I`M HERE WHEN YOU NEED ME

Ceramic TILE FLOORING

2007-01-25T07:17:00.000-08:00

MAKING THE CERAMIC TILE

Ceramic tile is a solution made from clay. This clay is heated at very high temperatures. After this process, this clay results to be a beautiful and strong surface. There is a wide variety of ceramic tiles, starting with ones which offer a more rustically aspect and ending with modern ones. The process of baking the ceramic tile at such high temperatures comes from a traditional method, called kiln firing. Ceramic tiles can change not just your floors, but your walls too. Another advantage of this type of flooring is that by the help of a designer, you can make really interesting combinations from ceramic tiles, or even small picture.
Before choosing the ceramic tile that you want, it is necessary for you to see if that kind is the best choice for your installation. Ceramic tile is easy to be maintained clean, just using water and a mop. In the case of a fire, you won’t have any problems with the ceramic tile, because it’s resistant at fire. What makes it one of the best choices of flooring is that in this case of fire, it can maintain the structure, because it can be used in wall cladding. This resistance is being given by the clay which had been baking several days at very high temperatures. With processes from nowadays, making a ceramic tile is not taking that much and few hours are enough. The “single fired” process, also known as “monocottura”, an Italian term, allows an individual firing and glazing of the tiles in the same time. This is the process that had diminished the period of tiles baking from several days to a few hours. From this process are resulting denser and much more durable tiles. There is another process, “double fired” or “bicottura” which separates the process in two. Through this process the tiles may be baked several times, but they won’t be as resistant as they will if they are baked with the process “single fired”. Before laying your flooring, no matter what type of material you use, it is important to know that substrate must correspond with the type of ceramic you want to use. You must pay attention to the substrate, because it must be very well prepared. Another aspect that must be taken into consideration before laying your ceramic tile is the level of the substrate. An unequal substrate will cause problems to your ceramic tile. Before laying and preparing the substrate, the place must be well cleaned (not just for dirt, but for dust too or pieces of painting). The substrate must adhere. Not only at the ceramic tile flooring, but at the other types too it must be taken in account next facts: the hardness of the ceramic tile, the slip resistance, the impact resistance and the resistance to abrasion.
Because you must be very considerate when you want to choose the ceramic tile that you like, it had been invented a system for choosing the best ceramic tile for your house, which studies its durability. This system belongs to the Porcelain Enamel Institute (or more simple, PEI).
Usually, ceramic tile is used in kitchens, halls and bathrooms, because it’s much more easy to be maintained cleaned than other materials.
Ceramic floor tiles offer a wide variety of choices. There are dozens of textures and colors from where you can make your choice. They change totally the aspect of your house and give it a much more pleasant aspect, more elegant and much more modern. It’s not necessary to pay to much attention when walking, because it’s very resistant, even at heels.

603 WORDS

ADVANTAGES OF THE CERAMIC TILE FLOORING

Ceramic tile is made from clay which has been fired in a kiln. These ceramic tiles are obtained through two processes: a single-fired process (monocottura) and double-fired process (bicottura), the first one being much more efficient, because the tiles are produced in only few hours and they are more resistant than in the case of using the later process. A second advantage of the single-fired process is that is more economical than the double-fired process. The natural colors are being modified by the help of the pigments. Ceramic tiles advantage is that it can be used in almost any décor you want. What is nice is that you can continue your “flooring” on the walls, by using ceramic tile.
The combination between the clay composition and the firing process and taking in account the type of the tile (that means if it’s glazed or not), creates four types of tile: glazed ceramic (which is glazed and durable), quarry (which is unglazed and extremely durable), porcelain (which can be glazed or unglazed and it’s extremely durable and hard and it’s perfect for indoor usage, but for outdoor usage too) and terracotta (which is unglazed but it’s quite fragile.
A glazed tile is a ceramic tile which has a fused facial finish made from ceramic materials. In fact, the glaze is a liquid form which is from colored glass. This colored glass gives the color and texture which can be modified so it can be produced the design and finish that you want. It’s important to know that a glazed tile has a function of protection: it prevents staining. From the unglazed tile type take part the quarry tile, terracotta and porcelain. They have no surface glaze.
Advantages of the glazed tile:
It’s easy to maintain and it has a surface that gives the color and design.
The glazes which have lighter colors are stronger than the darker ones.
If the firing temperature is higher, the glaze will be harder.
A shiny glaze is generally much softer than those which are matte or which have satin finishes.
They are resistant to stains.
They can be found in a large variety of colors.
At unglazed tiles the color is given by the composition or by the pigments. They have a natural surface and because of it they are more slip-retardant.
The ceramic tile can be used for creating different types of models on your floor, even mosaics. The usage of different types of ceramic tiles can have few purposes, like making the difference between two rooms, or creating focal points. The size of a ceramic tile can be small as a square inch or it can be large as 2 inch. x 2 inch. The design and shapes of the tiles are as various as you can imagine.
Ceramic tile, used from centuries ago, it’s now efficient, affordable and much more durable.
Taking in account the space where you want to lay your ceramic tile, you must know that there are few conditions that the ceramic tile should accomplish. If the area it’s exposed to moisture or the traffic level it’s high, you need a much durable ceramic tile, than in the case of a space where the traffic level is lower. It’s not recommended to use it in the kids’ room, because they can harm themselves when falling, because of the hardness of the tile.
One of the most durable materials for the floors is the ceramic tile. And that’s why with a little attention (it must be cleaned in general with water and a mop, and from time to time with a solution specially made from ceramic tiles) the ceramic tile flooring should last a lifetime. There might be problems because of the way in which had been mounted by the manufacturer. Sometimes you can get a warranty from 10 to 25 years for the fading and the stains of your ceramic tile. Although you may not receive any warranty. It depends on the manufacturer.
Before laying your ceramic tile, you must know that the substrate must correspond with the type of tile that you have chosen.
The price of the ceramic tile depends on some factors: the size of the tile, its thickness or its decoration.

706 WORDS

PREPARING FOR CERAMIC TILE INSTALLATION

Here are some advices of laying your ceramic tile. First of all you must know that if you want to do it yourself, you will need some skill and lot of patience. If you let a manufacturer to do it, it is recommended for you to ask him a catalogue with his works, too make an impression about his work and skills. Before starting you must get all the tools you need. When laying the ceramic tile, you must known that the subfloor must be stable and it shouldn’t be unequal. The laying may start from the center of the room, after some measures are made, or from a corner, for a better precision. If you or the manufacturer starts from the center of the room, he must work in a straight and consistent grid. The grid can be made with a piece of chalk, by tracing a line. Before this, the place must be well cleaned of dirt and even of dust. Then it must be spread mortar (or some manufacturers prefer adhesive) on the floor. For this process will be used a trowel. When these processes are done, you can start laying the tiles and you must use some spacers for maintaining the same distance between tiles. It’s not recommended to lay the tiles on a large area. If at the end, you can’t lay a full tile, you must cut it with a special tool for tiles cutting. You must pay good attention before cutting, and you must take the measures correctly, taking in account the space that will remain between the tiles. After you had finished with laying the tile, you must leave it few hours so the mortar can get strengthen and after that you must feel the joints with a pasta named putty or with grout. Before starting this process you must know that it will take a few time until is ready, patience from the worker, attention and lots of materials and installation aids. When laying it, you must take in account that the ceramic tile is thick and breakable. When buying the tiles, you must take in account that tiles are breakable and from mistake you can loose few of them and you need to have some for reserve. If you need to replace a tile you should better call for a professional installer. He will manage better than yourself.
All in all, it is recommended that the installation must be done by a professional installer, so your ceramic tile flooring last in time without problems, even if this will cost you some extra money.
After all the processes are done, you will be able to enjoy of your ceramic tile. If the tile is well applied and if you will offer it the proper attention (which is not too difficult), your tile will last a lifetime. For cleaning you won’t need sophisticated products. Water and a mop are enough. For a better cleaning you can use hot water or products specially made for cleaning the ceramic tile floor.
By the help of the ceramic tile you will be able to change the look of your house entirely. You have dozens or thousand of models of tile. You can buy just one colour, for a more simple and elegant aspect, or you can try different combinations, depending on the room you want to renew. If you know that the area where you want to apply the tile is one with an intense traffic, you must buy an extremely durable tile.
If the tile is installed in the kitchen you must pay attention at plates and glasses, because falling on the tile will cause their breaking and in the worst case, even the tiles breaking if it’s not installed properly. In comparison with other floor types, the ceramic tile will seem a little cooler. This may be an advantage during the summer, when is very hot. Another very important aspect with ceramic tile floor is that you mustn’t walk with your wet feet directly on it, because you might slip. The highest risk is in the bathrooms.
Installing the ceramic tile asks for more time than other materials, but offers you lots of advantages, one of them being the bigger value of your house.

712 WORDS

HOW TO CHOOSE THE CERAMIC TILE FLOORING

Here are some tips in what concerns choosing your ceramic tile and its installation. Before you went to the shop, to buy it, first thing you have to do is to take measures of the room where you want to install it. By measuring the length and the width and multiplying them, you will find out how many square meters of ceramic tile you need. After the measures had been made, should observe how much light enters into the room, and establish what colours would fit with the wall color and with the furniture. The type of the ceramic tile must also be established before going to the shop, taking in account the traffic from that area, if it’s light or high. You must also take in account the purpose of the room: if it’s for kids, a bathroom, a kitchen, a living room. If it happens to you not to know exactly what color suits the best with the room you want to renew, you can take something which has the colour almost exactly with the one of your walls or furniture. It will help you to take a better decision. Depending on the period you want your ceramic tile to resist, you have few possibilities. Another aspect that must be kept in mind is the style of the room: if it has more a contemporary aspect, or if it’s kind of traditional. After you had established all these, you will be able to choose your desired ceramic floor, but not before having a talk with the salesman, about what concerns the installation. You must know how much will cost you the installation, if they recommend you any professional installer and how much money will take him. In case you have another flooring, it’s better to tell to the salesman, so he can tell you if the process of removing the old floor takes part from the job of the installer, or you have to call somebody else. In case the job is done by the tile installer, you must know if that will cost you some extra money. You should ask for a certified installer.
Some installers offer you a warranty for the floor, others don’t. It’s better for you to choose an installer which is able to offer you a warranty. The last aspect you must have in mind is about the underlayment (the substrate). The substrate is not the same for any types of ceramic tile. You have to ask for the salesman advice. About the quantity you will need, he’s the one who will calculate for you. There are few types of ceramic tile and substrate, and the prices are different. This is the fact that will influence the price you have to pay for all of them.
At ceramic tile flooring is recommended that the installation is made by a professional installer, even if you say that you can do it yourself.
Some installation systems may cost you more money, because they use more materials. The installer must be able to install your ceramic tile with different methods, which will be more or less expensive. Depending on the money you have, you can choose an installation which requires more money, or another which it’s less expensive.
For a better resistance of the floor, you must prepare the subfloor very well. It must be cleaned of any kind of dirt and even of dust. An unequal subfloor will cause problems to the installer, and the ceramic tile won’t fit as it should be. When you decide to renew a room with ceramic tile flooring, you must know that the room must be empty, so the furniture or other object don’t cause any inconvenience for the installer. If you think you will be able to remove all of that room by yourself, without the help of the professional installer, you will save some money. In neither you, nor the installer can do it, he must be able to call for someone who can do it.
You should remove all the moldings and wall base, before starting. They will be replaced after the work is finished. Ten you can decide if you will use the same ones, or you will buy another, which will fit better with your new ceramic tile flooring.

715 WORDS

CERAMIC TILE FLOOR INSTALLATION

Ceramic tile flooring offer to your house a modern and elegant style, easy to maintain it clean and durable in time. There is no need for you to worry about its maintenance. The ceramic tile flooring can be cleaned by sweeping it up, by washing it with water and a mop or in case it’s really dirty, with a solution specially made for ceramic tiles.
If you want to install ceramic tile floor in one or more rooms, here are some advices.
There is always the need to cut the ceramic tile so it can fit in the remained place. When you are doing this process, it is recommended for you to wear goggles, especially if you are wearing contact lenses. Beside your eyes, you must offer protection to your ears too, when you are using tools which are making too much noise. This noise can cause problems to your hearing, can damage it. Jewelry is strict interdicted in the process of tile installation. Also you must pay attention to your clothes when using tools, because you may catch them and tear them. If you have to use toxic solutions, or if you are sanding, better four your health would be to wear a protection mask. When you are working with sharp tools, pay attention when using them, so don’t harm yourself.
Use the tools carefully, without abusing them, and in case of an accident, keep a first aid kit near to you. If you feel you aren’t able anymore to work, you are tired or sleepy, you should take a time out, because the risk of getting hurt it’s bigger in these cases.
If is the first time when you have to use a tool, you don’t have even to think about of using it from what you have heard from others. Read with total attention its manual, and all of its sections. After you have done you can start using it. When you need to change a part of a tool which is plugged, first you have to unplug the tool and after that you can remove or change parts of it.
If small kids are around you, keep your tools away from them. They are curios and they can harm themselves.
Here are some common mistakes that you must avoid:
An incorrect alignment of the tile, which will make the work to look like a scamp work.
Not cleaning the grout after it had been set up. This will cost you a lot of work after a time, because after the grout gets strengthen, it will be very hard to clean it.
If the tiles aren’t properly water with adhesive will make them to brake or move from their initial place.
If you are installing ceramic tile floor in the bathroom, you must know that you aren’t allowed to put tiles under the toilet, just around it. For fitting perfectly, on the tiles it will be draw the line that gives the outline of the toilet. The tiles will be cut with a special tool.
After applying the mastic, you mustn’t let it to dry too much time before you start applying the grout.
Not using the proper mortar for the type of the tile that you have chosen will cause you problems.
Many installer forget to use silicone caulk in places which are most exposed to water, such as tubs and showers.
If you don’t want to have problems with the quantity of the materials, you should draw a sketch of the room, with all its measures, so you can find out how many square meters of ceramic tile floor and underlayment you need. To that sum add few extra tiles, to make sure that if you break few, you will have a reserve. If you forget to buy the reserve tiles and you will need others, you may have the bad luck not to find the exactly colour as the first one, because the colours depends from shipment to shipment. When you have to choose the grout, you can choose it gray, because it fits at any color of the tiles, or you can choose something in color with the tile (for example, at a red tile floor, you can choose a pink or red grout).

705 WORDS

INSTALLING CERAMIC TILE FLOORING

Before starting to install the ceramic floor, you must remove all the furniture from the room, or in case of a bathroom, the sink, the toilet, etc. If you have another floor, you should call for a professional to remove it and clean the space. Dust and dirt will make cause problems to the ceramic tile flooring. If there are any drains in the place where you want to install you rile, you must cover them with something (for example tape), because it might fall different pieces of debris and after a while the drain will stop up. You have to pay attention to the sinks and toilets, so not to scratch them. Remove the door cases before starting. They will be replaced after work is finished. In case you want to lay ceramic tile in your bathroom, you must know that you have to remove the toilet, and no to install the tile around it. The toilet must be removed with the others help, gently, so you don’t scratch it or unluckily, break it. Before removing the toilet it must be turned off the supply valve. In case you posed a cabinetry in your bathroom, it will be much easier for you to install ceramic tile on the entire surface, then around the cabinetry, when you have to cut many tiles, so they can fit. Plus that, it will look much better in the first case.
It is important to know that the ceramic tile, the mortar and the underlayment will raise the level of the floor and you will need to cut some centimeters of the bottom of the door, so it can open without scratching the tile. Pay attention when cutting the door, so you don’t cut too much.
When installing a ceramic tile flooring an important aspect is the underlayment, if you want to install a new one and the type of the mortar. It must fit with the type of the tile that you are using.
You must verify even two or three times if you have all the materials you need, because once you have started the installation, you can’t leave to find what you need, if you don’t have.
When it comes the time to spread the adhesive, you should read the instructions, to see how much of the total quantity must be spread and how long is the period of drying. The adhesive must be spread taking in account your speed of working. Usually, the spread adhesive is for 30 minutes of work.
For a correct alignment and a more pleasant aspect you should use spacers. These spacers will maintain the same difference between the tiles. There two kinds of spacers for your ceramic tile: one kind of spacers which must be removed after the work is finished and another kind of spacers which can remain between the tiles and they can be covered by grout. If you consider that you can’t work on a straight line, you can draw one with a piece of chalk.
The ceramic tile offers a new air to your house. Depending on your ideas, you can make a room to be more elegant, or more casual. You have dozens of types of ceramic tile floor and you will be able to make any combination that you want.
Some advantages of the ceramic tile floor are that you will spend less time on cleaning, it’s durable and you don’t have to replace it often, increase the value of the house if you think to sell it, offers a modern aspect. The disadvantage is that it will be colder to your feet.

605 WORDS

CLEANING THE CERAMIC TILE FLOOR

Sometimes, the ceramic tile flooring needs a special attention, so it can resist in time. Usually it’s enough for it to be cleaned with water and a mop or solution which has been created just for ceramic tile floors. Still, some may use wrong techniques of cleaning the ceramic tile floor. The ceramic tile has delicate finishes that can be scratched if at cleaning are used hard brushes, made from bristle, abrasive chemical products which are too harsh for the type of ceramic tile that you have or the wool that you are using is too callous. One of the problems at ceramic tile floor appears when the grout gets stained. This problem is solved because one of the qualities of the ceramic tile floor: it has resistance at stains. In some cases, when the ceramic tiles come from the factory, they can be powdered with aluminum, which make them to be stronger, or they might have been glazed. Those processes make the ceramic tile to look beautiful and for a long period of time. Now, if the grout gets stained, you can prepare a solution made of water and soap and with a mop you will clean perfectly the ceramic tile floor, and you will get rid of all the stains. Depending on the room where you have the tile floor and on the traffic from that room, you must clean the tile with some treatments that are on the market. It’s not necessary to do this frequently, but from time in time. In case your tile gets stained because of some mistakes that you have made in the kitchen, you don’t have to go desperate. If it doesn’t work with water and soap or with a solution made from ceramic tile, you can try to remove them with bleach. There is the problem when the bleach does not reach to the place which is stained. It can be used a method used by professionals. They clean the stains from ceramic tile and even from stones with muriatic acid. What is important at this solution is that after cleaning, the rooms must be well ventilated. You mustn’t use it without wearing surgical gloves and even eye mask, because it’s a corrosive solution. Read the instructions with attention and after preparing the muratic acid according to the instructions get a toothbrush and start cleaning the spaces which aren’t cleaned by a usual solution. After the stain had been removed, you must immediately clean the space with water. The muratic acid that had remained after ending the cleaning process must be stored in a safe place, depending on its storage conditions.
These advices are for the time when the grout hasn’t nastier stains. Although, if aren’t able to remove a stain from the grout, the single thing that you can do is to remove that part of the grout with a new one. It’s not a complicated process, and the grout can be easily removed with a grout remover.
Nowadays there are installations that maintain your ceramic tile beautiful as at the beginning, and they are not too expensive. For example, tile sealers are some tools that, with an installation at almost four years, will keep your tile floor and the grout in a perfect condition. After they had been applied, you will notice that your tile will become mush resistant at stains.
When you are starting to clean the ceramic tile floor with solutions that are more dangerous (as the muratic acid), make sure that there are no kids near to you, or pets until the place is not properly washed and ventilated.

603 WORDS

HOW TO REPAIR A BROKEN CERAMIC TILE

Depending on the way you want to look your house, you may choose different materials of flooring. If you are looking for a modern style, elegant and easy to maintain, ceramic tile flooring is the best choice you can make. Having ceramic tile floor will give you some advantages: it’s easy to maintain it clean, it offers a modern look to the room, increases the value of the house, keeps the room cooler during a hot summer, it’s durable (can last a lifetime).
It can be installed by yourself if you have experience, and will save you some money, or you can call for a professional installer to do it. The durability of the ceramic tile floor increase if the area is less populated, and diminishes because of an intense traffic. Even if it’s less possible for a tile to broke after a short period on its installation. But, because of an improper installation, or because of the high traffic, or just because of the time, tiles sometimes can break. Or sometimes you will need to remove a tile or more to fix something under them. Is this a big problem? What is to be done?
Even if it seems too difficult, you don’t have to worry. It’s much simpler that you can imagine. As you suspect, the first step in this process is to remove gently the old tile. You have to pay much attention when removing it, because is not recommended to disturb the other tiles, or even worst, to break another one. You will start removing the tile by beginning with removing the grout around it. For removing easier the grout, you can buy from the store a tool which is specially designed for this, and it’s not expensive at all. The grout will be removed with no effort, by scratching it back and forth. After you had finished with the grout, the next step is to make one or more holes with tool. These holes are made in the face of the tile. It’s recommended for you to wear protection glasses when you are doing this process. You have to use a flat chisel to scratch the edges of the tiles that surround the one you have to change. When you want to remove a broken ceramic tile, you must assure that you still have tiles since you first installed the floor. So you will be sure that the colours will match. The colour of the ceramic tile depends from shipment to shipment, and it’s possible not to find anymore the exact colour that you had bought at the beginning. If you don’t have tiles from the initial installation and you can’t find through the tile dealer the exact colour, you don’t have to buy the most appropriate colour to the one you already have, because the difference will be observed right a way. The best thing that you can do is to choose a type of ceramic tile with a decorative picture. So you will transform a repairing into a decoration. For a better look, you could replace more tiles with those with a picture, even if they aren’t broken or damaged.
If you have problems in replacing the old tile with the new one, you can ask for the tile dealer advice, even with in what concerns the amount of adhesive. After inserting the tile in its place, you must leave it to dry for 24 hours. For keeping the line straight, you may use spacers.
After its drying, the next step, and also the last one, is to grout the new tile. If you don’t have a colour that can be find that easy, you could use premixed grout, which is specially made for reparations. The premixed grout can’t be found in as many colours as the normal grout (powdered grout), so you won’t have to be surprised if you won’t find the colour you need as premixed grout, but you will find it as normal grout.
If you don’t have the necessary tools for repairing, you can go to a retail which is specialized in ceramic tile. If you need to order the tiles for your repairing, you must remember that there is a certain number that can be ordered.

708 WORDS

HOW TO INSTALL THE CERAMIC TILE FLOOR

You want to renew your house and you don’t know how? We recommend you the ceramic tile flooring. It changes entirely a room, giving an air of freshness, beauty and elegance. Usually it’s installed by a professional installer, but if you have skills, you can do it yourself. That’s why we are helping you with some advices. It will be a real challenge for you.
The first step is to take measures to the room where you want to install the ceramic tile floor, to find out how many square meters you need. Remember that always you have to buy some tiles for reserve. After establishing the desired type of tile, you must choose the grout, which can be in colour with the tile or it can be white. In plus you will need mastic and spacers. The next step is to ask for the tile dealer what quantity of mortar an adhesive you will need. At these three steps you won’t have any problems. What you have to do next, is to find all the tools that you need. You can’t get to work until you have them all. Once you have started working, you can’t go to search for the tools that are missing. Here’s a list with all the needed tools: tape measure, tile nippers and cutter, glass cutter, framing and combination square, level, notched trowel, floor scraper, hammer, rubber mallet, chalk line, caulking gun and caulk, screwdriver or car opener, putty and utility knife. After you got your tools, remove all the furniture from that room. Pay attention to the sink and toilet if the ceramic tile floor will be installed in the bathroom. They must be removed too and you don’t have to scratch them. The place must be cleaned of any dirt and of dust too. Now you can begin the installation.
You have to mix the adhesive according to its instructions. When you think that the adhesive is consistent enough, apply it using the notched trowel. Usually the adhesive is applied for 35-40 minutes of work. You should start from one corner of the room, so you won’t have to cut too many tiles, so they fit. When you had install two tiles, use the level and make sure if they are at the same level. Doing a back and forth motion you will make the tile to fit better in the adhesive. To keep the same distance between the tiles, use the spacers. Don’t forget to use the level. At each two installed tiles you have to verify the level of the floor, so you won’t have the bad luck to find after you had installed 6 or seven tiles that the floor is not at the same level. If one of the tiles is too high, use the hammer and a piece of wood to tap it down. After the part where you have spread adhesive is finished, repeat the process. When it comes to install half tiles or less than half tiles, you have two possibilities. Every time you need to install a tile of this kind you can cut it right way, or you can continue the installation of the other full tiles and the next day, after the tiles had been fixed, you will take care of all the remained spaces. At the beginning you may be frightened about the cutting process, but it’s not that hard as it seems. You don’t have to hurry and cut the tile. You better measure it 3 times and make only one cut. For finding out how much you have to cut from the full tile, you must put a spacer against the wall and the full tile over the space that must be filled and the last full tile. With a ruler draw a line on the tile that you have to cut. After the measure is correctly done, the tile can be cut with a tile cutter or with a glass cutter. If the cut it’s not too simple you may use tile nippers.
It may happen to break few tiles, not to fit exactly and in such cases you don’t have to get angry, just to be patient. After the installation part is ready, all you have to do is to apply the grout.

