Discover Real, Qualified, Tried and Tested Anabolic Steroids Advice for men and women, written by Olympic Coach Mick Hart and get FREE advice about doing Safe Steroid Cycles on the Mick Hart Blog.
There are many opinions when it comes to the best way to maintain polished marble and terrazzo floors. With regards to what is best, no one should claim – or can claim – such.
One of the most popular methods is crystallization. Before we delve into this topic, let us first review some points:
• The first crystallization product for maintaining polished marble and terrazzo was developed in the 1960s by Jorge Riera More’, who owns a company in Barcelona, Spain, named Coor & Kleever. Hardly a new process.
• The Coor & Kleever crystallizer contains no wax, and has been used for decades to maintain polished stone surfaces in many of the finest casinos, resorts, homes and public buildings around the world.
• The process is designed as a safe maintenance procedure to remove the light wear patterns, created by foot traffic, in the polished surface.
• This is achieved by chemically transforming microns of the surface from calcium carbonate to calcium fluorosilicate.
• Laboratory tests have proved that this chemical transformation creates a more-durable finish, thus enabling the polish on marble to last longer under foot traffic.
A large part of the success that crystallization has seen over the decades is due to its ease of use and production as compared to alternative methods of maintaining stone surfaces. However, just because something is easy, does not provide enough merit for use.
With that being said, I’ll attempt to provide you with the benefits and drawbacks of this widely accepted process.
WHEN AND WHERE TO USE
To begin with, there is no one product or process that is the be-all and end-all to maintaining polished marble & terrazzo. Crystallization is simply one method of many that may or may not be the application of choice depending on the floor.
Obviously, you would not want to use crystallization on a honed, non-reflective surface. This process is meant only for polished surfaces. If you are confronted with maintaining a large polished marble or terrazzo floor with high foot traffic, an excellent way for maintaining this polish, more times than not, will be crystallization.
Keep in mind that, today, some crystallizers contain wax. This can create a build-up on the stone surface over time. When this happens, you will need to use an alkaline detergent, recommended by a professional in the industry, to remove this build-up. If the alkaline detergent does not remove the build up, then you will need to use diamond abrasives to remove the build-up before continuing the maintenance program.
There are proven crystallization products in the market place that contain zero wax. To find one of these no-wax crystallizers you can simply research the marketplace, find a company who claims their crystallizer contains no wax and have it analyzed. Then, you can be confident you’re on the right track to using the correct product.
Crystallization product with no wax will take much longer to create a build-up. If a build-up does eventually occur it will be from the chemical reaction, which we discussed earlier.
A proper maintenance program should not allow the crystallization to build up on the stone surface. If you begin to see a build-up when using a no-wax crystallization product, you’re attempting to use the product in a way that it was not intended to be used.
This is a maintenance process, not a restoration process. By overusing a no-wax crystallizer and allowing it to build up on the surface, you’re pushing the product to remove deeper scratches in the surface that it cannot remove. This type of damage should be removed by restoring the floor with diamond abrasives.
Another popular method of maintaining polished marble is the use of powder/paste compounds, which contain oxalic acid or potassium oxalate, among other ingredients. Here, you’re attempting to recreate what happens in the stone processing factories around the world.
The factories polish most marble in a polishing line, running the material through a series of abrasive stones. The final polish is achieved by using something such as a 5X brick; this brick’s main ingredient is oxalic acid or potassium oxalate.
The factory polish is created by chemically transforming the marble surface with the acidic slurry from the 5X brick. This transformation changes microns of the surface from calcium carbonate to calcium oxalate.
Maintaining polished stone surfaces with oxalic acid compounds usually provides great results and is a widely accepted method. However, these types of products may have adverse effects on green and maroon stones. These compounds will also begin to build up on the surface if overused.
In many cases, the build up occurs quicker than crystallization. Also, when compared to crystallization, the process can be slow and messy.
FULFILLING THE NEED OF THE CUSTOMER
It’s impossible for the factory polish on marble to last forever under foot traffic. Therefore, these methods were created to fill a need for those who wanted a solution to their problem.
Both crystallization and oxalic acid compounds achieve very similar results. Both create a chemical transformation, and both achieve a high degree of reflectivity on the stone surface. Depending on the situation, one may be better suited than the other.
But no one process is best for everything. These two methods are only portions of a maintenance program for polished stone surfaces.
