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December 31, 2005
History Tumbles With Our Buildings
By PAMELA HASTEROK
FRESH TALK
When the wrecking ball slammed into the King's Mansion last month, Clay Harpster wasn't there. He couldn't bear to watch.
When the wrecking ball slammed into the King's Mansion last month, Clay Harpster wasn't there. He couldn't bear to watch.
His parents were friends of the King family. He had played on their home's vast pink marble floors and traced his fingers along the intricate bronze metalwork. He learned to swim in the oceanfront pool.
"It was Daytona's finest house. I spent a lot of time there as a kid," said Harpster, 73, a retired financial analyst.
Now it's the foundation for a high-rise condo. "There goes all your history," he said. To preserve even a bit of it, Harpster returned to the leveled mansion and photographed the rubble.
King's mansion isn't the only piece of local history to disappear beneath coastal Florida's wave of fast-paced, high-profit development. The beautiful Black Pearl, a riverfront estate, is gone, too, sold for condos for $2.5 million. A downtown landmark, the 1929 McCrory's is no more. Condos will rise there also.
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Some monuments to an earlier time still stand, but precariously. The Halifax River Yacht Club -- the stately 1896 sporting club where presidents visited and millionaires were members -- is on the block. Nobody can find a place to put the old white building now that a new one is being built. The 1894 Port Orange train depot, one of just seven left from the original Flagler's East Coast Railroad, is being auctioned on eBay. The city won't buy it and the owners don't want it.
Every Floridian lives with a sense of loss. We watch the magical places of our childhood, fishing holes and swimming ponds, become housing subdivisions and strip malls. We see the treasures of our neighborhoods, backyard forests and spring-fed streams, turned into four-lane roads and office parks.
Now we're losing our civic history, too.
Walk a senior through the Athens Theatre in DeLand and he'll tell you about the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The manager stopped the film with tears streaming down his face and told the crowd our country was under attack. Walk past where McCrory's stood and listen to a great-grandmother tell you what a housewife could once buy for a dollar.
Buildings are the key to collective memory. The old courthouse where your parents signed their marriage license. The ornate post office where you sent the kids for stamps. The train platform you stood on as the area's first diesel/electric engine whooshed loudly by.
Buildings represent a shared past. They tie us into our national history's maelstrom. From civil rights to world wars to Florida before air conditioning, it's all there. And soon, it could be all gone.
Perhaps the most poignant reminder of what we're losing is the beauty and grace of what remains. Beach Street is an architectural gem of small-town, mid-century modern architecture. The shops on DeLand's Woodland Boulevard evoke an even earlier era, with wrought-iron balconies and bayfront windows. The tiny, coquina fire station 91 on Ormond's beachside conjures 1930s charm.
When you tear down a building, you tear down the memory of life as it was. Future residents won't know who lived here or what they did. They'll be clueless to what kind of community this was. They won't know that children ran barefoot on dirt streets or that parents left their houses unlocked. They won't know that the Spanish Renaissance post office was built of coral stone cut from the Keys or that the mayor lived in a two-story wood frame home.
This isn't someone else's history -- a lesson in a textbook -- this is our own.
When a community loses a landmark, it loses a piece of its history. When it loses a steady stream of them, it loses its identity. And when it loses them all, it loses its past.
"Unless we stand up, we're going to lose all of our buildings," said local historian Harold Cardwell. "What does heritage mean when someone offers you $2.5 million?"
In Florida, not much.
Posted by huligar at 06:27 PM | Comments (0)
December 30, 2005
DEAR TIM
The ground level concrete slab in my 30-year old split level home has a few large cracks in it. These cracks are up to 1/4-inch wide and they move up and down with the change of the seasons. Over the past five years the cracks seem to be getting bigger ever so slowly, but there is no evidence of structural problems on any foundation wall or at any other part of the house. I would like to install wood or cork flooring over the concrete, but I realize the crack must be repaired. What is the easiest thing to do and will give lasting results? Is there a way to stop the seasonal movement of the slab? Lisa P., Boulder. CO
DEAR LISA: Although you don’t see any structural problems, they may be present or in the early stages of development. Hiring a residential structural engineer to do a field visit to your home may be a very smart thing to do before you move forward with any repairs. The seasonal movement is a strong clue as to what might be happening. Your house may be built on an expansive clay soil.
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These epoxy-injection products weld broken pieces of concrete together. If you follow directions, the repair can often be permanent. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter
As I was working to get my college degree in geology, I quickly discovered that certain rock formations create clay soils that can expand and contract dramatically in response to moisture content. These expansive clays are also found in some parts of the USA that experienced continental glaciation. The pesky soils can wreak havoc with poorly constructed homes and cause minor irritation with well-built structures. But if you trick the soils into thinking that it rains every week, they calm down and stop moving.
In addition to calling the structural engineer, you might also call the local colleges and universities in your area that have a geology department. Once you get this far ask for a soil scientist. If you run into a dead end, you can open the Yellow Pages and look for geo-technical engineers. I am confident you will find one. Ask the geology professor and/or the geo-technical engineer if your house is located in ana area know for expansive clay soils.
If it is, you need to think about stabilizing the soil before you proceed with any repairs. One method that works well in my area is to drill two-inch diameter holes 18 to 24 inches deep into the soil around your home. Space the holes about three feet away from the edge of the foundation if possible and drill one hole every six linear feet. Fill the holes to the top with small rounded gravel that is 1/4-inch in diameter. Lay a soaker hose over these holes and allow water to run for 24 hours so water soaks deeply into the ground. Run the water once a week during your dry seasons.
Once the soil is stabilized and you see that the slab is no longer moving, you can proceed with permanent repairs. Since the cracks are 1/4-inch wide, the job should be fairly easy. You can purchase high-strength epoxies that are designed to be injected into cracked concrete slabs from special concrete supply businesses. If you follow the directions and do the job right, the repairs can be permanent.
The finished epoxy repair is very similar to a welded seam between two steel plates. Often the weld is stronger than the actual steel. The same is true for the epoxies as they can have fully cured-strengths in excess of the actual concrete.
After the epoxy has fully cured you may have to install a thin concrete overlay over part of the slab to mask any unevenness between the cracked portions of the concrete. This overlay mixture is made from one part Portland cement and 2.5 parts of fine sand. Be sure the slab is dust free and clean. I would recommend you lightly wet the slab immediately before applying the mixture of cement and sand.
Use a six-foot long straightedge to create wide feathered areas of overlay on either side of the crack. You can use a regular steel trowel to finish this stucco-like material as it begins to set up. It is important the floor be as smooth and even as possible as imperfections can telegraph through cork flooring.
If you have seen mud puddles dry up in your area and large cracks develop in the still-moist clay, you live on or near expansive clay soils. What most people do not realize is the clay is not only shrinking from side to side, it is also losing volume up and down. This seesaw movement is not appreciated by materials such as concrete that are rigid and crack when stressed.
Smart builders who build houses with shallow foundations or houses on slabs can install piping under and around the foundation that allows homeowners a method of getting water into the soil quickly and efficiently. The trouble is, most builders don’t have a geology degree and most building codes do not require this inexpensive piping.
Posted by huligar at 02:02 AM | Comments (0)
December 29, 2005
Homebuilder Joins Exclusive List of 12 Firms Derived From Forbes Platinum 400
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 29
KB Home (NYSE: KBH), one of
the nation's premier homebuilders, announced today that it is the only
homebuilder named on Forbes magazine's list of "turbocharged companies."
According to Forbes, "the 12 turbocharged companies from the Forbes
Platinum 400 posted growth rates of at least 10% over the past five years in
both sales and earnings per share. Over the next 12 months, security analysts
think that all these companies will exceed their five-year historic average
growth rates -- in both sales and earnings. Analysts also expect these
companies to post at least 10% annualized earnings growth over the next three
to five years."
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"We are honored to once again be recognized by Forbes for our financial
performance as well as for our 2006 projections," said KB Home Chairman and
CEO Bruce Karatz. "This distinction is a reflection of our continued
achievements which this year include $9.44 billion in revenue, $842.4 million
in income, the delivery of 37,140 homes and a $6.77 billion in backlog. We
are proud of our success and look forward to continued strong performance in
2006."
KB Home recently reported record FY 2005 numbers, including all-time high
revenues which were up 34% from 2004. The company's net income was up 75%
from 2004 and the company delivered 17% more homes in 2005 than the prior
year. In addition, the company's record backlog exceeded 25,000 units, with a
dollar value up 40% from 2004.
KB Home ranked number 63 on Forbes Platinum 400 list, also known as
America's Best Big Companies. For more information about KB Home's recent
rankings, link to: http://www.forbes.com
About KB Home
Building homes for nearly half a century, KB Home is one of America's
premier homebuilders with domestic operating divisions in some of the
fastest-growing regions and states: West Coast-California; Southwest-Arizona,
Nevada and New Mexico; Central-Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana and
Texas; and Southeast-Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South
Carolina and Virginia. Kaufman & Broad S.A., the Company's publicly-traded
French subsidiary, is one of the largest homebuilders in France. In fiscal
2005, the Company delivered homes to 37,140 families in the United States and
France. KB Home also offers complete mortgage services through Countrywide KB
Home Loans, a joint venture with Countrywide Financial Corporation. Founded
in 1957, and winner of the 2004 American Business Award for Best Overall
Company, KB Home is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock
Exchange under the ticker symbol "KBH." For more information about any of KB
Home's new home communities
Posted by huligar at 05:11 PM | Comments (0)
December 28, 2005
DEAR TIM:
I'm giving serious consideration to using granite and/or marble as a flooring material in an upcoming building project. Will they both perform equally? How about stain resistance, durability, and care? Are there any natural stone product alternatives that you might recommend? A.C.
DEAR A.C.: I must compliment you on your taste and choice of building materials. Both granite and marble are wonderful flooring materials. These materials have seen explosive growth during the past 5-10 years. Marble sales have increased approximately 400 percent during the past five years.
Believe it or not, during the past ten years hard stone products have experienced an incredible 2,000 percent growth in sales. There is no doubt that homeowners have discovered the advantages that commercial builders have known for quite some time. Aside from flooring, homeowners are using marble and granite as countertops, back splashes, tub platforms and surrounds, and fireplace surrounds and hearths.
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Both marble and granite are natural stone products. Recalling my college days as a geology undergraduate, marble is a metamorphic rock. Limestone, when subjected to various high temperatures and pressures within the earth, recrystallizes into marble. For years, much of the fine marble used in building was quarried in Italy. However, fine marble is now quarried in Mexico, China, Spain, and the Soviet Union.
Granite is a fine to coarse grained rock which often contains quartz, feldspar, and mica crystals. It can form as a result of igneous (volcanic) or metamorphic geologic activity. The presence of quartz in granite gives it incredible durability and hardness characteristics. Granite is almost always more durable than marble.
