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Types of Tiles

A tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, or even glass. Tiles are generally used for covering roofs, floors, walls, showers, or other objects such as tabletops. Alternatively, tile can sometimes refer to similar units made from lightweight materials such as perlite, wood, and mineral wool, typically used for wall and ceiling applications. In another sense, a tile is a construction tile or similar object

Flooring and it types

Flooring can make a dramatic difference in the appearance of your home. It will also contribute to the resale value, and it enhances the ambiance of a home. There are a great many choices to consider when deciding on the flooring for your home. Let’s take a look at ten of the most popular flooring styles from which to choose for your home

Decorative laminate

Decorative laminates are laminated products primarily used as furniture surface materials or wall paneling. It can be manufactured as either high or low pressure laminate, with the two processes not much different from each other except for the pressure applied in the pressing process.

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Flush Doors v/s Wooden Doors

Flush Doors
Wooden Doors
Raw Material
Flush doors is a name given to doors that are made by using a timber frame which is covered by  plywood or MDF or similar board on both the sides of the door.  The hollow portion inside the door is usually filled with cardboard or board.  These doors are then finished by putting veneer on top or teak ply on top to give it a finishing. These doors have  a perfectly flush and joint less surface.
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Accessories required to implement
Flush doors are very easy to install using minimum efforts and the Accessories required to implement. Raw materials required for their installation are:
  • Door Handles
  • Door Viewers
  • Door closers
  • Door Frames
  • Door Stoppers
  • Architrave
  • Hinges and screws.
  • Tower bolt.
  • Mortise lock.
  • Sliding bolt
Maintenance
Flush doors have a shutter which is plain in appearance so these doors are easy to maintain as the plain surface does not gather dust. The doors either have veneer skin which is finished using polish or the doors are painted with paint which makes the maintenance easier and all you need to do is wipe clean the doors with dry cloth. In case there is a termite problem in your area, it is recommended to buy termite resistance wood and board for these doors
How is it manufactured
Flush door shutters are manufactured in the factory from the raw materials Formed by gluing by the hot press process on both faces of core either ply wood or cross bands and face veneers in the required thickness and size as per ISNo2201-1999. 
Advantages
  • Simple design and are less expensive.
  • Come in attractive colors and have rich and warm appearance.
  • More durable.
  • Can’t split, peel or rot, and don’t require periodic refinishing.
  • Resistant to stains, scratches and crash. 
  • Easy to clean.
Thickness of shutters.
The thickness of flush shutter usually available in the market is 25mm, 30 mm and 35mm. Some vendors may also provide doors with other thickness.
Disadvantages
Flush door are manufactured in factory so exact size should be provided before building the door otherwise it will be very hard to redo the size.
Uses
Flush shutters can be used in the interior of the building on the door opening and cabinets only. As they are finished by putting veneer which is affected by water, these are not suitable in toilets. If it is to be used in bathroom then water-resistant ply or aluminum sheet should be fixed on the inner face of the shutter. 
Flexibility of design and material.
Flush shutters designs are less flexible and are usually available in solid form i.e. solid shutter can be used as solid barriers in the door opening.
How is it fixed
The Flush door shutters are hung in the door frame with hinges and screws and all necessary fittings i.e. handle, tower bolt etc is fixed. Care should be taken that door shutter should move/ swing freely.
Finishing
Generally Flush door shutters are finished with paint. If polish finish is desired on the Flush doors then teak face ply or veneer is fixed on the face of shutter in this way we have teak face polish surface.
Protection from dust
Flush shutters usually have plain joint fewer surfaces which does not collect dust. Now a days designer flush doors are also being made and the grooves on the design are susceptible to collect dust 
Weather effect
Flush shutters undergo little expansion or contraction with seasonal changes.
Strength
Flush shutters have better strength being homogeneous structure.  
Time taken to procure/build
Flush shutters are readily available in the market. These are available in standard sizes so procurement and fixing takes very less time.
Termite effect
Flush shutters are less affected by termite.
Shapes Available
Flush shutters are usually available in rectangular or square shape.
Raw Material
A door  is a movable structure that is used to close the entrance.All doors made from wood are called wooden door and here we are discussing  panel doors that consist of a framing with timber sawn in the direction of grains of required length, breadth and thickness. The frame is grooved on the inside edges to receive one are more panels as per requirement or design.  The panels are made of wooden board or other material
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Accessories required to implement
Wooden doors are very easy to install using minimum efforts and the Accessories required to implement raw materials required for their installation are:
  • Door Handles
  • Door Viewers
  • Door closers
  • Door Frames
  • Door Stoppers
  • Architrave
  • Hinges and screws.
  • Tower bolt.
  • Mortise lock.
  • Sliding bolt.
Maintenance
Wooden shutters take more time and cost in maintenance in comparison of flush shutters as they have more grooves and designs that collect dust and require periodic cleaning
How is it manufactured
Wooden door shutters which are also called Paneled door shutters are manufactured in the factory or hand made by carpenter from the raw materials  as per required thickness and size from sawn timber  by jointing the vertical stiles and rails with glue and wooden pins. After that groves are made to hold the panels either of timber or ply or glass or wire gauze.  
Advantages
  • Easy to install.
  • Wooden doors can be cut and adjusted into required size and minor changes can also be done at the site..
  • They provide beauty, warmth and style to home.
  • These doors are more effective than steel and aluminum doors in providing insulation to the area.
Thickness of shutters.
The thickness of wooden panel door shutter usually built in the market is 30 mm and 35mm and 40 mm but in special cases due to opening size, security or design purpose the thickness may be increased to 45mm and 50 mm or other desired number. 
Disadvantages
Wooden doors are more prone to termite attack than other type of new materials available in the market today.
Uses
Wooden shutters can be used in the exterior, interior and toilet of the building on the door, cabinet, window and ventilator opening.
Flexibility of design and material.
Wooden shutters can be designed with material such as Board, Ply and we can also implement Glass, or wire gauge in wooden door designs.  
How is it fixed
The wooden shutters are hung in the door frame with hinges and screws and all necessary fittings i.e. handle, tower bolt etc is fixed. Care should be taken that door shutter should move/ swing freely.
Finishing
Wooden shutters can be finished with various types of ingredient such as oil, paint, wax polishing, varnish and spirit polishing in originally direct on the wood used. 
Time taken to procure/build
Wooden shutters usually take time to make as one has to purchase raw wood for these doors and the raw wood requires seasoning before it can be used. Though, there are seasoning plants available in the market, yet the time to make wooden doors is higher.
Shapes Available
Wooden shutters can be used in different types of openings i.e. in any shape as required  may be rectangular, square, semi circular, circular  or combination of these.