716 WORDS

REPAIRING THE CERAMIC TILE FLOOR

From different reasons, sometimes the ceramic tile floor needs to be repaired. Even if it’s a minor thing, related to grout repairs or something major, like a broken tile, you don’t have to ignore it and get right away to repair. Making a repair it’s not going to take too much, it’s quite easy and you don’t need too many tools. What you have to do in the first time is to identify the cause of the damage of your ceramic tile floor or of the grout. Sometimes ceramic tile floor can be more pretentious, especially at the little errors that happen in the kitchen.
When you have noticed that your ceramic tile floor has started to damage, first thing that you have to do is to find the cause of the damage. Since you had find out which is the problem, you can say the problem is half resolved. If one of the tiles is broken, there might be three possibilities for this problem to happen: a hard object that had fallen on the tile and broke it, a problem occurred to the subfloor or different natural problems, like a high pressure on the tile, flaws in the tile or a too intense traffic.
If the tile is broken because of a problem of the substrat, the repair won’t be too difficult as it seems. There is no need to remove the entire floor, as some may believe. You will have to do just a simple repairing, which will not require too much time or effort.
If the tile is broken because of a hard object which has fallen, before starting the repairing you must check the tiles that are surrounding the broken one, to see if it’s the only one which is damaged, or there are more. If there is only one broken tile, start removing the grout from the lines that surrounds the tile. After you had finished cleaning very well the grout from the sides, by using a chisel and hammer start removing the part that is broke. You must work gently, because you don’t want to break the substrat or the other tiles that surround the broken one, because you will have to replace those one too and you will have more to work. Once you had finished this process, clean the area well, removing any imprint of adhesive. The place where had been the tile must be well cleaned, without imperfections, else the new tile won’t fit as it should or it will be at a higher level than the others.
The third case is when you have problems with the grout. In time, the grout can crack or it can be stained badly, that no solutions can clean it. This is the time when you need to repair it, to make it to look as good as it was at the beginning. First you have to remove the part that is damaged or stained, with a special tool made for this process, or with a razor knife and a grout saw. After you had finished with removing the old grout, prepare another one from the same color, or use a premixed grout, to cover the spaces. Clean the surroundings with attention, because if the grout gets strengthen it will be hard to clean it. Before stepping on that area it is recommended to let it to dry for 24 hours.
You have now the ideas for replacing the broken or damaged tiles so you can get to work. Make your ceramic tile floor to look after 10 years like it was recently installed.

604 WORDS

CRITERIONS OF CHOOSING THE CERAMIC TILE FLOOR

When you decide to install ceramic tile floor, there are some aspect that you mustn’t forget. The place is one where is a lot of water, like a kitchen or a bathroom? Is there an intense traffic, or a place where the furniture is often removed? These are just few of the questions that you have in mind before choosing and buying the ceramic tile. If the ceramic tile floor is installed by a professional installer, you won’t have problems with the floor to soon. It can last a lifetime with a little attention. That is another reason for why you don’t have to hurry in making a choice. The ceramic tile floor is not that easy to remove so you must pay attention when buying it, so you won’t regret later. If you are not certain at some questions, you can go to a store specially designed in ceramic tile floor to talk with the salesman or with the tile dealer. He will know how to answer to any of your questions related on colour, size, material, etc. in what concerns the prices of the ceramic tile floor, you can find tiles from affordable prices to very expensive ones. The prices are different from store to store, even at the same type of tile, so you better search more before buying. When you have decided to buy the tile, ask the salesman if the company delivers it at home or you have to transport it with your own vehicle. If the company has a delivery service, find out if it’s free or it will cost you extra money. There are few types of ceramic tile floor that you can choose: natural tile, patterned tile, glazed tile and mosaic tile.
Natural tile. The natural tile has appeared since antiquity and many of the styles from that time can be found nowadays too. If you want to have a floor which is more like the ones from ages ago, then you should definitely choose the natural tile. This type of tiles doesn’t have equal and uniform finishes and this makes them to be more beautiful and interesting. The small undulations make it to have a more aged look.
Patterned tile. This type of tile offers a mixture between an aged look and a modern one. After its installation, this type of tile gives an air of cleanliness combined with features of stone tile. Patterned tile can be found in different colours and textures. The patterned tile can be installed in the bathroom, kitchen, living room, etc.
Glazed tile. It’s usually used for bathrooms, because is a place exposed to much water and glazed tiles are much more resistant than the others. This type of tiles are easy to install and can be found in a wide variety of colours and designs. Glazed tile are perfect for those who install floors for the first time, because these tiles have incorporated spacers.
Mosaic tile. Mosaic tile can have smaller sizes, but there can be found tiles of 2 x 4 inches. These large tiles are indicated for the beginner installers. There are much easier to install than the small ones. Mosaic tiles can be from glass, not only from ceramic, and it can be found in a wide variety of colours and finishes.
Ceramic tile flooring is the simplest way in which you can totally change the look of your house. The variety of the tiles, colours and designs offer the possibility of inventing the most weird but interesting combinations for floorings. Anything you can imagine you can put in practice using ceramic tiles.

602 WORDS

WHY TO CHOOSE CERAMIC TILE FLOORING?

You may wonder why we recommend you the ceramic tile flooring. Here are some of its advantages: it’s durable (it can last a lifetime with a proper attention), it’s resistant enough at stains, moisture, scratches and cleaning agents, easy to install, it has a pleasant aspect, do not absorbs too much water, have many colors and designs. Probably there more than enough arguments to convince you that ceramic tile floor is the best choice for you. It combines the most important aspects for a house. It can be installed in any room of your house and especially in those places where is an intense traffic and the place is exposed too much water. In comparison with other floor materials, ceramic tile floor resists to all these conditions. When you decide to install ceramic tile floor you must know from the beginning that you need patience and the right tools. We don’t have to say that after the job is finished, the aspect of your house will be more than a reward.
When you decide to install ceramic tile floor, you have to take in account four aspects: the size, the colour, the shape and the finish. We will offer you details about each of them, so you know what to choose. The sizes of the ceramic tile are different, starting from the mosaics with ¼ inches and ending with 12 x 12 inches square. Mosaic is used in most of the cases at bathrooms floors, because you have less possibilities of slipping because of the great number of grout lines. They are not recommended in areas where they are exposed too dirt and dust, because the grout will get stained quickly and it will have to be replaced too often, or it will offer an unpleasant aspect to the floor. Usually, for flooring there are used tiles from 6 x6 inches to 12 x 12 inches square. If you have a smaller room it’s indicated for you to choose with smaller sizes, like 6 x 6 inches, but if you want to install ceramic tile floor on large areas, the 12 x 12 inches tile will look much better.
The shape of tiles differs too. You can find square, orthogonal, rectangular, round, triangular shapes, and even tiles with diamond and hexagon shape. For a much interesting aspect of the floor, you can try to combine two or three of the shapes, using complimentary colours. For flooring are accepted almost any shapes and combinations at ceramic tiles.
About colours you won’t have problems. You can find any colour that goes through your mind. The only problem you can have will be that, because of the multitude of colours and designs won’t know which of them to choose. When you had decided what colour to choose for your floor, remember that you are not going to change it too soon, and it must be adequate for your room. It’s not something that can be replaced every day. If you want to add a carpet to that room too, don’t go to buy the carpet and then the ceramic tile. You will be surprised to see that sometimes you can’t fit the tile with the carpet. So that’s why is recommended to buy first the tile and then the carpet.
The ceramic tile is made from clay which had been baked at high temperatures and usually is glazed. Because of this glazing, this type of ceramic tile is much more resistant at dirt, moisture, much durable and easy to clean. The only disadvantage is that when is wet, you have more possibilities to slip. That’s why the best choice for floors is the nonskid ceramic tile.
In general, ceramic tiles are bought from stores specially designed for floors of any kind. There you will find everything you want for installing your floor: ceramic tile, tools, adhesive, grout, mastic, etc. You may have the luck to take home some ceramic tiles samples, if you are not sure if the colour matches with the colour and furniture of your room.
The ceramic tile flooring has all the advantages that you are looking for. It saves you from hours and hours of cleanliness and changes entirely a room, giving beauty and elegance.

707 WORDS

ALL ABOUT CERAMIC TILE FLOORING

Nowadays, going to shopping of ceramic tile can both a pleasant and tiring job. There are so many colors, sizes and designs, so you won’t be able to choose right away the ceramic tile that fits with your room. When you want to buy ceramic tic flooring, you have to take into consideration some aspects, as size, texture and style.
Depending on the sizes of the tiles, you have a large variety, from where you can choose the one which suits best. You can find tiles starting with 1 x 1 inches size and ending with 24 x 24 inches size. From the smaller ones are made the mosaics. Usually, people choose an intermediary size, of 12 x 18 inches. When you are going for the first time at a ceramic tile store, you’ll be found of the multitude of tiles and it will seem almost impossible for you to choose the right one. But with patience, you will succeed, and after deciding you will find this job pretty easy. To make easier your work you have to decide how you want to look your room or your house and concentrate on the tiles that can make your dream come true. Depending on the size of the place where you want to install the ceramic tile flooring, you must choose the size of the tiles. In a small place it’s not recommended to use large tiles. These kinds of tiles are for large areas. They offer to the spaces the impression of a less empty space. Other advantage of the large tiles is that you won’t have that much to grout and then to clean the grout.
The texture of the tiles can offer to you’re a house a rustically aspect, or it can imitate the marble or the granite. The texture of the tiles is varied, from dark tiles to those which are like glass.
When you decide to install ceramic tile floor, before choosing the texture think of the places where it would be installed. A smooth texture tile installed in the bathroom will increase the risk of slipping and harming. For the bathroom or outdoors it is recommended to use non-skid ceramic tile. If they have a non-skid texture it doesn’t mean that you have no chance to slip. Depending on different conditions and the place where is installed, it may exist the possibility of slipping. Ceramic tiles are glazed surfaces and this makes them to be risky in places where is much water.
After you had passed of colors and textures, what remains is the style. Here you will find endless possibilities. So it will be easier for you if you keep your mind to the look that you want to offer to your house, so you can decide faster. If you want a rustic aspect you may choose ceramic tile with a more natural stone style. If you want something which offers elegance and modernism, than you have to focus to classical tiles or marbleized.
Before deciding the types of the ceramic tile floor that you want to install, think on the places where you install them and if you have kids or elder people at home. For them it can be a little dangerous, because they can slip, especially in the places with much water, such as bathrooms. So remember to buy a non-skid ceramic tile. On a smooth surface of the tile, the dirt will be observed much faster than in the case of a textured or less glossy ceramic tile. It’s a decision that will be for a very long period of time and it must be a correct one.

609 WORDS

HOW TO MAINTAIN THE CERAMIC TILE FLOOR?

Ceramic tile floors have many advantages, and of them is that it’s very easy to maintain. It saves you from hours of cleanliness. When you are cleaning it you won’t have to bear loud noises like the ones of the vacuum cleaner, you don’t have to torture yourself like you were doing when you had to clean or wash the carpet and you don’t have to spend too much money on cleaning products. From these you can figure out that the ceramic tile flooring is the best choice you can make. When you start cleaning the ceramic tile floor, you won’t need sophisticated tools, just a mop, an inexpensive cleaner and water. Before using the cleaner on your ceramic tile floor, first read how to use it and what chemicals contain, because some chemicals could damage you ceramic tile. If you have colored grout, remember not to ever use products of cleaning which contain bleach because will make the grout to discolor. Other cleaning products may affect the grout, so be careful with what you use, so you don’t damage any of the tile and grout. The best thing you can do is to talk with the manufacturer when you buy the tile. He will know how to answer to all of your questions. If you have to clean your ceramic tile floor, and there is no need to appeal to harsh cleaning products, here are some advices. First thing that you have to do is to broom or to vacuum the floor, so you clean it from all debris, even if they are smaller or bigger. Take the cleaning solution and mix it with some warm water. It’s better for you to read the usage instructions, so you mix the appropriate quantities. You can use a mop for cleaning the ceramic tile floor, or you can use a sponge to do it. If you have chosen the later variant, use some gloves, because the chemicals agents from the cleaning product may affect your skin. After you had use this mixture of solutions, wash the mop or the sponge very well and go back for another washing of the tile, but only with cold water this time. For the grout and the ceramic tile floor is very important the second cleaning. If it’s not done, the chemical agents from the cleaning product that you had used in the first place will affect your floor. If the ceramic tile floor that you have installed has a fine polished surface, you should wipe it with some paper towels after you had finished the cleaning process, because the remained water will cause different spots on its surface, which can be noticed.
If you notice that a simple wash won’t remove the dirt, after using the vacuum, let the mixture of water and cleaning product on the ceramic tile for few minutes. After that you can start scrubbing and moping. It’s not indicated to let the cleaning product to dry on the tiles. For scrubbing you may use a brush. Don’t use too rough tools, because you will scratch the tile. If you don’t want to get into this situation, what you can do is to clean the dirt immediately after it had been produced, you can place in each room so called “dirt-catching mats” which will help you to maintain the cleanliness for a longer period. Besides those methods of maintaining the floor clean, you can try to use the mop at two or three days. So the ceramic floor tile will be always clean and it will save you from extra hours at a general cleaning.

605 WORDS

THE CERAMIC TILE FLOOR PREPARATION

Ceramic tile floor it’s easy to maintain, it’s durable and it’s one of the most changing materials for floors. It has advantages over advantages: it can be used both for floors and walls, resists at fires, it can be installed anywhere in the house, in It has thousand of colors and textures.
The ceramic tile floor has appeared from antiquity. The technology evolved, and from hand made ceramic tiles got to automated machines in the 19th century, machines which produce series of tiles. The first automated machines appeared in Britain, but after a while they had appeared in other countries from Europe and US.
The first step of producing the ceramic tile is the acquiring of clay and feldspar. These are minerals which are found in the earth, by mining. The clay is crushed and its smaller pieces are separated by size. Tiles can be different colored because of the quantity of the clay or other materials from the composition. The mixture which is formed for the tiles is added in different machines which press them and give them the correct shape. The process of glazing can be made through different means. The glazed tiles will have a different color from the unglazed ones, because the glaze can change the color of the ceramic tile, and even its texture and pattern. With the processes from nowadays, there is no need to produce first the tile and after that glaze it, because the technology permits you to have the tiles made and glazed in the same time.
The ceramic tile must be fired, to get strengthen and there are two possibilities of doing that: through the “monocottura” or “bicottura” process. These two processes are Italian processes. The first one means that the tiles are single fired, and the second one that are double fired. Using the “monocottura” process there will be produced tiles which will be more resistant.
Before it had appeared the “monocottura” process, the unglazed tiles were fired for a day, and then glazed and fired for another two or three days, at very high temperatures. Nowadays, because of the single fired process, the tiles don’t need so many days of firing. Few hours are enough for the tiles to get strengthen as they had been fired for days.
Having so much resistance, such a pleasant aspect, the ceramic tile floor is now used all over the world. In the last period, in the category of ceramic tiles had been introduced the porcelain. It resembles with the ceramic tile, but there are cases when you have to choose porcelain for flooring, and not ceramic tiles. The difference between those two processes is that the porcelain uses much more feldspar and kaolin than the ceramic tile.
The tiles have different sizes and are used with different purposes. That’s why the prices differ from type to type so it’s not indicated to spend a lot of money for much resistant tiles (which are usually made for outdoors), to install it in your living room or kitchen. The decorative tile that you possibly want for your house has the PEI grade I.
For protecting the ceramic tile and make it to last much longer, when you start cleaning it do not use harsh products or rough brushes, because you will damage or scratch it. It’s recommended to use detergents which are oil-based or sealers for a better protection of the ceramic tile floor. Don’t remove the cracked or broken tiles by yourself, if it’s the first time for you. Being the simplest floor to maintain, at the ceramic tile floor cleaning you will need only an inexpensive cleaning solution, warm water and a mop or a sponge.
615 WORDS

HOW TO DO IT?
For renewing your house, the best choice from any point of view, is the ceramic tile flooring. It saves you from hours of cleaning, it’s very resistant and could last a life time, because of the rare replacing it saves you lots of money. If you had decided to install ceramic tile floor, it’s recommended to call for a professional installer. If you think you have the skills to do it and you only need to have some tips about its installation, we will offer you the help you need.
As a beginner, first thing you have to do is to buy or borrow the tools you need: trowel, level, rubber hammer, ceramic tile cutter, glass cutter, spacers, grout float, chalk. After you had gathered all of them, you will have to decide about what type of ceramic tile you want, of which size and design. If you want to install it in a smaller room it’s not indicated to buy too large tiles. Those are for large areas. From the store from where you got the ceramic tile, you can buy adhesive, mortar and grout. If you don’t find them there, you can go to a home improvement store. The last step before taking to practice is to remove all the furniture from the room where the floor will be installed and clean the place entirely. If you want to put it in the bathroom, remember that you will have to move the toilet and the sink. Pay attention on removing, so not to scratch them. If you have an older vinyl floor, you have to remove it and clean all the remained adhesive. For keeping the line straight you can draw with a chalk on the floor, so you can guide. Before starting to a lay the tiles, you have to prepare the mortar. Theoretically it’s not too easy, but practically, if you read the instruction from the package you will make it right away. Even if the mortar gets strengthen between 2 and 4 hours, being a beginner is not recommended to prepare large amounts. You should better prepare more often, than to get the mortar strengthen. You have to remember when making the mortar, that it can’t be too fluid, else it’s going to flow, but it can’t be too solid either, because it will be hard for you spread. Pay attention to the consistence. It’s recommended to start the installation from the front of the door or from a corner for a more pleasant aspect of your room. Use spacers to follow the line that you have marked, for a straight installation. Besides that, the spacers will make you to keep the same distance between the tiles. After two or three tiles you should check the level of the floor. If it’s not all the same, use the rubber hammer and make the higher tiles to go to the same level with the lower ones. At the end of each row you won’t have luck to install a full tile and you will have to cut it. Be care when you make the measure, so you don’t cut the tile too small or too big. When you use the tile cutter, you should wear protection glasses. If you have drains on the floor, do not cover them. If you think that cutting tiles at the end of each row will make you to loose too much time, you can leave all the empty spaces for the next day or after two days, after the other tiles had strengthen and you will be able to walk on them. The last step in the installation process is the grouting. The grout may be in the same color with the tile, or it can be white. The difference between them is that if the colored grout gets stained too hard, it can’t be cleaned with bleach, because it will discolor. After you had finished with the grout, clean the floor with a sponge and water. You have to pay attention to the rooms’ ventilation and temperature. If there are places which are more ventilated, the grout will dry faster and will have a lighter color, but if there are cooler places, the grout will dry slower and it will be darker.
715 WORDS

HOW TO APPLY THE GROUT ON A CERAMIC TILE FLOOR?

After you had finished installing the ceramic tile floor, the last step you have to do is to grout it. It’s not a difficult process, as you may imagine and it will protect your ceramic tile floor. The grouting process has developed from antiquity from those who were making sculptures and statues. The difference from the grout from antiquity and the one from now is that nowadays it’s different prepared. There are more and more modern materials and the grout can be simply prepared by adding only water. You will find the instructions of preparing it on the package or you will have to ask a professional.
Before starting applying the grout make sure that the ceramic floor tile has dried completely. If the adhesive is not properly dried, it will make you to disturb the tiles when walking on them. Besides that, the grout will discolor. To avoid any problems it’s indicated to leave the floor to dry for two days, but depending on the type of the floor, you will have to let it to dry up to four days. You must know that the grout hardens after a short while after its preparation and it is recommended to prepare it in smaller quantities. When you choose the grout for your ceramic tile floor, beside the color, you must take into consideration the spaces between the tiles. If the difference is bigger, you will need to buy sanded grout. In the other case, when the difference between tiles is smaller, you will need an un-sanded grout, because it must be more fluid and smoothly go through the spaces between tiles.
Before applying the grout you have to check the tiles absorption. Sometimes the colored grout can remain unglazed and that’s why you must protect the tiles using paraffin wax (protective sealer). If you are not sure, you can make a test on a small area, but not in a visible place. For the unglazed tiles it is recommended to be applied a grout release coating. You can apply it with a mop. After you had spread the release coating, give it the adequate time for drying and only when it’s well dried, you can start applying the grout. Verify if the spaces between the tiles are clean and without debris. The grout may be applied with a rubber float trowel. Make sure that the grout goes into the joints. You will be able to fill the joints better if you will use a harder sponge and make circular moves. You have to fill them completely. If you have excess of grout you will have to remove it with the help of the float. It’s not recommended to clean the floor of grout after you had finished the entire work, because in time, the grout gets harden and is more difficult to clean it. When you are applying the grout, check the conditions from that room. In places which are more heated or ventilated, the grout will dry faster and he will have a more light color. If the place is not well ventilated and it’s cooler, the grout will need more time to get dry and its color will be darker. That’s why is important to be the same temperature in the whole room, so the grout dries at the same time in all places and have a uniform color. After you had finished with the grout you may notice that the floor will have a quantity of dust. You will need to wipe the floor again and then to re-polish it. Do not use bleach because will make your grout to discolor.
For a better resistance of the grout you may cover the floor with paper (you mast pay attention at what paper you use, because they must stain), for three days. This will strengthen your grout. After the grout has dried completely, you may choose to apply a sealer on the surface of the ceramic tile floor. It won’t take you more than few minutes.
This is the last process that can be done to your floor. Now you can walk on your new floor, without worrying to damage it. With all these process, neither the tiles, nor the grout will cause you any troubles.

711 WORDS

CERAMIC TILES ADVANTAGES

The variety of ceramic tiles from nowadays makes the people to choose it for renewing their houses. The ceramic tile floorings can be used in the kitchen, in the bathroom, on the halls, but in the living and dining rooms too. Because of their various finishes, they can be on all peoples taste. Here are some qualities that make the ceramic tile floor to be the best choice: it’s easy to maintain, prices, style, adaptability, durability, easy repairing, design flexibility, etc.
When it comes for maintaining the ceramic tile floor, there’s nothing simpler. Even if gets stained quickly from food or dirt, a mop and water will save you from hours of cleanliness. Generally, the ceramic tile floor doesn’t needs a special attention. At few years it may need a special treatment, for long lasting. Because of the grout, the floor becomes impervious at any damage that is produced by water. For a better general cleaning, there can be used some products special made for ceramic tile floors. These products can be found at almost any store, and they are not expensive at all.
In our days, the most efficient and affordable way of renewing your house is by installing ceramic tile floor. When you think at the money that you have to give when you are buying ceramic tile, think at the period that will come without being necessary another installing. A correct installation and a general attention to the floor will make it to last even a lifetime. It’s not that important the sum of the money from the beginning. If you divided it to the years that the ceramic tile floor will last, you’ll see that the sum per year for example, will be incredible low.
Another important aspect of the ceramic tile floor is the style. So the tiles can fit to any décor, they have a certain finish and style. You want gray, red, black with green, white with green tile, you will find it. The different types of the ceramic tile are able to offer to your house different aspects: can make it to look elegant, traditional, casual, etc. There is such a large variety of designs and colours of the tiles, that you can fulfill any of your dreams. From light colors to dark colours, from a simple designe to a sophisticate one, ceramic tile floors offer you the opportunity to set free your imagination and make any combination you have in mind. If you are not decided on what to buy, you may ask the advice of the salesman. He will be able to give you some advices and present you few models of floors, from a catalogue.
The adaptability of the style has a slight connection with the style. Here you can show your esthetic taste and your talent. You can make a picture in the middle of the floor, you can create a weird shape if the rooms has more a geometrical painting. Tiles can be adapted to any kind of surfaces. Now, the ceramic tiles are used especially in bathrooms, kitchens, dining rooms, and even in bedrooms, where is not that recommended. There are places where people lay ceramic tile floors all over their house, so they maintain it cooler.
Ceramic tile is recommended for places with an intense traffic, because one of the most important qualities is durability. It has a high resistance at dirt and wear. Even if at a bigger impact can break it, its durability refers to its resistance at traffic.
Sometimes, from different reasons, the ceramic tile may break or the grout can be damaged. In these cases you must repair them. It will seem you a very hard work, but it is quite simple. All you have to do is to remove the damaged tile, to clean the space very well, removing any imprint of adhesive and then fixing the new tile. After the process is done, you have to cover with gout the empty spaces and left it to dry.
The design flexibility means that you can use tiles from 6 x 6 inches to 24 x 24 inches. The smaller tiles are indicated for more restricted areas, while the larger one are best for extended areas.

