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Basic things you need to know about Fibre Cement Siding

 

Sidings or claddings come in different materials and design styles but in all cases, infiltration of wind and rain through the joints met by overlapping should be prevented by sealing or covering the joints. Building materials expand and contract depending on the weather, therefore, it is not wise to make the joints between the siding elements rigid. Vinyl, wood, composite materials etcetera are some of the materials used in making sidings.  

Why Vinyl siding is
less preferred?

Vinyl siding is the most inexpensive and commonly used siding alternative but it causes problems to the owner. For example, as vinyl siding is not tightly secured to the walls, insects can infiltrate and cause problems through the gaps created.

Vinyl siding is flammable and when is in the proximity of fire, it can melt or catch fire. Also, due to long time exposure to sun, vinyl siding will fade eventually. If you paint the siding to make it look brand new, the paint will probably not stick to the plastic and most likely will peel and crack.

Vinyl siding is thin,
which leads to structural inadequacies. So it is more prone to be
damaged due to temperature changes and when hit by objects. Thus
vinyl sliding can crack, split or be deformed.

What is Fibre Cement
Siding?

The latest and preferred exterior siding is fibre cement siding. Fibre cement is made of sand, cement, and cellulose fibres. It is blended with water, resins, and waxes and then autoclaved. Autoclave is a process in which a composite mixture is exposed to high pressure steam and pressed to desired form. This makes the final product strong and durable.

Advantages of Cement
siding

Cement siding has the ability to withstand natural elements such as rain, wind, fire and hail for a long time and are hence preferred. Cement siding such as hardie board is easy to maintain, and lasts long and are thus is chosen widely. Hardie siding is also impervious thus increasing its demand. Pre-fabricated, read to paint hardie siding is available and some of them are available pre-coloured.

Installation

After the product is
cut, it can be installed by two people where one person holds the
sheet and the other nails the product in place. Hot dipped galvanized
nails can be used to hang them. Fibre cement siding requires metal
hand shears or mechanical saw to be cut in different ways, thinner or
thicker with different end-joints. To ventilate areas where the Fibre
Cement siding is cut, proper methods must be used. When exposed to
silica dust generated during installation for a long time, silicosis
can be caused.

Fibre cement siding is used not only as exterior siding but also in the interiors. They can be used over the existing foundation. It allows tiles to stick onto the walls. Though costlier than vinyl siding, Fibre Cement siding is not very costly and can be installed by yourself. Moreover, it lasts long and has less maintenance cost. Depending on your needs, choose appropriate siding to make your home look beautiful for a long time.

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What you need to know before choosing acoustic panels for perfect interiors

Noise reduction is, nowadays, one of the factors considered during the interior designing process. Be it an office, hospital, or home, it is desirable to keep the noise level to a minimum for optimized functioning of human beings. Noise itself refers to unwanted or undesired sound and thus should be reduced since it can cause irritation and confusion. These disturbances include echoes and reverberations. Echoes are caused when sound hit a surface and bounces off. Reverberations occur when the reflected sound interacts with the incident sound.

Reducing noise level in a room can be achieved by studying the room acoustics and coming up with solutions tailor made for each room. Using curtains, carpets etc can control echoes and reverberations, but only to an extend. There are several acoustic products available that can be used to alter the room acoustics to suit your needs. Acoustic panels are one of the acoustic products used to reduce the noise level in a room. Acoustic panels are products that can absorb sound and there by prevent the light from reflecting off their surface causing echoes and reverberations. They are made of fabrics that can absorb sound.

Below are a list of things you should know before choosing acoustic panels for a perfect looking interior.

  • Colours and design

    In the olden days, acoustic panels were available in dull colours and were not preferred by interior designers since they dragged down the appearance of the interiors. But now, acoustic panels are available in variety of colours and designs among which you can choose the one suiting the colour theme and design of the interiors of your room. Acoustic art panels that have artistic designs, posters, pictures or even paintings on them are also available. You can even choose the design or style you want, that will suit the room’s purpose, like company’s logo, if it is a meeting room. This will provide a completely new and enhanced visual experience.