Wood Veneer (Finishing types) Part-3

Finishing Veneer Surfaces

Wood Finishes are essentials for protecting wood surfaces and enhancing their beauty by highlighting the grain of the wood. In India, primarily clear finishes are used as they help in retaining the natural look. Pigmented finishes hide the grain hence they are rarely used. Wood finishes are classified as solvent-based and water-based wood finishes.

            Matt finish

        Gloss Finish

Wood Veneer part-2

Figures

Figure is either an inherent property of wood developed by weathering or a pattern in its growth rings and hence much sought after and valuable.
Burl:
Burls are obtained from the rare wood outgrowths appearing on trees around grafts/injuries. The unorganized grain in burl wood is beautiful but prone to wrapping and splitting. By slicing a burl into veneer, wood movement is kept under control by the adhesive and substrate.

Wood Veneer Part-1

In woodworking, veneer refers to thin slices of wood, usually thinner than 3 mm (1/8 inch), that typically are glued onto core panels (typically, wood, particle board or medium-density fiberboard) to produce flat panels such as doors, tops and panels for cabinets, parquet floors and parts of furniture. They are also used in marquetry. Plywood consists of three or more layers of veneer, each glued with its grain at right angles to adjacent layers for strength. Veneer beading is a thin layer of decorative edging placed around objects, such as jewelry boxes. Veneer is also used to replace decorative papers in Wood Veneer HPL. Veneer is also a type of manufactured board.
 
 

Solid Wood Timber v/s Panel Product(Block Board)

Solid Wood Timber

Panel Product(Block Board)

Raw Material

Timber is obtained from trees. Depending on the mode of growth, trees are classified in soft wood trees and hard wood trees. The timber logs are sawn, seasoned and used according to requirement.After sawing the timber logs, these are seasoned and then cut into sizes as specified by the carpenter. They are then used according to requirement  in construction work for making door and window frame, door and window shutter. These are also used in the furniture items based on the requirements. 