In the end, when looking for a complete maintenance program for natural stone, I would suggest that you ask for name brands proven to be successful with decades of documented historical evidence, and backed by trained, qualified people or firms familiar with stone and the stone industry.
Paul Lundberg – VMC Technical Assistance Corp.
Remodeling
Comments Off
Confusion and disillusion lies beneath women’s bodybuilding at the moment. We don’t know which way to go – do we scale down, be more feminine and lose what is supposed to be the whole essence of bodybuilding or do we carry on striving for better, bigger and harder physiques??
From my own point of view it is difficult to scale anything down, years of power lifting have seen to that! I don’t have any implants, my hair is short and I am only just learning how to tippy toe onto the stage without falling over. I am now – thinking about implants, growing my hair, wearing more makeup and spending most of my time at home practicing walking on my toes. Oh dear.
In the UK it seems that a more feminine look is being required – the general public don’t seem to like us any more with our freaky muscles, they seem to prefer the fitness/figure look and I suppose to some it is more pleasing to the eye. However, what do you do? Do you play the game and try to get as feminine as possible even going as far as breast implants or do you continue building your awesome frame so they cant ignore you and have to give you that first place?
There is another side to all this though. I have found that since going back into bodybuilding I am having to keep a very close eye on the way I look. At least with the power lifting you just looked square and not overly muscular, but since bodybuilding my shape is changing and I am aware of how masculine it makes me look. I always said that I would never play the game and grow my hair etc but to be honest with watching how masculine my physique is becoming I am trying really hard now to keep as feminine a look as possible.
“A lot of women have given up the sport because of lack of clarity on the judging criteria as well as general stigma now which is a real shame as we should be encouraging and nurturing the newcomers who are our next generation of possible great bodybuilders “
It is very hard and time consuming but it also aids your mental state. Remember that us girlies are putting testosterone into our systems, using estrogen blockers like Tamoxifen and Proviron. However you want to argue the point it still fucks around with your hormonal balance and emotional state and you ‘feel’ more masculine so putting that extra effort into your appearance does somewhat help your self esteem. Your confidence can sometimes can take a really serious knock if a fat couch potato educationally sub-normal wanker that has never trained in his life says something really unkind to you like ‘are you a girl or a bloke?’ or ‘you look disgusting – you must be a dyke’ and yes people do say stuff like that.
I went to the WABBA World Championships in Barcelona last week and what an eye opener. Yes, they had competitors with silicone tits but these girls got judged exactly the same as the rest of us flat chested girlies up there. There was definitely a different attitude in the organization towards women’s physique bodybuilding. It was how it used to be. I was told that we would get judged on our physiques only before I went but I didn’t believe it.
Disillusionment had been creeping in until then – but when I went to Barcelona and saw the judging I was brimming with enthusiasm again. Maybe I could be doing with a little more feminine charm and grace but at least in this organization I would get judged on my physique and the femininity issue would be more for me and my self esteem than for on the day of the show.
So what do we do at home?? I think most of us want to be the EFBB British Title holders don’t we? I think we would be lying if we said no. The EFBB British is still THE show that we all want to win on a national level no matter how much we bitch about it.
I know one awesome female heavyweight physique girl who should have got placed better than she did this year, and it was the same last year, and the year before that but it was pointed out to me that she didn’t present as well as the girl that won and that she stood like a bloke. WHAT BULLSHIT, it shouldn’t be like that. The girl I am talking about is Gaynor Davies who has been competing for many years and she also has competed the last 2 years in the Universe and done well. She can come in whatever condition you ask her to – big and full, small and ripped, she is hugely talented and apart from all that she is a genuinely nice person. I think it’s a real shame and it still isn’t clear whether she will carry on competing or not after the results this year again.
Many of us are totally unclear on what the organizations are looking for – you hear a whisper about bigger and less ripped so you come in looking like that – and – bang – you find its smaller with striated glutes! A lot of women have given up the sport because of lack of clarity on the judging criteria as well as general stigma now which is a real shame as we should be encouraging and nurturing the newcomers who are our next generation of possible great bodybuilders. So, please, could we have some set in stone judging criteria please?? What would be interesting to hear is from the guy’s point of view. It’s all very well me banging on about women’s issues in bodybuilding but do the guys have any sort of similar problems? And no I’m not talking about prejudice on the size of your lunch box!