  • Floating fabric design

    ‘Floating fabric’ design is one in which you can change the fabric of the acoustic panel to suit a special occasion or a new colour theme. You may also remove the fabric and put it back after a day or a week or may be an year as you may please. You can wash the fabric and put it back and it will look brand new. This will help maintain the appearance of the room.

  • Specifications and performance

    In the end, an acoustic panel should serve its purpose of reducing noise. Even if the panel looks attractive, it is useless if it doesn’t keep the noise level in the room, minimum. According to the thickness and absorption coefficients of the panels, its ability to reduce noise will differ. Specifications like Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) can be used to determine this. NRC is 0.85 means 85% of the sound hitting the panel is absorbed. Right type and amount of acoustic panels when placed right, will completely cancel out noises.

Different types of acoustic panels are available in different shapes, sizes, properties and costs. Choose the right ones for designing your interiors.

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Design team of a restaurant

Designing of a restaurant is an important task that needs to be carried out with utmost precision and knowledge about every aspect from trends to the factors appealing the consumers. Various professionals that include the design team of a restaurant are as follows.

There are a few more experts that handle more complex jobs like landscaping, acoustics and so on. Let us dig deeper into these professions and their role in designing a restaurant.

General contractor

A General contractor is someone who provides labour force for construction purposes. This includes plumbers, painters, electricians etc. It is important that you get the best construction crew available at an affordable cost.

Interior designers

Interior designing is a profession that is often looked down on by people who are unaware of the effect the interiors of a place has. Interiors of all places from a home to an office to a hangout place, plays a significant role in the optimized functioning of that place. In the case of a restaurant, good ambience and splendid interiors will attract customers, thereby increasing business and bringing in more profit to the place.

An interior designer designs the interior of a place to suit the consumers tastes and needs with certain constraints like space and money. He/she consults with the customer, analyses the space and comes up with a colour theme and design for the place. If the customer approves, the designer will proceed with the design or else it is reverted back to the drawing table. The interior designer will also help select the furniture for the room. From the owner’s point of view, he/she should be clear about his views, tastes and ideas in designing the interiors of a room. The interior designer should be made aware of the real life practicalities and complications in running a restaurant so that they shouldn’t come up with ideas that will adversely affect the smooth running of a restaurant.

Food service consultant

If there is any uncertainty in how to proceed any task, hire a food consultant. If you have money to start a restaurant business but has few knowledge about it and to ensure its proper functioning, it is necessary that you consult a food service consultant. The consultant will brainstorm and provide you with ideas, concepts and solutions after adequate research and analysis. Before hiring a consultant, learn the kind of services provided by him and the cost so that by the end of it all, the cost is affordable. The bills can be paid in sections or at the end.

Architect

An architect is a person who deals with the engineering aspects of construction of a restaurant like ventilation, heating and cooling systems. After acquiring the labours required for the work and deciding on the work to be done, it is the architect’s job to coordinate all concepts and put into action.

Like any group work, the members have to work to the best of their abilities and also cooperate with other group members, supporting them so that one’s weakness strength is compensated by another one. This can be achieved by a skilled leader.

Posted on

Design team of a restaurant

Designing of a restaurant is an important task that needs to be carried out with utmost precision and knowledge about every aspect from trends to the factors appealing the consumers. Various professionals that include the design team of a restaurant are as follows.

There are a few more experts that handle more complex jobs like landscaping, acoustics and so on. Let us dig deeper into these professions and their role in designing a restaurant.

General contractor

A General contractor is someone who provides labour force for construction purposes. This includes plumbers, painters, electricians etc. It is important that you get the best construction crew available at an affordable cost.

Interior designers

Interior designing is a profession that is often looked down on by people who are unaware of the effect the interiors of a place has. Interiors of all places from a home to an office to a hangout place, plays a significant role in the optimized functioning of that place. In the case of a restaurant, good ambience and splendid interiors will attract customers, thereby increasing business and bringing in more profit to the place.