Comparison Solid Wood Timber vs Panel Product(Block Board)

Style/Finishing

Wooden items can be finished with various types of ingredient such as oil, paint, wax polishing, varnish and spirit polishing in originally direct on the wood used.  The type of finishing applied on a wood depends on the type of wooden timber. For example, teak wood has excellent grains and is finished using polish where as sal-wood does not give good finishing on polish so it is recommended that the sal-wood be painted. 

Maintenance

Solid wood shutters take more time and cost in maintenance when compared to flush shutters. 

  • These should be protect from water. 
  • A proper termite solution should be used for wood as wood could be easily affected by termites.
  • General maintenance of the wood just requires wiping it clean with a dry cloth.  
  • If you see the polish or paint of the wood has worn off then it should be repolished/repainted.

Advantages

  • Wood can cut and adjust into required size. 
  • Good quality wood work remains with good strength and beauty for a long time. The wood style is an evergreen style. 
  • Provide  effective  insulation from extreme weather.

Disadvantages

  • Wood is more prone to termite attack than other material.

Uses

Solid wood is used in different component of the building which are as under.

  • Frame for door and window.
  • Shutter with wooden plank or ply panel
  • Wooden beam and batten
  • Wood paneling, furniture and other miscellaneous items.

Shrinkage and Expansion

Solid wood is also greatly affected by weather and shrinks or expands based on the weather conditions. To avoid this problem, wood should be thoroughly seasoned

Thickness

The good thing about solid wood is that it comes from log so it allows us to take almost any size out of the log. However the standard sizes  available in market are as follow.

  1. For door & window frame 3’’x 4’’, 3’’x 5’’etc.
  2. For shutter frame 1’’ (25mm) 1.2’’ (30mm) 1.5’’ (35mm) & 40 mm etc.
  3. For furniture as per requirement.

Warping

Wood warping is a condition where the flatness of the wood is affected as a result of shrinkage due to uneven drying of the wood.  Warping problem exists in wooden member especially in unseasoned wood so make sure that you let the wood season properly otherwise it could spoil the beauty of your wood members forever.

Tendency to split

In some case wood split on when nailed.

Time taken to procure/build

Wooden items i.e. frames, shutters and furniture etc usually take time to make as one has to purchase raw wood for these items and the raw wood requires seasoning before it can be used. Though, there are seasoning plants available in the market, yet the time to make wooden item is more/ higher.

Termite effect

Wooden items are affected by termite and the effect of the termite on wood varies from one wood type to another. Check the termite-resistance characteristics of the wood before using and undertake termite treatment if required

Raw Material

Panel products are a collective name of manufactured boards such as Ply wood, HDF, MDF etc. These are manufactured from large number of species of timber such as POPALAR, HOLLONG and GURJAN etc. Now a days small girth plantation species such as EUCALYPTUS, SILVER OAK etc are also used. Manufacturing techniques for Plywood, MDF, HDF or block board differ considerable from each other. The idea of this comparison is to understand where we need the Solid wood and where we could use boards 

Comparison Solid Wood Timber vs Panel Product(Block Board)

Style/Finishing

You can give finishing to a panel product by directly putting paint on it. However, if you want a polished look, you can use teak-ply or veneer on top of the panel products and then finish it with polish.  This combination is very attractive as  it makes the furniture look rich giving it good grained finish while keeping the cost low compared to the high grain expensive wood.

Maintenance

Panel products are easier to maintain compared to solid wood products. 

  • Most of the panel products available in the market are termite and fungus resistant. 
  • Once these products are finished with stain resistant polish or paint, it makes it even easier to maintain these on regular basis. 
  • All you need to do is wipe the product clean with a dry cloth.  
  • Make sure that the products do not get in touch with water as it can damage the products. 
  • Avoid  mopping it with damp cloth.

Advantages

  • Block boards are light in weight and come with a high strength. 
  • Easy to handle and work with. 
  • Used for site applications on wall paneling, furniture or door designs with high utility. 
  • Wrapping is not a problem with panel products. 
  • Don't break up easily as they are strong by nature.

Disadvantages

  • Panel products do not hold good in wet climatic condition
  • Panel products among themselves have a huge quality variation. For example, the characteristics of Plywood, MDF, HDF etc vary considerable from one another so you should choose the proper panel products for your requirement. The articles below will help you understand the differences between the various panel product type.