Because granite and marble are natural products, they exhibit a wide range of stain resistance. Marble is more porous than granite. Certain marbles can stain quite readily. Common household liquids such as orange juice, nail polish remover, shampoo, and even water can cause serious stains in certain marbles. Granite, on the other hand, is very stain resistant. Professional installers recommend the use of neutral pH breathable sealers for both marble and granite, once they have been installed. These sealers need to be reapplied on a regular basis, depending upon how much use or foot traffic that the marble or granite is exposed to.
If you choose to use marble for an entrance foyer, it might have to be professionally cleaned and resealed every 12 - 18 months. Marble used in bathrooms and kitchens should be cleaned and resealed every 9 - 12 months.
There are several alternative natural stone products that might interest you as well. Slate and terrazzo make beautiful and durable floors. Terrazzo is very unique. It is made by mixing different colored marble chips with colored cement and / or epoxy. This mixture is honed and polished to a mirror like surface. By using a variety of different colored marble chips, you can create virtually any colored floor or pattern. Terrazzo requires virtually the same care as natural marble flooring.
Slate is a unique flooring material. It is available in shades of green, brown, red, and mottled green. It is very durable, and when sealed it is virtually stain proof.
All of the stone products, except for terrazzo, are installed similar to ceramic tile. They are available in different sizes, commonly 12 x 12 inch squares. Slate often is available in random sizes that fit together in a pattern. The thickness of the materials varies, depending upon what you choose. However, most flooring pieces are either 1/4, 3/8, or 1/2 inch thick. Visit your local stone products center and see the wide variety of products that are available. I'm sure that you will not waste your time.
Posted by huligar at 01:58 AM | Comments (0)
December 27, 2005
Typical problems
This is guidance on the problems you may meet with stone floors, how to repair them, and on-going care.
Problems
Typical problems are:
damaged or uneven slabs
cracks
Repair
Lift the slabs. If you have damp problems and find that the slabs were laid on concrete, consider removing the concrete.
To re-lay the undamaged slabs, set them in a mixture of sand, lime, and a little cement. If you wish, point them with lime putty. The objective is always to allow the soil beneath to breath so that excess moisture can evaporate. If you use concrete and the DPC in the walls is ineffective, then damp will tend to rise up the walls.
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You may be able to turn damaged slabs over if the old hidden surface is reasonably smooth.
Broken slabs can either be used at the edge, or laid leaving a gap for pointing, or else replaced.
Care
To clean a stone floor, sweep it well to remove sandy dirt which will otherwise act as an abrasive.
Wash the floor with water and washing soda; use 30ml of soda for a bucket of water. Add detergent if the floor has been waxed. Use caustic soda (15ml for 4.5 litres of water) instead if the floor is very dirty or stained.
Scrub and then rinse thoroughly.
Most experts advise against using a sealant but some suggest that a polish made from beeswax and turpentine can be safe as long as you do not soak the stone. Use a polish made from 3:8 beeswax and turpentine (no oil). Gentle heating in a double boiler will help to dissolve the wax so it can penetrate rather than sit on the surface. Do not saturate the bricks - you don't want to seal them totally, and too much polish will collect dirt and may become slippery. Subsequent coats can be applied annually.
Posted by huligar at 02:13 AM | Comments (0)
December 26, 2005
FAQ'S ABOUT USING STONE IN YOUR HOME
by Kim Keefer
1.Q.IS NATURAL STONE A GOOD CHOICE FOR HOME USE?
A.YES. Natural stone is a terrific (not to mention beautiful) material to
use in all areas of your home. Knowing the different types of stone,
their finishes and applications will help you to make an informed
decision on which stone is the best for your project.
2.Q.CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENT FINISHES FOR STONE?
A.There are many finishes and options available. Here are the most
widely used:
PolishedA high gloss surface.
HonedSmooth with squared edges and without a polished
surface.
TumbledLightly tumbled to achieve rounded edges and a
surface that is not as smooth as honed.
Antique TumbledMedium tumble edges and surface to achieve a
slight rustic look.
Cobbled or DistressedHeavily tumbled edges and surface to
achieve an aged or ancient look.
BrushedAcid washed and wire brushed for a smooth textured
surface.
FlamedBlow torched for a rough textured surface.
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3.Q.DOESN'T STONE STAIN? I DON'T WANT STAINS!
A.YES. All natural stone can stain and etch (a dull spot in a polished or
honed surface), including GRANITES. Sealers DO NOT prevent
staining as they are a moisture barrier only, yet they will help to give
you a small amount of time to wipe up spills. It is nearly impossible to
prevent staining or etching, but serious stains can be almost
completely removed and any etching can be resurfaced if either is
truly bothersome to you. To help keep a perspective on choosing to
use natural stone, remember the following:
1.For centuries, many European countries have used
natural stone from floor to ceiling, inside and out. The
stone becomes stained, cracked, pittedand that is why
we love it! These characteristics only make it that much
more beautiful. (Only we Americans get uptight about
such things!)
2.Because stone is quarried from the earth and not "man"
made, it is improbable to ever find two exact matching
tiles or matching slabs for that matter. One slab may even
look different from each end of itself. That is also the
beauty because each piece is different, but when pieces
are put together as a whole it is a masterpiece! (Be sure
to purchase enough to complete your project as you may
not be able to get more from the same lot.)
3.Stone is timeless. It does not get dated like the 70's
Avocado Green and Harvest Gold dcor did.
4.Stone will last longer than any of us will. There are
centuries old castles, made of 100% stone and still
standing today!
5.It is a natural resource that will never run out.
6.The more it is used, the faster a "Patina" (light sheen on
the surface) will develop. The "Patina" will also aid to
prevent staining to a lesser degree.
4.Q.WHAT IS THE BEST STONE TO USE IN MY HOME?
A.It is really a matter of choice and the look you want to achieve. These
are questions to ask yourself when making your decision: Is it
beautiful to you? Do you love it? Could you live with it for years?
The best advice that I can ever give to anyone choosing stone is: Go
with what you are drawn to from the beginning. First, because you
will only spend a lot of time and become confused when laboring over
the "right" decision by looking at many different stones and colors;
secondly, you will probably not be happy with your selection if you
have to settle on something else. Reviewing the following most used
stone types will help when you are ready to make your choice.
GRANITESGranites usually have a "spattered" or "swirled"
grain and can contain many colors (minerals). Generally, granites
have a polished finished and have a "busy" look, but to keep up
with current trends, more manufacturers are producing honed
(smooth & unpolished) and flamed (rough textured) surfaces.
Granites may be purchased in slab and dimensional tile form and
can be used in almost any application. It has become ever popular
as it is being used frequently in newly built tract housing,
apartment/condominium complexes and commercial buildings.
Granites are imported from many countries and have just as many
colors and sizes to choose from. A note in using polished granite is
to know that it can be slippery to walk on until a patina builds on
it. As with any other commodity, stone is also graded for quality
standards. Be wary if it is extremely inexpensive(less than $7.00
per square foot unless you are buying a large quantity.) The price
ranges in granites can be anywhere in between $8.00 to $90.00 per
square foot, depending on the color, rarity and where the stone
comes from. The "blue" stones, containing minerals/gems such as
sodalite are usually in the higher priced ranges.
LIMESTONESThere are many types of limestone available and
vary to many degrees, depending upon where it comes from.
Unpopular to belief, limestone is also a perfectly suitable stone to
use in all areas of your home. Most limestones have softer earth
tone colors; may contain a "swirl" veining movement throughout;
can contain fossils; or may have a light speckled grain.
Limestones, just like granite or any other natural stone can stain,
etch or get scratched, but again, you should not use natural stone
if this will bother you. Limestone also is widely available in
dimensional tile and slab form. This stone is used most frequently
in higher-end homes, architectural designs and commercial
applications as it is easy to work with, the colors are muted
compared to granites, it is available in as many finishes and
textures as granite and it is still relatively new to the market. It is
still considered to be a "custom" choice, as it has not reached the
overuse level of granite. Some limestones from countries such as
France and Portugal can be somewhat porous but are perfect for
flooring, backsplashes, fireplace surrounds and outdoor uses.
Limestone from countries such as the US and Israel (Jerusalem
Stone) are generally heavier and usually as dense as granite, which
makes it suitable for almost every application.
SLATESSlate used to be used mainly for chalkboard, billiard
tables, science lab areas and roof tiles. However, in recent years it
has become more popular for residential use in most applications,
with the exception of fabricated counter tops. Slate tiles are
generally rough in surface texture, with the exception of the
tumbled version. Most slates are available in a wide variety of
sizes in dimensional tiles; a few in slab form and most can be
gotten in crates of random pieces like flagstone. It is a perfect
stone for water areas such as showers & spas, patio/driveway
areas, pool surrounds and roofing applications. Most slates
contain a huge variation of color, even within the same lot and
some will even look to have been stained from spills of red wine,
which is not the case. This is caused from earth minerals such as
iron and only adds to the beauty of the stone. Slate holds onto heat
well, which is another reason besides being fire proof; it is widely
used as roofing material. (Use light colors in outdoor areas where
you may be walking barefoot!) Since slates have a softer property,
be aware that it can shale off the surface more easily. This will not
harm it per se, but may cause you concern if you are not aware
that it happens. One of the difficulties of slate is that it is varied in
thickness. Because of the shale properties, it is very difficult to cut
evenly. Generally, manufacturers will cut them with a "gauged"
thickness or "sawn back" treatment, leaving one side smoother.
Because of the varied thickness between each piece of tile, specific
sized installations may be more of a challenge, so expect your
installer costs to be a bit higher. Slate itself is generally a less
costlier stone. Expect anywhere from $4.00 - $8.00 per square foot,
dependent upon the grade and country of origin. Again, beware of
any extremely inexpensive prices and be sure to check the quality
of the slate to be sure that it has not been filled with dyes. Test by
holding a piece under running water for a few minutes and also by
putting a few tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice on it and
wiping off. If any color comes off, return it immediately! Just a
note: I only recommend using any acidic solution on stone in this
instance for testing purposes only.
MARBLEMost people are familiar with marble in many uses.
From Greek statues to Roman baths, marble has been used for
centuries in just about every possible application, both interior
and exterior. Marble has the same general properties of limestone
and can stain, etch or scratch, but it only becomes more beautiful
over time and use. It is readily available in just about every color,
size, finish and texture known to man. Most marbles have a
veining of a mineral throughout them and are generally thought to
be from Italy, but it in actually it is quarried from all over the
world. Tumbled marble has become extremely popular in the
United States in the last few years for backsplash, flooring and
shower areas. Prices range from $6.00 - $30.00 per square foot,
again dependent upon the rarity, color and country of origin. A
couple of drawbacks to marble to be aware of is: 1. Green marbles
containing serpentine need to be installed in water areas with
specific setting guidelines that your installer should know of as
water can warp and break apart green marbles; 2. Polished
marble can be slippery to walk upon until a patina has built up on
the surface.