An interior designer designs the interior of a place to suit the consumers tastes and needs with certain constraints like space and money. He/she consults with the customer, analyses the space and comes up with a colour theme and design for the place. If the customer approves, the designer will proceed with the design or else it is reverted back to the drawing table. The interior designer will also help select the furniture for the room. From the owner’s point of view, he/she should be clear about his views, tastes and ideas in designing the interiors of a room. The interior designer should be made aware of the real life practicalities and complications in running a restaurant so that they shouldn’t come up with ideas that will adversely affect the smooth running of a restaurant.

Food service consultant

If there is any uncertainty in how to proceed any task, hire a food consultant. If you have money to start a restaurant business but has few knowledge about it and to ensure its proper functioning, it is necessary that you consult a food service consultant. The consultant will brainstorm and provide you with ideas, concepts and solutions after adequate research and analysis. Before hiring a consultant, learn the kind of services provided by him and the cost so that by the end of it all, the cost is affordable. The bills can be paid in sections or at the end.

Architect

An architect is a person who deals with the engineering aspects of construction of a restaurant like ventilation, heating and cooling systems. After acquiring the labours required for the work and deciding on the work to be done, it is the architect’s job to coordinate all concepts and put into action.

Like any group work, the members have to work to the best of their abilities and also cooperate with other group members, supporting them so that one’s weakness strength is compensated by another one. This can be achieved by a skilled leader.

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Role of curtains in soundproofing

Curtains have been a part of interior designing process since long. We all know how a properly styled curtain can enhance the appearance of a room or how it can control the lighting inside a room and also how it provides privacy but what most of us do not know is the soundproofing capability of curtains.

How does a curtain help in determining the acoustics of a room? To what extend do curtains contribute to soundproofing a room? This article will answer the questions that rushed into your mind after reading the title.

Physics behind why curtains can be used for soundproofing

Curtains are mostly made of cloth or other materials that can absorb sound. Since curtains are soft, sound hitting on them will not bounce off but instead be absorbed into it. This will prevent sound waves from reverberating and tampering incident sound waves in the room. It also, to an extend, blocks external noises from entering the room.

How well can curtains absorb sound?

The sound absorption property of curtains are limited. They only reduce the noise level in the room and do not block it from entering or leaving. This may not be sufficient for most applications. For better absorption of sound, one can go with acoustic blankets. Acoustic sound blankets can absorb sound to reduce noise or absorb and block sound. They use fibreglass absorber quilts for better absorbent properties. But if you only want to reduce noise for a better sleep or the sorts, you can go with curtains, which are more economical.

Types of curtains

Curtains range from fairly thin curtains that can reduce noise to acoustic and theatre curtains that can block out a considerable amount of sound. There are curtains that come with different layers like vinyl or foam that can help reduce noise. Curtains with multiple layers will have the best results, even if they are thin. Double curtain set-ups are becoming a popular trend due to the fact that they can further reduce noise.

Things to consider while buying soundproof curtains

Specifications like blackout and heat reduction are there while shopping for curtains but rarely do curtains talk about how much noise they reduce. See in specs whether there are words that will help you determine whether the curtain has good soundproofing.

First and foremost, see how close and tight the weave is and if it says blackout. If it says 99% blackout, it means that the curtain has three coats of liquefied rubber polymer. This helps in closing gaps and thus blocking light as well as absorbing sound waves. While buying a carpet, check the reviews to see if there are persons claiming that they saw light coming in through the curtains because that means it is probably not coated and the noise reduction will be less. Despite what the companies say, avoid buying curtain materials made of silk since it doesn’t block sound. Buy curtains made of thick or heavy fabric. The thicker the fabric is, the better soundproof abilities it possesses.

Check out the curtains and see if they satisfy your needs before deciding on which set matches. There are curtains in different colour themes, styles and materials available that will suit the interiors of your room.

Posted on

Role of curtains in soundproofing

Curtains have been a part of interior designing process since long. We all know how a properly styled curtain can enhance the appearance of a room or how it can control the lighting inside a room and also how it provides privacy but what most of us do not know is the soundproofing capability of curtains.

How does a curtain help in determining the acoustics of a room? To what extend do curtains contribute to soundproofing a room? This article will answer the questions that rushed into your mind after reading the title.