705 WORDS

TYPES OF CERAMIC TILE FLOORS

You want to change something in your house and you don’t know how to do it? We recommend you the ceramic tile flooring. It can be called the “trend” of this period. It’s one of the easier ways of renewing your house and it offers you many advantages, starting with price and ending with the cleanliness maintaining. If you don’t know what type of ceramic tile you should choose, we offer you some information about them. Ceramic tile can have four aspects: it can be glazed or unglazed, or it can be water-proof or porous.
If you decide to go for the glazed tile, you should know that these tiles are made from automate machines which had pressed the clay and baked it into a kiln. Through this process the tiles will get a shape, will become harder and will provide color. Glazed tiles can be found in dozens of colors and designs and because of the glaze they are much more resistant at stains and high traffic than the unglazed tiles. The unglazed tiles resemble pretty much with the terra cotta in what concerns the style. If the glazed tiles are so different because they have been colored through different processes, the unglazed tiles have their own natural color. The best thing at the unglazed tiles, in comparison with the glazed tiles, is that the first ones are non-skid and protect you from sleeping. These tiles are naturally stained and they get beauty, elegance and durability in the same place.
The other category of the ceramic tiles floor is the porcelain. The porcelain resembles with the glazed tiles and it can’t be said that it’s better than glazed tiles, but there are situations or the porcelain fits better. Because it’s fired at very high temperatures, the porcelain is very hard and durable. Porcelain is ceramic tile floor that can be used in the house, but will fit perfectly outdoors. From all the tiles, the porcelain is the one that resists more at bigger quantities of water. Even if the traffic it’s really intense, the porcelain will last, because of its qualities is the resistance of high traffic. This is why the porcelain is used outdoors.
The last type of ceramic tile is the terra cotta. This type of tile can be found hand made or by automate machines. From this reason they give you a handcrafted look. In comparison with the other types of ceramic tile, the terra cotta needs more attention. If a glazed ceramic tile needs a coat of sealer at almost four years, terra cotta needs it every year. If you want to install it outdoors, you must remember that very low temperatures will damage it.
According to the durability, terra cotta is the less durable tile and the most durable is the porcelain. Between the glazed and unglazed tiles, we can say that more durable are the glazed ones, but this sometimes depends on the traffic.
To determine the resistance of a ceramic tile type, professionals use the PEI system (the Porcelain Enamel Institute). According to this system class 0 tile is the tile which is not recommended for floors, and just for walls. The next is the class 1 tile which can resist to gentle walk (very light traffic). The class 2 tile can be used in bathrooms and bedrooms (light traffic). Class 3 tile is recommended to a moderate traffic, but it’s not indicated to install tiles from this class at entries and kitchens. Next is class 4 tile which can be used almost anywhere, even outdoors, and the last one is class 5 tile for very heavy traffic.
607 WORDS

PREPARING FOR CERAMIC TILE FLOOR INSTALLATION

Before starting to install your ceramic tile floor, you must take care of some aspects. This will save you from future problems, and will make you to finish your work faster. First of all you have to see if it can be installed ceramic tile floor on the substrat you have. Even if you are a professional installer, if the substrat doesn’t permit a ceramic tile floor installation, your work will be in vain, because the installation won’t last in time. You need your tile floor to stay fixed and no to crack after few months from its installation. Sometimes, the installers apply a mixture of dense cement on the substrat (screeding). This will make the floor to be at the same level all over the place. This is procedure is used in most cases only by professional installers. They know that at the end the aspect of your floor will be gorgeous. After you have done with the screeding procedure, you have to make a plan of the place where you want to install the ceramic tile floor. Be careful to any obstacles that may appear during your work, such as drains, doorways, floor vents, etc. it will be much easier to get over them if you think before, than if you wait to get to them and wonder what is to be done.
If before starting the installation, you are placing a cement board all over the place, you must know the level of the floor will be higher and much higher when you’ll apply the adhesive and then the ceramic tiles. That’s why you will need to cut from the bottom of your doors almost an inch. You must take good attention when you are installing in bathrooms, because of the drains. There are places where you can’t increase the level of the floor that much and you will have to use thinner materials.
The screeding process is used if there is a higher spot in the room, and you must bring the entire level of the floor to that height. The screeding is a mixture of sand, lime and Portland cement. Over these you have to add some water and after you will see that is hard enough, you can start spreading it. You must begin from the lower spot. You have to bring this spot to the appropriate level with the higher spot from the room. Pay attention when spreading, because it must be the same level on the entire floor. After you had finished spreading the screeding, use a trowel to lay perfectly the floor, and to give it a smooth finish. Now you can find if there are some empty cavities, to refill them. The screeding must be left almost 12 hours to get strengthen.
When is the time to begin installing the ceramic tile, remember that you will need some patience. If you are a professional installer, you can start directly to install the tile, but if you are a beginner, you may have to draw some guide lines, so you can be sure that the floor will be installed straight. It’s indicated to start the installation from the entering door, because you will use full tiles and the aspect will be much more pleasant. You have to use spacers between the tiles, so you can keep the same distance between the tiles. You will notice that when you will be at the end of a row, it’s less possible for you to install a full tile, and you have to cut it. You can cut it right away or you can go back the next day and cut all the tiles from the empty spaces. In any of the cases you must be careful when you decide to cut the tile, because it’s not indicated to cut it wrong. Measure two times, and cut once. Pay attention to any obstacles. If you have drains, don’t cover them with the tiles. In a bathroom you will have to cut the according to the shape of the toilet. Remember though, you mustn’t install the ceramic tile floor without removing the toilet and sink.
If you still have questions, you can ask a professional from a home improvement.

705 WORDS

HOW DO I CLEAN THE GROUT FROM CERAMIC TILE FLOOR?

By time, the grout gets dirty and stained, and you need a solution to clean it. But sometimes a cleaning solution is not enough and the stains are still there. There so many ways in which a grout tile gets stained, and so few solution, but efficient ones. If the grout is stained and not cracked, first use the solutions which are less acid. If it doesn’t work with those, you may go to harsher solutions. For stains you can use baking soda or vinegar. The later must be diluted according to its instructions. Usually you have to add the same quantity of water to the one of vinegar. If you don’t have vinegar you can make a mixture with baked soda and some water. It’s the best solution for cleaning the grout. Apply one of these solutions on small parts of grout and scrub it with a brush, but not back and forth, but with circular moves, because the grout will get cleaned better. After you had removed the stains, wash well with water and a mop and clean the remained water with paper towels.
Besides these two products, there can be used powdered solutions. As in the first case, after you had cleaned the place with these types of products, remember to clean the very well the surface and dry it. There is the solution with steam cleaner too. If there are products that can’t remove some stains, the steam cleaner will make it, because it dissolves any kind of dirt and loosen debris.
If none of these methods is completely successful, then you should try a commercial tile and a grout cleaner. You can find them at every store where are sold cleaning products. Before buying the product it’s better for you to read the compositions of the cleaner, to verify if it has a well balanced pH, else the chemicals that are contained will harm your ceramic tile or grout, especially if it’s used often. You can have the best results with a commercial cleaner by spraying it on the grout and letting it to action for few minutes. Then you can scrub to remove the stains. It is recommended to always read the instructions of the product you buy.
There are harsher products than the ones mentioned, for those stains that are too hard to be cleaned. These products are: hydrogen peroxide, chlorine bleach and oxygen bleach powder. It’s forbidden to use these products without diluting.
Let us give some tips of how you have to clean the grout. Before getting to harsh products, clean the ceramic tile floor with water and a mop so you remove the debris from the surface. Remember that it’s not recommended to use bleach if you have coloured grout. It will discolor it. Don’t choose a toothbrush for scrubbing, because is too soft, and neither metal bristles, because will damage the grout. The perfect tool will be a stiff brush. If you had tough stains to remove and you had used chemical products or bleach, after finishing with the cleaning, ventilate the room few hours. For avoiding any accident, you must wear during the cleaning gloves and eye protection. If you are not sure about the reaction of the grout to the cleaning product, you must test it on a small area, where it can’t be observed. You’ll find out if the grout support that type of product or you must replace it with another. It’s most indicated in the cases when the ceramic tile floor has been installed for a long time and the grout is old, or when the grout is cracked. If you had tried two cleaning products and none of them had removes the stains, don’t even think to mix them, to obtain a better cleaning product. In their compositions are included many chemicals, and mixing them up you may unfortunately cause different reactions, which will burn your skin if you don’t pay attention.
After you had finished with grout cleaning, and you are satisfied of your work, apply over the grout a coat of grout sealer. This will make it to look better for a longer period of time. Be careful when you choose this sealer. It must fit with the type of your grout.

710 WORDS

TIPS FOR INSTALLING THE CERAMIC TILE FLOOR

Ceramic tile flooring it’s one of the best choices that a person can make. It’s used by people from all over and with different purposes. It can be installed into the house, or outdoors, because of the multitude of types and textures. It can be acquired to affordable prices, it’s long-lasting, it offers beauty and elegance and these make it to be de adequate choice for your house, making a ratio between price and quality.
When you decide to install ceramic tile floor you have to take in account some aspects, such as the size of the room, the color, if there is a place with too much water, if there are little kids, etc. After buying the ceramic tiles, it is recommended to let them one day in the room where you want to install them, to get to the same temperature as the floor.
Don’t get to work before gathering all your necessary tools.
After you had taken care about all these aspects, you can get to work. You have to prepare the mortar and if don’t know how to do it, you have to read the instructions from the package. Generally it’s quite an easy job and it doesn’t take too much to do it. The consistency of the mortar doesn’t have to low, to flow, or to high so it can’t be spread.
The mortar doesn’t gets strengthen too fast, so you can prepare it in larger quantities, so you don’t have to spend time from 30 to 30 minutes to do it. You can spread it with a trowel.
When you had finished with this process, you have to make a plan of the room where you want to install the ceramic tile floor. It’s better for you to draw all the details of the room, which cam make your work more difficult: doors, supplies, drains, toilet, etc. after the plan is ready, you have to remove all the objects from the room and clean it very well. Then you can start installing the ceramic tile. It’s indicated to start from a corner or from the door, so you can use full tiles and make the aspect of the floor more pleasant. You will have to make many cuts and the end of each row, because is a slight possibility to have the space to install a full tile. You have to be careful at the measures you make, so you don’t cut to small or too big. For keeping the same spaces between the tiles, use spacers. They will help you to install the ceramic tile floor straight.
The ceramic tile floor is one of the heaviest floors, so it needs a floor structure. This floor structure has the purpose of carrying the weight of the floor. If you dispose of a vinyl floor and you want to install ceramic tile floor, you have no choice than to remove it. It’s not recommended to have imprints of adhesives so you have to clean the place with attention. If you have another floor of ceramic tile, you can clean it very well of any debris and try to fix some tiles over it. You must let them over the night and if the next day they are bound, you can continue. Taking in account that the mortar gets strengthen between 2 and 4 hours, you will have enough time to work, without hurrying and making something wrong. After you had finished your work, you have to let the floor to dry almost 24 hours and then you will be able to remove the spacers. The last process of the installation is the grouting. You may choose a colored grout, to fit with your tile, or a white one. For preparing the grout you will have to read the instructions from the package. Pay attention and don’t wash the grout before drying definitely or you will damage it.
At the end you will notice that after you had installed the ceramic tile floor, the level of the floor has increased and the doors may not open or close as they should be. That’s why you will have to cut from the part of the bottom almost an inch.
701 WORDS

CAN I INSTALL TILE OVER TILE?

You already have ceramic tile floor and you want to replace it? We offer you a simpler solution. Don’t start removing the old floor, because it will be too much to work and it will take you too much time. But you can install the new ceramic tile floor over the old ceramic tile floor. Almost unbelievable, but possible. With the technology from nowadays, you can install the new ceramic tile floor without removing the other one. Before deciding to do this, you have to know that the space will get smaller, and the floor will be higher. If you are sure that you won’t regret having a smaller room, then installing tile over tile is your solution. You will have to check first if the floor permits you to raise it again, because there are cases which this can’t be done and the only solution is to remove the old floor. In comparison with the old floor, the new floor over floor needs more attention and it might need a threshold. After you had decided that this is the best solution for you, and the floor lets you to install the new floor, you have to search for an appropriate bounding agent. Generally, for this type of installation are used epoxy mortars and Portland cement mortars. These two bounding adhesives are organic ones.
The first step you have to do in this process is to clean the existent floor very well, using cleaning products. After the first round of washing with cleaning products, you must wash the floor again with clean water. You must remove any stains, debris, greases for a perfect bounding with the future ceramic tile floor. After washing it must be dried with paper towels or let it to dry itself. A process that is recommended in this process is to rough the surface of the existent floor with a carborundum disk. If you don’t dispose of this, you can do it with a belt sander. After you had finished with the roughing, you have to wash the floor again, to remove any sanding particles. The preparation process is done and now you have to prepare the bounding adhesive. For preparing it correctly, you have to read the instructions from the package. Even if you want to do this installation by yourself, you should let a professional installer to do it, because it’s a little difficult than at the usual installation. But the installation process is pretty familiar with the one that you use at the normal installation. You can start from a corner or from the door, to offer a good looking aspect to the room. You will have to cut a full tile at each row, because there is a minimal chance for you to be able to lay a full tile. If you don’t want to spend time cutting on tiles, you can cut them after you had installed the rest of the tiles. You have to let the floor to bind perfectly for almost 2 days, else you may have the bad luck to disturb the tiles and your work will be useless. After you had finished with fitting the remained tiles, the last process that you have to do is to lay the grout. The grout may be in the same color with the tile, or can choose it to be white. When you will have to decide to buy colored grout, keep in your mind that for hard stains you won’t be able to use bleach, because it will discolor the grout. It may look more beautiful with colored grout, but you have to think of the places where you want to install the ceramic tile floor. For example, if it is installed in the kitchen, the risk of getting the grout and floor stained is higher, and you will have to clean the floor more often and even with cleaning products that may damage your colored grout.
After you had finished with the grout to, use a sponge and water to clean the floor. This will make the grout to look better and to have smooth finishes. You will notice that because of the higher level of the floor, you will have to cut from the bottom of the door.
712 WORDS

REPLACING THE GROUT AT CERAMIC TILE FLOORS

In general, grout has a high resistance at stains and it’s durable, but in time, it starts cracking and staining too much. It’s the period when it had to be replaced with a new grout, because water can go through those cracks and cause you big problems. And besides that, it has an unpleasant aspect. At the beginning the work may seem really hard to you, but it’s not terrifying as you imagine. It’s easy to do it and you don’t need a professional installer, because you can do it yourself. You just need some patient, and your floor will like at the beginning.
First you have to choose the right type of group. If first you had a certain colour, now you must find the most appropriate colour to the first one. If you know that at the store you won’t be able to choose the right colour, you can try to take a piece with you at the store to find the colour you need. Depending on the space between the tiles, you have to choose a sanded or un-sanded grout. If the spaces are larger than 1/8 inches, then you must choose a sanded grout. The sand makes the grout to be more strengthened and it fits better in the larger spaces. In the other cases you must use un-sanded grout, because the absence of the sand makes the grout more fluid and he can go through the small spaces. What is to remember when you have to replace the grout is that it’s not recommended to use sanded grout at marble tiles, because the sand will scratch its surface.
After you had finished with buying the grout, you can get to work and starting to prepare the new grout. Before applying the grout, wash the floor very well, so there won’t be any residues. For removing the cracked or damaged grout, you will a need a special tool called grout saw. It’s not too expensive and it can be bought from a home improvement store. With the grout saw you will have to break the loose material. The carbide cutting surface of the grout saw makes it to grind out the grout, and not to cut it. You have to pay attention when you are removing the grout, because you don’t have to leave loose material over there. If this happens, the new grout will be replaced for nothing, because it will be damaged again and much sooner. For a better adhesion of the grout you may have to add some moisture.
Before preparing the grout, you should read carefully the instruction from the package, so you prepare it properly. After mixing it, you may start to apply it on the floor. For spreading the grout you may use a grout float. Once you have finished the work, wet your fingers and go over the spaces, so they’ll get a smooth aspect. You may find some empty areas. Then you have to add more grout and go over again with your wet fingers. When this process is over, you must clean the tiles from grout, with a sponge grout. Pay attention when you are cleaning the tiles, because if insist too much in only one place, you may damage the grout which hasn’t already dried. If unluckily happens, it’s not something that should make you to panic. You will have to repeat the process of adding grout, taking over with the wet finger so it can get smooth and then gently wipe the tile. If you think you’ll have problems in replacing the grout, you may go to a manufacturer to ask for some advices. The grout must be let to dry almost 24 hours. After this period you can walk on the floor without being afraid that you’ll disturb the grout. After drying, sometimes on the grout appear some grooves. If this happens, you will have to repeat the entire process. You don’t have to be disappointed, it happens all the time. After the job is perfectly done, the grout must be sealed. This is how it will be protected from future stains.
After all it’s done, wash the floor and after this last process you can say you have almost a new ceramic tile floor.

713 WORDS

ALL ABOUT CERAMIC TILE

Ceramic tile is made from clay which has been fired at very high temperatures. The raw materials for ceramic tiles are mined from the earth. In their composition, besides clay, there are found other minerals too and talc. For making the tiles, these materials are quarried, carefully mixed and then ready for starting the process of manufacturing the tiles. There are four processes of manufacturing the ceramic tile, and those are: extrusion, dust press, slush mold or wet pour, and ram press. The extrusion processes can be used for ceramic tiles, but for cement tiles too. All the mixed ingredients are poured into a mold for getting the shape. They don’t have to be perfectly dried. With the dust press process, the mixture of ingredients must be dried. This process is used only for ceramic tile. The mixture is pressed into a mold and is fired at very high temperatures. The slush mold is another process which can be used both for ceramic tiles and cement tiles. For this process, the ingredients must be wetter than at the extrusion process. For producing the desired shape, the ingredients are poured into a mold. The ram press process is much to the dust press. The difference between them is that through the ram press process can be produced tiles of larger sizes.
After the process of manufacturing the ceramic tiles, they must be hardened into a kiln, at really high temperatures. Through this firing, the tiles are hardened and glazed. The glazed tiles are fired twice, while the unglazed ones are fired just once. Lately had appeared automate processes of burning the tiles. Two of the most known are originally from Italy and are called “monocotura” (single fired) and “bicottura” (double fired) processes. Through the monocottura process the ceramic tiles were manufactured and glazed in the same time. By this process, the firing period was diminished from several days to few hours. The other advantage of the monocottura process is that the tiles will become much resistant, than usually. The glaze from the tiles is a substance which resembles with the glass. It’s applied through two methods on the surface of the tiles: with a spray or waterfall. Through the bicottura process, the tiles are first fired, and after that is applied the glaze and fired again. Even if the tiles are fired twice, the tiles made through the bicottura process are less durable than the ones made through monocottura process. This is why the tiles double fired aren’t recommended for outdoors. To establish the durability of the ceramic tile is used the PEI system (Porcelain Enamel Institute).
There are three types of kilns: tunnel, beehive, and roller heart kilns. With the first one the ceramic tiles are paraded in 8 or 10 hours. It’s one of the fastest and modern kilns. The beehive kiln is an old and slow kiln, but still used today. The fastest kiln ever is the roller heart kiln. Through this process, the tiles are fired in 45 minutes to 1 hour. The glazed tiles don’t have their own color. This is added after the processes of firing. These kinds of tiles are recommended more for walls and countertops, because they are glossy, and you may slip on them really easy. The unglazed tiles are also called quarry tiles. They have their own color, but for a better resistance you have to apply on their surface a coat sealer.
Ceramic tiles have one of the most waterproof materials from all the types of tiles. Besides that, they can be found a wide variety of colors and textures, they can be glazed or unglazed, glossy or non-skid.
609 WORDS

Hardwood FLOORING

2007-01-25T07:16:00.000-08:00

Wood Flooring Accessories for Hardwood Floors and Prefinished Flooring

Nosing
Used to transition at the top of stairs and stair foyers. Rounded full 1 inch bull nose, remainder of piece is milled back to 3/4" with groove for locking in ajoining flooring.

Shoe Moulding
Used as a transition from wood floor to baseboard moulding.

Stair Tread
Made of full solid 1 inch material. May be glued pieces or one solid piece of wood. Rounded over nose, square sides and back. Side returns available, call for pricing. Treads available in other woods, call with your specific needs.

Riser
Solid 3/4" wood, may be glued strips or one solid piece.

Edge and Center bead panel
Milled with a center bead and edge bead on one side and a v-joint on the reverse side, all tongue and grooved. Add the richness of real wood to your walls and ceiling. Works great on cathederal ceilings.

Pickwick panel
Classic knotty pine panel with familiar round out framed by two beads, tongue and grooved.

Tongue and groove, v-joint decking
Solid Yellow Pine milled with a square flooring joint on the top side and v-joint on the bottom. Used as flooring in loft areas where floor joists, beams, and flooring underside are exposed. Adds to any rustic setting.

Prefinished Wood Flooring for Hardwood Floors
Hardwood companies offer prefinished floors in a variety of domestic and exotic woods. All are milled with a minimal micro-bevel and finished with a 7-coat, aluminum oxide scratch resistant surface. Domestic wood flooring products come with a 10 year manufacture’s warranty, while the exotic hardwood floor products are warranted for 20 years. These warranties are applicable in non-commercial floor installations only. They can have other exotic woods pre-finished. Pricing and lead time will vary upon type of wood, flooring width and length, and size of order.

Red Oak
Milled from the superior timber found only in the Appalachian region of the United States. More consistent in color and grain pattern than Red Oak from other regions of the U.S. Red Oak has a bold open grain. Heartwood has a reddish tone while the sapwood is slightly in color. Red Oak makes a strong, durable floor and is the most prevalent specie used for hardwood flooring. Its popularity stems from its durability, and pleasing grain and color. Red Oak is used as a flooring benchmark.

White Oak
Choice building wood since Colonial times. White Oak is renown for its use in timber framing, ship building and tight cooperage. The heartwood is a light brown while the sapwood is a creamy white color. White Oak has a tighter less pronounced grain than Red Oak. White Oak is a popular choice in older home renovations because of its tighter "older" looking grain. Quartersawn White Oak is prized for its uniform straight grain and high ray flake figure which are similar to building materials used in the late 19th century.

Ash
Ash makes a beautiful, durable floor. The wood of choice for major league bats, Ash holds up well in any busy household. The sapwood is a creamy white color while the heartwood can range in color from light tan to dark brown. Ash has a bold open grain, similar to Oak, with occasional wavy figuring.

Hard Maple
Hard Maple makes a beautiful, strong, dent resistant floor. Hard Maple has been used extensively in bowling alleys and basketball courts. A closed grained wood with uniform texture and occasional figuring. Heartwood is a light red to reddish brown color while the sapwood is a creamy white.

Cherry
Cherry is one of North America's most prized furniture and cabinet woods. Its sapwood is a pale white to light reddish brown color. Heartwood ranges from light to reddish brown and naturally darkens with age. Cherry is a fine grained wood and, when properly finished, displays a deep lustrous look. Planks are selected and milled to provide the maximum amount of red (heartwood) on the top face of our flooring. Cherry makes a floor as beautiful as a fine piece of furniture.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
The wood is of medium density with good bending properties, it has low stiffness and medium strength and shock resistance.
AVAILABILITY
Readily available.
MAIN USES
Fine furniture and cabinet making, mouldings and millwork, kitchen cabinets, paneling, flooring, doors, boat interiors, musical instruments, turnings and carvings.

Hardwood Flooring
Believe it or not most of the animal breeders claim that none of the commercial products are very good. I don't know, won't touch that with so much new coming out all of the time, but tomatoe juice kills even skunk odor and bleach kills germs, not to mention it erradicates stains. Now if cats are involved, they claim you want to be very careful of the bleach and use only what you have to as some felines are inclined to be drawn to the odor and will do you know what where the scent remains. Lastly, when you have removed the bleach with alot of soap and water, you will want to go over the floor with white vinegar because it has the power to remove pet odors, I do want to be clear tho that if you use bleach you are bound to ruin any stain or varnish on the finish of your floor if you are using it with warm to hot water. If you use it without the water, you may as well not use it. Many people use only the vinegar to remove odors but that will leave the stain. Other pet authorities say afterward that you should use a detergent with a citris base or scent to clean because animals and especially cats will shy away from it. Do remember tho that is advice for most animals. I have cats and a dog that will not use the floor so that is not a problem, but they love fruit flavored yogurts so I doubt they would be inhibited from citris scents. Anyway you can go the whole process or just the vinegar or tomatoe juice and then re do with vinegar. If you remove the stains you will do it by bleach and hot water or by sanding the floor and if you use bleach it is going to cause you to have to sand and refinish the floor anyway. If it were me I would do the vinegar and carpet the floor for now. I would not go into the trouble of sanding and refinishing until I was moving or selling and moving. In that later case even, I would probably just mention or show a corner by folding back the carpet, that the floors are natural and not even go to all the work of refinishing.

Bi-O-Kleen's Bac Out Stain and Odor Eliminator contains natural enzymes that break down organic waste. A super effective cleaner, Bi-O-Kleen is especially effective on smelly laundry stains. Bi-O-Kleen is also effective on carpet stains, drains, garbage disposals, diaper pails, pet stains, and bathrooms. Without any harsh smells or chemicals, Bi-O-Kleen is a fantastic stain and odor eliminator. Go to the pet store and ask. They have tons of stuff for pet stains and odors on different types of floors, etc.
Keeping the beauty of your hardwood floors with pets doesn't have to be an overwhelming task if you start with a quality, well-manufactured hardwood.
In order to maintain that just installed beauty always keep your pet's nails clipped to ensure that your hardwood floor finish remains lustrous. In the event that the floor is in need of repair, recoating is possible and effective. Maintain the cleanliness of the floor with weekly dust mopping, sweeping and/or vacuuming to alleviate dirt, grit and fur that can mar the finish and appearance. Pet accidents and other liquid spills can cause serious damage to hardwood, always wipe up urine and other spills with a slightly dampened towel right away so they will not penetrate the finish and the wood itself.
Choosing bowls for pets that are designed to avoid spills will also lessen your chances of spills. A good idea is a throw rug under a bowl that will help to absorb overflow. Caution however; if the mat or rug becomes damp or wet remove it immediately. Letting it sit could cause visible rings or other damage to your floor. Choose water bowls designed to avoid spills. Pet stores sell bowls with stable bases that deter tipping. Some bowls even come in stands. A throw rug could help absorb a stray drop or two, but any mat should be removed immediately if it gets too wet.

Suggestions for a splendid flooring

Choose a type of wood which is dark coloured if your room is invaded by light.
Dark coloured forest species:
• afrormosia
• mutenye
• sucupira
• wenge

Choose a reddish-brown type of wood when you want to obtain a special effect of heating
Brown forest species:
• evaporate locus tree
• cabreuva
• ipe
• iroko
• nut tree
• tek

Reddish forest species:
• cherry tree
• doussie
• merbau
• moabi

Be careful when you make a choice
Choose a popular company for the assembling of your flooring.
Hardwood forest species
Nut tree
Geographic area of vegetation: Europe
Other denominations: NUS, WALNUT, NUSSBAUM, NOGHER, COCOLAR, ETC
Features: it is one of the most popular wood, and largely used in the world, because it has a pleasant aspect and it can be easily manufactured; this wood is in general searched for decorations, furniture, etc, it presents a medium compression, medium nervure, medium hardness.
Qualities: it can be easily dried; its veine is beautiful, it presents a low oxidation
Defaults: it can be easily attacked by insects, it has a medium durability, color defaults, the tendency to become black in time.

Varnish: easy, with very good results
Specific weight: 720 kg/m3

Oak
Geographic area of vegetation: Europe, especially its central part, America
Other denominations: ROUL, GALERA, ISCHIA, CHINE, STIELEICHE, ETC
Features: this wood is used for centuries for different purposes, from decorations to carpentry, from flooring to barrels, naval constructions; in its fiber you can find mirrors, which constitute a characteristic of the forest species; great compression; great nervure; medium to high hardness
Qualities: low oxidation, with a tendency of the color to become uniform
Defaults: it can have spots, slightly darker (on the edges of the parquet plate) because of the tannin inside it
Varnish: it is not very easy, there is a high prime consumption
Specific weight: 780kg/m3

MATERIALS USED FOR HARDWOOD FLOORING
- a resin used to consolidate and to isolate the surface against residual humidity, for working areas and humid walls
It can be used as:
- consolidating resin for working areas made of pulverous cement
- for the isolating treatment against residual humidity for wet flooring or walls
- in a mixture, by adding fine sand, you can obtain synthetic enamel, for quick repairing
- epoxidic resin with biological component, without any solvents

- consolidating resin for working areas made of compact cement
- epoxidic polyurethanic adhesive, with biological component without water

- specific for sticking any type of hardwood flooring, on cement working areas or on preexisting flooring, which does not absorb liquids (marble, grit stone, mosaic, wooden supports etc.)