TRAVERTINETravertine is marble, except it is filled with
"holes." To understand what causes the holes, think of it this
waywherever a river or stream was prior to the marble being
quarried is where you will find travertine. Because of the holes,
people can be scared off because travertine is generally thought to
be more porous and not suitable for residential use. This is not the
case, as all of those holes become filled in with grout during
installation, giving it a very unique look. The same travertine can
be used in two separate areas but appear another way just by
using two different grout colors! Travertine can be purchased
with the holes pre-filled, but in my experience with it, I don't
recommend it. In general, the epoxy fill that is used has a color to
it that does not look natural to the stone and it has a tendency to
come out after a short amount of time in high traffic areas. Expect
to pay anywhere from $5.00$15.00 per square foot.
5.Q.IS STONE MORE DIFFICULT OR COSTLY TO INSTALL THAN CERAMIC TILE?
A.On the whole, it is not more difficult to install. There are exceptions
of course such as the difficulties with thickness gauges, which takes
more time in lying out and whether a complex pattern is being used.
As for cost it is generally not more expensive except for time spent on
laying out patterns and the thickness gauging again, at least for the
tile contractors I have worked on projects with. The setting supplies
and procedures are the same, but stone is heavier to work with. I
suggest talking it over with your installer and also taking the time to
look at previous jobs he or she has installed if possible. I will be
giving tips on selecting a tile contractor/installer in my next article.
6.Q.CAN A STONE DESIGN BE USED OR MIXED WITH OTHER KINDS OF MATERIALS?
A.Absolutely! The possibilities are endless. You can incorporate stone
with ceramic, porcelain, glass, and terracottaanything you can
think of, even mixing different types of stones together.
7.Q.HOW DO I FIGURE THE QUANTITY THAT I WILL NEED?
A.Generally, tile and stone for a "field" area is figured by the square
foot. To figure square footage, measure the area that you will be
putting the tile with a tape measure. Examples:
1.You measure your room and it comes out to be 10-1/2 feet
wide by 15-3/4 feet longyou would calculate it by
multiplying 10.5x15.75 = 165.38. Round this number off
to the closest whole number (165). I suggest adding on a
10-15% overage to plan for cuts, breakage and a little
extra to store in case a piece needs to be replaced later in
time.
2.You measure your wall area to be covered and you get
18" tall and 33" long. Multiply 18x33 = 594". Now divide
that number by 144, resulting in 4.13sf. (There are 144 sq.
inches per square foot). Again, round it off and add on
for overage.
When figuring for decorative tile or trim, it is usually by the piece
and calculated by the lineal foot.
For slabs, it is best to let your fabricator figure the quantity for you.
8.Q.WHAT SIZE GROUT JOINTS SHOULD I USE?
A.Again, this is a matter of choice and the look you prefer. Honed stone
can usually be butt jointed (tight to each other) with very little grout
showing if you want to see less grout or a grid pattern; tumbled stone
usually has a 1/8" to 1/4" grout joint which will show off the edges
more.
9.Q.CAN YOU HELP ME WITH DESIGNING MY STONE LAYOUT?
A.Yes, I can! I charge an hourly fee of $75 and I will need several things
from you:
1.A copy of your blueprints, including the elevations if you
have them and the area to be tiled clearly marked; or a
drawing of the area, including the dimensions and the
area to be tiled shown. Make sure to specify what
room/location it is, if it is not marked on the blueprint.
2.The style of home you have; or the look you prefer,
i.e.rustic, contemporary, elegant, traditional
3.Whether or not you have already chosen your stone. If
so, what did you pick and what size? If not, do you want
me to make suggestions for you? If yes, do you have a set
budget?
4.Will you want to use decorative trim pieces? If so, did you
choose one yet? What are the dimensions of a piece(s)?
About the Author
Kim has worked in the Building Industry for 19 years and has specialized in tile and stone for the last 5, with emphasis on end-user and tile contractor drawing design specifications and visualization.
Posted by huligar at 11:38 AM | Comments (0)
December 25, 2005
Stone floors
A natural and long lasting floor covering that will suit any home decor.
STONE tiling is one of the most practical and attractive forms of floor covering.
Its natural beauty and feel will catch your eye along with its durability and versatility.
Stone is a practical floor covering for inside the home as well as out. It looks stunning on patios and external stairs.
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Stone tiling is extremely cost efficient when compared to the many benefits derived from it. Stone is easy to maintain requiring very little maintenance.
Stone flooring is the perfect alternative for those busy home builders and renovators who find it hard to put aside time to clean the house
TERRACOTTA
Terracotta tiles were traditionally made by small factories in Mexico and Spain, but in recent times their manufacture has spread to France, Peru and Italy.
There are colour variations with terracotta tiles, but the look is sought after by many people who claim it gives the tiles that 'lived in' feel.
Make sure your tiler mixes the tiles as he works, taking them from three or more boxes. This way the colour variation will be intermixed instead of being concentrated in the one area.
The surface of terracotta varies depending on the production methods used. On some tiles, clay is finely sifted and moulded to make a smooth surface. On others, the clay used is coarse and slightly irregular. Terracotta can be adorned with some type of imprint. In France, leaves are sometimes pressed into the clay leaving an imprint after the leaf has burned out during firing. The choice is yours as to what texture you prefer but keep in mind that the idea of using terracotta is to create a lived in, homely feel.
Most new terracotta will be affected by the appearance of salt on the surface for a period of time. This condition will eventually stop, but it helps if you don't use grout containing sand with a high salt content. Always use fine, washed river sand.
ROUGH SAWN SATURNIA STONE
Saturnia stone, a new product on the West Australian market, is a natural stone of timeless beauty and quality.
Extracted from the ancient spa areas of Central Italy, its natural qualities and textures make it suitable for any application.
From the outside patio to the kitchen cool room, Saturnia stone can be used absolutely anywhere because of its high density.
The tile does have a smooth and rough side and saw marks are sometimes visible on both sides. Like the terracotta tiles, this form of stone flooring will also create that 'lived in' feel.
Being a product of nature, you will never find two tiles completely identical. Some stones have occasional pits, sand holes, fossils and other geological flaws.
Saturnia stone is not salt water proof, even though the tiles look magnificent around the pool. If you wish to install them around your pool, you will have to seal the tiles before every swimming season and hose them down after heavy use.
SANDSTONE
Another popular stone floor covering is sandstone. The tiles contain their own individual colour and texture which matches with the interior or exterior decor of any home.
Sandstone is extremely durable making it ideal for high traffic areas in the home.
Sandstone needs to be sealed caking it easier to clean and enhancing its natural beauty.
If layed outside, the tiles will need a couple of coats of a water based sealant. For indoors, a matt, gloss or satin finish can be used depending n your personal taste.
The tiles will need resealing every four to five years.
Posted by huligar at 01:54 AM | Comments (0)
December 24, 2005
STONE AND TILE TIPS FOR THE INDUSTRY
1. Loss of Shine:
The loss of the high polish on certain marble and granite can be attributed to wear. This is especially true of marble, since it is much softer than granite. The bottoms of ones shoe acts like sandpaper on a stone floor surface and overtime will wear the polish off. To prevent excessive wear, it is important to keep the floor dust mopped, place walk off mats at all entrances.
To repair a worn stone surface, it will be necessary to have a professional hone or polish it. The dull spot created when liquids containing acids are spilled on marble is called etching. Marble and limestone etch very easily. Serpentine and granite is more acid-resistant and will rarely etch.
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2. Etching:
To prevent etching, avoid using cleaners and chemicals that contain acids. Bathroom cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, and lemon cleaners commonly contain acids. Certain drinks and foods contain acids and will also etch. Light etching can be removed with a little marble polishing powder. Deep etching will require resurfacing of the stone.
3. Staining:
All stone surfaces can become stained very easily. Most foods, drinks, ink, oil and rust will stain marble. Once a stone becomes stained, it can be very difficult to remove. To prevent staining, clean the spilled material immediately. Blot the spill with a clean paper towel or cloth. If this does not remove the stain, then a process called "poulticing" may be needed. For more information on poulticing, please refer to our brochure "Removing stains from Marble, Stone and Other Porous Surfaces". To prevent staining, sealing the stone with a good quality penetrating sealer is important.
4. Efflorescence:
Efflorescence appears as a white powdery residue on the surface of the stone. It is a common condition on new stone installations or when the stone is exposed to a large quantity of water, such as flooding. This powder is a mineral salt, from the setting bed. To remove efflorescence, do not use water. Buff the stone with a clean polishing pad or #0000 steel wool pad. The stone will continue to effloresce until it is completely dry. This drying process can take several days to as long as one year.
5. Spalling:
Flaking & Pitting - If your stone is developing small pits or small pieces of stone are popping off the surface (spalling) then you have a problem. This condition is common on stone exposed to amounts of water or when deicing salts are used for ice removal. Like efflorescence, mineral salts are the cause for spelling and pitting. Instead of the salts depositing surface (effflorescence), they deposit below the surface of the stone, causing pressure within the stone and therefore the stone spells, flakes or pits. Unfortunately once it begins to spell it is almost impossible to repair. It is recommended that the stone be replaced.
6. Yellowing:
There are several reasons why a stone will turn yellow. Embedded dirt and grime can give the stone a yellow, dingy look. Waxes and other coatings can yellow with age. Certain stones will naturally yellow with age. This is caused by oxidation of iron within the and especially problematic with white marbles. If the yellowing is caused by dirt or buildup, clean the stone with an.alkaline cleaner or wax stripper. If the yellowing is result of aged stone or oxidation, live with it. It is not coming out.
7. Uneven Tile Lippage:
Lippage is the term given to tiles that are set unevenly. In other words, the edge of one tile is higher than the next. Lippage is the result of a poor installation. If the lippage is higher than the thickness of a nickel, it is considered excessive and the tile will have to be ground to flatten the floor. This will require the services of a professional stone refinishing contractor.
Posted by huligar at 02:03 AM | Comments (0)
December 23, 2005
Solid from the Core
The Properties and Applications of Granite
by John Mattke
Granite is, quite literally, as old as the earth. It is formed from liquid magma, the molten rock still found at the core of the planet, which is pushed toward the surface to form a substance approaching the hardness and durability of diamond.
Granite is an igneous rock, the name reflecting its fiery beginnings. The chemical composition of granite is similar to that of lava. However, granite owes its hardness and density to the fact that it has been solidified deep within the earth, under extreme pressure. Over the eons, seismic activity has changed the crust of the planet, forcing veins of granite to the surface. Glaciers scraped off layers of dirt, sand and rock to expose granite formations. Typically revealed by outcrops, these deposits have been discovered on every continent.