Physics behind why curtains can be used for soundproofing

Curtains are mostly made of cloth or other materials that can absorb sound. Since curtains are soft, sound hitting on them will not bounce off but instead be absorbed into it. This will prevent sound waves from reverberating and tampering incident sound waves in the room. It also, to an extend, blocks external noises from entering the room.

How well can curtains absorb sound?

The sound absorption property of curtains are limited. They only reduce the noise level in the room and do not block it from entering or leaving. This may not be sufficient for most applications. For better absorption of sound, one can go with acoustic blankets. Acoustic sound blankets can absorb sound to reduce noise or absorb and block sound. They use fibreglass absorber quilts for better absorbent properties. But if you only want to reduce noise for a better sleep or the sorts, you can go with curtains, which are more economical.

Types of curtains

Curtains range from fairly thin curtains that can reduce noise to acoustic and theatre curtains that can block out a considerable amount of sound. There are curtains that come with different layers like vinyl or foam that can help reduce noise. Curtains with multiple layers will have the best results, even if they are thin. Double curtain set-ups are becoming a popular trend due to the fact that they can further reduce noise.

Things to consider while buying soundproof curtains

Specifications like blackout and heat reduction are there while shopping for curtains but rarely do curtains talk about how much noise they reduce. See in specs whether there are words that will help you determine whether the curtain has good soundproofing.

First and foremost, see how close and tight the weave is and if it says blackout. If it says 99% blackout, it means that the curtain has three coats of liquefied rubber polymer. This helps in closing gaps and thus blocking light as well as absorbing sound waves. While buying a carpet, check the reviews to see if there are persons claiming that they saw light coming in through the curtains because that means it is probably not coated and the noise reduction will be less. Despite what the companies say, avoid buying curtain materials made of silk since it doesn’t block sound. Buy curtains made of thick or heavy fabric. The thicker the fabric is, the better soundproof abilities it possesses.

Check out the curtains and see if they satisfy your needs before deciding on which set matches. There are curtains in different colour themes, styles and materials available that will suit the interiors of your room.

 

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Top six trends in architectural design

When constructing an office building or building your new home or designing the interiors of your space, anyone would like to keep up with the trends. Architecture, like any other art form, has trends that vary from time to time. When constructing a new building, anyone would want to keep up with the current trends. This article will help you familiarize with the current architectural trends.

  1. Sustainable design

    One of the important trends in the architectural world is the lineage towards lower power consumption and reduction of Carbon emission. Eco-friendly interiors are now preferred by both interior designers and consumers. It is important to design interiors that are not only are attractive looking but does less damage to the environment. Use natural materials like stone or wood for construction. Artisan products have smaller carbon footprint when compared to its mass-produced competitors and thus should be used.

  2. Flex rooms

    Flex rooms are rooms or areas in the house with more than one use. As time advanced, space has become a major issue in when it came to constructing buildings. One cannot sacrifice his need, thus within the available space, everything a person needs was to be made available. This compelled the architects to come up with innovative solutions that ensures effective utilization of the available space and is cost-friendly.

  3. Prefabricated buildings

    We may be familiar with pillars and sections of flyovers being prefabricated and then brought to the destination and assembled. This similar concept is now applied to construction of buildings including homes, offices, hospitals, and so on. Less building time and cost, easier project management, and reduced work force required are the reasons why this has become a trend.

  4. Modern metallics

    Metallics have the ability to bring a sophisticated and glamour look to any interior. Be it Copper, Gold, Rose Gold, Silver or any metallic colour, mix and match them up or use one metallic piece as focal point in designing the interiors.

  5. Groovy Geometrics

    A few Geometric shapes can contribute significantly to the aesthetic appearance of the interiors of a room. This idea can be incorporated into any style of design. For modern interiors, use differently shaped furniture or paintings, and for a classy look, incorporate this into tiles.

  6. Design for relaxation

    In this modern world of busy life, it is necessary that there should spaces where you can relax amidst your busy work schedules. Be it at your home or office, everyone needs a go to place that helps them relax. A home spa is one of the preferred places of relaxation. In general, a soundproof room can provide you with a minimum level of relaxation. Different soundproofing techniques are available that helps keep noises from entering your relaxation room.