It would also be interesting to know from the guys point of view what the attitude of women is towards muscular men now as a friend of mine who has been competing for many years has said that he now finds it really difficult to get a girlfriend as women these days don’t like the muscular look and are going for heroin addict lookalikes which he feels is related to the changing roles for men since the 90′s man emerged with his caring sharing feminine side and limp handshake……..eeeeeeewwwwwwww!!! uuuggggghhhhh, I can’t see the attraction but then with two tall previous exceptions I go for very short, very muscular men. Lee Priest – come and get me!!
TALK TO ME! Tell me what you think and what your own experiences are and whether you think I am dribbling bullshit and should be publicly flogged with a wet dishcloth or maybe you think I am absolutely right and you want to make me all yours and finance my bodybuilding forever!! Without your experiences and comments the points I am trying to raise are worthless really and it also makes me look at things from other points of view that I may not have considered before.
Landscaping
Comments Off
We’ve all seen the return of retro fashion – today’s styles sport bell bottoms and hip huggers, tosses in some Harvest Gold and Avocado Green (although renamed to “Burnished Wheat” and “Dried Thyme”) and gives new life to looks many of us swore 20 years ago that we’d never wear again. Old styles with a new twist are being incorporated into more than just fashion and clothing; retro style is expanding into home decor and lighting design.
The revival of retro style tweaks the original design to bring it up to date with modern variations. Elements of the original design, such as the fun shapes of a 70′s pop art lamp, are combined with today’s colors for a new take on a distinctive style. The shape and feel may remain the same while patterns and colors are taken from a contemporary palette.
Home Decor gone Retro
A few years ago, we were seeing oversized everything. From the ubiquitous “chair and a half” to enormous great rooms and soaring ceilings, home decor was about filling the ever-expanding homes that were being built all across the country.
Now we are seeing a return to coziness and warmth – an appreciation for the feel of small, intimate spaces, the richness of opulent finishes and the comfort of warm colors. Interiors are becoming less cluttered and fussy, with a simple focus on shape and style.
The 70′s and Beyond
Retro style is more than just a return to the far-out, groovy styles of the 60′s and 70′s. Retro style embraces a return to “modern classics” from a number of eras, including the craftsmanship of Tiffany-style lamps and the inspired design of a Mies van der Rohe Barcelona chair.
Pre-war furnishings with cleaner lines and modernist styling are mixing seamlessly with pieces on the market today, such as Eames bentwood chairs and the Eileen Gray screen. While style trends do reoccur, they’re never exactly the same as the original. Materials change, manufacturing processes change and we change – our experiences and sensitivities create a different environment from the original era.
Why Retro?
So why is retro style so incredibly popular? Many of the original pieces and furnishings were not the most useable or comfortable when they were brand new – why bring them back again?
It can be a backlash of living in a technological age, making us willing to sacrifice a little comfort to regain the aesthetics and look of a different era. It can also be a reaction to the uncertainty of the times, creating a longing for the comfort of a simpler time.
Retro style can evoke the nostalgia of rummaging through Grandma’s attic and finding the lamp that you remember seeing when you were a child, or the fun of finding an old dressing table from the 50′s gathering dust in a storage shed.
Keith is an avid member of the lighting and home furnishings industry. At Bellacor, he helps customers with various home improvement design issues including retro lighting, furnishings, and decor.
Interior Design
Comments Off
Do you like wine? Along with Chinese and French food, Italian is one of the Big 3′s of international cuisine. However, each region of Italy has its own flavor literally. That is true of both its food and beverages. While less famous for its food, Spain also contains regions that are famous for their wines. When selecting a wall wine rack, consider the different cities of Italy and Spain that produce a cornucopia of wines each with its own distinct flavor:
1. Barcelona:
The Carthaginians founded this Northeast Spanish city along the Mediterranean Sea. Throughout its history, the Romans, Visigoths, Moors, and the Franks have ruled the area. Barcelona is the nation’s second largest city and its biggest port. After becoming an important commercial center of Spain, it even challenged the ports of Italy.
2. Girona
Girona is the capital city of the Girona province. Some of the main industries of the city include chemicals, food, machinery, paper, and textile. This city is older than the Roman Empire. In fact, the city still retains aspects of its Medieval heritage. Its people successfully resisted the French, from 1808-1809.
3. Milan
Consider wines from Milan when selecting a wall wine rack. This city is located in the northern region of Italy. It is likely that the region has Celtic origins. The Roman conquered it during 222 BC. Due to its tactical location, since Medieval times this city has been a center of various industries.