It is accurate to refer to "granites" in the plural sense, because many varieties of the stone exist. While they differ in color, texture and crystalline structure, the granites have three essential minerals in common:
Feldspar (50 percent or greater)
Quartz (25 to 40 percent)
Mica (three to 10 percent)
These minerals occur in differing proportions, giving each granite its own unique characteristics. Other minerals also may be present in smaller amounts, adding to the variation in color and texture of each granite deposit. As with other natural products, many granites contain a certain amount of grain "movement" or flowing veins in the stone. Many people find this flow and blending of colors to be the most compelling reason for using granite.
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Quarrying and Fabrication
Granite has been quarried systematically as far back as 4000 B.C.--long before hardened metals were used. Over the centuries, quarrying techniques evolved very slowly until the 20th century when industrial techniques allowed large quantities of stone to be quarried in a cost effective manner. Low-compression explosives and drive-in quarrying methods are used to remove large blocks of granite from deposits close to the earth's surface. The granite blocks are then shipped from the quarry by truck or rail to a fabrication facility where they are sawed into slabs of the desired thickness. Each slab is then processed through automatic equipment for the required finish application.
Due to the extreme hardness of granite, much of the fabrication process requires the use of diamond-edge saw blades or a slurry containing diamonds which contributes significantly to the cost of the finished product. However, recent advances in quarrying and fabrication processes have allowed manufacturers to offer many granites at prices equivalent to, and in some cases, less than man-made granite look-alikes and solid surface materials.
Design Characteristics
The increasing demand for stone use in a wide variety of building applications requires increased knowledge about the different types of stone available and their proper use. The most common are granite, marble, limestone, travertine and sandstone. Each stone has unique physical characteristics which affect its applicability to a specific design. While each type of stone has a place in modern construction, granite and marble are the most often used for interior applications. They both allow for a highly polished surface and provide many beautiful options. They are, however, very different.
Granite is the hardest of all building stones with a very dense grain, making it virtually impervious to stain and uniquely applicable for any interior use. If polished, its high-gloss finish will endure even in harsh environments. These characteristics are ideal for countertops and flooring, making granite a reliable stone for these applications.
Granite also can be provided with a variety of other finishes and, when combined with the vast spectrum of colors available, provide design options surpassing any other type of stone. Granites may contain other minerals providing patterned movement or they may be quarried with consistent grains and little movement.
Interior Applications
Today, interior spaces can be as big as all outdoors. Open spaces, greenery, walkways and water blend to provide a comfortable garden look to common areas. Granite is a natural for interior landscaping. As a countertop material, floor and wall covering, stairway, waterfall or planter, granite is durable and clearly a beautiful option. n
Two common approaches to granite for wall applications include tile or veneer. Generally, with 3/8- or 1/2- inch granite tile, some flexibility may be sacrificed with regard to piece size, color and finish. Tile can be set with thin-set mortar; no mechanical attachment is used.
Any tile application also can be completed with 3/4-inch or thicker granite veneer. This thicker granite is available in most colors and in a wide variety of piece sizes, allowing for virtually unlimited flexibility. A 3/4-inch veneer is thick enough to permit mechanical attachment which will allow for safe granite use in vertical interior applications.
In recent years, granite has increased significantly in popularity as a residential material. It is used primarily as countertop and flooring material in both single and multiple family housing projects. Part of this popularity results from the recognition of granite countertops, fireplace surrounds and floor tile as a long-term investment. With its deep, iridescent colors, granite offers an elusive, one-of-a-kind beauty created only by nature.
Due to their extreme hardness, second only to diamonds, granite countertops are an ideal work surface. Granite's polished finish will not wear off and, unlike marble and synthetic countertops, granite will not blister, scratch or crack. It is highly stain resistant and will not become burned or marred if hot pans are set directly on the surface. In fact, because of its cooling characteristics and its extremely smooth, hard surface, countertops made of polished granite are ideal for kneading bread dough.
With the combination of many different countertop edge treatments and the virtually unlimited variety in color, granite countertops and bathroom vanity tops can work beautifully with any design scheme.
Final fabrication and installation of granite countertops should be handled by an experienced, professional stone fabricator. Special equipment and procedures are required to ensure level surfaces, proper jointing and safe handling of granite.
Most granite countertops are fabricated with 1 1/4-inch-thick granite because of its increased vertical slab strength, less chance for breakage and ease of fabrication. Once the slabs are chosen, the fabricator will take care of the necessary cutting for sink holes, corners and any other requirements to achieve a proper fit. The fabricator also will finish the exposed countertop edge according to customer specifications.
If 3/4-inch granite is to be used, a plywood underlayment is attached to increase structural support and a second layer of stone is laminated on the edge of the slab in order to obtain a more substantial looking edge treatment. This lamination occurs prior to edge finishing. Due to the decrease in labor, the overall strength of the thicker material and the relatively minor increase in cost, most home owners prefer the 1 1/4-inch material.
Granite floor tiles may be installed over most sound, level substrates. Granite tiles also may be used for countertops, fireplace surrounds and vanity tops. The method of application will vary to suit the specific type of substrate. Thin granite tiles are installed by tile setters in a manner similar to ceramic tile, using the same setting techniques, materials and tools.
Installations should be performed by experienced installers familiar with the methods and guidelines set forth by the Tile Council of America, Marble Institute of America and the American National Standards Institute. It is important to know that granite flooring often is given a thermal finish, either for aesthetic or safety reasons. This is a flaming process which disintegrates a percentage of the surface crystals, leaving the stone with a rough but uniform finish. Thermal granite tile meets ADA requirements for non-slip surfaces.
Maintenance of Surfaces
Maintenance of granite surfaces is easy. For daily maintenance, a solution of clear, non-sudsing ammonia or a mild neutral detergent and water is recommended. Care should be taken to make sure the detergent is non-abrasive.
On occasion, although granite is very solid and non-porous, spills left on the surface for an extended time period may leave some residual staining. These stains usually dissipate over time on their own. If immediate removal is desired, a simple poultice powder found at most cleaning supply outlets may be used. Additionally, local fabricators can usually provide recommendations regarding extraordinary maintenance should the need arise.
Beauty, design flexibility, durability, value, customer satisfaction--these are the primary advantages of using granite. No matter what the interior application may be, granite will continually look as elegant as the day it was installed. Whenever life-cycle costing formulas are applied, granite is a top performer. John Mattke is marketing manager for Cold Spring Granite Co., one of the largest natural stone suppliers in the world. The company provides international distribution of a wide variety of granite products for building stone and memorialization applications. It owns more than 30 quarries and operates fabrication facilities throughout the United States and Canada.
Posted by huligar at 09:20 AM | Comments (0)
December 22, 2005
Granite is Tough; Taking Correct Care of It Isn't
by Edward Green
Granite is Tough; Taking Correct Care of It Isn't
Crystal like granite countertops and spa type bathrooms built with natural stone are all the rage in home interiors, but not surprisingly it will lose its investment value fast if not properly maintained.
Up to now, only ammonia based cleaners were the granite cleaning choice outside of soap and water for homeowners, regardless of the fact that these products in reality damage natural stone.
Marble Masters stone cleaning product line safely cleans and conditions countertops, floors and wall surrounds made of granite, marble, travertine and other natural stone. For more information, visit www.marblemasteruk.com
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"Ammonia-based products remove the seal of natural stone, allowing stains to penetrate the surface and set more easily," said Edward Green, Technical Director of Marble Master. "The damage caused by these products increases the chance that the stone will have to be refurbished or replaced, which is a costly undertaking."
Natural stone is hard-wearing, but still needs appropriate care to continue its inherent beauty. When treated correctly, it is a low maintenance surface that will hold its gleam longer than any other surface known to man, and can enhance the value of your home.
Marble Master's set of non ammoniated, inexpensive products features its Daily Cleaner, Daily Cleaner Wipes, Polish/Protector, Stone Soap and Penetrating Sealers. The line protects and extends the life of stone countertops and gives customers high quality cleaning power. The line is non toxic, safe on all food preparation surfaces, features a streak-free formula and is easy to use.
Marble Master Products are also effective when used on natural quartz surfaces and engineered stone and can be safely used on ceramics or porcelain tile and grout. This exclusive product line, which contains the highest grade of quality ingredients, is user friendly, non toxic and safe for the environment.
The Marble Master Stone Care System is specially formulated and developed by stone care professionals with more than 40 years of experience in the natural stone industry. For more information or to purchase the products, visit www.marblemasteruk.com or call 020 8807 8889.
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Posted by huligar at 11:41 AM | Comments (0)
December 21, 2005
Decorating with rocks, the beauty of rustic decor
by Joseph Lewitin
Rocks are dirty, crude, hard, and just plain nasty. But there is another side to rocks. They are also durable, beautiful, and come in a huge variety.
When a piece of stone is cut from a mountain, it is cut into a giant slab. This slab looks like a giant landscape. The stone can be any color that exists in nature, red, green, yellow, and these colors are streaked across the face of the stone. When it is cut or broken down, each piece becomes a tiny unique item that can then be turned into any number of beautiful decorating items.
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The most common stone household item are stone tables. Stone tables match stone and ceramic flooring. They are one of a kind, and beautiful. They can easily be set up indoors or outdoors, and they dont stain, because rocks dont stain.
Stone can also be crafted into desk clocks, wall clocks, coasters, and more. Almost anything can be made from stone.
By bringing stone into a design scheme, you give the room a sense of solidarity. A rustic fealing, that you cant achieve easily in modern homes. It comes in almost any color you can imagine, and each item is one of a kind.
So next time you dissmiss rocks as just being, rocks, think about the many aspects of stone decorating that are out there.
About the Author
Joey Lewitin is an author and webmaster who runs a site that offers his Decorative stone wall clocks and rustic stone home decor gifts and furnishings
Posted by huligar at 11:44 AM | Comments (0)
December 20, 2005
Dragon, Beth Norton
Tiles of carnelian, lapis, and jade,
The muralist sets his picture
One centimeter at a time.
Every piece alone is precious;
Together they make a priceless whole.
Not far from where I grew up, there was a muralist whose specialty was mosaic. He accepted commissions from all over the world and also collaborated with a number of famous artists on their murals and sculptures. He had bins and buckets full of all sorts of fascinating tiles. Some were red, blue, and yellow glass. Others were elaborately glazed ceramic. A few were stones like lapis, turquoise, malachite, and obsidian. Some were even mirrored with gold and silver, and these would shine out first whenever he would wash away the grout.
God may be in the details, but it is also important to know the big picture.
That is where the muralist is such a great example. He knew what the big picture had to be, and yet he had enough concentration to piece together enormous tableaus out of tiny square centimeters. That is knowing both the small and the big. Follow his example and you will never be petty; yet you will not lose sight of the relationship between the microcosmic and the macrocosmic.