There are many different architectural trends that you can incorporate for a trendy looking building. You can also incorporate two or more architectural designs while constructing new buildings or designing interiors. But in the end, the interior designing choices depend on the consumer’s personal tastes, wants and constraints.

Posted on

Top six trends in architectural design

When constructing an office building or building your new home or designing the interiors of your space, anyone would like to keep up with the trends. Architecture, like any other art form, has trends that vary from time to time. When constructing a new building, anyone would want to keep up with the current trends. This article will help you familiarize with the current architectural trends.

  1. Sustainable design

    One of the important trends in the architectural world is the lineage towards lower power consumption and reduction of Carbon emission. Eco-friendly interiors are now preferred by both interior designers and consumers. It is important to design interiors that are not only are attractive looking but does less damage to the environment. Use natural materials like stone or wood for construction. Artisan products have smaller carbon footprint when compared to its mass-produced competitors and thus should be used.

  2. Flex rooms

    Flex rooms are rooms or areas in the house with more than one use. As time advanced, space has become a major issue in when it came to constructing buildings. One cannot sacrifice his need, thus within the available space, everything a person needs was to be made available. This compelled the architects to come up with innovative solutions that ensures effective utilization of the available space and is cost-friendly.

  3. Prefabricated
    buildings

    We may be familiar
    with pillars and sections of flyovers being prefabricated and then
    brought to the destination and assembled. This similar concept is
    now applied to construction of buildings including homes, offices,
    hospitals, and so on. Less building time and cost, easier project
    management, and reduced work force required are the reasons why this
    has become a trend.

  4. Modern metallics

    Metallics have the
    ability to bring a sophisticated and glamour look to any interior.
    Be it Copper, Gold, Rose Gold, Silver or any metallic color, mix and
    match them up or use one metallic piece as focal point in designing
    the interiors.

  5. Groovy Geometrics

    A few Geometric shapes can contribute significantly to the aesthetic appearance of the interiors of a room. This idea can be incorporated into any style of design. For modern interiors, use differently shaped furniture or paintings, and for a classy look, incorporate this into tiles.

  6. Design for
    relaxation

    In this modern world of busy life, it is necessary that there should spaces where you can relax amidst your busy work schedules. Be it at your home or office, everyone needs a go to place that helps them relax. A home spa is one of the preferred places of relaxation. In general, a soundproof room can provide you with a minimum level of relaxation. Different soundproofing techniques are available that helps keep noises from entering your relaxation room.

There are many different architectural trends that you can incorporate for a trendy looking building. You can also incorporate two or more architectural designs while constructing new buildings or designing interiors. But in the end, the interior designing choices depend on the consumer’s personal tastes, wants and constraints.

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Barrel vault roofs to improve lighting and appearance of your interiors.

Barrel vault is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of materials along a single curve that are used in interior designing. Barrel vault roofs were known to be used in the Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamian civilizations. The necessity of this construction came at places where there was scarcity of wood since these structures could be built using stones or bricks. Barrel vault roofing was not widely used in the Ancient Egypt due to the requirement of complex formwork and measurements. It was widely used by Ancient Romans while building their cathedrals, monasteries and so on. Arches shaped like horseshoes were also part of Indian architecture and are found in Ajantha-Ellora caves and old places of worship in India. Barrel vault roofs were also used in old cities like New York but with the incoming of RC pipes, barrel vault roofs has become less desirable. This is because maintenance is tough and also RC pipes can be installed and replaced easily. Also in a barrel vault, pressure is outwards and to withstand this pressure, either the thickness of the wall must be increased, which is not desirable, or two barrel vaults must be constructed parallel to one another so that the pressures cancel out.

In olden times, barrel vaults were constructed using stones or bricks but now, with the advancement of technology, barrel vaults can be constructed using almost any material. Its a common misunderstanding that barrel vault roof construction is very costly and has low life. Though construction of barrel vault roofs are costlier than that of normal roofs, it doesn’t add much to the cost and once constructed, they last over 50 years without any significant maintenance. Since it uses metal roofing, it is a green-technique and can be reused. Thus barrel vaults are more affordable than what most of us think.

