Advantages, Limitations and Misconceptions About Poured Concrete Foundations

Concrete is truly an amazing material. In terms of building foundations, it’s a vast improvement over the materials and methods that came before -like foundations made from stone, brick and cinder block. But there are some misconceptions about concrete that often confuse homeowners when they encounter foundation problems. Let’s try to clear up some of this confusion.

“Cement” isn’t the same as “concrete.”

These terms are often used interchangeably, even among building professionals. But concrete and cement are not the same thing. Cement -or to be more accurate, Portland cement– is actually an ingredient in concrete. Although additives are sometimes used to alter handling, curing or strength characteristics, the basic ingredients of concrete never change:

Concrete ingredients by volume:

7%-15% Portland cement

8% or less Air

60%-75% Coarse & fine aggregates (gravel & sand)

14%-21% Water

Reinforced concrete can still crack, crumble, shift and settle

Steel reinforcing bars (commonly known as “rebar”) are used to reinforce poured concrete footings and walls. Concrete slabs are reinforced with rebar and with welded wire mesh. Fibers are sometimes mixed into poured concrete to increase its strength as well. These reinforcement techniques are often required by code, and make poured concrete stronger than unreinforced concrete. But even reinforced concrete can crack, shift and settle if soil conditions impose lateral loads on walls and vertical loads on poorly supported slabs. Concrete has exceptional compressive strength but poor tensile strength. In other words, it can’t bend or stretch. If the soil beneath a concrete slab settles, creating a void, the slab can’t flex downward to follow the contour of the recess. Instead, a section of the slab is likely to crack and sink. Likewise, expansive soil that pushes in on a foundation wall can eventually cause the wall to crack, simply because the concrete can’t flex like a wood-framed wall can.

Concrete absorbs and releases moisture

A bowl, basement or swimming pool made from concrete will hold water, but that doesn’t make the concrete waterproof. In fact, concrete has a sponge-like ability to absorb and release water. As the soil outside a concrete foundation becomes more and more saturated with water, the foundation will also become saturated. Some of this moisture will make its way inside the foundation, either leaking in through cracks or simply making the basement or crawl space damp and humid. Proper waterproofing and (in some cases) dehumidification strategies are necessary to keep basements and crawl spaces dry.

Concrete crack repair isn’t effective if crack causes aren’t addressed

Modern epoxies and patching mortar compounds do an excellent job of filling and sealing cracks. But if the soil conditions that caused the concrete to crack in the first place aren’t corrected, even the best crack repair will eventually fail. That’s why it’s smart to have an experienced foundation repair contractor inspect a damaged foundation before going ahead with repair work. If cracks were caused by expansive soil, soil settlement or soil with poor load-bearing qualities, then these problems will need to be corrected in order to ensure a permanent repair.

Underfloor Home Heating Systems Are the Hottest Thing Around

Under floor Heating the guide

Under floor heating systems are very popular these days with prices coming down it is an affordable means to heating your home.

Under floor heating systems are energy efficient. Using under floor Heating results in a consistent, comfortable and regulated temperature that radiates from the floor.

You will feel warmer at lower temperatures. And you will lower your heating bills and energy usage, while increasing your comfort level.

Introduction to under floor Heating

The hot water of the hydronic radiant heat system is pumped around your home through loops of plastic piping. Most often, these tubes are installed within the concrete slab or floor joists.

They allow the heat to radiate evenly across the entire floor surface.

Regulated Room Temperatures

Radiant heating provides superior comfort because the entire floor radiates heat from the ground up, In an even and consistent manner.

Traditional forced air systems work by blowing warm air through a series of duct work in the floors, walls, and ceilings, and finally to its destination by way of one or two vents in a room.

This method can lead to hot and cold spots due to poor air circulation, as well as temperature spikes and dips when the system turns on and off. Hydronic systems eliminate this issue by producing a steady heat that radiates from the floor and throughout the room.

With warm floors, cold floors are a thing of the past. Tiles will never be cold, instead, instead your floors will have a gentle warmth that makes your house feel comfortable whatever the weather.

With advances in design and installation techniques it is now possible to install under floor heating into existing floor joists and also below hardwood floors, laminates, carpets and vinyl flooring. This means that all traditional flooring options are available to homeowners who want sub floor Heating.

How does it work?

It works because the way heat transfers takes place. Under floor Heating works so effectively at keeping your home warm because it utilizes conduction and radiation in the heat transfer.

Electrical systems.

Their easy installation and flexibility allows homeowners to have the luxury of radiant heat in the areas where they most need it. Bathrooms, kitchens, Ensuites.

An electric floor system is far cheaper when compared to hydronic heat. And easy to install. Most kits include a digital thermostat with room and floor temperature sensor. 160 Watts per square meter is recommended for use in any area of the home or workplace, they can be used directly on any subfloor and with any floor covering. When used with tiles or stone the mat is simply encased in a layer of tile adhesive, for all other floor coverings a 8mm layer of self levelling compound is required to cover them.

The Advantages of Artificial Grass

If you watch sports programming on TV then you’ve already seen artificial grass because it’s growing in popularity as a replacement for natural turf on a wide variety of playing surfaces.

Schools and Professional sports franchises around the globe are fast discovering that the more they look at it, the more reasons they see why it’s such an excellent alternative to natural grass.

Now another new and fast growing market for this incredible product though, is homes and businesses, where it’s also becoming fast known as an attractive and sensible alternative for natural turf.

Newer far more real looking artificial turf that employs advanced high-tech state-of-the-art yarn compositions made from super durable polyethylene and/or polyurethane fibre.