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Deng Ming Tao, 365 Tao
“There are very few human beings who receive the truth, complete and staggering, by instant illumination. Most of them acquire it fragment by fragment, on a small scale, by successive developments, cellularly, like a laborious mosaic.” — Anais Nin
“Each of us puts in one little stone, and then you get a great mosaic at the end.” — Alice Paul
“We’ll rebuild, of course, … But what made New Orleans is the polyglot, the tapestry, the mosaic, the gumbo. So the French Quarter gets most of the attention, but the Quarter feeds from the arteries of the neighborhoods.”
— Marc Morial
There are so many of us who are focused on that one little tile of our own lives. We don’t see how we fit with the other pieces around us, forming a much larger picture. We think the little pieces aren’t as important as we are, the much larger, richer pieces, but if we stepped back and looked at the whole picture, we would know that if the smallest piece falls out of place the picture becomes lesser for it. The mosaic of our society is large and rich, and all the pieces need to be firmly secured for the entire picture to work.
Being able to see and understand the relationship between things has been a really useful skill for me in all parts of my life. I see the whole picture as well as the pieces, and I have a fairly good understanding of how they work together.
In my work as a quality engineer, I’ve seen how important it is to pay attention to the smallest details, to catch and correct small problems before they develop into larger ones that are very expensive to repair, or can even completely disrupt the system.
In our society today, there are a number of very disturbing trends - the inequitable distribution of wealth, the enormous levels of debt we are piling up in terms of private, corporate and government debt, the huge sums of money we are spending on our military and the attempts to gut the support programs for the neediest among us. These are all very troubling and disturbing trends. Economically, there will probably be a crisis within the next few years, and those who are not prepared to face it will be the worst off. I wonder at those who want to cut off those lines of support, how they can think that hurting those in our society who can least afford it is a good thing, while giving tax cuts to those who don’t need them. It’s like polishing the prettiest tiles in the mosaic while the other pieces fall out - and the whole picture is less for it. Eventually, with the other pieces gone, those rich pretty tiles fall as well.
Posted by huligar at 11:48 AM | Comments (0)
December 19, 2005
The Macabebe Scout
A wet postcard on the sidewalk, and an irregular gravestone
by Jack Neely
One day last week my friend Ian Blackburn saw a scrap of cardboard in a puddle on the sidewalk underneath the drive-by mailboxes on Walnut Avenue, near the post office. Not many people would stop to look at something like that, but Ian’s one of those who would. The neglected scrap was a postcard, curling in the rainwater, densely covered on front and back with handwriting in black ballpoint, unsmeared by rainwater. It was addressed to me.
Signed only “Walt M.,” much of the postcard was occupied by a transcription of a particular grave marker in the National Cemetery on Tyson Street, adjacent to Old Gray. I’d heard of the grave. Others had asked me about it over the years. I thought the postcard in the puddle was a sign that I should finally look into it.
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The National Cemetery makes for a good lunchtime walk. Established during the Civil War by General Burnside, it was one of the first official National Cemeteries in America. Almost all of the markers, planted in concentric circles, are government-issue soldier’s graves, hardly two feet tall, with simple inscriptions in uniform white marble. They’re all the same, regardless of rank; a General Robert Neyland is buried there, his grave indistinguishable from the rest until you get close enough to read the inscription, which includes nothing about any particular athletic endeavor.
But a few of the older tombstones stick out: bigger, more expensive monuments that commemorate young men who died in battle a century or so ago. One belongs to Lt. Robert Rosecrans Bean. It’s a large granite marker, about four feet tall and wide, near the stone wall that separates this orderly cemetery from unorderly Old Gray—which from here looks unruly and almost animated, like a crazy marble party.
Born soon after the Civil War, Bean likely gained his middle name from General Rosecrans, the U.S. commander at Chattanooga who, despite some blunders, was admired by East Tennessee Unionists.
According to the inscription, Bean was a veteran of the battles of El Caney, San Juan, and Santiago. Those were battles in Cuba during the hot part of the Spanish-America War. But he survived all that.
The marker says Bean was “KILLED IN BATTLE NEAR LIPEY, P.I. / OCT. 8, 1901.” P.I. stands for Philippine Islands. Lipey, though, is a bit of a puzzle; there’s no place by that name in the Philippines, nor, if we can believe the gazetteers, anywhere in the world. It’s not obvious as a name of a battle; it may be an alternate spelling of Lipa, a town south of Manila that was near some action against insurgents in 1901.
The last line is the one that gets some visitors’ attention. “COMMISSIONED 2nd LIEUT. MACABEBE SCOUTS / JULY 1, 1901.”
That requires a footnote. The United States won their “splendid little war” of 1898 quickly, but it turned out the Philippines was a nation that didn’t much care to be occupied by anybody. A Filipino insurgency of surprising fury turned out to be much deadlier than the war itself.
The nationalist faction elected as its president Emilio Aguinaldo, the part-Tagalog, part-Chinese rebel leader. The U.S. did not recognize Aguinaldo’s power—President Roosevelt compared him to an Apache chief—and Aguinaldo declared war on the United States. The fact that the Americans regarded themselves to be better colonial rulers than the Spanish meant little to many Filipinos, who believed the Americans meant to repress their culture, and wanted the foreign troops out of their country. They killed Americans every way they knew how, more than 4,000 of them, far more than had died in combat in the official war. Americans fought back against the insurgents, killing perhaps 20,000 Filipino fighters, by U.S. estimates. Terrorist bands on both sides killed whole families because of their alliances. Some have estimated that as many as 200,000 Filipino civilians died during the early years of the U.S. occupation and insurgency. To the postcard writer, the relevance of that era is obvious.
As the postcard writer noted, “Macabebe was an unusual outfit.” Native Filipinos from the province of Pampanga, the Macabebes had a longstanding reputation as mercenaries. Fierce soldiers at their best, they were also regarded to be among the bloodthirsty of the Filipino tribes, known for torture and butchery of their enemies, especially the hated Tagalogs. They were, by any objective definition, terrorists.
During the nationalist insurrection, dominated by the Tagalogs, the occupying Americans made some dangerous bargains with the Macabebes. Captain Matthew Batson, who seemed awed by the Macabebes’ rapacious methods, was in charge of trying to direct the warriors toward American ends. He recruited young lieutenants—like Robert Rosecrans Bean of Tennessee—to deal with them.
When witnessing the Macabebe’s carnage, the unofficial U.S. policy was to look the other way. Batson wrote in a personal letter after the Macabebes’ destruction of a Filipino village, “Of course no official report will be made....”
In March, 1901, some 80 Macabebe guerrillas under the direction of U.S. commander Frederick Funston captured Aguinaldo by a ruse of posing as Filipino nationalist reinforcements who were delivering five American prisoners. The Americans somehow persuaded the captive to swear allegiance to the United States. It was the beginning of the end of Filipino hopes for independence for 40 years; many Filipinos thereafter regarded the Macabebes as traitors.
The insurgency survived Aguinaldo’s capitulation. In September, 1901, a company of U.S. soldiers on Samar Island was surrounded by rebels wielding swordlike bolo knives, and “cut to pieces.”
The U.S. was also having to deal with a separate insurgency, the remains of Aguinaldo’s group, under General Miguel Malvar, in the Batangas Province, south of Manila. That may have been where, days before his 32nd birthday, Lt. Robert Rosecrans Bean was killed.
I didn’t find the notice of Bean’s death in the papers of the time, and don’t know what series of events led to the installation of this unusually large stone that sticks out in a military cemetery. Unworn by a century of weather that has begun to melt some of Bean’s comrades’ government-issue markers, it doesn’t even look very old. On a cool, sunny afternoon in a Tennessee November, it offers no hint of what terrors he saw in his last months, more than a century ago on the opposite side of the world.
Posted by huligar at 05:39 PM | Comments (0)
December 18, 2005
Stone PI
A Stone Investigation Card has been developed. This card can be used to diagnose your stone problems. The code is being offered to anyone with a web site that deals with stone. We are attempting to educate the consumers. This is the first of many to come from the guys at www.huligar.com/forum.
The code will show as part of your own web site.
If you would like to have this code as part of your site Click Here
click on the image.
Posted by huligar at 06:37 PM | Comments (0)
December 17, 2005
Pre-fabrication Countertops Or Getting Better
Granite countertops from China are getting more and more popular in the US market, while competition among local suppliers is increasingly intensified. How to get around the pricing competition and maintain or increase a market share, is now a challenge facing every manufacturer in China. GHY Granite Co., Ltd. (www.black -granite-monuments.com), a leading supplier of granite countertops, discloses its effective way to improve satisfaction of their clients.
Low cost strategy, though necessary, is not the whole story. High quality and reliable service are far more important, according to the company’s management. To secure the quality systematically, GHY Granite has introduced the ISO9001 quality system in their daily operation. The quality system has resulted in a continuous improvement quality of their production and delivery.
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To differentiate themselves from their competitors, they focus their granite countertops on a selection of granite colors mined from Northern China. These exotic granite colors are less popular in the US market than those from Southern China. Thus enable their clients to earn a higher margin in their business.
Having a precise fabrication is a key factor to improving product quality, mentioned Mr. Xu, president of www.black-granite-monuments.com. Most of the granite slabs available in China have an excessive variance in thickness due to the restriction of equipments. Therefore all slabs must be calibrated before being used to make countertops. By doing so, the vertical tolerance reduces from +/-1mm to under+/-0.3mm. They also employ computerized waterjet to handle the cutout and tap holes, while other producers are still using handy sawn and drill.
To secure consistent color and texture in every set of countertop, the body and the backsplash are always cut from a single slab.
Many importers from U.S.A have experienced the difficulty of sourcing super sized kitchen island for some projects. Mr. Xu tell me proudly that they are one of the few suppliers in Northern China who can handle pieces of 150cm x 250cm or up.
Thanks to the advantages mentioned above, the GHY Granite Co., Ltd. has exported more than 80 containers of granite countertops in the past 10 months, about 40% increase compared to the same period of last year. Their success is based on their fully understanding of the business. For more information about the company, please visit their website: www.black-granite-monuments.com.
Posted by huligar at 01:00 PM | Comments (0)
December 16, 2005
Decorative Concrete
When talking about Decorative Concrete, what exactly does it mean? The word 'decorative' implies pretty, ornate or even impractical, also as per the web definition, "Ornamental ; not required for the operation of the essential systems and components of a home." Decorative Concrete however, particularly when applied to countertops, contradicts all of these definitions, as a more practical, durable, versatile and aesthetically pleasing material would be very difficult to find.
Countertops, way back in history were essentially made of wood or stone and that carried forward to comparatively recent times, but wood, as with some stone, is inclined to be porous and therefore not very practical. They both require high maintenance and sealing every now and then and because of the processes involved in preparing them for the tasks they are expected to perform, are not always cost effective.
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As the technology for molding coloring and curing decorative concrete became more and more sophisticated, so its versatility and many applications became apparent, and today there are few materials that designers or architects prefer to recommend as the best for the tasks required from a countertop to name only one of its many uses.
