Before and After picture using Cheetah Eco Friendly Stone Polishing Pad
Marble floor polished with Cheetah pad
Marble Countertop polished with Cheetah pad
Before and After pictures of Polishing stone
Category: Home Improvement General
Bid Adios to Lippage with Tuscan Leveling System
Flooring is an integral part of every home that can alone change the entire look of the house. Homeowners generally opt for marble, ceramic, tiles and stone flooring that respectively have distinct advantages and disadvantages. However, one problem that majority of the homeowners face while installing these flooring options is lippage.
Lippage is a common problem wherein the leveling or flatness of the flooring is affected due to the difference in the elevation of the tiles. This not only affects the overall appearance of the room but also results in various problems, such as unevenness. The main cause of lippage is the installation of the flooring on subsurface which has not been leveled. An easy way of eliminating this problem is to make use of the Tuscan Leveling System which ensures a uniform surface.
This innovative product has changed the way flooring is installed as it completely eliminates lippage. This 2-piece system has revolutionized the tile installation by ensuring flatness and creating virtually lippage free flooring. It can be used for leveling of floor as well as walls, wherein the numerous tiles are interlocked to form one uniform even surface at the time of curing of the setting material.
This proves beneficial as the Tuscan Leveling System results in reduction of shrinkage as well as warping to a great extent. Furthermore, it also minimizes the instance of re-lifting the tiles for the addition of mud as well as shimming process of tiles. All this and more facilitate the process of installation, making it easy, effective and time-saving.
Homeowners can learn to use the hassle-free Tuscan Leveling System in just a few minutes. Irrespective of the skill level of the homeowner, the DIY Tuscan Leveling System Kit can be used by anyone and everyone. With the help of this leveling system installation process becomes fast and the tiles do not move while drying. Use of this system not only eliminates lippage due to its interlocking design, but also reduces fatigue and stress of the homeowners. This leveling system is considered ideal for tiles 300mm or more. Besides, the caps can be used several times.
Simply following the Tuscan Leveling System installation guidelines, homeowners can ensure a single flat and uniform surface. There are certain measures that the homeowners can take to ensure best results. One such simple step to be taken before installation is to soak the straps in water, which can be lukewarm (for two hours) or hot (30 minutes). This helps in increasing the elastic strength of the straps which is turn renders maximum tension to them for better installation.
The thinset and mortar having consistency similar to that of a thinner also facilitate better results. At the time of insertion of caps and straps, these should not be placed at the corners of the tiles. This precaution is necessary to ensure proper installation as well as to avoid breaking the corners of the tiles.
These simple measures, complemented with adherence to the instructions to use the Tuscan Leveling System, help homeowners achieve a perfectly flat flooring surface that is aesthetically appealing.
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Flooring Options for which you dont need an expert
A common practice seen nowadays is that most of the homeowners have started doing repair, renovation and up-gradation of their homes on their own. Homeowners are less dependent on the experts for these jobs as the market is flooded with products that are easy to use, irrespective of the skill set they possess. A common task which has gained immense popularity among DIY enthusiasts is floor installation. Proper floor installation is vital to enhance the aesthetics and render a completely new look to the abode.
There are several flooring options available in the market, amongst which there are few that are easier for homeowners to install. The flooring options that most of the homeowners opt for while doing installation on their own are laminate, engineered wood, cork and vinyl.
Laminate flooring is generally chosen by DIYers as it is quite simple to install. Most importantly, it does not require removal of the old flooring, which is quite time-consuming. Laminate flooring is popularly known as floating floor as it floats above the floor and is not permanently attached to it. These are available in a wide range of choices that suit the budget and preference of almost every homeowner. Besides, laminate flooring can be engineered to resemble wood or stone flooring that are quite time-consuming to install as well as expensive in comparison to the floating flooring.
Another flooring option that homeowners often choose for their homes while doing the installation themselves is the engineered wood flooring. These come as tongue and groove installation system that is extremely easy to install and does not demand any expert guidance. Homeowners have to install this flooring over an underlayment that is mostly rubber-foam. This type of hardwood flooring is considered durable and comprises three layers. The wooden cross-band is sandwiched between the veneer bottom layer and pre-finished hardwood exterior layer.
Cork flooring has also gained immense importance as a preferred DIY flooring option as it is not only easy to install but offers various advantages as well. It is soft, long-lasting and natural insulator, along with being resistant to irritants like mold and mildew. Besides, homeowners can render a unique look to their flooring with the help of numerous stains and finishes. Many homeowners think twice before using this flooring option as it is one of the most expensive flooring options. However, it is one of the flooring options that actually add value to the house and is thus considered as a profitable investment.
With the coming of vinyl flooring in the floating floor format, vinyl sheet flooring has become one of the preferred choices of DIYers. Homeowners just have to lay the dimensionally correct sheets and install shoe molding at the meeting point of the wall and sheets. This is so simple that every homeowner can install vinyl flooring over the old flooring without any hassle.
Thus, homeowners who wish to change the look of their house, but do not want to spend money on seeking professional help can do this easily by installing floor on their own.