Uses

Panel products i.e. Ply wood, block board and MDF etc are used in door and cabinet shutters, paneling, partitions, beds, cabinet shelves, false ceiling and in furniture and furnishing items.

Shrinkage and Expansion

In Panel products this problem is almost negligible in good quality panel products. 

Thickness

Panel products i.e. Ply wood, block board and MDF etc are available in standard thickness such as Ply wood are available in 3, 4, 5 6, 8,9,10, 15, 16, 19, 22, 25 mm. Where as block boards are available in thickness from 12, 19,25,30,40 and 50mm.

Warping

Warping problem does not exist in panel products. 

Tendency to split

Panel products do not having splitting property when nailed. 

Time taken to procure/build

Panel products i.e. Ply wood, block board and MDF etc are readily available in the market. These are available in standard sizes so procurement and fixing takes very less time. If there is variation in size than these can be cut and used according to size.

Termite effect

Panel products are less affected by termite.

HDF v/s Block Board

HDF

Block Board

Raw Material

HDF is High Density Fiberboard and is similar to particle board and medium-density board but it is much denser and stronger.  It is made by compressing wood fibers mechanically.

Style/Finishing

HDF is a much stronger board compared to MDF and it gives a smooth and uniform surface wherever it is applied. HDF does not have any grain and it can be finished by applying paint on it. If you want wood grain finishing then you would need to put a veneer or teak ply on the HDF board  

Maintenance

To protect HDF the steps below should be taken.

  • Make sure that the board does not  get in touch with water as it can damage it.
  • Clean the board with a clean soft cloth to remove the dust. 
  • Do not mop with damp cloth. 
  • Once you finish the HDF with paint or veneer wood then the maintenance steps for those finishes should be followed accordingly.

Advantages

  • HDF comes with a smooth surface.
  • HDF is High density board has more strength compared to MDF and Particle board
  • Great solution for indoor and outdoor furniture, wall paneling,  furniture, room partitions, and doors.

Disadvantages

HDF is the best board when compared with particle board and MDF. Still a lot of carpenters prefer wood block board compared to HDF as they are more confident about the nail holding capabilities of natural wood whose blocks are used to build the block board

Raw Material

Block board is a type of board made by wooden pieces inserted between ply of hardwood which bonded together under a high pressure and temperature. 

Style/Finishing

Block board does not have any grain and it can be finished by applying paint on it. If you want wood grain finishing then you would need to put a veneer or teak ply on the block board  

Maintenance

To protect block board the steps below should be taken.

  • Make sure that the board does not  get in touch with water as it can damage it.
  • Clean the board with a clean soft cloth to remove the dust. 
  • Do not mop with damp cloth. 
  • Once you finish the block board with paint or veneer wood then the maintenance steps for those finishes should be followed accordingly.

Advantages

  • Block boards are light in weight and comes with a high strength. 
  • Easy to handle and work with. 
  • Used for all site applications, furniture and door manufacturing with high utility.

Disadvantages

Comparatively expensive.

Various works cover in interior design

The interior design concept is a ocean, the  works cover is purely based on customer taste and financial conditions however some of the basic works covered in its is given below
1) False ceiling
2) Wood work (wardrobes,TV units,furniture works, costume made units etc )
3) Wall painting
4) Flooring
1 copy

5) Modular Kitchen
2 copy
6) Decorative Wall papers
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7) Illumination design (lighting)
8) Costume designs
Frame_002
9) Landscaping

10) Swimming pools
11) Wall partitions
12) Fountains

13) Electrical and electronic gadgets
14) Home theater systems(Multi room audio,Pa systems)  etc
home-theater-rooms-1

Plywood v/s MDF

Plywood

MDF

Raw Material

Plywood board is made by gluing the thin sheets of wood layers at high pressure. It is easily available in the local market has very good strength. It is very widely used in making furniture and for other purposes. There are three styles of plywood available as follows:

  • Interior plywood
  • Exterior plywood
  • Shuttering grade plywood

Style/Finishing

Plywood is used in both for home as well as for commercial purpose and it is less expensive and flexible. This can be used for home décor, paneling, roofing, lining, flooring, and furniture. The plywood does not have grains so it is finished with paint. In case you wish wood grain finish and polish style then you would need to put veneers or teak ply on it 

Maintenance

Plywood due to its structure is inherently more resistant to termite, moisture but if you finish it with veneer and polish then the same can be damaged by moisture. 