So then just what are some of the benefits you can expect if you decide to go with this product, instead of having natural grass planted around your home or business? After all, it is more expensive up front, so in the balance there must be pretty good reasons why so many people going for it.

Well for starters, it doesn’t need water and that on its own is a huge plus. Particularly if you live in area of the country that has metered water. The cost of metered water is only going to go up, and with so many areas of the US suffering from drought conditions too, it may be going up quicker than you realize.

So no water also means no irrigation system to install and maintain. No timers and no sprinklers also mean that if you live in a humid climate, you don’t have the constant sprinkling of your lawn adding to the humidity problem around your home.

Then there’s no lawn maintenance, no lawn mower, no lawn clippings, no raking, no blower, or if you have the work done for you, no bills to pay. Also no noisy maintenance people working around your home or business during the day. You see, artificial turf looks great all day every day.

As a matter of fact artificial grass looks great year-round. You’ll have a fresh bright green mid-summer lawn even in the darkest months of winter. All done using absolutely no fertilizers or chemical products that are always a hassle to use, and all too often find their way into your local watershed.

Synthetic ground cover also means no breeding habitat for pesky critters like insects, gophers, snakes and “whatever else” likes to live in natural grass.

Now in some areas of the country this alone is a real plus. Particularly in areas where venomous snakes are something that home and business owners have to be concerned with.

This type of synthetic ground cover also drains so much better than a water holding natural lawn. In fact before it’s even laid down, the ground is graded to shed water and any low areas that may be potential problems can have a drain installed in them.

This also of course means that people can walk right across it, even right after a rainstorm. No problem.
Lastly the final benefit is that you don’t need to have a green thumb to have a great looking lawn all year around when you opt for artificial grass.

Your lawn will be one of those bright green healthy looking lawns that people like yourself have always pointed out and admired when you drove by.

Materials Available For Wooden Dressers

Wooden Dressers are fast becoming everyone’s favorite choice to be the secondary or the focal point of their bedroom. Considering the added designs, the individuality and the finishing that one gets to enjoy in these items, the choice of individuals for these dressers can certainly be applauded. The noteworthy thing about these wooden items is that they can compliment any piece of furniture and are also available in all possible looks – antique, modern or classy. However, the look of the item actually depends on the materials that are chosen to make it. Moreover, this also factors in the durability of the piece, as weak wood does not have a large lifetime while the original wood does.

The following lines cover the material choices that can be used for making Wooden Dressers. The first one is the genuine wood, which is formed from real tree trunks. This is usually named as hardwood if taken out from deciduous trees or softwood if it is acquired from evergreen trees. The names softwood and hardwood are ultimately associated like that because of the seeds produced by the tree and not the durability or strength of the wood. These genuine wood options would be the most durable of all but the thing to see here is that these are also one of the most expensive dressers in the market.

People looking for a more eco friendly option should go for the wood that is used for environmental purposes. The sap taken out from this wood is usually employed to make rubber, thereby leaving the wood so that it can be harvested for the furniture use. When these trees are cut down, another tree is planted in their place. The dressers made from this wood are quite durable but are also a lot more expensive as compared to the dressers made from the engineered wood products.

Then there are the engineered Wooden Dressers. These are formed by mixing together pieces of recycled wood products and then using heat and pressure so that they are molded together. There are a number of engineered wooden items and materials in the market and they are quite famous amongst decorators for their versatility and strength. Although they are almost as durable as the genuine wooden items, the engineered ones are a lot less costly. Then there are the laminates. These are formed by pressing together layers of material and then covering them with resins.

The aforementioned Wooden Dressers made from laminates are usually available with faux wood grained patterns. Although one might find quite a lot of variety and looks here, it lacks the subtle beauty that the other woods bring. These are usually the least costly and also the least durable of all wooden items mentioned above. Depending on the time-period for which you wish to use the dresser, one can choose from any of the aforementioned wood options for their dresser. After choosing the material, it would become easier to judge as to for how long the beauty of the dressers is going to last.

A Loft Bed in Your Home

Loft beds have become greatly popular with parents as these beds are said to be very comfortable and the kids seem to love them. They are also very popular with students as they can provide them with the space they require and help them study in a clear, clutter-free environment. The reason why so many people have these beds in their homes is that they are very stylish and they come at very affordable prices, as well. Aside from this, these beds are known for being great for literally any type of bedroom, as they come in all sizes, shapes and designs.

There are many people who think that a loft bed is designed for children only and that it cannot be used, or at least is not intended to be used by the grownups. Even more people believe that this kind of bed won’t look stylish in their bedroom, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. There are so many different designs of these beds which can make any living space classy, modern and comfortable. Apart from this, it is also important to know that a bed like this does not necessarily have to be very tall or particularly large, which means that it can actually be used in any bedroom, regardless of the fact how much room there is in any particular bedroom.

Many of us are concerned with safety issues related to beds of this type, especially when beds for kids are mentioned. Generally speaking, safety features related to any kid’s bed of this kind are designed in a way that will make any kid very safe. Namely, any of the loft beds available can be bought or built with a safety guard rail at the sides of the bed, which disables the kids from rolling off the bed in their sleep. Aside from this, you will also be able to choose from a variety of different types of stairs and ladders, and go for the ones that seem the safest for your child.

All in all, it can be said that a loft bed has proven to be the perfect solution in many totally different situations, which makes this type of bed something you will have to consider when looking for a bed to buy. Whether you want to buy a bed for the kids’ room or use the loft bed to make your own bedroom slightly different and more comfortable, buying this kind of bed will never be a mistake.