- prime based on water, having a unique component

- it provides a very good covering, for wooden supports
- it is recommended as prime for varnishing with laquers based on water
- jointing compound based on water

- specific for luting hardwood surfaces
- in a mixture with wooden powder it forms a soft paste, which can be easily applied
- when the product is dried it is very resistant and it has the colour of the wood

- jointing compound for covering and correcting cracks, and scratches on wood flooring

- it must be mixed with the wooden powder obtained as a result of the finest polishing
- quick drying prime

it is a prime based on a unique component, and it provides a good covering and a quick drying, being used as a background for varnishing with polyurethanic laquers, based on biological components
- laquer, based on biological components, providing satin appearance, for wood flooring

- recommended for varnishing wood surfaces made of any forest species
- it makes the surfaces elastic, it provides a good covering and a good resistance to the abrasion

Maintenance, patterns and assembling conditions

To maintain a flooring on which 2 – 3 successive layers of varnish were applied, is a very easy operation. Actually, in order to clean the surface it is enough to wipe gently with a soft cloth, a bit damped, all over the surface. From time to time it is recommended that the surface should be polished with a special product wich will make it shiny again. In the case of hardwood flooring, the transparent varnish cover is depreciated or suffers the wearing out in time. In the areas with an intense traffic, the flooring starts to look worn out after 6 – 8 years. At this time appears the expert in hardwood flooring. If the varnish is still in an acceptable condition, the expert must only polish gently the entire area, in order to remove the superficial skate, and next he applies a layer of varnish. Instead, if the warning out is much more accentuated, it is necessary the adequate clearing of the entire surface of the flooring, followed by applying the varnish, in successive layers. This operation is also necessary when we want to transform a flooring treated with wax in a flooring treated with transparent warnish. On the occasion of the clearing, a wood layer, of 0.2 – 0.3 mm is removed. The flooring can support, in time, many operations of this kind, without losing any of its qualities. Every time it will look like new after the reconditioning operation. The flooring finished with wax is also easily maintained. In this case, periodical polishing is necessary, or the applying of a new wax stratum.
indestructible and resistant for a lifespan, decorating the house for many generations.

ASSEMBLING PATTERNS

Hardwood flooring plates can be assembled in different styles, they can make different drawings, according to their arrangement.
Here are some frequently used patterns:

British style

The flooring plates, even if they have different lengths, are arranged in the direction of their length:
• the plates can be arranged parallel with the walls, in the direction of the light source, in order to blot the visualization of the joining.
• the plates are arranged diagonally, and in this case the light is reflected transversally; the assembling starts at the door.

II. Fish scales style
The plates are arranged with a 90° angle between them, in parallel ranges, so that the end of a plate joins the big side of the other plate :
• fish scales -right- it starts in the middle of the room, with the angles in the direction of the light source.
• fish scales -in diagonal- it starts in diagonal from the door.

III. STRIPES AND BANDS
The perimeter area made of a strip is different from the central area from the geometrical point of view. The areas are delimited by elements arranged as a link between different shapes, which have the form of a band.

IV. SQUARES
Some squares are made by joining a number of plates, alternating the arrangement - Se constituie patrate din alaturarea unui numar de lamele, alternand modul de dispunere-vertical and horizontal; the squares may alternate on the diagonal too.
NORMS AND CONDITIONS in order to assemble correctly the hardwood flooring, by sticking on areas with traditional heating:

The working surface must be:
• compact, with a thickness of 5 cm;
• in all its points it must be rigid (if there is the case, sound absorbing materials will be used) ;
• its surface must be rough;
• it mustn’t have any cracks;
• it must be perfectly flat and levelled;
• it must be smooth enough and clean (without any traces of oil, paint, fats, or silicone)
• it must be dry and protected against infiltratrations and steam (it is recommended even the use of the polyethilene foil before casting the working surface) the maximum humidity content accepted must be 2%, humidity which is checked with appropriate instruments.

A hardwood flooring company

A hardwood flooring company is an organization which is actively present in the sector of wood and of hardwood flooring and which knows, because its experience accumulated in time, all the secrets, all the possibilities which this material, the wood, offer them, in order to get a comfortable, hospitable, warm and secure house.
The art of assembling, which must be mastered by a hardwood flooring company, combines modern assembling technology with the classical aspect of hardwood flooring, obtained from the most diversified forest species.
A good hardwood flooring company must have a long experience in the domain of assembling hardwood flooring. Their team must be made of craftsmen specialized in assembling wood flooring, engineers, woodwork experts, highly qualified and extremely serious, which must be able to initiate any kind of assembling. Their artistic sensibility and the most advanced professional criteria must be their focal points and it must be the basis of absolutely amazing results.
If they know the wood and its characteristics, they can fairly choose the forest species, the assembling materials, the assembling and finishing equipment, adapting them to your requirements. They must be able to provide hardwood flooring for public places, offices, private houses, gyms, other areas, irrespective of their size. For any purpose of the area which must be provided with wood flooring, they should offer different types of finishing: lacquer, wax, oil. A wood flooring company, through its performance, must satisfy the most diversified distinction and style requirements, their outcome must protect the area which it covers and the flooring must be long lasting.

MAIN FEATURES OF A HARDWOOD FLOORING COMPANY

• A team with experience in the manufacture, assembling and finishing of wood flooring.
• They must offer the whole set of services related to assembling and finishing.
• They should be able to provide guidance for those who want to choose a type of flooring
• They should offer guidance and technical solutions suitable for each assembling area
• They must be serious irrespective of the workload, they must be reliable and highly professional.

WHAT THEY SHOULD DO

• they should import hardwood flooring made of exotic forest species.
• they should import and distribute materials for assembling and finishing hardwood flooring from famous producers.
• they should import complete sets of equipment for assembling and finishing hardwood flooring.
• they should assemble and finish luxurious and super luxurious areas of hardwood flooring made of any forest species, traditional or exotic.
• they should provide assistence after assembling and maintenance.

ASSEMBLING

The format of the hardwood flooring and the way the plates are arranged are multiple. The chice of a certain type of assembling depends on the destination of the area, on the forest species, on the aesthetical requirements of the customer, who must be guided by advice and experience provided by a professional company.

Hardwood flooring plates standard format

LISTONI
• plate thickness = 22 mm
• plate width= 50÷100 mm
• plate length= 60÷1200 mm

MAXILISTONI
• plate thickness = 22 mm
• plate width= 100÷140 mm
• plate length= 800÷2000 mm
INDUSTRIAL
• plate thickness = 20÷24 mm
•plate length = 90 ÷160 mm

The plates are arranged on an edge

Other types which are not very frequently used:

MOSAIC
• plate thickness = 8 mm
• plate width= 20÷24 mm
• plate length= 120÷160 mm

LAMPARQUET
• plate thickness = 10 mm
• plate width= 45÷60 mm
• plate length= 200÷300 mm
LISTONCINI simple
• plate thickness = 14 mm
• plate width= 60÷70 mm
• plate length= 300÷400 mm
LISTONCINI N/F
• plate thickness = 14-15 mm
• plate width= 70÷90 mm
• plate length= 600÷1000 mm

HARDWOOD FLOOR CARE

Hardwood Floor Repair

Often minor damage in hardwood floors can be easily repaired by a hardwood flooring professional or even a handy do-it-yourselfer. Here are some common hardwood floor problems and solutions:

Problem: Split or cracked wood
Solution: Small splits or cracks in the wood can be repaired with some angled nails to secure the two pieces and wood putty. You may need to replace the plank if the crack is larger.

Problem: Gaps between hardwood planks
Solution: The two most common causes of gaps (or separations) between the boards are Mother Nature and dryness. Wood will shrink when it's dry and expand when wet. That's why most gaps are seasonal. Notice how they disappear during the humid months! As a rule, if the gap is less than the thickness of a dime, you're okay.

Problem: Buckling hardwood floor
Solution: A buckled floor is when the boards lift up from the subfloor. This repair usally requires a hardwood flooring expert and can be fixed from underneath the floor.

Problem: Cupping hardwood floor
Solution: Cupping, also called washboarding, develops gradually across the width of the wood strip where the edges are high and the center is lower. You probably have a moisture imbalance where there's more water on the bottom side of the piece than on the top. The only cure is to balance the humidity levels and give the surface time to return back to normal. After the floor has stabilized, sand it flat and re-finish it.

Problem: Warped hardwood floor
Solution: A sagging or warped floor is a serious problem for a homeowner. It needs immediate attention from a hardwood service professional.

Problem: Scratches in wood flooring
Solution: If scratch damage is superficial, you can repair it with a touch-up kit made for urethane finishes (available at most flooring retailers). However, you may need to replace boards with deeper scratches.

Problem: Loose wood planks
Solution: Just like cracks, boards can be fixed with nails to secure the piece and putty. Extremely loose boards can be a sign of deeper problems.
Ask the professional who will be installing your floor for cleaning tips. Keep any cleaning solutions used for secondary materials off your wood floors. Here are some tips for keeping your hardwood floor in pristine condition:

Wipe up food and other spills immediately with a dry or slightly dampened towel. Consult with an installer, the finisher or the manufacturer if there is any doubt of the kind of floor finish.
Place mats and throw rugs at doorways, exteriors and interiors to help prevent the tracking of grit, dirt and sand. Sweep or vacuum wood floors regularly.
Hardwood is perhaps the most practical of all flooring materials. But over time, the protective finish may wear off, most noticably in heavy traffic areas. This is the perfect time to refinish your wood flooring. Applying a modern new finish can even make hardwood floors much easier to maintain than when they were originally installed.

Another good reason to refinish your hardwood floor is to freshen up the finish of a wood floor that's dulled from being hidden under carpet for years.

Anyone who's tackled a hardwood refinishing job can tell you it's a mess, starting with the removal of the previous finish. Hardwood flooring professionals have the knowledge and experience to give your wood floors a quality new finish. They also have the proper equipment to handle the job efficiently, including power sanders to remove the existing finish and to prepare the wood to accept new stain. Unless you have experience in this area, it is not advisable to take on a project of this magnitude by yourself.

Hardwood Flooring Refinish Test

To determine whether your hardwood flooring's finish is shot or simply dirty, try this simple test.
Go to a high-traffic area where the finish takes the most abuse. Pour a tablespoon of water onto the floor. If the water forms beads, the floor is properly sealed. At most, cleaning and stain removal is needed.

If the water takes a few minutes to seep in and only darkens the floor slightly, the finish is partially worn. Don't wait too long to refinish the floor.

If the water soaks right in and leaves a dark spot, it's definitely time to refinish

MORE TOOLS FOR HARDWOOD FLOORING

Woodworking means the shaping of wood in order to create, restore, or repair different objects, irrespective if they are decorative or necessary. Carpentry for example is specialized in woodworking crafts, offering a range of articles from wooden frames and furniture to wooden toys.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The unique features of wood have made it an essential material for housing, furniture, tools, vehicles, and many other products throughout history. Woodworking, actually, was one of humankind's first type of skilled work. From the wood maces and spears at the beginning of the civilization, the employ of wood was extended to canoes, plows, and three-legged stools, to the decorated cabinetry and complex structures of our times.

Different woods were noticed to have their own special textures, colours, and perfumes and were used consequently. Strong and long lasting oaks, for instance, were used for ship's timbers, bridges, barrels, fences, flooring, and paneling. Spokes for carriage vessels were made of hickory, as well as hard, tool handles. Black locust was used for barn timbers and wood pegs. Mahoganies were turned into the best furniture.

The disappearing of forest supplies since the Middle Ages, nevertheless, made wood very expensive. This lead to a greater reliance by the building and manufacturing industries, nowadays, on such combined wood products as plywood, chipboard, and fiberboard. These new materials are stable and do not swell or shrink as immediately as natural wood. They do not demand long seasoning intervals, and they can be fireproofed, waterproofed, and impregnated with different protective chemicals. Plywood is the most valuable for carpenters as it lets them cover large areas of structures in a relatively short time.

Composite wood products, except for plywood, unfortunately, are not as tough as natural wood. These articles can’t be bent or steamed into various shapes, as plywood can, therefore furniture made from them often has a boxy aspect. Screws and nails can’t link them together safely, if there aren’t inserted plastic or metal fittings, and in the joints there are used connectors.

Stationary Power Tools

Lumber yards, furniture factories, and other locations where huge amounts of wood are manufactured use great stationary machines projected for continuous operation. The radial saw performs back and forth movements on runners above the workpiece, in order to make many kinds of cuts: crosscut, rip cut, miter, and bevel, apart from cuts for many kinds of joints. The circular bench saw, which is sometimes employed in the home workshop, cuts with a circular blade which is located in a slot on the surface of a metal table. This kind of saw is used for many kinds of cutting. The band saw uses a large flexible steel blade in the form of a loop which is tensioned with the aid of two large pulleys, located one over the other. Band saws are employed for such hard work as ripping logs into boards and cutting very thick wood.

CARPENTRY

Carpentry is the art and trade of cutting, working, and joining wood into construction structures and it is the oldest of the woodworking crafts. Before the use of steel and concrete became popular in building construction, the carpenter had an important role in constructing the structure and the flooring of buildings. In more recent times, the carpenter's part in construction has been focused in the areas of house building and in building the forms used to cast concrete.
Finally, for hardwood flooring especially, are used polishing machines, using a band, or a cylinder, polishing machines with a disc for narrow spaces, polishing machines equipped with an extension, for narrow spaces, polishing machine with disc and vacuum cleaner, turbine vacuum cleaner and many other special tools and machines.

HARDWOOD FLOORING ADVANTAGES

One of the most common allergies these days is dust. A study in England showed that 10 per cent of the general population, and 90 per cent of people with allergic asthma, are allergic to dust mites. And in the U.S., studies indicated that at least 45 per cent of young Americans with asthma are allergic to house dust. Suffering from a dust allergy can be very frustrating, especially when dust occurs naturally in our homes on virtually every surface we touch.

What's a good alternative? Hardwood -It's a hard-surface floor and doesn't trap dust fibres and mites that can set off your allergies. It's also a timeless classic that adds value to your home.
When you have a dust allergy, you need to vacuum or dust every week or as dust becomes visible. Hardwood floors are easy to care for with simple vacuuming or dustmopping.

The Classic Choice
People never grow tired of hardwood as it enhances any room and never looks dated. It also adds resale value to your home. There's no better investment than hardwood that you can make in your home!
Hardwood is elegant, yet warm and inviting. Every hardwood floor has its own grain pattern and colour variations. Some tones soften modern décor; others create a relaxed look in a casual décor; and hardwood is always ideal for traditional décor. Hardwood is an investment in the future, but is a reflection of the past. Choose a hardwood floor that you’ll always love to live on.
Hardwood floors are prefinished, engineered hardwood floors that deliver enduring beauty and exceptional value. Real wood adds distinctive texture and warmth to your home. Only engineered real-wood floors actually improve on nature.

Design Professionals Talk About Hardwood
"Normal wood floors contract and expand between planks. This floor is a clicking system so the planks click together, really tightly. There is no glue. There are no nails. It can sit straight on top of ceramic, concrete, plywood... as long as the floor is flat. What is great about these floors is that when you leave you can take them with you. You can put them down at least three times. So if you are in a basement and put a floor like this down and then move, you can just pull it up and take it with you. There is no glue... no smell. Brilliant idea!
"I’ve found that the natural look of Hardwood flooring enhances any room in a home. Other floors and carpets may begin to look dated after a number of years, but people never grow tired of hardwood. The floating floor system combines the lasting beauty of hardwood with the ease of no-nails, no-glue installation."

"It’s probably the best idea that has come along for a condominium. It’s easy to clean and easy to take care of. You still can put an area rug down on top of it, still have the warmth of carpet; but you have a very cleanable, friendly environment underneath."

Hardwood Advantages
§ Engineered -- more stable than average solid-wood floors
§ Less likely to buckle, warp, gap or squeak
§ Can be installed anywhere in the home, including basement
§ Available in wide range of collections – just choose one that’s right for the way you live
§ Finish outlasts traditional site-finished floors
§ Scratch-resistant polyurethane finish provides durable protection that allows the wood's natural beauty to shine through.
Easy decorating with style and design
Hardwood complements many interior looks. All you have to do is choose your room look, then select the rich colour and wood that enhances your décor.
Easy to install
You can install your Hardwood floor and start living on it right away. Just click planks together without glue over existing wood, ceramic or concrete.
Easy to lift and reuse
If you decide to redecorate in the future, your Hardwood floor can be reused. Just unclick the planks, and move your floor to another room to give it a new look!

Easy on the environment
Hardwood floors use less wood than ¾" hardwood, and perform better. Hardwood floors are designed and made to be environmentally friendly, and are reusable. They help make a maximum impact on your home décor and a minimal impact on the environment.

More than flooring

Imagine your home having the charm of good old days, while watching random width wide planks. The hardwood flooring available today usually provides narrow and short pieces. For those who want to be more special than the others, there is available flooring coming in random widths and lengths. In this case, even the narrowest width is wider than the hardwood flooring usually available today.
The delicate change of color and feature marks, ensure you that this is real wood and the flooring of choice for centuries.
The pleasant shine of natural hardwoods carefully machined and locally finished will become the main attraction of your home or office. These floors are obviously superior to any synthetic or glue-filled laminate parquet, and will provide many lifespans of unique service.

Characteristics
No V-groove
Random width planks range.
Full plank thickness.
Choice of natural hardwood species
Close tolerance machining.
Tapered tongue and groove
Your choice of finish.

Imagine that your order is treated with great care and the operators are an integrated part of the quality control, and tolerances exceed the industry standard.The mixture of tapered tongue and groove, high tolerance machining and long plank lengths promise an easy installation and finishing.
The thick random width hardwood planks out of which this flooring is made from, offer you the greatest flooring available.

If you want a polyurethane or a hand-rubbed oil finish, your hardwood floor will resist for generations.

Pre-finished flooring apperaed as a compromise for those who wished the beauty of a hardwood floor and the ease of installation of tile. Therefore, it should not be surprising that there are disadvantages like limited choice of finishes or some pre-finished flooring is made with a v-groove and it hides inconsistencies in milling. But even the smallest v-groove is a haven for dust, dirt and spills. Pre-finished flooring without a v-groove leaves raised edges which finally will chip or splinter off. It is difficult to sand and refinish, or repair when worn.

They employ cheaper materials, trying to imitate the natural hardwood flooring. All depend on different glues, epoxies or chemicals which are harmful to the environment in their manufacture, and they will continue to outgas in your home for months and years to come. The thin surface of these products suggests that once worn through they must be replaced. Laminates relying on printed patterns cannot imitate the natural diversity and splendor of the real thing.

The unique way to reach the ultimate hardwood floor is to finish it in place. Minimal sanding after installation makes a smooth, even floor, from wall to wall. There are no grooves or board edges to attract dirt or spills. Cleaning is easy. You select finish to fit any decor or lifestyle. As public concern of our environment grows, your investment in an ecologically sound product will compound. Hardwood is more than a name, it is a description of the properties of these woods. This is why they have been used for a long time in areas such as gyms. As such, you will find their aspect superior to many other woods, including those softwoods which pretend to be hard, such as "hard pine".

Natural wood flooring differs in color, hue and grain from tree to tree, and even from one end of a plank to the other. These features are further improved by the variety of finish applied and the natural aging process.

There is no equivalent for experience, proper facilities and equipment.
You may be offered a complete line of complementary architectural mouldings to complete your wonderful hardwood floor. Door and window casings, baseboards, crown mouldings, chair rails and many other standard, and custom designed mouldings will improve the interior decoration of your home.

Hardwood Floor Protection

WATER

Wipe up any spill immediately. Do not let any liquid remain in a puddle on or near the hardwood floor. Windows, doors, and roofs that do not seal correctly can let moisture in from outside and damage a hardwood floor. Make sure the building is weather tight. Appliances such as dishwashers, ice makers, and washing machines can fail and leak water onto and under a hardwood floor. Consult with a plumber for ways to maintain a dry environment for your hardwood floor. For example, there are shut off valves for washing machine water supply lines. When the washer is not in use or if you travel, the washer water supply should be turned off. This removes the pressure from the building water supply on the flexible hoses that supply the water to the washer and prevent flooding of the building if the washer water supply hoses or a washing machine component fails. Your plumber may have more ideas of how to keep water away from your hardwood floor.

HUMIDITY

Control the humidity in a hardwood floor environment to stay around 35 percent to 55 percent. Air conditioning and dehumidifiers remove humidity from a building's internal environment. Hardwood is a natural product that grew with moisture. During the process of manufacturing hardwood flooring, the hardwood is dried to remove moisture. Any direct (water spill) or indirect (high humidity) exposure to moisture by hardwood flooring can cause it to swell and expand. This movement changes the dimension of each piece of hardwood flooring. The slight expansion of each piece of flooring multiplied by the number of pieces of flooring that make up a complete hardwood floor, can cause the hardwood floor to buckle and loosen the floor fasteners that attach the hardwood floor to the subfloor. Extreme low humidity can cause hardwood to shrink leaving spaces between the pieces of hardwood flooring. A good tool for measuring a rooms environment is a electronic thermometer and humidity gauge. Vacation homes with hardwood floors must have their environment controlled when unoccupied. Maintain a stable environment for the hardwood floor.

CLEANING

Cleaning and maintenance products must be approved by the floor manufacturer. Do not use water, ammonia, vinegar, or soap etc. The floor manufacturer either has or will recommend the approved products to clean and maintain their hardwood floor.

GRIT and DOOR MATS

Prevent grit from coming in contact with the hardwood floor. Use quality mats outside and inside entry doors. If grit gets past the mats, vacuum the grit off the hardwood floor immediately. If there is a rug or mat on top of a hardwood floor, and a liquid is spilled onto that rug or mat, remove the rug or mat and clean it and dry the hardwood floor below. Let the rug or mat dry before putting it back in contact with the hardwood floor. Caution, some mats and rugs with a rubber backing may leave a mark on the hardwood floor. Use a quality mat or rug that will not mark the hardwood floor.

PROTECTION IDEAS

SELF ADHESIVE FELT PADS

Use furniture pads to prevent scratching the hardwood floor. Felt pads and furniture glides attach to the furniture at the point where the furniture contacts the hardwood floor. Concentrated loads can dent the surface of a hardwood floor. Spike high heel shoes and the wheels under a refrigerator that let it roll out are two examples of concentrated loads. It is a good idea to have a piece of 1/8 inch thick brown hard board cut to fit in front of the refrigerator. Then when the time comes to roll the refrigerator out, roll it out on the protective 1/8 inch thick board and not directly on the hardwood floor. High traffic areas on a hardwood floor will benefit from the protection of a mat or rug.

PETS

Pets can damage a hardwood floor with their nails. If your pet has access to your hardwood floor, keep their nails trimmed. Also, pets get sick too. If a pet gets sick or if the pet does not get outside in time and leaves a waste byproduct on your hardwood floor remove the mess at once. It is best to not leave a pet unattended with access to a room with a hardwood floor.

Pets, allergies, heat and hardwood flooring

You don't have to choose between your beloved pet and beautiful hardwood floors. Actually, hardwood floors are a great choice for homes with pets. Unlike carpeting, wood floors don't harbor animal dander, fleas, ticks, mites or other allergens. Plus, many pets prefer to nap on wood floors, which are natural insulators that keep rooms cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
The following tips will keep your floors in great shape. First, consider three coats of an oil-based urethane finish in a satin sheen to provide the best protection, and make sure the finish is well-maintained. Also consider the following:
· Clip your pet's nails regularly.
· Sweep, vacuum or dust mop at least weekly to remove dirt, grit and fur.
· Clean up spills and other liquids immediately. Standing water and other liquids can damage floors so wipe up urine or spills immediately with a slightly dampened towel.
· Choose water bowls designed to avoid spills. Pet stores sell bowls with stable bases that deter tipping. Some bowls even come in stands. A throw rug could help absorb the stray drop or two, but any mat should be removed immediately if it gets too wet.
· If you have brought home a new puppy, consider crate-training for its security and your peace of mind. Most dogs readily adapt to a crate; it appeals to their instinct to seek out a den and they are less anxious when you are away from home.
Doctors often recommend hardwood floors over other floor coverings because they trap less animal dander, dust, pollen, mites and mold – all of which can trigger allergic symptoms and respiratory problems.

If you are an allergy sufferer or know someone who is, then you are familiar with the itchy eyes, runny nose, eczema, and rashes caused by allergies. An estimated 60 million Americans suffer from allergies, and a recent report prepared by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies concluded that exposure to certain allergy-causing substances, or allergens, can also lead to asthma in children. While researchers believe that certain individuals have an inherited tendency toward allergies and asthma, studies also show that specific steps can be taken to reduce or eliminate allergens.
The droppings of dust mites – those microscopic monsters that colonize bedding, curtains and carpets, are significant allergens that have been linked to rapidly rising rates of allergies and asthma. Every home has dust mites and even frequent vacuuming won't eliminate them, or their droppings, altogether.
The good news is that there is something you can do to help prevent, or reduce allergies, asthma and their symptoms. Some researchers believe that eliminating the sources of allergens when children are young may help reduce the likelihood that they will develop allergies. And studies have shown that, even if someone in your home already has allergies, they may experience improvement after allergens have been reduced or eliminated.
· Remove carpeting from the bedrooms of allergy sufferers. In fact, natural hardwood floors throughout your home make it easier for you to reduce allergens by eliminating a haven for dust mites, all the while keeping your home warm and inviting. Make sure that any throw rugs used in your home are washed weekly in hot water.
· Select furnishings that make limited use of upholstery. Real hardwood furnishings are attractive and comfortable, and are not welcoming to dust mites.
· Enclose mattresses and pillows in zippered dust-proof vinyl coverings. These help to keep the dust mites and their droppings away from those with allergies.
· Keep humidity levels in your home at a steady 50 percent or lower. Dust mites can't survive when the humidity level is this low.
Thanks to advances in the heated floor industry, you can install hardwood floors over radiant heat - with confidence. That means you can enjoy the natural beauty of oak, ash, cherry, maple, hickory, walnut and other fine hardwoods and the comfort and efficiency of radiant heating
Experienced installers of radiant-heat systems and hardwood floors work together to choose the system that best suits your needs. Electric systems use thin electric mats that work much like electric blankets. They often are used to heat small rooms like kitchens, bathrooms and entryways.