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Warm Home in Cold Winters with Radiant Floor Heating
Warm Home in Cold Winters with SunTouch Radiant Floor Heating
Solar heating technology has come a long way, with energy being tapped and utilized more effectively. There are innumerable uses of solar energy in households and commercial set-ups, which is conventionally converted to thermal energy and used for heating water, heating home or pool. However, solar heating activities depend on the amount of solar radiation received by the surface area and surface reflectance. Moreover, other factors such as surface emissivity, ambient temperature and thermal convection from wind also play significant part in solar heating.
SunTouch Radiant Floor Heating option is an excellent solution, worth consideration while planning for cold winter months. The method has several advantages, most notable being energy saver, reduced utility costs and clean energy. A radiant floor heating system is viable with solar energy, due to relatively low temperature of hot water that solar systems produce very efficiently. There are several radiant floor heating systems, such as masonry heater and gas boiler, which accept heat energy from sun.
The advanced dual-wire technology of SunTouch Radiant Floor Heating allows homeowners to install mats that end at preferred location. These mats are flexible option for heating, as mat can be positioned in various angles such as 90° and 180°. Entire section is heated thoroughly as wires can be fitted easily at any angle and into curves. However, open weave design of the wire mesh is recommended owing to strong bonding of the thinset to the surface, above as well as beneath the heating mat. For an ideal floor warming application, wire spacing limit is determined to be within 90°.
A heating cable, a foil radiator and a set of power leads for connection to the floor-sensing control are the integral components of the SunTouch Radiant Floor Heating Mats. The heating mats are Aramid reinforced and have ETFE high-temperature insulation along with oxygen-free copper alloys and XLPE (PEX) jacket. These heating mats are appreciated for easy installation, easy connection establishment, convenient management and safe usage.
To ascertain maximum safety, heating element mesh is woven beside the mat in a ring-like shielded jacket. The set-up facilitates power supply to the grounding wire within the junction box for the thermostat. Along with safety and intrinsic attributes, homeowners have appreciated SunTouch Radiant Floor Heating system for its aestheticism.
After continual research and development, solar floor heating systems have become immensely effective and efficient. Over the years, these systems have also provided architectural flexibility to the users and can be installed in any part of the house. Moreover, installation of SunTouch Radiant Floor Heating system reduces amount of air pollution by limiting greenhouse gases that are emitted using alternative fuels such as oil, propane and natural gas for heating. In case the solar system cannot meet heating requirements, back-up systems can be synchronized for heat supply.
For ensuring warm home in cold winters, one can choose SunTouch Radiant Floor Heating. However, planning the layout of the electrical floor heaters, budget and daily or yearly projections are some of the basics that need to be considered by homeowners before availing this solution.
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Do You Need a Residential General Contractor
A residential general contractor is a professional who organizes and executes large home remodeling projects. People often confuse these home remodeling professionals with home improvement contractors, who usually undertake smaller tasks. The residential general contractors can easily undertake projects to add space or make better use of established space; thereby ensuring a better living experience for homeowners.
Keeping in perspective the different requirements of homeowners, residential general contractors provide expert advice and come up with innovative ideas to ensure a better return on investment. These professionals are experienced, skillful, and proficient to carry out different home remodeling jobs with perfection. They do not do all the work themselves; rather they delegate it to a team of professionals, including home improvement contractors, also referred to as ‘subcontractors’.
Many homeowners prefer to do home remodeling projects on their own, especially to save money. However, most they do not realize that every job is not a ‘Do-It-Yourself’ task; and thus, they often end up making things worse; thereby incurring additional expenses for mending their mistakes. Additionally, it also leads to wastage of time, which homeowners could have utilized for doing something consequential. Hence, depending upon the job, you need to assess whether or not you need to hire a residential general contractor.
For example, if you are planning to remodel your kitchen all by yourself; you are only going to mess it up. Remodeling a kitchen is not a simple task; it demands at least five-six weeks of diligent efforts, which is usually not possible in today’s hectic lifestyle. There is plumbing, painting, flooring and electrical work to be done, which demand certain amount of skills. Additionally, counter-top, cabinet and appliances need to be installed efficiently. All this work requires significant amount of skill, hard work, patience, and time. More often than not, you will have to seek help of professionals, like electrician, plumber, carpenter, painter, floor installer and others, which may cost you a fortune. Instead, you must hire a residential general contractor, who not only coordinates the work of all of these professionals, but also takes charge of the entire project. He supervises the project to deliver quality work within the stipulated time-frame.
There are certain things that you can keep in mind while ascertaining whether you need to hire a residential general contractor or not. It is generally advised to avail the services of a residential general contractor if the job demands longer duration of time, such as more than a week. You need to hire a professional if the task requires few permits from concerned authorities; or if the job needs different experts for completion.
Depending upon these parameters, if you do decide to hire a residential general contractor ensure that he is experienced, skilled and proficient. Also, make sure that he is licensed and has certain market credibility. In order to judge the potential of the contractor, ask for references and a portfolio of projects completed by him. Before starting the work, make sure you finalize the payment details with the contractor well in advance. All these simple steps will help you make a wise decision and select the right residential general contractor for your home remodeling project.
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