Barrel vault roofs, apart from giving an attractive appearance to the building has other advantages as well. One of the prominent advantages of a barrel vaulted ceiling is its ability to light up the building properly. Barrel vault roofs can help bring natural light indoors and evenly distribute it in the interiors and thus light the room appropriately.

Below are a few
advantages of barrel vault roofs when used for lighting purposes.

  1. Provides more
    light than a vertical roof with same surface.

  2. Ensures that the
    light is evenly spread.

  3. Natural light is allowed inside to light up the room for enhanced appearance and mood, which in turn increases productivity.

Barrel vault rooflights are modular rooflighting systems that can provide long continuous runs of lighting systems. Here are some characteristics of barrel vault rooflighting.

  1. Simple
    installation.

  2. Ideal for walkway
    and canopy applications.

  3. Wide span of light
    can be provided.

  4. Continuous runs of unlimited lighting systems.

  5. Suitable for commercial and industrial applications.

  6. Cost effective
    systems available.

  7. Light is evenly
    distributed.

  8. Designed for use
    on low pitch, flat and the crown of curved roofs.

Barrel vault roofs, on top of being affordable, can add to the appearance of the room. Unlike old times, barrel vault roof constructions are not complex and tedious and thus is more consumer and construction friendly when it comes to architecture and interior designing.

Posted on

Barrel vault roofs to improve lighting and appearance of your interiors.

Barrel vault is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of materials along a single curve that are used in interior designing. Barrel vault roofs were known to be used in the Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamian civilizations. The necessity of this construction came at places where there was scarcity of wood since these structures could be built using stones or bricks. Barrel vault roofing was not widely used in the Ancient Egypt due to the requirement of complex formwork and measurements. It was widely used by Ancient Romans while building their cathedrals, monasteries and so on. Arches shaped like horseshoes were also part of Indian architecture and are found in Ajantha-Ellora caves and old places of worship in India. Barrel vault roofs were also used in old cities like New York but with the incoming of RC pipes, barrel vault roofs has become less desirable. This is because maintenance is tough and also RC pipes can be installed and replaced easily. Also in a barrel vault, pressure is outwards and to withstand this pressure, either the thickness of the wall must be increased, which is not desirable, or two barrel vaults must be constructed parallel to one another so that the pressures cancel out.

In olden times, barrel vaults were constructed using stones or bricks but now, with the advancement of technology, barrel vaults can be constructed using almost any material. Its a common misunderstanding that barrel vault roof construction is very costly and has low life. Though construction of barrel vault roofs are costlier than that of normal roofs, it doesn’t add much to the cost and once constructed, they last over 50 years without any significant maintenance. Since it uses metal roofing, it is a green-technique and can be reused. Thus barrel vaults are more affordable than what most of us think.

Barrel vault roofs, apart from giving an attractive appearance to the building has other advantages as well. One of the prominent advantages of a barrel vaulted ceiling is its ability to light up the building properly. Barrel vault roofs can help bring natural light indoors and evenly distribute it in the interiors and thus light the room appropriately.

Below are a few advantages of barrel vault roofs when used for lighting purposes.

  1. Provides more light than a vertical roof with same surface.

  2. Ensures that the light is evenly spread.

  3. Natural light is allowed inside to light up the room for enhanced appearance and mood, which in turn increases productivity.

Barrel vault rooflights are modular rooflighting systems that can provide long continuous runs of lighting systems. Here are some characteristics of barrel vault rooflighting.

  1. Simple installation.

  2. Ideal for walkway and canopy applications.

  3. Wide span of light can be provided.

  4. Continuous runs of unlimited lighting systems.

  5. Suitable for commercial and industrial applications.

  6. Cost effective systems available.

  7. Light is evenly distributed.

  8. Designed for use on low pitch, flat and the crown of curved roofs.

Barrel vault roofs, on top of being affordable, can add to the appearance of the room. Unlike old times, barrel vault roof constructions are not complex and tedious and thus is more consumer and construction friendly when it comes to architecture and interior designing.