TOOLS FOR HARDWOOD FLOORING

During centuries artisans have developed hand tools and power tools in order to highlight the special qualities of different types of woods. They have manufactured a wide range of fasteners for holding pieces of wood together, and they have invented waxes, shellacs, and varnishes to improve and protect the beauty of wood. As the size of hardwood flooring materials can change a little because of the the action of humidity and heat, the expert woodworker has to think of these variations before assembling the hardwood flooring, in order to increase the force and the usefulness of the outcome.

Hand Tools

A great many of the hand tools used nowadays look almost like those used since the Middle Ages. However, an important step forward was made when they used steel instead of iron for cutting edges. The most popular hand tools are saws, planes, and chisels and such universal tools as hammers and screwdrivers, which are used together with fasteners.

For different purposes are used various types of saws. The ripsaw cuts with the grain and the common crosscut saw is used for cutting across the grain of wood. The coping saw is used for cutting curves. It is made of a metal frame, which holds a narrow blade tensioned. The exact cutting of joints can be performed by hand, using a backsaw, which is a thin rectangular blade equipped with a metal bar on its back.

For smoothing and shaping wood, planes are used, with the aid of a sharp steel blade which is enclosed in a wood or metal case, set at a certain angle to the surface which has to be planed. The depth of the cut can be changed by varying the distance the blade enters beneath the lower surface of the plane. Planes are manufactured in different dimensions, and in order to cut channels, are sometimes used special types of planes. Furthermore, to smooth and shape wood are also used files of different shapes.

The chisel which has a flat edge and the semicircular gouge are sometimes used for removing layers of unwanted wood. The brace, the hand drill, the push drill and their different bits are the most important hand boring tools.

In order to control work for dimensions and level, there are used measuring instruments. The most important measuring instruments are the steel tape measure, the folding wood rule, and the steel rule. To align or test right angles, the square and the trisquare are used, and the spirit level is used especially to verify horizontal and vertical alignment. Work which requires sticking is usually assembled with the C-clamp, the bar clamp, the gluing clamp and the hand screw.

Portable Power Tools

The progress of electric power equipment has increasingly reduced the period of time necessary to execute a wide diversity of duties. The most frequently used tools are the drill, the saw, the router, and the sander. They are all available in a few sizes.

Apart from executing boring operations fast, portable electric drills are often equipped with attachments which allow rotary sanding, polishing, and filing. Portable electric saws, often called circular saws, are very wavering and they can cut with the grain or against the grain. The saber saw uses a narrow blade applied vertically, which operates in an up-and-down movement, to cut curves and straight lines in some species of not very hard wood. The router, a very quick instrument, is employed to cut different kinds of grooves and channels, shaping straight or curved edges, and performing decorative molding.

Two kinds of portable electric sanders are used for smoothing surfaces and for removing the marks made by cutting tools before applying a finish.

Hardwood flooring installing

Hardwood floors on concrete? Years ago there was only one way of doing so. Then it was the "sleeper on slab" system that involved fastening 2' X 4's to the concrete laid on their side, as shown in the image below courtesy of The National Oak Flooring Manufacturers Association(NOFMA). Prior to installing the sleepers, a poly film and/or #15 asphalt felt is laid over the slab for moisture protection from below in mastic.

While a subfloor over concrete such as this application is still done today, it creates vertical height concerns. Final heights are in the 2 1/4" range after the actual hardwood floor is nailed. This can cause problems with exterior door entries and other fixed objects. In some cases 3/4" plywood is used above the sleepers, adding another 3/4" or a total overall height of three inches is created. Using this method in new construction, one should plan well in advance to avoid vertical height concerns from one floor covering to another.

The most popular method of installing solid 3/4" hardwood floors on concrete today would be a plywood subfloor attached to the slab (illustration below and left). Using a minimum 5/8" CDX plywood, the material is installed over the same moisture barriers but it is attached by way of concrete fasteners. A variety of fasteners are used, including concrete cut nails, tapcons(concrete screws), and Hilti types. Methods vary from one region to another, or what professionals are accustomed to.

Other methods of using 3/4" solid hardwood on concrete would be "floating subfloors." Yea...really...what's a floating subfloor you ask? The same moisture barriers would be used but two layers of 1/2" plywood would be used. Plywood is installed opposite and overlapped of one another then stapled or screwed together. The preference here is not to puncture the moisture barriers with fasteners.

Gluedown 3/4" Solids? In recent years you may find some of the big box stores have been advocating this procedure. We only wish them the best, but have never been fond of this installation procedure. However, more upscale 3/4" installations in Herringbone and large parquet patterns have proven successful over the years. These types involve much smaller pieces that will not expand and contract as much as more common 3/4" hardwoods.

Other Methods of Installing Hardwood Floors On Concrete
In the past 30 years other applications have proven successful when installing hardwood floors on concrete. They include; engineered hardwood floors that basically float over any sub floor. Instead of nailing or stapling they are glued by tongue and groove only and float over a foam cushioned padding. Another popular method is gluing direct to the concrete subfloor. The glue down of engineered products should only be considered with those knowledgeable to do so. It's important to note not all engineered products can be floated. Always consult the manufacturers specifications and don't rely on misinformed salespeople..

Glue down installations comprise a large segment of the hardwood flooring business with the vast majority being of the engineered variety. They are often used in situations where concrete subfloors are king in residential and high rise applications. These installations generally take longer than most prefinished nail downs depending on the material width selected. Gluedown installations can be walked on the following day and furniture can be moved in as well.
Some items to consider for glue down wood floors are sensitivity to the adhesives used. The types used today are greatly improved from those of only five years ago when trichlohydrates were commonly used; a strong lingering odor that would sometimes take weeks to dissipate. Now the more common types are urethane and acrylic based that don't pose the reactions of older ones. Unfortunately gluing hardwood floors are most prone to failure over all others. Some of the more common reasons include; improper adhesives used, improper/no floor preparation, or not enough applied that results in de-bonding of the material from the subfloor. This is why any glue down installation should be performed by someone that has the experience and know how. Prefinished nail or staple down installations are gaining more popularity because they do not require the extra finish cure time. In an example of 400 square feet one can expect an installation to begin on a Monday, and be ready Tuesday afternoon to move in furniture.

Assembling conditions, forest species and wood quality, history

Assembling conditions

The area in which the hardwood flooring will be assembled, before starting the assembling must meet the following requirements:
• it must be coated and finished all over its structural parts, which mean the hydro, thermal sanitary installations and the electric installation as well;
• all the installations must be functional, especially the thermal one, when the assembling is performed in cold and humid seasons;
• the environment humidity mustn’t be higher than 60%, and the temperature mustn’t be under 10°C;
• the windows of the room must be already mounted, except the interior door;
• it is recommended the painting before assembling the flooring; the last layer of painting must be applied at the end of the assembling, before finishing, when the interior doors and the window sills are applied;
• for hardwood flooring in particular, it is required that, after you polish it, you should varnish it, as soon as possible, in order to stop potential excessive humidity in the atmosphere to be absorbed by it.

Forest species

Cherry tree

Gegraphical vegetation area: Europe

Other denominations: CIRESA, CERASO, VISCIOLO, AMARENA, MARASCA, etc

Features: it is used for manufacturing precious furniture, delicate instruments

Qualities: it can be easily manufactured, the reddish – brown colour is very warm and its vein aspect make it very popular, having a medium nervure and hardness

Defaults: it doesn’t dry very quickly, medium oxidation, with the tendency to get a dark colour
Varnishing: easy
Specific weight 620 kg/m3

Beech
Gegraphical vegetation area: Europe, except its northern part
Other denominations FO, FAZ, FAJAR, BEECH ,HETRE
Features: it can be easily manufactured, being used for household tools, different woodwork products, arrangements, flooring
Qualities: wood having a medium to high hardness, which can be optimally manufactured; in order to improve its hardness in time it is submitted to the vaporization process, which provides it a darker colour; the nervure system is great, and the compression too
Defaults: strong internal tensions, chromatic alteration
Varnishing: easy, with very good results
Specific weight: 730 kg/m3

History

Since time immemorial (some records date from 3000 BC), people used wooden boards, in order to protect themselves against freezing and animals. Going further in time, thanks to recent discoveries, we find out thatin France people used wood flooring in the XIIth and in the XIIIth centuries, made of oak tree and olive tree. In the XIVth century, in France too, in the castles and residences, people used to apply on the floor two layers of wood: one of the was serving as a support and the othe had the properly aesthetic role. In the year 1534, it seems that the fist wood flooring was applied at the court of Francisc Ist, following the indications of the architect JULES MENARD.
The word parquet, used in France for the first time, changed its initial meaning during the following years. Originally, the word parquet was a diminutive from the word park.

In time, this word started to identify an area, which was exactly identified; actually, it was the place where people used to have meetings and get togethers. Particularly, the meeting hall belonging to Ludovic the XIVth, was called parquet. Because this hall was furnished with hardwood, the word parquet started to be a synonim of the word wood flooring.

THE QUALITIES OF THE WOOD

The wood combines remarkable technical practical qualities, with a highly appreciated decorative capacity. They are qualities which find their maximum expression form right in the parquet.
It represents the most classical, stylish and functional form of flooring, which won’t be withdrown by any temporary trend, neither by the occurence of new, interesting materials.

Why hardwood flooring?

Hardwood floors can accent any room that you choose to finish with the look of hardwood. Whether you choose a dark wood or a lightwood will depend on the rest of décor in the room. Finishes for natural hardwood floors takes time to apply prevents the floor from losing the shine and protects the wood from scratches.
Hardwood Floors and Spills
With hardwood floors, you need to keep spills wiped up and protect the floor from scuffing and scathing by wearing a softer shoe or slipper inside. All natural hardwood floors appear as a staggered design and accent dinning areas nicely. Living rooms also appear warm and cozy with hardwood floors with area rugs to accent the room.
Accenting the Hall with Hardwood Flooring
Hallways finished with hardwood floor and accented with a throw rug to protect the floor from becoming wet has an invitation for visitors that leads into a living room finished with carpeting. Depending on your archway wood type, you can match the floor to the woodwork around the door. Matching woodwork to the flooring involves picking both together so the colors match.
Natural Hardwood Floors and Cleaning
Cleaning hardwood floors requires a damp mop and some warm water. Using harsh cleaning solution will ruin the finish. This adds to the beauty of a hardwood floor. The floor is easy to clean and only requires refinishing periodically. Light up your entranceway with hardwood and a bright light to show the shine.
Prevent Lifting of the Hardwood Floor
Prevent lifting of the floorboards by keeping the floor dry and free of standing water. You are flooring look beautiful and now is the time to start protecting the area from damage due to misuse. Cover the floor for protection if you use it in a hallway or anywhere water might be.
Use good quality, dirt-trapping walk-off mats at all exterior doors to prevent dirt and sand (which can act like sandpaper) from entering your home. Use area rugs on high traffic pathways and pivot areas: at ends of steps, near doorways, etc.

All rugs should allow floors to breathe. Avoid rubber-backed or non-ventilated rugs. Use no-slip rug underlayment made especially for hard surface flooring to prevent your rugs from moving.

Floor Protectors
Always put felt protective pads on the legs of your furniture. They allow the furniture to be moved easily without scratching or denting your floors finish and can also provide a sound deadening barrier.
Replace your felt pads often as dirt and grit can become embedded in them or as they become worn.

Everyday Maintenance
Vacuum, dust or sweep regularly to remove dirt and grit that can damage your floor's finish. A good maintenance routine with the manufacturers recommended cleaner should be completed once a week or as often as needed depending upon the traffic in your home.

Use a vacuum or soft broom for dry spills and abrasives. If possible turn off the beater bar on your vacuum, use a hose or wand with an upholstery attachment.

Use Proper Cleaning Products
Wipe up food or other spills immediately using the manufacturers' recommended cleaner and a soft cloth. Never use a household dust treatment, oil soaps or furniture polish on your hardwood floors as this may cause your floor to become slick or dull the finish.

High Heels
Keep high heels in good repair. Heels that have worn down or lost their protective cap exposing the steel support rod will dent and pit wood, fracture tiles or stone and perforate vinyl. A person in stiletto heels weighing 125 lbs. exerts approximately 2000 lbs. of pressure per square inch!

Wood and water don't mix!
Never wet mop a wood floor. Excessive amounts of water can cause your wood floor to swell and cup. If "a little is good then a lot must be better" does not apply to cleaning hardwood! Lightly misting your mop or the floors surface in heavily traveled areas is the best way to apply cleaner. Never use more cleaner that what is required.

Plants and Planters
Never place potted plants directly in contact with your hardwood flooring, even if they are placed in waterproof saucers. Condensation can develop under these saucers and damage your flooring.
To avoid this place your plants on trivets or stands so that air can circulate underneath.

Hardwood flooring cocerns

Some people wonder why random width products are exclusively sold by some companies.
They only sell random width flooring for several reasons. First they manufacture for the greatest achievable yield from random width kiln dried lumber. They try to keep planks to the maximum width and length that each board processed will allow. This helps them keep costs down and keeps their flooring reasonably priced. Second, they don't want to be like everyone else and supply the run of the mill commodity strip flooring product. They think that customers, like you, want a quality hardwood flooring product that is different from the standard Red Oak strip product. All of their products fall outside the commodity strip flooring box. Finally, random width flooring helps their customers reproduce the look of an earlier floor. Up until the latter part of the 19th century all wood floors were random width. Only in the late 19th century and through the 20th century have they evolved to the standard boring strip floor. Our random width flooring will help you create the look of an early type of floor in your home today.

Many people are concerned about the environment and they wonder if hardwood flooring is an environmental choice.
Here is an explanation. Trees are a valuable renewable natural resource, and as long as we manage this renewable resource on a sustainable yield basis it will continue to supply our wood resource needs indefinitely. In some countries the annual volume of hardwood growth exceeds the actual volume of hardwood timber harvested. People are growing more hardwood than they are using each year, for example, they have a sustainable yield. Unlike petroleum, steel, and stone based products, they can make grow more trees for their future wood needs. Also, the harvesting and processing of timber products requires far less energy than the processing of these other building products. They also recycle wood that was used years ago in building barns, factories, and warehouses into beautiful antique flooring. Wood flooring is a very sound environmental choice for floor covering.

Another concern is whether pine and poplar are too soft for flooring.
Both can be good choices for flooring depending on your tastes and needs. There are White Pine floors still in use today in that are over 300 years old. They do show the nicks and dings of age, but this just adds to their character, history, and patina. Pine and Poplar are by no means as hard as Oak, but the dents occurred during normal use as flooring will in no way shorten the lifespan of the floor.

Some people are looking for a wide plank product that is not listed on any websites and wonder if someone can help them find this flooring.
There is no problem. Many online experts would be glad to research and quote them a price on any plank flooring product they may want. Different companies buy lumber from a variety of different vendors, and should be able to find the specific width or species that those people are looking for.

Other people are concerned whether it is safe to install hardwood flooring over a radiant heating system.
Yes, hardwood flooring can be installed over a radiant heating system, but it is recommended that the width of the flooring installed not be very big. It is also recommended that a rift sawn or quartersawn flooring be used because of its superior dimensional stability. The subfloor the flooring will cover must be thoroughly dry, this can be accomplished by running the heating system for 1 to 2 weeks prior to installation. What does the Janka hardness number mean?
The Janka hardness number is a measure of a wood's hardness and its ability to resist denting. The higher the Janka number, the harder the wood. Red Oak is used as the benchmark for flooring in the Janka test. The test measures the force required to embed a 444 inch steel ball to half its diameter in the wood being tested. Just because a wood has a low Janka rating does not mean it is not useful as flooring. It just means that the floor will show more of the nicks and dings of normal use as it ages.

Tips on hardwood flooring

The finishes on the vast majority of today's hardwood flooring products can resist water and traffic, and, as a result, wood flooring is appearing in kitchens and bathrooms quite regularly. As you might imagine, dust and dirt do not get trapped on wood floors like you might discover with broadloom. Simply by vacuuming and sweeping regularly hardwood floors can be kept clean and sanitary. This is especially true for people with allergies, as many studies have concluded that wood floors offer a better home environment.

In almost all instances this is a direct result of improper cleaning products. It is imperative that after purchasing and installing a new hardwood floor, or if you are trying to better maintain an on-site finished floor, that a proper hardwood flooring cleaner is purchased. These products are typically not found in a big box store or even your local hardware store. Only specialty hardwood flooring stores would carry such products and you are best to purchase it from them. The best way to maintain your floor is to vacuum and sweep regularly and use a proper cleaner. Avoid water and vinegar, oils, wax and chemical pads.
I have squeaks in my floor - won't putting new hardwood eliminate them?
While you are adding a great deal more solidity and stability to your floor by adding hardwood, it alone is not enough to address the squeakiness that has occurred over time. The reason is that the sound most people are referring to is usually not a result of the old hardwood floor, but, rather, is a result of a weakened sub-floor. Therefore it is always recommended to secure your sub-floor prior to installing your new hardwood as an effective way of minimizing future squeaking.

It really starts with good overall cleanliness. The more often you clean your floor, the less opportunity for heavier dirt to collect and get trapped in nooks and corners. Eventually these granules could get dragged around and scratch up ones floor. Equally as effective is to place the appropriate felts and nylon sliders underneath chairs, tables and sofas - really, under anything that will be making contact with the floor.

Sometimes hardwood floors will reach a stage when even a proper hardwood flooring cleaner can not restore the luster and shine that your floors once had. There are, however, cost effective options that are available and produce very good results. Depending on how badly your floors look you may opt to refinish them. This involves hiring a refinishing expert to sand down your floors, re-stain if so desired, and re-apply coats of urethane, giving your floor a brand new look. If your floors are merely appearing a bit run down, then a procedure called "buff and coat" might be adequate. This involves lightly sanding the urethane surface on your floor and re-applying a fresh coat. Finally, there are a handful of good products designed for the do-it-your-self person that, once applied, erode the existing surface and then allow you to re-coat with a new urethane surface. In almost all instances this is a result of improper humidity and moisture levels in the home. Like humans, wood functions best at humidity levels of between 40%-55%. Gapping and cupping is usually a result of the home environment being too dry. The best solution is to attach a humidifier to your furnace, or strategically place portable humidifiers throughout your home or condo. Conversely, hardwood flooring reacts poorly when there is too much humidity in the air, usually during the summer months, and especially in homes situated close to water. An air conditioner is an effective tool to bring down the humidity levels as is a de-humidifier.

Floating floors are most common, but not exclusive, in condos, apartments and basements where the sub-floor is concrete. As the name suggests, floating floors literally float on top of the surface they are installed over. The idea is that they are pieced together, either by gluing or clicking and the weight of the attached floor prevents the floor from moving. This is quite common with most laminate flooring products, but not exclusive to. Floating floors are also effective over old linoleum, tile, ceramic even old hardwood flooring. There are many possibilities for floating floors.

Wood, traditional flooring, forest species

Wood is successful because of its qualities as a material: low thermal conductibility, good accoustic isolator, resistant in the case of wearing out, economical, and it also is a hygienic and weavering material.
TRADITIONAL FLOORING

It is a system of flooring made of hardwood, obtained from a unique forest species.
• hardwood flooring is cold in the winter and warm in the summer.
• it is silent
• it is resistant
• it is economical and long lasting
• it is weavering, elastic, durable
The choice of the hardwood flooring for your house or for your workplace has as main motivation, on the on hand technical factors, on the other hand, subjective factors. It ressembles somehow with choosing a home: the person who uses it must feel good inside it. However, there are some rules, maybe well known and banal, which must be reminded when you have a choice to make, so that the flooring, once chosen, to show you all its splendour.

Rule 1. Don’t hurry
The support on which the flooring has to be assembled must be adapted to it, so it is necessary a period of time, longer or shorter, until the residual humidity of the cement evaporates. This evaporation does not have a standard time; it can vary according to the season, to the weather conditions, to the ventilation of the area, etc. Don’t fordet that the humidity is the worst enemy of the flooring. To be in a hurry during this phase, would mean to compromise completely the success of the entire work.

Rule 2. Evaluation in site
Before starting the assembling work, the expert must perform an evaluation of the area, in order to check if the humidity of the assembling surface is the right one (the operation is performed with the hygrometer) and especially if this surface has the expected consistence. The working area must be compact, so that it could support the traction of the flooring and it could permit a proper sticking.
Rule 3. A quality support
The assembling surface must be perfectly flat, clean and levelled, to have a sufficient rugosity for the adherence of the adhesive. In order to eliminate the level defaults, adequate products are used, more precisely some products called auto level systems. It is always important to check the homogeneity and the perfect cohesion between the working surface and the support. The part which may not be adherent enough, will be removed and redone. Some hardwood flooring companies use products based on resins, in order to consolidate the assembling surfaces.

Rule 4. The proper adhesive in the proper place
In general it is recommended to be used an adhesive based on a unique component, when the assembling is performed on surfaces which absorb liquids and when we assemble small parquet plates. Instead, the adhesive based on biological components is good to be used for big parquet plates, on absorbant surfaces, or even the assembling of all kinds of plates, when the assembling is performed on surfaces which don’t absorb liquids (ceramics, marble, granite, etc.)

Rule 5. Choose a famous hardwood company
Even if an expert in assembling claims higher prices, and it is always extremely busy, call him because this is one of the most important rules for the success of your flooring.

Rule 6. Choose the proper type of wood
Even if each person may have his or her personal tastes, we can make some suggestions:
You would rather choose hardwood.
You would rather choose a type of wood which has light colours, if in the room there isn’t much light. Light coloured forest species:
• beech
• ash
• sycamore maple
• olive tree
• oak

Hardwood flooring assembling

Rules which must be respected while assembling hardwood flooring

IMPORTANT:

When you purchase the material for hardwood flooring, you must estimate 10 – 15 per cent of extra material, in order to compensate any losses which can’t be avoided. Let the material without taking it out of the package, for at least 24 hours, to adapt itself to the environment where it will be assembled.
When assembling it is recommended to be provided a space of 7 – 8 mm between the flooring and the walls, in order to avoid a potential dilatation of the wood. This space will be hidden by the window sill.
Avoid to assemble the hardwood flooring when the temperature of the environment is higher than 20°C.
The assembling begins from the wall which is the straightest. On the opposite one there will be performed some adjustments, if there is the case.

BEFORE STARTING THE ASSEMBLING:

• the working area will be controlled from the hygrometric point of view (the humidity will be measured with a carbide hygrometer);
• the temperature of the environment will be measured;
• the humidity of the air will be measured;
• the heating appliance will be activated (during the cold season) at least 10 days before the assembling and it is kept functional, at an average level, but constant, during and after achieving the assembling – finishing operations;
• the surface of the working area will be controlled and treated with different products, according to its condition, which was determined

STICKING

For a real work of art, there should be used famous, professional products, and the following preventive measures should be taken:
• the humidity of the working area is carefully checked and it is corrected, if there is the case, with a special product.
• an adhesive based on biological components is suggested instead of the traditional one, based on vinyl; when the wood flooring is applied on a slippery surface (marble, granite, ceramics, etc.) the use of this kind of adhesive is indispensable.

FINISHING

When the flooring is definitely stable, different successive operations, performed with professional equipment will be initiated.
The time necessary for a flooring to become stable varies according to the conditions of the environment, the assembling methods and the adhesive which is used.

POLISHING

Hardwood flooring companies perform and recommend the polishing using special equipment with abrasive belt; the operation is performed in three successive phases, which use an abrasive material with a more and more refined granulation.

After these operations, the jointing compound will be applied.

CLOSING THE PORES
This is an operation recommended by experts, but usually, it is not performed, because it achieves the finishing and simpifies the maintenance work. This operation is performed with a special product, which hardens the fiber of the wood and protects it against the contact with water or other liquids.
VARNISH COATING

It is the method the most frequently used.
The varnish coating is performed with a paintbrush or a roll, especially designed to stop the development of air bubbles, and these tools are always of a high quality. In general 2-3 varnish layers must be applied, and for each layer, before the following one, you should wait until the varnish dries and hardens; between the layers, a polishing operation will be performed, using an abrasive material, having an 180 granulation.
Among different kinds of varnish, it is preferred the one based on polyurethanes and biological components. It offers the greatest friction resistance; in some cases you can use varnish based on water or environmentally friendly ones.
The flooring is the most precious and the most visible furniture in a house, and it always highlights its value more than any other pieces of furniture.

How to Choose Your Wide Plank Flooring

Choosing wide plank flooring for your home invites imagination and forethought to find the wood that most appeals to you. All wood is beautiful. Trust yourself to make a few simple choices, and then trust your flooring consultant to verify your selections.

Visual appeal hallmarks wide plank flooring
Choose a wood with the hue, grain, and finish that appeals to you and that will enhance the light and decor of your room or home. The appeal of your new flooring is the most important quality to consider. Visualize whether amber, blond, tan or deeper hues would best show in the room’s light and would best blend with or accent your furnishings. Do you prefer the look of clear wood, planks with exuberant grain, the occasional accent of knots, or a lovely burling pattern? Lighter woods like pine, birch, white and red oak, or hickory can open up a smaller room or give a more airy feeling to a dimly-lit room. Darker woods like walnut, stained or deeply-hued woods such as cherry, can look more elegant and formal. They also suit the quiet seriousness of a study or office.