4. Naples
This city is located in the South-Central region of Italy. It sits along the Bay of Naples. The Greeks founded the city at around 600 BC. Then in the 4th century BC, the Romans conquered the region. Today, Naples serves as an Italian center for business, tourism, and culture.
5. Palermo
Palermo is a city located in the northwest part of Sicily, Italy. The Phoenicians founded the city during the 8th century BC. After functioning as a military base of the Carthagians, the Romans conquered it from 254-253 BC. After Arabs controlled the city, it served as the Sicily kingdom’s capital until 1194.
6. Roma
The capital of Italy, Rome is located in the nation’s central region, along the Tiber River. During the time of the Roman Empire, Rome’s authority stretched over other regions, including Cyprus, Jerusalem, Gaul, and Syria. It became Italy’s capital in 1870. Today, Rome serves as Italy’s centers for administration, transportation, and culture.
7. Turin
Celebrate Turin when selecting a wall wine rack. This city is located in the northwestern region of Italy. The Taurini founded it. Hannibal partially destroyed the city in 218 BC. Later, Emperor Augustus made the city a military colony of the Roman Empire. Both Charlemagne and the French controlled the region throughout history. Fashion and automobiles are key industries in Turin.
When wall decorating the walls in your home, consider styles that various cities in Italy and Spain, have inspired. Each region boasts of a unique wine tradition and flavor. Enjoy a taste of Italy or Spain when loading your wall wine rack!
In need of additional decorating ideas that include fleur de lis wall decor and metal wall sculptures.
Continue reading about 7 Hot Cities That Have Inspired Wines and a Wall Wine Rack
Interior Design
Comments Off
When I think of ceramic wall tile I think of how beautiful a room can truly be. Whether you are wall tiling a kitchen, dining room, hallway or bathroom, this tile will bring out the magnificent luster that is natures own.
This manifestation of clay and fire is something that can only be describes as a gift from God that has been passed down through the ages. This craft of creating art from what we have an abundance of, that being the ground we stand on, has only improved with time.
These artisans who have passed down through the years their craft only to have future generations develop, with their own creative minds, an ever evolving and improving form of art known as ceramic wall tile.
In the beginning there was a limited selection available to those of royalty and power. Down through the centuries this ceramic tile became more available to the masses and was attainable to all who had but a little to spend or barter for.
Today, more than ever, ceramic wall tile has become the standard for covering walls with an extremely powerful presence. When you enter a room that has been finished in ceramic wall tile, you know, that whoever had the creative mind to add the artful touch of ceramic tile to the walls knew the heart pounding emotional effect it would have on anyone who entered the room. This feeling is truly magnificent.
Do you have any idea of just how many styles, shapes, colors and finishes are available to you in ceramic wall tiles alone? With that in mind, you can create an effect all your own just by combining different styles shapes and colors to make a wall tile masterpiece that is original and truly all your own.
Just take a moment and imagine what would happen if you combined the major surface of your walls with Bone Speckle with a border running near the top and near the bottom of each wall with Topis Barcelona trim size (3’ x 3’) tile. Add to that some miscellaneously placed Topis Barcelona (6’ x 6’) tiles and you would end up with a ceramic wall tile masterpiece that would make you heart pound.
Here’s another idea. This time imagine the major surface of your walls done in Riviera Sapphire ceramic tile. This beautiful deep majestic blue would be perfect with a top and bottom border of Linea Colonial Sevilla ceramic tile. About three or three and one half feet up the wall and going around the entire room would be two rows of Braganza Portuguese ceramic tiles.
I put these combinations of ceramic wall tiles together while I was writing this information. It didn’t take long for me to create surrounding walls that would bring a feeling of warmth rushing through my body that no other wall decor is capable of producing. This is truly an interactive form of art that you have no limits on what you can create.
Ceramic wall tile is now available in so many art forms that you have unlimited opportunity to create walls that are uniquely all your own. If you are looking for wall decor that does more than just look great, then this wall decor will also make you feel great. Now is your opportunity to perform magic on a room. Go for it!
Barbara Tobiasz is an expert in interior/exterior decorating. Along with her husband Joe, they own and operate Wall-Decor-Concepts.com. For more information on Ceramic Wall Tile, go to Wall Tile at: http://www.Wall-Decor-Concepts.com
Continue reading about Ceramic Wall Tile – Can You Feel Your Heart Beat?
Interior Design
Comments Off