"Whether it is for a home, restaurant or barbeque area" said Blayde Penza, CEO and owner of Ace Concrete from his studio workshop in Sun Valley California, "We have had great success with making countertops with modern, functional or even exotic finishes. It is very gratifying to see the client's enthusiasm once the finished product is installed. The remarks about its durability after it has been used for a while are also proved positive that their choice of material was a good one."
Their web site at www.aceconcrete.com has some excellent examples of Decorative Concrete Countertops that they have designed, manufactured and installed over the years in the Gallery section and at the top of the 'Services' page of their website.
In California alone there are 1,400,000 pages of Google's Internet space dedicated to Decorative Concrete with many more search engines indexing the popularity of this remarkable material. The reason for its popularity is logical. It is easily molded to any shape with any texture in any color, and it is easily available.
Decorative Concrete, as the name implies, can be used for all sorts of aesthetic projects like countertops, sinks, barbeque areas, fireplace surrounds, conversation pits, decorative flooring and water features to name just a few. It is extremely durable and has become more and more popular as a material and highly recommended by architects, landscapers and interior decorators.
"It is very exciting when one of these people come to us with some new application," said Blayde Penza founder and CEO of Ace Concrete Inc. from his studio workshop in Sun Valley California. "The development of new products and new applications of Decorative Concrete are never ending, and that is half the fun of working with this amazing material. I have been working with concrete for 30 years but the new technologies that have been developed make it much more versatile than it used to be a few years ago."
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Even California can get bitterly cold in winter so this time of year, fireplace surrounds often are the focus of attention for families. There is little that can beat gathering around a fire in winter especially in preparation for the arrival of Santa Clause where his gifts fill stockings hanging from the mantelpiece and a sense of peace and goodwill pervade the atmosphere. A decorative concrete fireplace surround can be molded to suit any décor from Renaissance to Modern in plain or rich colors and textures to imitate wood, stone or anything else an imagination can dream up. If you are planning a home makeover, there is no need to look any further than your Decorative Concrete or Natural Stone.
The techniques used today with Decorative Concrete offer architects, interior designers and landscape architects an infinite variety of design, color and texture. The use of this material indoors in countertops and sinks, and outdoors in barbeque areas, water features and conversation pits is already well documented. Flooring however is just as striking in this medium. When one says 'concrete floors' it immediately conjures up a mental image picture of a gray, oil stained workshop floor or a cold warehouse with rows of metal shelves.
Decorative Concrete flooring or "flatwork" as it is known, has been elevated to a sought after fashion item in multimillion dollar homes or top flight restaurants because of the amazing effects one can create with color and texture. There is a whole list of techniques involved in creating these effects for example, staining, scoring, etching, stamping, stenciling, and overlays. The resulting effects leave even the most avid skeptics at a loss for words when the finished product is viewed for the first time. In fact it is not uncommon for someone to refuse to accept that what he or she is looking at is concrete. A typical example of that is at Saddle Ranch in Universal Studios where Ace Concrete created a floor that on first inspection seems to be made of worn, petrified wood slats which is possibly one of the finest examples of how versatile Decorative Concrete can be. This can be viewed in their gallery of pictures on their website under the heading "overlays" at www.aceconcrete.com
"Each contract is unique as it reflects the personality and individual taste of the client,"
Said Todd Mazer, Vice President of Production and co-owner of Ace Concrete with his long-term friend and partner Blayde Penza from their Sun Valley studio and workshop in Southern California. "It is really exciting to see a Decorative Concrete project develop and very gratifying to see the clients face when the end product is unveiled."
Long ones, short ones, round ones, square ones, oval or asymmetrical sinks in vibrant colors and a wide variety of textures. These are just a few of the designs that are appearing in homes today all made from one of the most versatile and fashionable materials on the market today - decorative concrete. A far cry from the choice of either stainless steel or cast iron and enamel sinks that were the order of the day.
Interior designers, architects and landscapers all agree on the fact that with decorative concrete, you can achieve almost any effect your imagination can conjure up. In combination with countertops made in the same style or color, a sink unlike its old predecessors, becomes a focal point in any area. Whether it is an outdoor entertainment feature like a barbeque area where food and dishes are washed and prepared, or an indoor area like a bathroom, restroom or kitchen, the effects are the same. The admiration shown by guests remarking on its beautiful glowing color or its novel design is standard response to this material even though the person has no idea that it is decorative concrete that is being observed.
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Designs can be tailor made to suit the purpose it is meant to achieve. A typical example of this is someone who needs to wash and cut large quantities of meat or produce. A double sink with a sliding cutting board is ideal and easily designed to fulfill this need.
A small space for a guest restroom needs a smaller sink than is usually available in commercial outlets but with decorative concrete it can be easily made to fit the space and yet maintain an aesthetic character appropriate for the décor.
"Having worked with concrete for thirty years and learned the many technical aspects necessary to produce top quality results," said Blayde Penza from his Sun Valley studio and workshop in California,” I can now enjoy the whole creative process with the satisfaction of knowing that my clients will be happily talking about their sink or countertop for a long time to come."
Posted by huligar at 01:56 PM | Comments (0)
December 15, 2005
Building on the resounding success of Stonemart 2005,
The Centre of Development for Stones (CDOS) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) have once again come together to organise an international conference “Global Stone Technology Forum” during December 15-16.
Leading experts from round the world are expected to participate in the forum. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje will inaugurate the conference, while Industries Minister Narpat Singh Rajvi will preside over the function and Mines Minister Laxmi Narayan Dave will be the guest of honour.
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The two-day forum, the first of its kind on stones in the country, aims to provide a platform to discuss the best global practices and technologies for dimensional stone quarrying, processing and finishing, marble waste disposal and utilisation, testing standardisation and quality certification, use of stone in modern buildings, etc.
The forum will bring together internationally renowned experts in the stone industry, and will be structured into two sub groups—the stone masters’ conclave and the stone users’ conclave.
In the stone masters’ conclave, leading experts in the international stone industry will participate, like R Veeramani, chairman, granite panel, Capexil; Henry Lloyd of the Marble Institute of America; and Paola Blasi of IMM Carrara, Italy.
During the stone users’ conclave, renowned architects like Raj Rewal, Uttam C Jain, Kulbhushan Jain, Nimish Patel, Christopher Benninger, Deepak Gehlot, Marcantonio Ragone of Italy, Paolo Marone of Italy, K Jaisim, Jai Gopal and other leading experts will discuss issues pertaining to the uses of stone like its architectural value, preservation and restoration of stones, and global best practices of using stones in modern buildings.
A large number of delegates comprising chief executives of stone sector companies, policy makers, architects and civil engineers and builders like the Heeranandani group of Mumbai, Kalpataru Construction, Ansals, Unitech, and Vatika are participating in the event.
Concurrent with the forum, a technology exposition and catalogue show will also be organised, where new varieties of stones and latest technologies will be unveiled.
Posted by huligar at 10:35 AM | Comments (0)
December 14, 2005
National Award to Master Craftperson’s and Weavers
Following is the text of the President, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s address during the presentation of National Award to Master Craftperson’s and Weavers here today:
Empowering the Indian crafts and weaving sector
“I am indeed delighted to participate in this function for presenting the National Awards for the year 2002, 2003 and 2004 to the Artisans and Weavers. I congratulate all the awardees for their excellent contribution in preserving, promoting and enriching the traditional and cultural heritage of our country through the unique art-forms of crafting and weaving. I am sure such recognition for the innovative and skilled workmanship of these creative persons, who have come from different parts of the country, provides an encouragement for others to work hard to bring prosperity to the Handicraft and weaving sector. I would like to talk on the topic "Empowering the Indian crafts and weaving sector".
Capacity Building
Handicraft and handloom sector together provides livelihood for more than 12 million people in our country. Handicraft and handloom sector contributes to over four billion dollars of export and has enormous potential to provide productive employment to large number of craft persons and weavers. There are also opportunities to create enterprises in rural, semi-urban and urban areas. However, we have to see how we can empower our craftsman and weavers such that people will get interested in crafts work and specialized weaving work. That means we have to build capacity amongst artisans and handloom weavers through technology and training.
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Empowering Handloom weavers
Some of the problems experienced by Handloom weavers are the availability of Yarn material and availability of the markets against the competition from power looms. The advantage for our nation is the potential of handloom sector in providing employment for large number of people in the household and self managed cooperative societies spread across the country. This type of household small enterprises, I have seen in Manipur and Assam. Every member of the house weaves and wears their products. Also, if the handloom cottage industry is properly empowered, it has a potential to become a remunerative employment generator. In spite of competition from power looms, the handloom products are liked due to its unique quality, texture and uniqueness of design. Following are the suggestions for empowering the handloom sector in the country within next five years:
a. Creation of exclusive design centres to promote handloom products with inbuilt know how from the fashion design centres of the country. Design centres can be established in all the regions where handloom work is predominant. Design centres can be created on the lines of Tiruppur Garment design centres.
b. Generation of export and national market through proper business development practices and aggressive advertisement.
c. Elevating the skill of the weavers and upgrading the looms and the processes taking into account, the environmental needs and the international market demand.
d. Creation of an “India brand” for handloom products through a country wide mission mode project.
e. Ensuring availability of the yarn material at reasonable price to the weavers. Wherever cotton is being cultivated it is better to introduce the best practices of cultivation as has been done in the Gheri Buttar in Punjab, to have a check on the cost of the yarn.
Now, I would like to share with you one experience I had on 10th December 2005.
Cotton Production and Garment Industry
I visited a village called Gheri Buttar near Bhatinda in Punjab, where I met the farmers who have successfully increased the production of seed cotton from four hundred and sixty kilo gram per acre to eight hundred and sixty kilogram per acre in the year 2005. This has been achieved through a productive partnership between farmers, agricultural scientists, textile industry supervisors and the Government by following a scientific approach to farming, adopting pre-harvest and post-harvest techniques with an assured market for seed cotton. I have suggested the farmers in that village to mount a programme of second green revolution in Cotton meaning that instead of selling the cotton produce directly in the market they should convert certain quantity of cotton into yarn, cloth and apparel in the village complex itself and market it in the national and international markets. This is the only way that the income of the farmers can substantially go up.
Hence, I would like to link cotton production to yarn, cloth, leading to garment and apparel export business, which is a low investment and large volume employment generator. Two centers are well known Tiruppur in Tamilnadu and Ludhiana in Punjab for garment design to production. India is presently, exporting six billion dollars worth of garments, whereas with the WTO regime in place, we should aim to enhance the production and export of apparel and garments to over 18 billion dollars by 2010. This will need intense collaboration between master weavers in the villages, NIFT, Textile Research Associations, Cotton Research Association, textile industrialists and the government. A mission mode programme should emerge. This will also be a large-scale generator of employment particularly in the rural areas. By tripling the export of apparels, we can add more than 5 million direct jobs and 7 million indirect jobs in allied sector by diversifying the handloom sector into apparel and other usages such as bandage cloth. This will give employment potential particularly for some portion of handloom weaving community and enrich the task in providing quality apparel to the national and international clientele. Concerted effort is needed in Cotton research, technology generation, transfer of technology, modernization and upgrading of ginning and pressing factories and aggressive marketing strategy. NIFT can definitely assist in embedding fashion in our handloom industry so that Indian handloom products from yarn to garments carry innovative ideas for the final fashion with enhanced value. Let me now discuss about the handicrafts sector.