Solid wood ensures enduring quality and beauty
Oak has been the standard for durability, however all solid wood plank flooring is durable. Each of the many beautiful woods available will last generations. Also, if you select wood harder than oak, whether maple, birch, or ash, it is more of a challenge to finish, and you may want to leave it natural. If you want to adjust the hue of your flooring with stain, select oak, a softer hardwood, or pine. If you are seeking a bright, warm Early American look in your home, wide plank heartwood pine exudes the welcoming, rustic appeal of a lodge.

Plank width provides an extra measure of uniqueness
Decide on a plank width that suits the size of the room. 5-12” or 12-16” planks look in proportion with medium or larger rooms or to evoke the Colonial era. The beauty of knots or burling will show to greater effect in wider planks. Narrower-width planks with lots of grain or color variation can exactly complement a smaller room but look busy in a large room.

Solid wood grading satisfies any budget
Once you have selected a wood for its appearance and appeal, select a grade that fits your budget. You may admire the clearest wood. Or you may have a nostalgic yearning for more or fewer knots. Wood milled for vertical grain is harder than that with open grain. Buy the highest grade you want to afford.

Luster, versatility and protection-to-last highlight the finish
Choose a finish that will enhance the brightness and tone of the wood as well as preserve it. Tung oil is best and easy to maintain, but there are other finishes, as well as stains to adjust your floor’s hue. Remember that proper finishing of wide plank flooring enables it to function effectively for any usage, including that in your kitchen.

With these considerations in mind, take a few moments in the room or rooms you are going to re-floor and actively imagine the wonderful transformation you are about to make. From a good vantage point, relaxed in a comfortable chair at a time of day when the entire room is in its best light, use a set of printed or actual wood samples to make some comparisons. Look at your first sample and note its characteristics. Is it light or dark? Is it amber, roan, tan, or coffee? Does it have grain, burling, knots, or is it clear? Make a mental picture of the sample, then look out across your room and imagine it covered in that wide plank flooring. By working with each sample and sensing your responses to it, you soon will know the wood or woods that hold the most appeal for you.

Next, work with the people at a popular hardwood company to confirm or help you with your selection for wide plank flooring. These companies are your one-stop resource for information about wide plank flooring and how it can best accent and beautify your home. For years to come you will enjoy the glowing warmth, intricate patterns and barefoot comfort of wide plank flooring.

Hardwood floor installation

Prior to the installation of hardwood flooring products, the installer must determine that the job site environment and the sub-surfaces involved are suitable.

GENERAL SITE INSPECTION

Hardwood flooring should be one of the last products installed at a construction site. All work involving water or moisture (plumbing, masonry work, drywall taping, etc.) should be completed before wood flooring is delivered to the job site.
Protect your flooring from high humidity at all times. Never unload your flooring in heavy rain or snow. Ensure your premium flooring is stored in a closed moisture controlled site at all times after purchase.
Ensure your subfloor is dried to normal living conditions and appropriate moisture barriers are installed with the subfloor.
Your job site should have a consistent room temperature of 60° - 70° (16° - 22°C) and humidity of 40 - 55% for a minimum of five days prior to the installation of your hardwood flooring product. This environment should be maintained continuously thereafter.

HUMIDITY

Building interiors are affected by two distinct humidity seasons - Heating and Non-Heating. Recognizing that wood floor dimensions will be slightly affected by varying levels of humidity in your building, take care to control humidity levels withing the 40-55% range. During the heating season, a humidifier is recommended to prevent excess shrinkage to the wood floors due to low humidity levels. To avoid excessive gapping or splitting in the heating season, a humidifier may be required to sustain greater than 40% humidity levels. During the non-heating season, humidity levels can be maintained by using an air conditioner, dehumidifier, or by turning on your heating system periodically during the summer months. Avoid excesive exposure to water from tracking during periods of inclement weather.

ACCLIMATIZATION

Your hardwood flooring must undergo an acclimatization period (for example it must be stored in the room where it will be laid) for at least 72 hours prior to installation. The bundles must be opened completely and the hardwood laid flat on the subfloor.

Wider boards are more susceptible to moisture. A good company takes every precaution to minimize these effects through careful conditioning and equalization of the wood to tight tolerances in moisture content.

INSTALLATION
Tools Required:

Safety goggles
Mitre saw
Broom
Vacuum cleaner
Drill (with bit set)
Hammer
Chalk line
Square
Tape measure
Nail punch
#7 or #8 spiral nails
Hand saw
Hardwood flooring nailer
2" barbed flooring nails
Non-marking rubber hammer
Level
Jigsaw
Using a broom and vacuum keep the floor free of dirt and sawdust at all times during the installation procedure. If manufacturing defects are noticed, STOP INSTALLATION IMMEDIATELY and contact your dealer or distributor for guidance.

The first strip should be laid next to the longest wall, at right angles to the joists. Mark its position with the chalk line, allowing an expansion space of 13 to 19 mm between the first flooring strip and the wall. The first row of strips will be laid along this chalk line. Do not follow the wall, since walls are rarely completely straight or true.

An expansion space is required only when a wall or other vertical obstruction such as a fireplace, posts, etc. is parallel to the direction of the flooring. Expansion spaces are not necessary at the end of each row of strips.

Face nail the first strip after drilling holes every 20 to 30cm, at a distance of 13mm from the edge of the strip next to the wall. Be careful not to drill a hole at a distance of less then 8cm from the end of the strip. Use #7 or #8 spiral nails to fasten the flooring, and countersink the nails with the nail punch. The first row of nails will be hidden by moldings. Repeat the nailing operation in the tongue of the strip, keeping the edge of the latter along the chalk line.

Only nail the tongue of each subsequent strip. Do not face nail.

Joints between the ends of strips in any given row should be offset at least 15cm from the end-joints in adjacent rows. This will ensure a balanced appearance.

After fastening a couple of rows of strips, use the hardwood flooring nailer. Use nails every 20 to 25cm, stopping at a distance of about 5cm from the end of each strip.

Indoor pollution

Many people have hardwood floors in their new homes. They sometimes place a mat on the floor of a home office to protect the floor. When the mat is moved to clean the floor, it gives off a musty-mildewy odor which may overwhelm the room. The floor may be cleaned several times but the mold odor persists. Since a lot of people are asthmatic and sensitive to mold, they need to know what to do to resolve the problem.

In this case the homeowner is advised to contact the hardwood flooring materials manufacturer for advice. This seems reasonable as one would expect the manufacturer or the manufacturer’s representative to have special technical knowledge of the kinds of problems homeowners have experienced with their and how they can be resolved.

In this case it is unlikely to be a product defect, more likely the problem developed after the flooring was installed.

Hardwood flooring varies from simple oak (or other wood) tongue and groove boards that are installed over a base flooring or concrete slab to a multi-ply material with the bottom ply cut to give the floor some flexibility.

The description of the problem given by the homeowner indicates that the mat was made from the same-type of cellulose-containing material which became infested or plastic that contributed to high moisture levels at the interface between the wood flooring and the mat. The continued presence of the odor indicates that the flooring material has become infested. As such the finish coat’s integrity has likely become compromised allowing the odor to come through. If this is the case the surface under the mat will likely need to be refinished to lock in the infested material and block the odor.

Unfortunately, the moldy-musty odor under the mat may only be the tip of the iceberg. I recently conducted an investigation of a house that had a variety of mold concerns. After conducting wall moisture readings, I determined that it would be desirable to conduct moisture readings of hardwood flooring near to wall areas where some water intrusion problems were occurring. Moisture readings were in the 16-18% range (actual scale) and unacceptably high.

Most unusual was the fact that similar readings were observed on all hardwood floor surfaces in a hallway, kitchen, dining room, and living room. High readings were observed at considerable distances from walls indicated that water intrusion was not the primary cause of the elevated moisture readings.

The hardwood floor was a multi-ply type that was five years old. It appeared as if it was heavily worn despite the fact that there was little people “traffic” over it.

The worn appearance can be seen in the adjacent images that show the floor compared to a piece of flooring material that had not been installed.

The observed “wornness” is likely due to discoloration caused by high wood moisture levels that have occurred over the past five years of the house’s history.

The question is “where is the moisture coming from.” Obviously it has to be coming from the below the flooring. In this case the floor base is slab concrete. If there is inadequate site drainage, water could be wicking up from the ground below causing the hardwood flooring to take up moisture (This assumes that no polyethylene barrier exists below the slab to prevent such upward liquid/vapor water movement).

An alternative explanation is that water is condensing underneath the flooring because of cool ground and slab temperatures.

When people think of indoor pollution, they usually think of conditions originating from faulty ventilation systems, second hand smoke, and other air borne pollutants. Taking an in-depth, hard science look at the problems of indoor environmental pollution, Indoor Environmental Quality covers all the major indoor contaminants - inorganic, organic, and biological.

Hardwood flooring questions

Hardwood can be installed in almost any room, with a few exceptions. A full bathroom is not the best place for wood due to the high moisture level from a tub/shower. While we can and do install flooring in bathrooms, the potential risk of water damage is higher. Below grade areas, such as a basement with concrete floors, are not usually suitable for Hardwood. Moisture tends to gradually come through the concrete from the ground below, causing moisture problems. An engineered product is usually a better choice for this type of area.

An engineered floor usually comes pre-finished in long strips or planks. It is made from several layers of criss-crossed laminated wood, topped with the real wood finished surface. This increases the dimensional stability and limits the normal expansion and contraction of wood flooring. This allows it to be used in areas that would not normally be ideal for wood flooring. This type of flooring can be stapled down, glued down or 'floated' depending on the situation. Engineered flooring can also be used when height is an issue. Its usually thickness is 1/4' whereas solid flooring is commonly 3/4" thick. The down-side of engineered flooring is that it does not have the life-span of a solid Hardwood floor. Scratches and more extreme damage (which may be fixed by sanding a solid floor) are not as easily repaired.

Pre-finished flooring
This type of flooring comes with a factory finish already applied. There is no sanding/finishing done in the home. The flooring can be stapled and glued to the sub-floor like other flooring. This type of flooring is becoming increasingly popular due to the lack of dust and odor (sanding/finishing) and the shorter time of the entire project (ie. no extra days needed for sanding/finishing). The downside of Pre-Finished flooring is that imperfections (due to an unlevel sub-floor or other flaws in the working environment) may be more noticeable. With an unfinished, solid flooring, flaws and imperfections can be fixed or hidden during the sanding process. The cost will depend on the size of the area, the difficulty of the job, and the type of wood desired. Here at Ward Hardwood, we use quality woods and finishes, the best quality equipment and keep a small, well trained crew. We may not be able to compete with other floor companies in pricing...but we can win any competition for quality! We are proud of our work and will make sure the the customer is completely satisfied with their floor.
For a typical 800 square foot job, it should take 1-2 days to install the wood and 2 days to sand and apply 2 coats of finish. This, of course, can vary with increase difficulty of the work.

We will need about 3 weeks notice for the more common types of wood floors (ie. Red Oak, White Oak, Ash, Maple). We may need longer for wide plank woods and exotic species. We acclimate all our woods in our warehouse to avoid any issues with shrinkage due to Colorado's dry climate. We would also like to deliver the wood to its final location (your home) 1 week before installation to allow the wood to adjust to your specific elevation and climate (this is not always possible, but is recommended).

If your home is undergoing construction or remodeling, the best time for installation of the floors is usually right before the kitchen cabinets are installed. This allows us to lay under all the cabinets. Sanding is best done near the end of the construction process. Carpet and baseboard installations are usually done after the final coat on your floor.

Sanding is dusty. We do our best to control the dust, but it will get into any open areas. We can provide simple tarping, but we highly recommend using Dust
Everything should be moved off the floor where we will be working. It is possible for small items/pictures to move or fall due to the vibrations of our machines. High-tech equipment should be covered or removed from the area to avoid getting dust inside. Plants and animals should be removed from the house during the sanding/coating process to avoid the fumes from the finish used to coat the floor. You should make plans to be out of the house during the 2 days of coating.

Antique and Rustic Wood Flooring for Hardwood Floors

There are companies which offer antique wood flooring in a variety of woods. This hardwood flooring is produced from wood which has been reclaimed from older buildings that have been dismantled. The wood flooring produced from this resource provides a unique patina and character that only years of use can provide. The lumber and timbers reclaimed to make this antique hardwood flooring are not readily found and cannot be duplicated in today’s forest. The slower growth patterns of wood reclaimed from prior use adds to its distinctive look. Antique flooring is offered in rustic and distressed grades, with the distressed grade having more character markings and color variation. If you’re looking for a traditional look with a touch of history, you can find it in antique flooring companies.
They also offer standard length, end-matched flooring in most antique species. Generally, the standard length antique flooring is priced approximately 10% below our long length antique flooring.

Antique American Oak
Milled from a mix of red and white oak from dismantled barns, mills, and factories, Antique Oak flooring displays a country appearance that only time can create. It is available in solid thick planking which has been kiln-dried, tongue and grooved, back-relieved, with pre-squared ends.

Antique American Chestnut
Once the dominant specie in the great American hardwood forest, the American Chestnut was virtually wiped out by the Chestnut blight of the early 20th century. Rare and beautiful, Chestnut flooring is re-milled from carefully dismantled barns, mills, and farmhouses. It is available in solid planking which has been kiln-dried, tonque and grooved, back-relieved, with pre-squared ends.

Antique White Pine
Typically found in the past as wide plank flooring in New England homes, White Pine was the prominent timber specie used in construction in New England in early American times. Tall and straight, White Pine was prized for ship masts by the British Navy during colonial times. The Antique White Pine is re-milled from dismantled mills, barns, sheds, and occasional old homes. It is available in solid planking which has been kiln-dried, tongue and grooved, back-relieved, with pre-squared ends.

Antique Yellow Pine
Found typically in agriculture buildings in the Mid-Atlantic and New England states, the most popular Antique Yellow Pine is primarily composed of Northern hard pine species. A cousin to Antique Heart Pine, Antique Yellow Pine makes a durable floor that contains a warm rustic beauty. Available in solid planking which has been kiln-dried, tongue and grooved, back-relieved, with pre-squared ends.

Antique Heart Pine
Consisting of the Southern Yellow Pine of past centuries which grew slowly creating a tight, dense wood that can not be duplicated in today’s forest. These trees of past years provided the structural timbers needed to build the factories and warehouses of early industrial America. Reclaimed from dismantled factories, our Antique Heart Pine is available in solid planking which has been kiln-dried tongue and grooved, back-relieved, with pre-squared ends.

All Antique flooring is square ended with different lengths of Designer Wood Flooring for Hardwood Floors
A lot of companies are ready to offer a variety of distinctive, rare domestic wood flooring products. Each of these hardwood floor products displays a distinctive grain or color that can transform any room from being ordinary to being extraordinary. These flooring products offer something different from your standard domestic wood floors. It may be the refined grain and bold figure of quartersawn oak, or the elegant grain and color of walnut or cherry. Highly figured woods such as curly maple, birdseye maple, and flame birch are offered as well. All these woods will truly provide you with a one of a kind floor.

Advantages of Hardwood Floors

The benefits of hardwood floors over carpet floors are enormous. In a national survey, 90% of real estate agents said that homes with hardwood floors are sold faster. Some benefits of hardwood floors are:
Hardwood floors don't attract dustmites
Hardwood floors are easy to clean
Hardwood floors resist stains
You can refinish hardwood floors
Hardwood floors allow your home to breathe
Hardwood floors are less likely to warp, buckle, gap or squeak
Hardwood floors add structural strength to your home
Hardwood floors can be installed anywhere in your home
Various types of wood available for hardwood floors
Hardwood floors lower the risk of allergic reactions
Hardwood floors add long-term value to your home
Hardwood floors are long lasting
Hardwood floors do not trap moisture in your home
Hardwood floors may not attract pet odors
You can stain or apply stencils for

Caring for Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors, when taken care of properly, will last a very long time. Some key things to remember for the maintenance of hardwood floors:
All types of furniture on hardwood floors should be padded with protectors
Heavy items on hardwood floors should have caster cups under legs
Area rugs on hardwood floors that have a jute back or be padded
UV light may change the color of your hardwood floors over the years
Moving a refrigerator with out protection could cause severe damage to your hardwood floors.
Hardwood floors with stained finishes need more care and protection
Never tape directly to the hardwood floors finish. The tape may dissolve the finish over time
Never allow spiked heels with hard tips on your hardwood floors. They can exert mega pounds per square inch on your hardwood floors
Sliding boxes or other materials across your hardwood floors may destroy the finish
In addition to the above, hardwood floors need to be protected before you even install them.
Before your hardwood floors are delivered you should check the job site and be sure your hardwood floors won't be exposed to excessive periods of high-humidity or moisture. The typical 6-mil poly that is used under hardwood floors as a moisture retarder could actually do damage to your hardwood floors. The 6-mil poly cannot vent moisture and may actually draw it upwards into your hardwood floors. Over time, mold and mildew may form causing a damp and musty smell. In addition, the alkalines in concrete can eat away the 6-mil poly leaving your hardwood floors with no protection. Using 's high-density 24-mil membrane under your hardwood floors as a subfloor provides permanent protection for hardwood floors by providing moisture drainage, protecting against alkalines and resisting fungi and bacteria. It also replaces all the other materials needed to install hardwood floors thus saving you time and money. Wherever you install hardwood floors, use to provide the ultimate care for your hardwood floors.

Wood Floor Grades

There are 3 grades of wood floor. Those wood floor grades are:
1st grade wood floor, almost clear and free of knots and color variation
2nd grade wood floor, provides a varied and natural appearance. It's the most common selection of wood floor.
3rd grade wood floor, is the most rustic looking wood floor and has the most knots and imperfections.

Wood Floor Common Widths

For an interesting looking wood floor, various widths are chosen and laid in a repeating sequence.
The common wood floor widths are:
3/4" thick, 2 1/4" wide wood floor with varied lengths (most commonly chosen wood floor type)
3/4" thick,3 1/4" wide wood floor, varied lengths
3/4" thick, 4, 5, 7 and 8" wide wood floor
Some of the different types of wood floor available:

Red Oak wood floor
White Oak wood floor
Maple wood floor
American Cherry wood floor
Brazilian Cherry wood floor
Hickory wood floor
Pecan wood floor
Ash wood floor
Southern Yellow Pine wood floor
Mahogany wood floor
Birch wood floor
Beech wood floor
Larch wood floor
Lacewood wood floor
Merbau wood floor
Antique Heart Pine wood floor
Purple Heart wood floor
Fir wood floor
Alder wood floor
Teak wood floor
Poplar wood floor
Australian Cypress wood floor
Walnut wood floor
Padauk wood floor
Bamboo wood floor
Red Cedar wood floor

No matter which wood floor you choose, you will still need a subfloor to permanently protect your wood floor against water damage.

Recommendation letter

2007-01-24T12:38:00.000-08:00

Recommendation letter

I'm now working as IT Support Officer at Jockey Club Government Secondary School. I want to start my career as a teacher because I want to offer to the children the possibility to learn what I have learned by now, to make them to discover what is important for them, to make them to get a general education. It’s really important for children from nowadays to set fire on their curiosity, to make them to search for new things, and I think I am able to do this. I love to see the joy of the children when they start to write and read and then to learn. And not just that, but when a parent appreciates me for what I am doing for his child it gives me a great satisfaction. And this is the best reward for me. Making a child to understand what is kindness and passion, to understand what is important in life to succeed makes me to feel that school is my second home. For educating a child it is necessary for the teacher to have passion for his work, to get involved, to have patience and good techniques of making them to understand and from my experience with the people around me I can say that I won’t have any problems in teaching. The subject that I want to teach is IT, one of the most important subjects from nowadays, because everything is related to computers. Wherever a person goes, will have to work with a computer. This world is controlled by them and that is why I consider that these kids should learn about it. Making them to have success in life it’s my priority. As my teachers helped me to become what I am now, so I want to help the others. Teaching will make my life complete.

Press Release : http://tinyurl.com/y7a5b2

2007-01-24T12:30:00.000-08:00

1) The best choice for Internet lovers – AGLOCO

AGLOCO is an economic Internet network which has recently been lanced. A great advantage of this network is that it gives its members a part of the money produced by them as Internet users and the slogan of this network is “Get your share of the Internet”. Besides, it is an organization totally owned by its members. If you attract more new members, you will get more money. In addition, you may enter AGLOCO freely.

It was founded by Stanford students and some persons who lanced All Advantage in 1999. This network used to have millions of members and it offered them more than 100 million dollars. Nowadays, the context is much more favorable: shopping online is more sophisticated, there are many sources of income for advertising…You have nothing to lose. All you have to do is enter it, invite your friends to enter it and use the Internet normally.

There are links which allow you to enter AGLOCO and which will allow you to be attached automatically to someone’s friends. If this way does not work, you may use a friend’s identification number. After you had entered the network, you may consult a link, in order to get good advice related to how to build your network quickly.

This network seems to be a social one, with the difference that here the members are paid.

The entering procedure does not take more than a few minutes.

We have a reliable confidence policy created by the first confidence responsible on the Internet, Ray Everett – Church.

If you do some simple calculations, you will see that you can have more than 5000 shares per month if you attract ten persons which will attract enough members on their turn.

Here are some rules which may be useful for AGLOGO members:

Enter only once: a person may enter only once and he or she can’t create account for another person. The accounts can’t be transferred from a person to other and each account must correspond to a physical person.

Without spam: AGLOCO strictly prohibits spam in order to attract pasrtners. This means that you can only contact persons whom you know or who openly accepted to receive your invitation to be your partner. If you use the spam to get partners, your account will be cancelled.
Number of Internet hours: The maximum number of hours which may be remunerated per month is 5. However, according to different variables AGLOCO has the right to change this number. This limit was established in order to avoid hacking softwares clicking continuously on the ads and producing online research.
Activ surf: you have to be an activ surfer in order to be remunerated for your online activity. If you simply let a window open that does not mean that you are an activ surfer. If you use a pirate software which will always click on the web sites, AGLOCO anti-hacking instruments will detect it and they will cancel you account after investigation.
What do you think? Don’t you like the idea of having your share from the billions produced on the Internet?

2) Press Release
The Internet may be totally yours!

This is what AGLOCO offers you! When you are online and you surf, blog or watch an ad on the Internet, or you do your shopping online, all the money produced by your activities is recovered by a number of „players”.

AGLOCO is here to change this situation!

But what is AGLOCO?

AGLOCO is a global community whose owners are its members, which means you and millions of potentially users of the Internet. Their aim is to capture an important share from the value produced by our activities online and to give the cash to the members. The best thing is that it is completely free, the members never have to pay anything and they don’t have to give personal details.

How does it work?

Once you entered the web site, you have to load the viewbar, a free tool bar, half the size of a traditional Windows tool bar, which can lay on your desk, without bothering your online habits, and you continue using the Internet as you like!

The same computer is used by more persons? Each person may have his or her own AGLOCO Viewbar, adapted to his or her profile.
If you don’t want to see or to use the Viewbar, you only have to reduce it and it will be inactive; it is enough to click on it in order to reactivate it.

AGLOCO has different ways of collecting money for its members:

cash: you get money surfing on the Internet when you Viewbar is active. The AGLOCO profits are distributed again to its members. You can also receive reductions in real time when you choose to buy from an AGLOCO partner. They will never have sites for games, bets or for adults as partners.
- shares: apart from cash, AGLOCO will offer company shares to its members. AGLOCO predicts that it will become public and it will be exchangeable at the Stock Exchange in London. You can start earning shares if you let your viewbar active while you are surfing. Besides, you will receive supplementary shares if you attract active users for AGLOCO.
If a lot of people enter AGLOCO, the community may produce value for themselves.
According to AGLOCO, those who build the network deserve more. So if you attract more persons, your profit will increase. You may accumulate the hours, not only from your Internet activities, but also from those whom you attracted and from their friends and so on, till the fifth level under yours.

Remember, it is entirely free, you don’t lose anything, you only have to enter and load the Viewbar. Then you can build your own network in order to earn more money!

E-Book : Dog Obedience Training

2007-01-24T09:54:00.000-08:00

Dog obedience schools

Most of the people are animal lovers and that is why they like to have pets or they try to change an animal in a partner. Of all the animals, dogs seem to be the favorite, because they were always man’s best friends.

Apart from looking after a dog and cuddling it, man has to train it, in order to have an obedient friend. Thus, dogs can be sent to special dog obedience schools, where expert trainers teach them to understand people and to communicate with them. These trainers have to be certified professionals.

Before training dogs they have to attend a special school for dog trainers. This kind of dog obedience school offers certification courses on obedience, kennel management, agility, police and more. After earning a diploma in dog obedience training and instruction, a dog trainer is ready to help dog owners to put an end to their dogs’ behaviour problems and to obtain amazing results with them.

Therefore in a training boot camp program, for no longer than ten days, a dog will be taught some off-leash behaviours and skills, for example not to jump on people, even if they may be friends or members of the family, not to run out of your house, to sit quietly in the car, not to chase people who are jogging, not to bark at the windows, not to climb on furniture, not to jump gates or fences. The list continues with other behaviours and skills like: not to ignore you, not to steal food, not to beg at the table, not to bark early in the morning or late at night, not to bark at people or other dogs on the street, not to chase people on skates, roller blades or bicycles, not to dig in your yard or garden. Besides, a dog must have a good behaviour towards children who are playing in the yard or in the garden, towards babies or other pets that you own. It must not make you feel embarrassed in public. A dog must never make its owner feel frightened because of the dog’s aggressive behaviour. So, in a boot camp, dogs are taught what to do and what not to do. There a dog has the chance to become a well educated city dog.

