat. One good thing about a tank less water heater is that you are not going to need to make sure that you have a area of your home open for someone to place a hot water heater in it. When you think about a tankless water heater, you may wonder how it is going to work when you do not have the heat on in the summer.

It will continue to heat your water for you to use as needed. The only thing is that you are not going to be circulating the water throughout your home for the heat part of the water system that is in there. This in not just going to save you some space but it will save you money in the long run as well. That is because you are not going to be trying to heat a whole tank at one time you are going to only be heating up the water, as it is needed. Many people are going towards getting tankless water heat so that they do not need to keep it maintained of another appliance.

There are other advantages to having a tankless water heater and that you will not have to worry about your young ones going down and playing with the facet that is on the outside of the water heater and taking a chance on getting burnt in the end with it. Plus you are not going to need to make sure that there is not unused hot water in your tankless water heater that would end up running the pipes in the long run.

The tankless water heater is going to end up saving you money if you choose to have one in place in your home or business. Because the tankless water heater is going to only give the hot water as it is needed instead of having it sit in the tank all the time waiting for you to use it. Then you will not need to worry about having any one getting burnt because they were messing around the hot water tank when they should have not been.

If you are looking for a efficient way to heat up your water that is not going to cost a lot or take up a lot of room you will want to check into the tankless water heaters that are out there. That way you will save money and space in the long run with the water useage that, you are in the need of.

Kari Eriksson is an infopreneur and takes a keen interest in tankless water heaters. He operates http://www.gtc-tanklesswaterheaters.com and the Tankless Water Heaters Directory at http://www.tanklesswaterheatersdirectory.com where you can find articles, links and useful resources.

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