Focus Handicrafts sector
I had a beautiful experience of some of the art products and the men behind the products with all of you.
Bhadohi Carpet : Some time back, Smt Jaya Jaitly who is promoting Indian crafts wrote to me about the talented carpet weaver from Bhadohi in Uttar Pradesh named Ramjeet Bind. She mentioned in her letter that Shri Ramjeet Bind has broken all the records in making finely knotted carpets. He was at that time demonstrating weaving and selling his durries at Delhi HAAT. She wanted to bring Shri Ramjeet Bind to me who had woven a carpet embossed with an interesting image. I agreed to her request and on 1st January 2004 Shri Ramjeet came to me with the framed carpet specimen along with Smt Jaya Jaitly. When I saw the carpet, I was overjoyed with the craftsmanship and the realism he had brought in weaving it. I asked him how much time it took for making this carpet. He said it took nearly three to four weeks for knotting the carpets. I asked him what would be its price. He told me that it was priceless since his whole heart and soul has gone into the creation of this work. When I had a re-look at the carpet, I saw that it was really so. Such is the dedication, commitment and interest shown by many of our weavers and crafts persons engaged in Dastkari work in our country. Since I am in the midst of crafts persons and artisans I thought of sharing with you this incident which really touched my heart. The second incident is about the Sirki Art.
Sirki Art : One day a craftsman landed in Rashtrapati Bhawan and wanted to see me. I agreed. His name was Shri Mohammed Sageer Mansoori. He belonged to Kasganj, Etah (Uttar Pradesh). He said that he had a special gift of making paintings using Sirki leaves available in the forest. This gift was with him right from his early childhood. He goes to the forest, collects the leaves, presses them in a special fashion so that the insects do not attack and then he sequentially organizes the leaves on hard surface and pastes them using fevicol or dentroid. He showed me few paintings which he has made including a view of the Kutub Minar which was really beautiful. He creates beautiful images and I was fully impressed with the quality of his paintings. He uses certain techniques to enhance the shelf life of his paintings which is around ten years. He told me that he normally takes around a week for completing one painting. The problem he faces is in the marketing of his paintings in the villages. He also needs help in increasing the longevity of his paintings. Both crafts work are indeed excellence in art. Let me talk to you some of the present day architectural creations, which touched my heart.
Present time architectural creations
India is indeed famous for sculptors with architectural marvels. Recently I have seen two great sculptor works of architectural creations in two places. On 6th Nov 2005, I dedicated the Akshardham cultural complex in NewDelhi. Pramukh Swamiji Maharaj has inspired thousands of people across the country and abroad and brought together the best of the minds for creating a beautiful cultural complex. It has become a place of education, experience and enlightenment. It creatively blends the traditional stone art and architecture, Indian culture and civilization, ancient values and wisdom and the best of modern media and technology. Multiple layers of this complex expresses the strength of the mind, willpower of the human being, indomitable spirit, flowering kindness, fusion of scientific and medical talent, myriad colors of varied cultures and ultimately the power of knowledge. In essence, it is a dynamic complex with lively images of 20,000 sculptors designed and made by special artisans involving 300 million man hours of work. I am also reminded of the beautiful sculptural work being done at the Kala-bhai-ravar temple at Adhichunchanagiri. It was indeed a spiritual delight. The sculptors at work in Adhichunchanagiri had come from South India. Such architectural complexes always stand out for the excellence of Indian craftsmanship.
Knowledge powered rural complex
The work of craftspeople and artisans is the result of creativity. This creativity comes from traditional knowledge. The crafts products from this traditional knowledge are of constant attack from urban industrial and multinational products (e.g. palm leaf, coir and rubber products versus plastic products). The traditional knowledge is in isolation in rural environment. This traditional knowledge has to be integrated with technology with value addition and pro-active co-operative societies to empower craftspeople and artisans, making avenues for direct marketing/selling. Instead of craftspeople coming to urban marketing centres, the reverse phenomena have to take place. How is it possible? I have a suggestion triggered by Visvakarma’s Children. I would recommend the young graduates coming from the National Institute of Fashion Technology and Sculptors and Architectural institutions to create small and medium enterprises in the seven thousand PURA complexes planned in different parts of the country based on the core competence of the crafts people available locally in each of the PURA complex. This will enable preservation of our traditional knowledge and also promotion of products at an attractive price in the national and international market through value addition. Marketing has to be arranged through internet and exhibitions in marketing complexes such as Delhi HAAT.
Conclusion: Mission to create Heritage Cave
When we look at our civilizational heritage, it is an integrated history of culture, people's way of living in various parts of the country and the evolution of an integrated Indian society. Since I am in the midst of a powerful creative audience I would like to share a thought with you. This thought I got, after visiting the Ajantha and Ellora caves, Mahabalipuram Pallava sculpture and many of our ancient temples which have preserved the very important sculptures and paintings with out the names of the source and the date on which it is created. The history of some of our civilizational heritage, paintings and sculpture which are misplaced are to be recreated. I would suggest that the Ministry of Textile in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and many art lovers and crafts persons can take up the mission of creating a Heritage Cave in the hill region in the backdrop of mountains. In this cave, 5000 years of our cultural heritage, paintings and sculpture should be recreated with the knowledge base available in literature and with cultural historians. It could be a mission for the decade for all our best crafts persons in the country who can create the paintings and sculpture of yesterday, today and tomorrow. This Heritage Cave should be the place where the past meets the present and creates the future. This will definitely become a place of attraction for all the national and international tourists including researchers of art and culture.
Once again let me congratulate all the award winners and my best wishes to all the crafts persons and weavers in their mission of enriching our culture and creating value added products to the society.
Posted by huligar at 09:21 PM | Comments (0)
December 13, 2005
Technical Ceramics and Virtual Reality
December 13, 2005 -- Irisfmg has launched a new tool to add to its software: Virtual Touch, a java plug-in that allows you to rotate the image, change the surface finish, and take a close-up look at the quality and aesthetic properties of its entire range of man-made marbles, granites and stones for use indoors and out.
Irisfmg always uses advanced innovative software, and has used Omnidata technology to produce Virtual Touch, a software for viewing slabs of man-made marble, granite and stone in 3D.
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This innovative software allows you to obtain a close-up zoomed-in view of the structure of the slabs, view their edges close up to see the veins that run right through Irisfmg man-made marbles and stones, or check that the colours of the top and bottom surfaces are exactly the same, making technical ceramic slabs a tasteful, practical solution for resistant indoor and outdoor finishes.
Another useful software tool for use with the vast selection of Irisfmg Tools and Autocad® plug-ins for design.
A vast selection for use in the daily work of the architects and designers who have relied on the quality of Irisfmg's production and design technology for many years.
With Virtual Touch, developed specifically to help architects and designers choose flooring materials, the peculiar features of the single Irismfg technical ceramic slabs, such as the through streaks and the fact that the shade of colour is the same on the top and bottom surfaces, become visible from any angle, just as if one was holding them in one's hands.
There are many options for viewing a slab with Virtual Touch:
* 360° rotation of the slab
* choice of the surface finish, ground or not ground
* specific viewing of the edges of the slab showing the through streaks
* zooming onto the structure
Thanks to Virtual Touch, choosing a marble, granite, stone or travertine technical ceramic floor or wall covering becomes easier and interactive.
To find out the available formats and surface finishes of our technical ceramic marbles, granites and stones for floors and wall coverings, consult the materials page at our web site.
Posted by huligar at 08:29 AM | Comments (0)
December 12, 2005
Gosman estate goes on market
Trump leads tour of renovated mansion during party with fashion, autos, art and faces.
A Lamborghini Murcielago, Ferrari 550 Maranello, and a Mecerdes-Benz SLR McLaren rest Saturday during a showing of the Donald Trump-owned mansion in Palm Beach. The tour gave potential home owners a chance to see the estate after the recent renovations.
It was a day of all things Palm Beach.
There were the luxury cars — Lamborghinis, Maseratis, Ferraris, three Carrera GT Porsches, a rare Mercedes-Benz CLX DTM shipped from Germany for the event, the 1956 Silver Wraith Rolls Royce used in the 1981 movie Arthur starring Dudley Moore and a Meredes-Benz SLR McLaren — all valued at $500,000 and up.
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There was a fashion show, art works on display, an exclusive guest list, appearances by celebrities and fashion models and multi-million dollar real estate offered by Barclay's International Realty Inc. in partnership with Palm Beach Super Car Weekend.
And to top it all, there was Donald Trump personally guiding a brief tour of the former Gosman estate at 513 N. County Road, now on the market for $125 million.
In the first public showing Saturday of the eight-bedroom, French Regency-style mansion featuring 475 feet of ocean frontage, Trump discussed ongoing renovations to the property he purchased at auction last year for more than $41 million. New coquina stone stairs and a marble fountain imported from Italy anchor the estate's entrance. The sneak preview was organized in partnership with Prudential Douglas Elliman.
Trump said buyers can decide whether to replace the marble and granite floors and paneling in the home's central hallway, library, ballroom and conservatory featuring glass doors facing the ocean.
However, portions of the original three-bedroom home were gutted and rebuilt. Drawings on bare walls in the north wing give visitors an idea of what to expect for the kitchen and staging areas. The south wing, rebuilt to include seven bedrooms, resembles a construction zone with cardboard guarding freshly installed cream-colored carpet, wheelbarrows and equipment stowed in corners and bathroom fixtures awaiting installation.
But the spacious master bedroom with 15-foot ceilings, French doors facing the ocean and his and hers bathrooms offers a glimpse of the luxury lifestyle a buyer might expect.
The original home's 68,000 square feet of living space includes an unfinished basement that may be renovated to include a theater or other living spaces, including storage and staff rooms and laundry facilities. An 80-car garage will be downsized to hold 36 cars.
Eight skylights would be impossible to build under current zoning laws, Trump said, adding to the home's unique value. An Olympic-size swimming pool is under construction and the estate's three cottages, including a staff or guest cottage, tennis pavilion and pool cottage, also are being renovated.
Robert Wyner of Barclay's International Realty Inc., who organized the event in partnership with Prudential Douglas Elliman and John Temerian, a promotional event organizer, said only qualified buyers with a net worth of more than $25 million were invited to the exclusive event.