Apart from dog obedience boot camps, there are dog obedience schools which have their own training program. For instance in these schools dogs learn some obedience commands which are the basis of communication between the dog and its owner. Not all the dogs need obedience classes. Commands like: sit, down, heel, come and leave, stay, might also be taught at home. It depends on the dog. There are dogs which need a lot of daily exercise and playtime. Just like children, they feel stressed if they are left alone for long periods of time. In addition male dogs and some breeds tend to dominate over other dogs, over their territory, even over people. These dogs need a special attention because they can cause unwanted problems like biting people, if they are untrained. Therefore the solution for this kind of dog is to start training classes through a dog obedience school.

Most of the dog obedience schools have learning levels, according to the age of the dog. For example there are classes for puppies, from eight weeks to four months old, during which the little creatures learn to become sociable and loving family members. Your puppy will be taught about housebreaking, biting or jumping up and it will play with other puppies in the class. Beginner’s classes mean that you and your dog start to cooperate, as a team. The dog will learn to answer to fhe following commands: Yes, Ouch!, Sit, Down, Come, Stay, Watch Me, Finish, Off, Stand, Leave-it. The command will be associated with a clicker sound. It is a scientific, peaceful method for teaching behaviour and it was first used by dolphin trainers. The traditional way of teaching dogs’ behaviour during beginner’s classes is associated with gaining control over the dog. The next level is called intermediate. Now it is time for a dog to improve behaviours learnt in the previous classes. Moreover, Agility is introduced and dogs have to face obstacles like tunnel and jumps. The trainer may use during these classes food rewards or clickers. After that, advanced first classes include healing exercises, off-leash Recall command, off-leash Place command, off-leash Stand for exam, off-leash Introduction to exercises . Next, advanced second classes will cover fast response sits and downs, recalls over the bar jump and through the tire or advanced heeling patterns.

These classes must be taught by a person who knows very well a dog’s psychology which helps him or her to establish some dog training tips. For example good behaviour must never be ignored and good behaviour must be rewarded. A good trainer must know when to reward and when to punish a dog. If a dog is sick, it must not be blamed for misbehaving, but the trainer must talk to the vet.

Finally, there are dog obedience training videos, which can show you effectively how to get your dog under control.

Dog Obedience School

Dog breeders usually send their dogs to dog obedience schools when their dogs have behavioral problems, when they want to obtain some performances with their dogs or when dogs are required for utility.

When you look for a dog obedience school, you have to take into account its years of constant experience, its professionalism and its performances. Besides you have to know how many dogs they have trained till now, if they train any breed of dogs or dogs of any age.

Another important thing is that the dog obedience trainer has to know your language.

Dog obedience training classes take place irrespective of the season. Dog obedience trainers conceive programs according to the dog’s breed and age. The dog may be two months old or even seven years old for example when it starts the training.

Moreover, there are dog obedience training schools which send their trainers to the costumer’s place. Dog obedience training is a team work which involves a certified dog obedience trainer but also trainers specialized in discipline for example or in defensive. When a dog finished its training in a dog obedience school, its owner usually writes a recommendation for that school, where will be registered not only its positive aspects, but also its negative ones, in order to improve the relationship between dog obedience trainers and their owners and in order to improve the activity of the school. Each school needs special, professional equipment like special costumes or remote controlled electronic systems through which dogs receive warning stimuli during their dog obedience classes.

A dog obedience training school usually is specialized in basic dog obedience training and in top dog obedience training.

Basic dog obedience training requires simple persistence in order to be a successful and delightful experience for the trainer and for the dogs, too. Here are some dog training tips which lead to good results. A dog has to be attentive when the trainer begins a lesson. So if you want to get its attention, talk to it and offer it a small treat. Trainers need the correct dog training supplies. If a dog is uncontrollable, a training collar should be useful. If the dog is well behaved, a regular buckle collar and a six foot training lead will be enough.

A dog must be praised, not reprimanded when it learns a new command. Under no circumstances a dog must be hit. On the contrary, the trainer must play with the dog in order to build the bond between them.

On the other hand, there are six levels for training guard dogs or dogs specialized in defense, or a special training for rescue dog or for anti drug dogs. In addition there are dogs trained for people with disabilities or police dogs trained to look for criminals. A dog obedience school may have a library for dog owners and they can borrow useful books form there, which may help them at home with their dogs, or a shop where dog owners may buy equipment and supplies for their dogs.

At the end of the classes, the best dogs may take part in dog obedience trials. These trials are a result of early trainers to let people know about their profession and to prove that human- dog partnerships could shine in arenas other then the conformation ring and the field.

Nowadays obedience competitions begin with exercises which confirm the dog’s good manners: walking on a leash at the owner’s side, standing to be touched by a stranger, sitting and lying down with the distractions, and coming when called.

Apart from dog obedience schools, there are boot camps, which ensure basic training for your dog: how to heel sit, lie down. Boot Camp will also help dog owners to identify common problems, to anticipate them during training, and then to use corrective measures.

The goal of obedience training is to create a common language between dog and master so that both species can live together in harmony.

Top Dog Obedience Schools are attended by dog owners and their pets. They teach people to train their dog so that the human-canine connection deepens, and problem dogs become a delight. Top Dog training techniques are quite simple. Dogs are first shown how to respond correctly to each of the basic commands without the use of force. Then owners are taught how to get their dogs to obey the commands promptly once the dogs have been given the possibility to understand what is expected of them. Top Dog's approach makes the learning experience positive and enjoyable for both dogs and owners.

Besides, all common behavioral problems will be addressed during the question and answer period at the start of each class. Individual problems may also be discussed. Many behavioral problems will be eliminated only by channeling your dog's energy into obedience training.

At the start of each eight-week session, a Top Dog obedience school conducts a free orientation to discuss dog behavior and training philosophy. After the informative lecture, a demonstration of all levels of obedience training is given by students of Top Dog.

Finally a dog training school must always start new projects, in order to improve and to diversify the services offered to their costumers.

Dog Obedience Training

It is known that a well educated dog is a happier dog. Therefore obedience training classes are necessary for a never ending friendship between you and your dog. Basic dog obedience training can be continued with a specialized training for sports purposes, guard or utilities. An appropriate dog obedience training program opens a way of communication between you and your dog and this way will remain open forever.

In each dog obedience training school the first thing a dog obedience trainer does is to test the puppy’s or the dog’s abilities. It is the most important step in dog obedience training courses. After the test, the trainer will be able to establish if the dog is receptive and if it has the capacity to learn. After that, the trainer will establish the method and the stimuli he will use during the training period.

For an effective training a dog must be positively motivated. This method, of praising the dog is used all through the training period and it will be eliminated only if the commands were learned by the dog. An important factor in dog training is attention. It is the proof that the trainer used an efficient motivational method, a proof of the ability and the qualities of the team human - dog.

When a trainer is sure that the dog pays attention to him, he starts the learning period, followed by the command fixation period. This is an advanced step of basic dog training.

Another important aspect of dog obedience training is the taking over of the commands by the dog owner, from the dog trainer. If this aspect is ignored, the entire training was in vain, because the dog refuses to execute its owner’s commands or execute them, but the owner doesn’t know if they are correctly executed or not.

A trainer who teaches a dog for guarding and protection has a lot of responsibilities. The most important step in training a dog for protection and guarding is to form and to maintain its bite, which has to be effective, the dog must not only pretend to be aggressive. In order to control successfully an aggressive dog, a trainer must know that a dog never attacks without a reason. Even if its behavior seems strange, there is a cause. To continue, there is a distinction between training a dog for a trial competition and training a dog for real life situations.

When a dog breeder needs help because his dog has behavioral problems, the trainer must know very well the dog’s psychology. First he has to know that a dog perceives the environment exclusively through sensorial experiences and instinct. For a dog the world is essentially defined by smells, as this is the most developed sense of a dog. Besides, a good dog psychologist must know a dog’s personality. Therefore a dog may be stubborn. When a trainer asks it to do something, first it will bark or growl when it hears a command. This kind of dog has to know that you are the leader. The training of a stubborn dog requires a lot of patience. Another personality type is the soft, weak dog which seems sleepy almost all the time. It doesn’t bark excessively, it doesn’t jump on its owner and does not chew anything. It is easily trained but it is very slow. Nervous dogs move and bark all the time and pull the leash. A trainer needs to be firm in order to control such a dog. Shy dogs are fearful and insecure. They need to be trained gently. A well balanced dog is curious, energetic, without being tiring, it loves its family and doesn’t hesitate to express its wishes and necessities. It can be very easily trained because it is eager to learn in order to satisfy its owner. At last, an aggressive dog may be dangerous for its owner, its family and for the other people. Biting aggressive dogs must be trained since early age. In a dog obedience training school there are resources for training all kinds of dogs, there are a lot of useful books. They offer a balanced approach to training, using both positive and negative reinforcement, with a focus on the use of conditioned reinforces. Such a book may contain many illustrations and photos highlight the text. Besides it provides many ideas for proofing for the ring and describes how to choose the right puppy for obedience, it teaches a solid foundation for the novice, open and utility exercises and many other useful tips. In addition, there are practical dog obedience training videos, which will give you proven, real-word information you can use immediately. These are useful videos which can show you how to really get your dog under control.

Seattle in the U.S.A is a location for dog lovers where you can find a lot more information about how to train your dogs.

Dog Obedience puppy Training

Many breeders and experts in dog obedience training ignore a puppy’s behavior even if it might have a great impact upon the dog’s behavior. That’s why some biologists focused on the dog’s behavior since the moment of its birth, for ten years and through a lot of tests they proved that the behavior, the personality and the abilities of a puppy are influenced by the events from the puppy’s sixteen weeks of life.

The dog’s obedience depends a lot on this critical period, when a puppy may form a good or a bad personality.

Thus, if a dog owner wants to have a happy dog, ready to start dog obedience training, first he must monitories the puppy’s first twelve weeks of life, especially. During this period the puppy will be accustomed to its environment, it will become a social creature. The breeder will watch the puppy’s relationship with its brothers or with other dogs, and with people. After that the puppies may be separated and adopted by dog obedience trainers, but it is very difficult even for the most experimented dog obedience trainers to establish an optimal relationship between people and puppies if they were not socialized previously. The puppy may be shy and isolated, even fearful and difficult to work with. It is important to mention here that this kind of shy dogs, or which had some unpleasant experience, may become aggressive and they will need special dog obedience classes. On the contrary, puppies which had dog obedience trainers well aware of this socializing period, were able to face, later, unpleasant experiences or physical pain and finally they became normal again. There are cases when during dog obedience training classes a trainer, willingly or by mistake, to cause a sharp physical pain to a dog, using an item of dog obedience training equipment like a shock collar, and since then the classes may be a failure. A dog which was socialized will notice the trainer’s mistake, but it will find quite quickly its physical balance. These are not free dog obedience training classes, not free obedience training puppy training methods, but they are some dog obedience training tips, which any dog breeder should take into account.

Therefore, during the first critical period of a puppy’s life, which may last twenty- one days, it must have a warm home and all it has to do is to sleep and to eat , as its mommy offers it everything , and of course they must be kept in a quiet place.

During this time a puppy can’t see or hear. It can only smell and feel. The second period is between the puppy’s twenty- second day of life and the forty- ninth. Now the puppy’s brain is ready for learning. That’s why dog lovers have to know that any pleasant or unpleasant event or experience will be quickly memorized by the puppy and it won’t be forgotten all its life. At the beginning of the seventh week of a puppy it is absolutely necessary a dog trainer. If you don’t afford to send the puppy to a dog obedience school or you can’t go to special courses for dog trainers, there are a lot of books about dog obedience training, even dog obedience training videos, which may be very useful.

Otherwise, the puppy will learn something, but on its own and maybe we won’t agree with the things learnt by it, later. So, the dog must be taught, in first place, hygiene. In the house it must learn not to damage the furniture or jump on the bed. The puppy must recognize the family members and to answer to its name. After the puppy is registered with all the vaccines, when the owner is sure that his dog does not have any parasites, the puppy should meet other dogs and it will adopt a behavior towards them.

The third critical period lasts form the eighth to the twelfth week, when usually puppies are separated from their mother and their brothers. The new owner and all the members of the new family must be very loving with the puppy. It would be an advantage if the new owner had some experience related to the dog’s behavior and psychology. During this period, the puppy will develop its personality, its character and its confidence. Besides, now the puppy will start to love its owner forever.

Moreover, during this period too, the young dogs start fighting. We mustn’t forget that wolves are the dog’s ancestors and they live in packs. Dogs also have this instinct: to become the leaders of a pack. In this case, the dog trainer has to take measures, to stop the fight. The dog has to know that the only leader is its trainer. The last critical period ends with the sixteenth week. This is the last chance for a puppy to recuperate the lost education in the previous periods. It is the right time for a dog to start real obedience training. Of course a puppy needs food supplements and other supplies like dog toys: air dog toys, land and sea toys and plush soft dog toys, which will give your dog hours of fun playing with, and toys to train your puppy with. Besides, dog kennels must be disinfected, cleaned and deodorized. For more information about dog obedience puppy training we let you know that in Delaware, U.S.A there is a great many highly skilled trainers who are ready to help you.

To conclude, we hope that these tips will help any dog lover who wants to own a well- trained obedient dog.

Dog obedience classes

When you own a dog and its behavior becomes hard to stand, it is obvious that your pet needs dog obedience classes. A typical unpleasant dog behavior is characterized by the fact that the dog excretes or urinates everywhere in the house, chews your shoes, bites your children, runs around your house, jumps on your guests or hides in your neighbors’ gardens. Such aspects most of the times drive you mad. Then you need specialized help. For such hyperactive dogs the obedience classes have to be dynamic, easy and very funny. However, before sending your special dog to a dog obedience school, you, as a good owner, have to attend some dog obedience courses, because you have to know what happens in your dog’s mind, how its brain functions and you have to know when a dog is motivated to obey you. When you have enough knowledge about dogs’ psychology, you are prepared to offer your dog the most effective training lessons.

In a dog obedience training school, the future trainers are taught which is the right equipment and which are the adequate supplies for your dog during training classes, because there are some toys or items of training equipment which do not fit the dog’s personality and they may be rejected by dogs.

A useful resource in dog training classes is the trainer’s voice. There are three tones which must be used when addressing commands to a dog. The first tone must be encouraging. The second tone must be serious and firm and the third tone is used when the trainer wants to correct a dog’s mistake. Body language is also essential in the communication with a dog.

In general, dog obedience schools offer classes for every life stage, structured by different ages and skill levels. Thus, the class which you may choose will fit both your dog’s development stage and your needs.

Here are presented some examples of classes in which dogs learn fundamental to complicated behavior. Puppy education includes introduction to simple cues, such as sit, come and stay, tips on puppy health and nutrition, basic manners, problem prevention, socializing with people and other dogs and relationship forming games.

To continue, beginner education classes include the same topics like puppy education and it is conceived for puppies and adult dogs which have not had any previous training. A special class is based on the click-a-trick education. A trainer has to know how to integrate more playful behaviors into the dog’s education. This class will help the dog owner communicate using a clicker as part of a positive reinforcement – based program. Key topics include advanced cues such as crawl, take a bow, roll over, the benefits of clicker training, loading a clicker and selecting primary reinforces.

After that comes intermediate education. This course will help further develop your dog’s ability to learn behaviors involving more distance, duration and distractions. Here key topics include relationship forming games, brief review of basic cues, additional cues (heel, stand and more), learning methods despite distractions.

Advanced education will help strengthen your dog’s reliability in every situation. Key topics covered include learning with increased distractions; sit politely for petting, specialized games to build reliability, advanced loose leash walking and heeling.

If you, as a dog owner, are not ready to commit to a six or eight week class or maybe your dog’s behavioral needs are targeted to one specific area, or you and your dog prefer a more intimate one-to-one training session, there are private classes, personalized to your needs. Apart from dog obedience classes, a lot of information can be found in books about dog obedience, in which authors included special dog obedience lessons, dog obedience training tips. Some dog obedience classes use funny class cartoons. Each lesson plan must include the resources necessary during the class, special equipment or special supplies. In addition, there are dog obedience clubs which organize dog obedience trials or competitions and the best dogs are awarded.

Furthermore, it is good to know that before starting dog obedience classes some schools offer a free initial consultation. During this consultation the trainer meets the dog owner, his family and their pet. This occasion gives you a preview of what will be necessary to guide you and your pet to a more rewarding relationship. During the initial consultation the trainer will look at how the owner, the family and the pet interact. This often shows aspects where supplementary training would be beneficial, as well as guiding the trainers to a common starting point. It is important that they meet with as much of the family as possible so that all the members of the family can be able to reinforce the techniques learned in the school’s sessions. If you have younger children, the situation may be critical, as they don’t tend to have the confident body language which it takes to win a dog’s respect. Although they often have the dog’s love, the animal is put unnecessarily in the dominant or the protector role, which isn’t healthy for the animal, to feel it has that kind of responsibility. Healthy canine existence with humans requires a leader, as their human counterpart. Without this guidance, they will feel burdened with the responsibility of being dominant to humans, which is an unrealistic expectation for our companions.

E-Book : Dog Obedience Training

2007-01-24T09:28:00.000-08:00

E-Book : Kidney cancer diagnosis and prognosis

2007-01-24T09:26:00.000-08:00

Kidney cancer diagnosis and prognosis

When we feel that something is wrong with us, we usually go to a doctor’s to find out a diagnosis for our illness.

First the physician has to know our symptoms, which may be: abdominal pain, blood in the urine, and weight loss. This doesn’t mean that if we develop these symptoms we suffer from kidney cancer. The physician will ask when you first noticed the symptoms and how they may have evolved. He or she may as well ask about your family history related to cancer, and if you smoke. Another question is about the value of your blood pressure another one is about dialysis. After that, the doctor will perform a physical exam, paying careful attention to any signs that may indicate kidney cancer, such as inflammation in the legs or a lump in the abdomen.

In addition, there are more diagnostic tests:

Blood and urine tests are used to check kidney function or to find substances that indicate kidney cancer may be present.

CT scan is a type of x-ray that uses a computer to produce cross-sectional images of the inside of the body.

Intravenous pyelogram (IVP) means that a dye is injected into one of your veins and there are taken some x-rays. The dye courses through the urinary system, allowing x-ray pictures to be more clear and detailed.

MRI scan is a test that uses magnetic waves to produce images of the inside of the body. An MRI produces two-dimensional and three-dimensional pictures, using a large magnet, radio waves, and a computer.

Biopsy is a removal of a sample of kidney tissue to test for cancer cells. This test is rarely needed because imaging studies usually provide enough information. When a biopsy is done, the doctor inserts a needle through the skin, in order to take a sample of tissue from the tumor. This tissue is verified for cancer cells.

Another step for establishing the diagnosis is cytology, which means the study of cells. The cytology of cancer cells differs significantly from normal cells, and physicians use the unique cellular traits seen on biopsy samples to determine the diagnosis and asses the prognosis of a cancer.

Staging is the process by which physicians decide the prognosis of a cancer that has already been diagnosed. Low staging classifications (0 – 1) mean a favorable prognosis, whereas high staging classifications (4 – 5) imply an unfavorable prognosis. Prognosis is a forecast of the probable course and, or result of a disease or condition. Prognosis is most often expressed as the percentage of patients who are expected to survive over five or ten years and it is based on the experience of many patients who suffer from cancers at various stages. The five-year survival rate for all renal cell cancers is 60%. The five-year survival rate by stage is as follows: Stage I: 90% to 100%, Stage II: 65% to 75%, Stage III: varies widely, between 40% and 70%, Stage IV: less than 10%.

However, we all know that the last feeling which dies in a human being is hope. So prognosis depends on each person’s life span.

Kidney cancer survival rate

When unfortunately we suffer from a disease like cancer, the first question asked by us is which might be our life expectancy in this case.

According to recent statistics, survival rate in the case of kidney cancer varies depending on the size of the tumor, whether it is confined to the kidney or not, and the presence or absence of metastatic spread. The five-year survival rate is around 90-95% for tumors less than 4 cm. For larger tumors nearby the kidney, without venous invasion, survival is still relatively good at 80-85%. For tumors that extend through the renal capsule and out of the local fascial investments, the survivability decrease to near 60%. If it has spread to the lymph nodes, the 5-year survival is around 5 % to 15 %. If it has spread metastatically to other organs, the 5-year survival at less than 5 %. For those that have tumor recurrence after surgery, the prognosis is generally poor. Renal cell carcinoma does not generally respond to chemotherapy or radiation. Immunotherapy, which attempts to induce the body to attack the remaining cancer cells, has seemed better. Recent research is testing newer agents, even if the actual complete remission rate with these approaches are still low, around 12-20% in most series.

We will offer you some information, in order to find out how serious is this disease, in the USA, for example: Deaths from Kidney Cancer: 11,116 deaths reported in USA 1999. Estimated mortality rate for Kidney Cancer from incidence and deaths statistics: Deaths: 11,115 (USA annual deaths calculated from this data: 11,116 deaths reported in USA 1999 Incidence: 31,799 (USA annual incidence calculated from this data: 31,800 annual cases in USA; more than 28,000 cases annually in the United States.

On the other hand, we want to present now an optimistic view upon kidney cancer, offered by a survivor. He was diagnosed with kidney cancer in late 1989, at the age of 32. He had his kidney out, and then a month later he was horrified to learn that the cancer has spread to both lungs and to multiple bones in his spine. After several weeks of searching for options and stumbling through the system, he found a clinical trial of High Dose Interleukin-2, a powerful immune stimulant, combined with Interferon Alpha, another immune stimulating drug. He travelled across the country to obtain the treatment which he thought was best, and he was very lucky in that he has gained a long term remission from his disease. He has been well enough to return to work, get married, have a child and climb the high peaks of the Colorado Rockies.

Cancer is a strange and terrifying land but nonetheless his motto has become, "Anything can happen in this country." Following his recovery, he realized that he had been fortunate to be able to figure out how to face the system, and that he had hardly done a good job, but he also realized that many people with cancer never find out about promising new options for their cancers, and that many doctors offer only what is available locally. Consequently, he gathered some more knowledge, and started to teach a class on clinical trials for other patients. He absolutely believes that "Knowledge is Power", and has become an information pack , on his own behalf, as well as providing information to other patients in any way he can.

To conclude, as long as you want to stay alive, you have to try anything possible in order to fight a cancer, if there is the case, in order to survive.

Kidney cancer treatment

Treatment of kidney cancer, as well as of other types of cancer, too, is chosen according to relevant factors like age of the patient, general health of the patient and kind and progression of the kidney cancer. Taking into account all these factors, the physician will establish a treatment for the patient. Some of the frequently used treatments for kidney cancer are: chemotherapy, radiation therapy, biological therapy, hormone therapy and surgery (including cryosurgery) and holistic cures. Chemotherapy uses anti-cancer or 'cytotoxic' medication to kill cancer cells. These work by interrupting the growth of cancer cells. As they circulate in the blood, they can reach cancer cells wherever they are in your body. Chemotherapy is used more often for a type of cancer called transitional cell cancer, which can grow in the kidney, bladder or the ureters. Among the drugs tested for transitional cell cancer of the kidney are mitomycin C and a relatively new drug called vinflunine. Radiation therapy uses radiation to destroy cancer cells. It's usually used to relieve pain when kidney cancer has spread to the bones. In general, you'll receive radiation treatment at a clinic or hospital often five days a week for several weeks. The effects of radiation are cumulative, and you may become very tired in the last few weeks of treatment and the side effects are as follows: the skin in the treated area may become red, tender or itchy, and you also have other side effects, such as nausea and vomiting. Biologic therapy, sometimes called immunotherapy, has as aim to boost your body's immune system to more effectively fight off or destroy cancer cells. Drugs called cytokines (proteins that activate the immune system) have become one of the standard treatments for metastatic renal cell carcinoma. The 2 cytokines most often used are interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-alpha. Both cytokines cause these cancers to decrease to less than half their original size in about 10% to 20% of patients. Patients who respond to IL-2 tend to have lasting responses.

Combining low doses of both cytokines was once thought to be as effective as high-dose IL-2, with fewer and less severe side effects, but recent studies have not supported this. Recent research with a combination of IL-2, interferon, and chemotherapy (using 5-fluorouracil) is also promising and may offer a better chance of partial or complete remission (little or no remaining cancer detectable by imaging tests). The possible side effects of cytokine therapy, especially high dose IL-2, include: diarrhea or abdominal pain, high fever and chills,rapid heart beat, mental changes , extreme fatigue, low blood pressure, fluid accumulation in the lungs, trouble breathing , kidney damage, heart attacks, intestinal bleeding . Hormone therapy slows the growth of cancer cells, or stops cancer cells from growing. It involves taking substances to interfere with the activity of hormones or to stop the production of hormones. Hormone therapy is used in a small number of patients with advanced kidney cancer to try to control the growth of cancer cells. Surgery to remove the kidney is called a nephrectomy and it is the most common treatment for kidney cancer. The following are different types of nephrectomy procedures: radical nephrectomy, which means that the whole kidney is removed along with the adrenal gland, tissue around the kidney, and, sometimes, lymph nodes in the area, simple nephrectomy, in which only the kidney is removed, partial nephrectomy, which means that only the part of the kidney that contains the tumor is removed. The remaining kidney is generally able to work for both kidneys. Some urologists are using a new surgical technique—cryosurgery, or the application of extreme cold to kill cancerous tissue—in the treatment of kidney cancer. Cryosurgery shows promising results with minimal pain and bleeding, shorter recovery period and less expensive costs than traditional approaches . There are a multitude of alternative treatments available to help the person with cancer. They can be used in conjunction with, or separate from, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Bodywork therapies such as massage and reflexology ease muscle tension and may alleviate the side effects such as nausea and vomiting. Homeopathy and herbal remedies used in Chinese traditional herbal medicine have also been shown to stop some of the side effects of radiation and chemotherapy and are recommended by many doctors. Herbal treatment inhibit tumor growth and metastasis, stop pain and improve symptoms. Certain foods including many vegetables, fruits and grains are believed to offer protection against kidney cancer. In laboratory studies, vitamins such as A, C and E, as well as compounds found in broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, and beta-carotene found in carrots have been shown to protect against cancer. Finally, holistic cures boost energy and strong body for better life and health.