Advantages

  • Plywood is a strong wood made from many thin layers of peeled wood glued together so it has more strength compared to block boards, MDF and HDF.
  • Plywood is free from shrinking and warping.
  • Plywood is cheaper compared to other options with similar strength

Disadvantages

Buy plywood from a good vendor otherwise lower quality plywood may peel into layers after extensive use

Raw Material

MDF is Medium density fiberboard.  It is a type of mechanically manufactured wood product formed by breaking down hardwood or softwood residuals into wood fibers and then by combining by wax/glue. and pressing it under heat and pressure. It is stronger and much more dense than normal particle board.

Style/Finishing

MDF gives a smooth and uniform surface wherever it is applied. It can be easily worked upon by carpenter and as it has small sized particles and fibers it can be cut into shapes very easily which gives the end product a smooth finish. MDF does not have any grain and it can be finished by applying paint on it. If you want wood grain finishing then you would need to put a veneer or teak ply on the MDF board

Maintenance

To protect MDF the steps below should be taken.

  • Make sure that the board does not  get in touch with water as it can damage it.
  • Clean the board with a clean soft cloth to remove the dust. 
  • Do not mop with damp cloth.

Advantages

  • Carpenters find it easy to work with
  • The board can be molded easily
  • Medium density
  • Less expensive than hardwood and solid wood.

Disadvantages

  • MDF does not have good strength when compared to solid wood so make sure it is not used in applications where heavy load is expected to be borne by the board. 
  • MDF boards also do not have very good holding strength for nails/screws. If a furniture piece needs to be moved frequently or dismantled and then rebuilt frequently then the MDF board might loose the grip on the nails.

Plywood and its types

Plywood is a manufactured wood panel made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured. Plywood is used instead of plain wood because of its resistance to cracking, shrinkage, splitting, and twisting/warping, and its general high degree of strength.
Plywood layers (called veneers) are glued together with adjacent plies having their wood grain at right angles to each other to form a composite material. Cross-graining has several important benefits: it reduces the tendency of wood to split when nailed at the edges, it reduces expansion and shrinkage equating to improved dimensional stability, and it makes the strength of the panel consistent across both directions. There are usually an odd number of plies so that the sheet is balanced—this reduces warping. Because of the way plywood is bonded (with grains running against one another and with an odd number of composite parts) it is very hard to bend it perpendicular to the grain direction.
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Natural Wood and its types in India

Wood is a hard, fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for construction material.wood based gives fabulous look and it is used from early days.
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False ceiling/Dropped ceiling and its types

A dropped ceiling is often a secondary ceiling, hung below the main (structural) ceiling. It may also be referred to as a drop ceiling, T-bar ceiling, false ceiling, or suspended ceiling, and is a staple of modern construction and architecture. The area above the dropped ceiling is called the plenum space, as it is sometimes used for HVAC air return. The plenum space is also very commonly used to conceal piping, wiring, and/or duct work.
Advantage of ceilings
A ceiling helps cool the room. When the height of the room is too much, providing a ceiling helps to reduce the height. "Reducing the height also helps in reducing the capacity of the air-conditioner ,covering the upper area also has the multiple advantages such concealing the wiring, lighting fixtures, air-conditioning ducts, security cameras, and other fixtures. The ceiling also acts as an attractive base for all kinds of decorative electric lights and fans. These apart, a ceiling helps eliminate echo in the room. In bathroom, ceilings can be provided to hide the pipes or any other fittings above.

Interior Design and its requirements

Interior design describes a group of various yet related projects that involve turning an interior space into an "effective setting for the range of human activities" that are to take place there.An interior designer is someone who conducts such projects. Interior design is a multifaceted profession that includes conceptual development, liaising with the stakeholders of a project and the management and execution of the design
The  requirements for interiors are unique and it varies from person to person and place to place  because this concept is majorly based on individual interests,however some of the basics are
1) Thorough in measurements this helps you very much in quantity estimates and billing to workers,most of the people  uses inches,footage,Meters,and Millimeters also know the relationship between the units and areas, some of them are
                                                  1 foot=12 inches
                                                  1Meter=1000mm
                                 1 Square foot(sft)= length of item(ft) X breadth of item(ft)
for an example your living room length is 10 ft and breadth is 7 ft than its area is 70 sft.