"We were fortunate to have great weather, great turnout, great people and great potential" buyers, Wyner said on Sunday of the previous day's event. He said Palm Beach Mayor Jack McDonald and other community leaders attended the second half of the event at the Gosman estate.
Wyner said two people attending the event expressed interest in purchasing the Trump project, including a Palm Beacher who already lives in a multi-million dollar home and a European visitor. "The general opinion was that the $125 million price is justified vis-å-vis the fact that the land alone is worth $65 million without a house on it," Wyner said.
"There is no other property on the market in South Florida with 475 direct feet on the ocean at this time," Wyner said. "And there certainly is an intrinsic value to the fact that it is a Donald J. Trump property and it has Mr. Trump's signature all over it" in terms of high caliber renovations.
About 250 luxury car owners were invited to the Palm Beach Super Car Weekend exhibition which began earlier in the day in Manalapan. Temerian said two Fortune 500 CEOs loaned their cars for an exhibition and weekend events that included private parties Friday and Sunday.
The former Cantor estate, a two-acre oceanfront mansion listed by Barclay's International Realty Inc. with a $32.9 million asking price, was the setting for artist displays and vendor booths and a fashion show. Guests toured the Mediterranean-style eight-bedroom mansion built around a coquina-paved interior courtyard and featuring a pool and cabana, tennis court and dock on the Intracoastal Waterway. "It's a perfect atmosphere," Temerian said.
Luxury cars valued at about $40 million were on display, including a $1.5 million Ferrari Enzo. Some of the luxury cars were on display later that afternoon at the Gosman estate. "It's just to get car guys together and have a great time," Temerian said. "I describe it as a lifestyle event. It's everything into one."
Posted by huligar at 09:15 AM | Comments (0)
December 11, 2005
Washington - Architecture's Natural Winner Earthy
Antoine Predock, architecture's poet of sky and earth, has won the 2006 Gold Medal of the American Institute of Architects.
In announcing the award today, the AIA saluted the New Mexico architect for an approach 'born out of his geographic surroundings, the American West, an open desert full of history and expansive space.' 'I'm floating,' Predock said by phone from his Albuquerque studio. A 7-degree chill made a celebratory ride on one of his collection of motorcycles impractical, but there was plenty of effervescence to share with members of his team, who 'have gone along with my idiosyncratic weirdness for a long time.'
Predock is known for boldly expressive buildings that seem to grow from their landscapes. Many are in the Southwest, where stark terrain and unrelenting forces of nature have inspired four decades of homes, schools, libraries, museums and more. Works such as the 2004 arts center for Pima Community College in Green Valley, Ariz., are dramatic, subtle and beautiful.
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Road cuts through the desert have inspired enigmatic structures. Architecture becomes the 'mediating' layer between human 'interlopers' and the land.
'Arguably, more than any American architect of any time, Antoine Predock has asserted a personal and place-inspired vision of architecture with such passion and conviction that his buildings have been universally embraced,' Thomas S. Howorth, chairman of the AIA medal committee, said in a statement.
The Gold Medal is the AIA's highest honor. Awarded for the 62nd time, it puts Predock's body of work on a plane with that of Thomas Jefferson, Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, Le Corbusier, Louis Kahn, I.M. Pei, Cesar Pelli and last year's recipient, Santiago Calatrava.
Predock, who was born in Lebanon, Mo., in 1936, acknowledges the power of his adopted region, writing on his Web site: 'The lessons I've learned here about responding to the forces of a place can be implemented anywhere. I don't have to invent a new methodology for new contexts. It is as if New Mexico has already prepared me.'
In conversation yesterday, Predock was quick to point out that he has grown beyond the Southwestern desert, where a 1990 fine arts center for Arizona State University in Tempe rises like a futuristic adobe village.
'My beginnings in the Southwest are clear and palpable,' he said. 'My beginnings here made me pay attention to where the sun is, where the winds are, the power of the site. . . .I take that baggage with me.'
He has opened an office in Taipei to work on a $75 million project for the National Palace Museum. Images on the Web reveal a design based on an abstract landscape of mountain and water rendered in marble, facets of jade-like glass and spiraling bronze. The Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is a symbolic apparition of ice, clouds and stone in a field of grass, with abstract wings of a dove embracing a mythic stone mountain. For the Inn at the French Laundry, Thomas Keller's famed restaurant in Yountville, Calif., Predock envisions 20 idiosyncratic rooms, a spa and gardens as a continuation of the Napa Valley landscape. Predock's terrain will be crafted from compacted earth, translucent and colored glass, oak, concrete and steel.
Predock attended architecture school at the University of New Mexico and graduated from Columbia University. Settling in Albuquerque, he rapidly developed a reputation as the region's most interesting designer. Over the past two decades, he has emerged on the national stage through such innovative projects as the Tacoma Art Museum in Washington state, completed in 2003. Predock designed its stainless-steel skin 'to disappear in Tacoma's gray mist.' The industrial surface honors the city's economic heritage, while reflecting passing clouds. Chase Rynd, president of the National Building Museum, was director of the Tacoma museum when Predock was selected. Yesterday, he recalled how a split board allowed him to cast the deciding vote. Rynd was won over by a visit to the architect's studio and a surprise side trip to Dallas to see the 1993 Turtle Creek house Predock designed for collector Deedie Rose and her husband, Rusty.
'I was just blown away,' Rynd said. 'I could not have been more taken by a building.' Predock makes clear that he is a modern architect on his own terms.
'Personally, I don't think the models to look toward for architects should be European models,' he said, a pointed reference to 20th-century modernism, which emerged from the German Bauhaus. 'We can derive our own power. We have our own cultural strata, our own spirit.'
More Americans have probably seen Petco Park, the San Diego Padres ballpark that Predock designed with HOK Sport, than any other of his projects. Predock sought to recast the traditional sports complex as an expansive Southern California garden. He delights in explaining that the park skirted the popular retro revival and imitation Mission styles in favor of an 'authentic statement' of outdoor life, water views, the color of local cliffs and the natural dynamic of the game, which is movement.
In a conversation yesterday, Predock did not miss the opportunity to say he 'wanted to be part' of the Nationals stadium project, which would have paired him again with HOK Sport and made his work visible in the nation's capital.
As a former Washingtonian - he lived in Woodley Park while teaching at the University of Maryland in the early 1980s - Predock gained a 'really big' physical connection to the city. He ran 'every inch of it' while training for marathons and skied among the monuments on the Mall.
'Washington is such a different animal,' he said. 'It has a beauty and scale. The cultural overlays having to do with being a world city are phenomenal,' and yet it's a distinctly American place.
When reminded of the recent struggles by contemporaries Frank Gehry and Norman Foster to build here, Predock offered counsel to the guardians of tradition: It's okay to break out of the mold once in a while. He cites the 'freakout' over the Vietnam Veterans Memorial as an example.
'Look at it now,' he said. 'My point is, Washington can handle it, if the city is as great as we believe it is.'
The Gold Medal will be presented Feb. 10 at the American Architectural Foundation Accent on Architecture Gala at the National Building Museum, where the 'Liquid Stone' exhibition offers a stunning glimpse of Predock's work through next month.
Predock's name will be chiseled into the granite Wall of Honor in the lobby of the AIA headquarters on New York Avenue NW.
'That's pretty big time,' he said. 'It's huge.'
Antoine Predock was born in 1936 in Lebanon, Missouri. His education was completed at the University of New Mexico and Columbia University in New York and is a member of the American Academy in Rome. He was influenced by the ancient Mexican architecture; which often included the adobe. His influences also include Louis Kahn and Frank Lloyd Wright, and both of these influences show in his works.
Predock describes his work as simple, rooted to the earth while aspiring the sky. His beliefs on the site are very similar to Wright’s. He is very much into the nature of the site, the earth, sun, and the moon. His basic approach is to be site specific and to evoke a spirit of place in each of his designs. Nature and culture both are concerns in his designs. He is very concerned with how the structure interacts with its surroundings. He has called his style designing that of "abstract landscape"; thus he blends the structure in with the surrounding landscape. Most of his work has been done in the harsh climate and rough terrain of the dot desert-like south west. So his architecture style is really a regional one. Predock’s approach on design is based on topography as the following excerpt makes abundantly clear.
"In the southwest, I always think of the fundamental connection between earth and sky, through the mute blank adobe walls that you find here. This has influenced me enormously. There is such completeness in adobe architecture; the wall acts as a bridge between earth and sky. IT is of the earth, an extension of the earth aspiring toward the sky, and any sort of decorative addition, a cornice or a stringcourse, would feel secondary and half-hearted compared to the power of the wall itself....Sometimes a buildings connection to place starts with a silhouette. When we come to the west for the first time and try to get our bearings, there is a daunting confrontation the limitless landscape, a limitless sky, distant mountain ranges iconically marking the land. I understand by the onslaught of the infinite space; how does one go up against a mountain range. One option is to make something comfortable like a classical pediment, the impulse that had traditionally been followed in false front western towns. Another option, one that I have chosen is to make buildings that suggest analogous landscape."
With the use of bold and simple geometric forms he constructs buildings that are characterized with an ancient Mexican tone. His confident handling of forms and subtle manipulation of colors and textures are evident in all of his designs. Predock uses pastel colors that add character to a facade of his buildings. Towers, walls, water, fire, wind, scents, adobe, stone, stucco, wood, metal, and concrete are often the key elements and materials he designs with.
The appearance of the buildings is very clean and soft, while at the same time being bold and strong. His designs are often constructed on an axis and the horizontality of the design help to connect the building to the ground. The scale of the buildings is often large, creating large volumes of space within which are manipulated with shadows produced be natural lighting. Another characteristic of his southwestern designs is the integration of water tables into several of his designs, which serve both aesthetic and functional purposes. Predock has established himself as a notable architect through his regional architecture. His ability to integrate the structure, site, nature, culture and man into a common harmonious setting is a one of his most valuable assets.
Posted by huligar at 05:04 PM | Comments (0)
December 10, 2005
DESIGNING A MAINTENANCE PROGRAM
FOR YOUR COMMERCIAL MARBLE & STONE FLOORS
Special Report
Program Guidelines
Step 1. A good maintenance program starts with proper identification of the stone. Is it granite, marble, quartzite or limestone? If it’s marble is it soft or hard? What type of finish does it have? Polished, honed, flamed, etc.? Is the type of stone the proper material for the traffic it is to receive? If not maintenance costs will be higher. If the answers to these questions are unknown, I suggest you contact a reputable stone restoration company to find out. A complete understanding of your particular stones characteristics is an absolute must for designing a maintenance program.
Step 2. Once the stone’s characteristics are identified determine the quality of the installation. Are the tiles flat and even? Do they contain lippage (uneven tiles)? If so, proper maintenance may prove difficult. The floor should be ground flat, honed and polished. Are there any cracked tiles? Dirt will have a tendency to accumulate in these cracks. These tiles should be replaced or if replacements are not available at least filled with polyester.
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