Kidney cancer stages

The stage of a cancer informs the doctor how far it grew and it is essential, as therapies are frequently established according to the evolution of a cancer. There are two criteria of classifying cancer stage: the number stages (usually stage 1 to stage 4) and the TNM system. The TNM system is a staging system, common to all cancers. The T stands for tumour, the N is the symbol for nodes and the M for metastases. With this combination of letters and numbers, doctors can describe precisely the size of your cancer and if it has spread to lymph nodes or anywhere else in the body.

The 'T' stages of kidney cancer
The 'T' stages are: T0, in which there is no evidence of a primary tumour in the kidney, T1 when the tumour is no more than 7 cm across and is completely inside the kidney, T2 if the tumour is more than 7cm across, but is still completely inside the kidney , T3 when the cancer has spread through the kidney capsule, to a major vein, the adrenal gland or other tissues immediately surrounding the kidney , T4 if the cancer has grown further than the tissues immediately surrounding the kidney

A doctor may talk about T1a or T1b. T1a means that you have a tumour that is less than 4 cm across. T1b means that the kidney tumour is between 4 and 7cm across. This is important for surgeons. If you have a smaller tumour, it may be possible to remove just the cancer and leave the rest of the kidney behind. This technique is called nephron sparing surgery.

The ‘N’ stages

They let the doctor know if the cancer has spread to your lymph nodes. There are four lymph node stages in kidney cancer. These are: N0, which means no cancer in any lymph nodes, N1 when cancer spread to one nearby lymph node only and N2 if cancer spread to more than one lymph node, nearby. Doctors frequently call lymph nodes containing cancer 'positive lymph nodes'. If you have cancer in your lymph nodes, then your kidney cancer has started to spread.

Metastases

There are two stages for kidney cancer spread: the cancer has evolved (M1) or it hasn't (M0). If your cancer has evolved, you have advanced kidney cancer.

Number stages

There are 4 stages for kidney cancer. They are

Stage 1 – The cancer is less than 7cm across and is completely inside the kidney

Stage 2 – The cancer is more than 7cm across but is still completely inside the kidney

Stage 3 – The cancer has grown into the adrenal gland, or one of the major veins nearby. There is no more than one nearby lymph node containing cancer cells

Stage 4 – The cancer has grown into the surrounding tissues and there is more than one lymph node containing cancer cells or the cancer has spread to another part of the body

The grade of your cancer decides the evolution of the cancer and it is established by the image of the cancer cells under the microscope. The more like normal kidney cells they look, the lower the grade of your cancer is. The less like normal kidney cells the cancer cells look, the higher the grade of your cancer is. So, low grade cancers tend to grow more slowly and are less likely to evolve than high grade cancers.
The main criterium for deciding which therapy is best for you is whether your cancer has grown away from the kidney or not.

Kidney cancer causes
In general, kidney cancer occurs most frequently to people over forty. Unfortunately, the causes of this illness are not clear enough. Doctors rarely have an explanation concerning the occurrence of this disease to some people, whereas other people do not have to face it. The good news is, nevertheless that kidney cancer cannot be trasmitted to healthy people. Nevertheless this chapter related to kidney cancer causes is not closed at all. So researchers have shown that there are people with certain risk factors who are more likely than others to develop kidney cancer. A risk factor is anything that increases the probability that a person develop a certain disease. They have found the following risk factors for kidney cancer: Firstly, cigarette smoking is a major risk factor. Cigarette smokers are twice as likely as nonsmokers to suffer from kidney cancer. Cigar smoking also may increase the risk of this disease. Secondly, comes obesity. People who are obese have a grater risk of kidney cancer. The third factor which increases the risk of developing a kidney cancer is high blood pressure. Besides, we can add long-term dialysis. Dialysis is a treatment for people whose kidneys do not work well. It removes wastes from the blood. Being on dialysis for many years is a risk factor for kidney cancer. To continue, we may speak about Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, which is a rare disease that runs in some families. It is caused by genetic changes. An abnormal gene related to this syndrom is a risk of kidney cancer. Family members of those people developing this syndrome can have a test to check for an abnormal gene. For people with an abnormal gene, physicians may suggest methods to improve the detection of kidney cancer and other diseases before symptoms start. So, inherited and acquired gene mutations may cause kidney cancer. Human cells contain 23 pairs of chromosomes. Each of these chromosomes contains many genes that are made of DNA. The genes that we inherit from our parents make us who we are. Genes are the reason that we often have a similar appearance to our parents. In addition to determining the way we look, genes also control every aspect of our body's metabolism. This is why abnormal genes can cause some diseases. Abnormalities of genes are called mutations. Gene mutations that cause some diseases (such as sickle cell disease) can be inherited. People with these mutations have an increased risk of developing of kidney tumors. Some other mutations involved in formation of kidney cancers that are not inherited are also known. Most risk factors for cancer somehow damage the DNA that forms genes. Most people who have these risk factors do not get kidney cancer. On the other hand, most people who do get the disease have no known risk factors. Moreover, profession may be a risk factor. Some people have a higher risk of getting kidney cancer as they come in contact with certain chemicals in their workplace. Coke oven workers in the iron and steel industry are at risk, as well as workers exposed to asbestos or cadmium. Another risk factor can be gender. Thus, males are more likely than females to be diagnosed with kidney cancer, according to the statistics. Each year in the United States, about 20,000 men and 12,000 women find out that they have kidney cancer. On the other hand, most people who do get the disease have no known risk factors. People who think they may be at risk should discuss this concern with their doctor. The doctor may be able to suggest ways to reduce the risk and can plan an appropriate checkup schedule.

Review : Tips on buying a used car

2007-01-24T09:13:00.000-08:00

Tips on buying a used car

The used car market continues to grow and, as with increased inflation in the form of higher house rentals, school fees and food prices, the demand for good quality used cars is likely to become an increasingly attractive proposition for many people who would have bought brand new vehicles in the past.

If you buy for the first time a used car, you need some tips. You may buy it from a dealer or from a private seller. Dealerships are usually a safer choice because they offer you a guarantee on what they sell. The disadvantage is that a dealer offers a higher price than a private seller. With a private seller you can negotiate. A dealer must provide to the seller a buyer’s guide, which must contain the following information:

- The car has a warranty or not

- How much of the repair costs the warranty covers

- The major systems on the car to look out for

- Reminders to have the car inspected by an independent mechanic

It is recommended not to buy a used car as it is, if you don’t trust the seller and you don’t have written proves related to the status of the car. Irrespective of the way of purchasing the car, you have to know who the owner was or who the owners were, why the previous owner wants to sell it. Besides, you have to know what was it being used for and if it has been in any accidents. In addition, you have to know what problems it has had in the past and when it got a tune-up for the last time. You should read a car history report, but most of the times this report is not reliable. You should ask a good mechanic if there is a proof of an accident. Obviously, you should know the particular model you are interested in. You may give the car an overall inspection yourself, or a person who is familiarized with cars. Check the doors first as they mustn’t be flush with the body, and check as well curious patches of paint. If you smell mildew, somewhere inside there is a sign of water damage. When you close the deal, make sure to get all the promises in writing. Warranty information shouldn’t be omitted. If you buy the car from a dealer, don’t lose your buyer’s guide, for future reference.

Remember, your used car won’t have the shiny appearance of a brand new one. This can be fixed with paint and restoration, if it is in good running condition. Even a good wax job can return the shine. Don’t forget the headlights when you are restoring the exterior finish. There is a great product called New Lite Headlight Cleaner and Restorer that returns headlights to their original condition. Cloudy headlights are a safety concern, as they won’t work as well.

Take the automobile on the roads you typically travel to get a feel for how it will handle under your normal driving conditions.

Review : Tips on buying a new car

2007-01-24T09:11:00.000-08:00

Tips on buying a new car

The first thing which is very important when you purchase a new car is energy efficiency. Then you must do some comparisons. In automobile magazines there are a lot of models which may be compared. You can try to determine the size which is best for your needs: a two-door, a subcompact, a compact or a sedan model. Next you can compare the mileage ratings for different cars. These mileage ratings must be listed on window stickers and they respect environmental protection requirements. Mileage ratings are determined, by tests, through simulated city street and freeway driving. However the mileage you get on your vehicle may depend on your driving habits and on the vehicle itself. Mileage ratings may help you calculate how much the car will cost you to run. The most efficient car is one which provides a better mileage. Some easy calculations may help you save considerable sums of money. A hybrid vehicle, even if it has a higher initial cost, it will pay itself back in a few years by the amount of gasoline saved.

Furthermore, the car buying folder must include all the data necessary in order to buy a car:

* information about all the car dealership in your area
* purchase price, monthly payment, down payment, interest rates, length of loan
* your free credit report
* data about the manufacturer, and car dealer incentives
* offers on your trade in
* worksheet about how much and what you are paying for
* your driver’s license, if you take the car for a test drive
* car insurance estimator
* costs of different accessories of the car, provided by different car dealers
* checkbook, proof of insurance, registration

Negotiating with dealers

It's a buyers market which means you can bargain with dealers for a better deal, but you need to be prepared for the battle.

Do some research on market values before you go shopping so you know the value of the car you're buying and the value of your trade-in. That way you'll be better placed to barter with the dealer. Have your finance arranged before you go shopping, but don't tell the dealer. Dealers will often cut the price of a car believing they'll make money on the finance. Don't settle on the first car you inspect. Visit a number of dealers and compare deals before making a commitment. Look for a dealer well stocked with the car you want and he'll be more prepared to deal. Start Bargaining!Ask the salesperson for the dealership's lowest markup over their cost. And always bargain with the invoice price, never down from the sticker price. If the car you want is in tight supply, you may have to pay the full sticker price. Otherwise, $300 to $500 over the invoice price is reasonable. The advice you receive with your report takes you through the hard part, negotiating a fair price. The dealership's "business manager" may try to sell you undercoating, rustproofing, fabric protection, extended warranty, windshield etching, etc. They're all worthless or overpriced.

Review : Tips on Buying a Hyundai

2007-01-24T09:09:00.000-08:00

Tips on Buying a Hyundai

The cars have changed. Everything has changed. Nowadays vehicles last twice as long as the cars of 1960, but they cost ten times as much. In 1960 the average new car cost $2,500 and traveled about 75,000 miles over a seven-year lifespan. Today the average price of a new car is $25,500 dollars. According to the US Department of Transportation, nowadays cars will average 145,000 miles in 13 years.

The buyers changed too. Forty years ago, used-car buyers wanted to buy new cars; new-car buyers wanted more expensive models. Now, many car purchasers who want quality and dependability are turning to used cars first. Late-model cars coming off lease have altered both the new and used car marketplace with plentiful supplies of warrantied, low-mileage. Most of these well-maintained, late-model vehicles look and perform like new, with yearly model changes a thing of the past.

Don't wait until the last minute to go shopping. It can take up to 6 weeks to research, test-drive, choose, finance, insure, purchase, and register a car, whether it's new or used. If you don't take your time, people with bad intentions can pressure you into making incorrect decisions. An desperate buyer is the car dealer's best friend.

Secondly, follow the old-fashioned way. Go to a dealer in your area and look around. You enter the showroom, spotting a vehicle you like.You sit down with the first available salesperson, agree on a monthly payment that sounds affordable, sign a purchase order, and give them a deposit. The next day the dealer calls you, says your loan's approved, and tells you when you can pick it up.

For a hands-on look at your choices, it's time to visit the car lots, to choose a dealership and to handle the salespeople.

The test drive comes before any negotiation on price. You have to experience for yourself how different makes and models handle and perform.

Narrow down the choices and figure out a reasonable price.

If a previously-enjoyed vehicle makes your final cut, don't make a $10,000 mistake! A thorough mechanic's inspection and a Free Check (both highly recommended) are your best protection against buying a used car with costly, hidden problems.

The plusses and minuses of extended warranties. Unless you're prepared to pay for the very best policies from a highly rated company like Warranty Direct, we find them more trouble than they're worth.

Don't sign anything until you find out what your insurance costs will be. Before you buy, get a quote on the car you want from an online insurance broker who represents many different firms. The difference in premiums between insurance companies can be staggering!

How to sell your current vehicle, also includes the tax advantages of giving away your clunker. If you need the cash the best way is to list it with a nationwide used car classified service

Discount internet buying services are great for busy people and for cost-conscious consumers who dread typical dealer negotiating or are fearful of being ripped off.

Hyundai Azera Review - www.ourismanhyundai.com

2007-01-24T08:40:00.000-08:00

Hyundai Azera Review

The Hyundai Azera is a car model from Hyundai Motor Corp. which was produced in 1986. The fourth generation of Hyundai cars is called the Hyundai Azera and it was marketed first in North America.

The all new Azera started in 2006 as an advanced sedan which provides many traits and amenities which are usually characteristic for more expensive cars. The Azera offers the full-size luxury automobile consumer a more elegant cabin, more security characteristics, and a smoother drive.

Technical aspects

The Azera has a four-wheel independent suspension (multi-link in the rear) and uses the company's new 3.8 L Lambda V6, which generates 263-hp (196 kW). The power is sent to the front wheels through a five-speed automatic transmission with "Shiftronic" manual gear selection. Hyundai claims 6.3 seconds to accelerate to 60 mph (97 km/h) and a top speed of 157 MPH (252 km/h). The Azera has a fuel economy of 19 MPG (12.4 L/100 km) in the City and 28 MPG (8.4 L/100 km) on the Highway is expected.

Styles and Major Options

The Azera offers plenty of perfomance using an awe-inspiring 263-hp DOHC V6 24-valve aluminum power plant with CVVT, variable induction and intake of cold-air.

The Azera is the most uncompromising car Hyundai's ever created through a double-wishbone front suspension and multi-link rear suspension, with front and rear stabilizer bars to provide an optimized ride and handling.

The Hyundai Azera is recognized an an Ultra Low Vehicle Emission. The Azera helps the driver reach amazing levels of efficiency, with a trip computer that allows for MPG monitoring. You are provided alloy wheels, heated front seats, leather seat-upholstery, and a power sun shade in the rear window. In the ultimate package are included an improved audio system with 10 speakers and a 6-Disc CD changer, a power sunroof, telescopic steering wheel, and rain-sensing windshield wipers.

Safety

Eight Airbags which come standard on the AzeraHyundai make you sure that their Azera has many standard features and it can be compared to Toyota Avalon, with Electronic Stability Control, Traction Control, as well as Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS). The Azera also comes standard with 8 airbags and remote keyless entry, and an anti-theft engine immobilizer. The Azera/Grandeur TG" is a full-size sedan. It is sold as the Hyundai Azera in North America.

Being a step up from the Sonata, the Azera is evaluated at $24,995 for a base SE model, $27,495 for the Limited version, and $29,995 for the Ultimate Package. The flagship Azera will be the most luxurious sedan Hyundai which is selling outside of Korea, this year, when an all-new rear-wheel drive luxury sedan is released under the Hyundai name to check ther market for a future luxury model.

The Azera was named "Best New Family Car (over $35,000)" in the 2006 Canadian Car of the Year awards.

It also was awarded by Car and Driver because it has more rear legroom than a BMW 7 Series. It is also believed to have more overall interior room than the BMW 7 Series.

For more details enter the site: www.ourismanhyundai.com!

Review : Hyundai

2007-01-24T08:38:00.000-08:00

Hyundai Sonata Review

It’s difficult to imagine, but Hyundai worries that even if it has one of the highest customer faithfullness ratings in the industry, attracting new purchasers into the showroom has been a real challenge. The new Sonata slogan is: “A Hyundai you’ve never seen before" and it is true that the Sonata which was redesigned has more power, more space and better fit and finish than it has ever had previously.

Its advantages are:

Acceleration

The possibility to avoid accidents

Comfort and convenience

Gas mileage

There are two acceptable disadvantages:

Suspension noise

Handling

Reliability and Maintenance

The Sonata is easy to take care of, with very little, in the way of programmed maintenance until 100,000 miles is reached, unlike oil changes at regular intervals.

It is backed by one of the longest powertrainn warranties in the automotive industry at 10 years or 100,000 miles.

Performance and Handling

The new Sonata is adequately equipped with a standard 4-cylinder which offers 162HP. The 3.3-liter V6 with 234HP is smooth but responsive and reaches average speed with little effort.

Acceleration is brisk in the four-cylinder and it is surprizing in the V6. Hyundai officials say the V6 will turn 0-60 miles per hour times of about 7.5 seconds, with a maximum speed of 130 mph. Shifts are executed easily with the five-speed manual, and the front tires are chirped even more easily. Kicking down for passing with minimal hesitation, the Shiftronic automatic transmission moves between gears smoothly. When the engine bumps up against redline, and it declines to downshift at all, leaving that to the driver's preferences,in manual mode, the Shiftronic will upshift automatically.

It provides more room and power than previous years

However, there is a least favourite feature, cheap interior look with fewer features, and new external redesign. But let’s see the positive aspects of Hyundai sonata.

Even if the interior seems cheap and bare compared to 2002-2005 models, seats are comfortable and the general aspect is all right for those who prefer simplicity. The on road performance and handling of this car is very good.

The Hyundai Sonata's new interior marks a major step up the quality ladder. You can notice some rough edges on a few plastic molds and a less-than-lustrous finish on some dash panels. But the overall look is highly competitive with most in the class and better than some.

Three round dials in the hooded instrument cluster communicate the necessities of operational data to the driver, with the largest the speedometer which is positioned inside a polished circle. To its left is the tachometer, and to its right conjoined water temperature and fuel gauges. In the lower dash to the left of the steering column are a bank of five switch plugs, one of them is the dash-light rheostat, and there also can be seen a flip-down storage bin. The ignition key slides into a slot placed properly, in the dash to the right of the steering column instead of on the steering column itself.

Are you curious? Visit our site and you’ll be aswered all your questions!

E-Book : Handmade Handbags versus Designer Handbags

2007-01-24T08:34:00.000-08:00

Handmade Handbags versus Designer Handbags

There are considerable differences between the clothes and accessories we wear during the summer and those we wear during the winter or during the other seasons. Women usually wear in the summer, light or bright colors like pink, light green, light blue and in the winter they wear dark colors, like black, grey, brown. They seem to avoid light colors. But there are seasons when ladies refuse to wear dark colors. For example, let’s imagine a white winter white handbags. White handbags usually can be associated with summer tendencies, with the beach or with exotic destinations. But this winter, at least you handbags can be exotic, if it is cold outside. It is a new, courageous idea, promoted by our designers and our handbag manufacturers, a fashionable, trendy, chic phenomenon. A woman shouldn’t look dull if the weather is dull and cold. However, handbags can be fashionable throughout the year. White handbags are very trendy this winter, among Hollywood stars, too. Cameron Diaz, J-Lo, Salma Hayek and Nicole Kidman chose to shine in the winter, wearing white handbags. The effect is amazing, white color seems to refresh your appearance. There is only one problem with white handbags. They may get dirty very easily, but if you alternate more bags, you won’t have such problems. Siam Sensibilities is here to provide you a large variety of handbags, irrespective of your style. So, hey, girls, dare to give up wearing patterns. If you have a special appearance you may look more fashionable. But be careful! Not any combination is possible! Choose your handbag, after you consult the tendencies and the mirror. Otherwise, you may have unpleasant surprises!

Furthermore, we’ll talk about the effects which a handbag may have upon your look. Most of the times the saying “less is more” is valid. You’d better invest in a single pair of jeans which fits you very well, a few T-shirts or cotton vests, irrespective of the color, and let the accessories define your look. A handbag, a pair of shoes, a watch, a scarf, a belt or pair of sunglasses! They are things in which you ought to invest more. A skirt may be out of fashion sooner than a pair of crocodile leather shoes. But nowadays the handbag is the accessory which can tell everything about you. It doesn’t matter if you wear a simple white cotton T-shirt and a pair of torn jeans. Handbag designers provide names for the bags designed by them, for example Kelly, Birkin or Stam. Furthermore, let’s have a look at the tendencies of spring – summer of this year. Handbags have attractive shapes, they are made of recyclable materials or they are covered with pearls and they are oversize.

But the most extravagant handbags are the ecological ones. They are handmade and the materials they are made of are all recyclable: cement bags, broken tires, newspaper pages, maps etc. Each bag is unique.

Handmade or designer handbags, it doesn’t matter: our collection is really great; we are a balm in the dry desert of junk products.

History of the Handbag

Women were always preoccupied to look good, to have nice clothes and accessories. Records say that handbags and purses were invented in the antique Egypt. As long as women have something precious to carry around with them, handbags are necessary. Egyptian hieroglyphs show pouches carried around the waist. But the first record of a handbag takes us back to the 14th century. Women had around their waist some accessories called girdles. Bags were attached to them. They were adorned with embroidery and jewels and they were a standard for the status of a certain woman. In the 16th century handbags became more practical and they were made of leather and cloth. In the 17th century appeared fashionable, small purses, having different shapes and which were carried by men and women as well. When a young girl wanted to get married she had to be taught embroidery and she used to decorate beautiful handbags. In the 18th century, handbags were called reticules, irrespective of the occasion where they were worn. In those times, women used to carry smelling salts, rouge, a fan, face powder or a scent bottle in their handbags. The word “handbag” was first used at the beginning of the 1900’s. It was generally referred to hand luggage usually carried by men. This was a source of inspiration for new bags, which became popular for women. After that, there were created handbags with locks, sophisticated fasteners and internal compartments. This handbag idea was also a source of inspiration for jewelers, who created special compartments inside the handbags, made for fans, cosmetics or opera glasses. In the 1920’s stylish ladies used to carry dolls, dressed exactly like them, complete with matching bag! The 1940’s brought sobriety in clothing because each aspect of life was influenced by the war. There weren’t many metal frames, mirrors, leather or zip, but plastic and wood. In the 1950’s design houses like Channel were famous and in the 1960’s classical culture were considered old and it was replaced by youth culture. Designer houses like Gucci or Dior were imitated by designers who don’t have their originality, neither their materials nor their financial possibilities and such handbags invaded the markets. Of course, they are cheaper and more accessible for a larger number of women.

Nowadays there are handbags made of python leather, handbags which look like old trunks, with special metal buckles, in different shades and everything you can or you cannot imagine. You may also enjoy maxi handbags with little padlocks, usually black colored. Besides, this year the most fashionable handbags are those unisex, with a lot of pockets. And when you want to say hello to sunny spring days, you may take a flowery handbag with you. As far as the future of handbags is concerned a prediction would be that they will be made of new materials, of new textures and fabrics, but famous classics will also be on top, and of course, the latest news about the most wonderful handbags will be provided only by Siam Sensibilities.

The Top 5 Bags

Handbags were always popular accessories for women. They never choose a handbag easily, because there are a lot of trends and styles to choose from. Each occasion calls for a different kind of handbag. We try to help you decide providing a list of the top five favorite and fashionable handbags. Of course, you don’t have to purchase exactly one of these handbags, as you know that the handbags you carry must match your personality. The following handbags are very fashionable at the moment:

1. Clutches

They are handbags without any handles; therefore they have to be carried in the hand. This means that they are usually quite small and they provide space only for the most important things you have to carry. Irrespective if they are casual or stylish, they are small and efficient. You can wear them when you go to parties and to nightclubs.

2. Handheld Handbag

They are handbags designed to be held only in the hand. They are usually smaller than a shoulder bag and they don’t provide as much space as shoulder bags. A handheld bag looks quite like a clutch but it usually has handles or a strap. They are best suited for the days when you go out just for fun or for shopping.

3. Shoulder bags

We provide many different sizes and shapes of shoulder bags. They are usually quite large and provide more space for basic things like makeup, wallet, and even small books. They are meant only to be worn over the shoulders and they are a combination of practicality and style.

4. Tote bag

They are preferred by women because they are casual and very practical. They are usually positioned in the middle of the body, around the elbow. They are quite big and they provide plenty of space for the user. They may have one or two compartments. We provide tote bags with a number of images on them or a simple color.

5. Back packs are usually worn by students of all ages. A back pack has two straps, which make them suitable to be carried, as there is a balanced pressure of both sides of your shoulders and back. In the case of most handbags the pressure is exerted on one side.

The handbag chosen by you must depend on your style and your personality. Usually women feel the necessity to change the style of handbag they carry every day. Moreover, the style of the handbag depends on where you are going and what kind would be best suited for a certain occasion.

“With Siam Sensibilities you will never get board, you’ll use our handbags when you go abroad. Shopping from us is full of fun. With our company you like handbags like a very tasty bun.”

Our company is well-organized; our products are presented in a variety of realistic and lively contexts, suggesting the diversity of the occasions when you can wear your handbags. By using our products, you will be able to express yourself using everyday accessories.

Silk Handbags

Silk was always a stylish material, not only for handbags, but also for other accessories like purses, belts, scarves. Simple or embroidered, the silk handbags we provide for you may be explored and they are a guideline for you, to see what we can offer you.

A handbag designer and artists in general, use their eyes for watching but they work with their souls, especially when they use such a soft and delicate material like silk. A handbag designer is an artist. His vision is built in a chromatic language which is a mixture between modern tendencies and his sensibility for bright, fascinating silk colors. We may offer you silk handbags made of juxtaposed shades, which reflect a spiritual light. Some of them reflect the formal influence of Chinese kakemonos, upon their style. You can see silk bags providing a geometric shape, combined with fresh colors as an affective element. Women who prefer to wear silk handbags are sensitive, quite lyrical; they spread silence and delicacy around them, mystery and style. High quality is our image. Our products have a high export standard as we use only quality materials and accessories for our products. Everybody will love Siam Sensibilities products for a very long time. As silk is a dainty material, we ensure you that our products were made using the most advanced machines, in order to manufacture our handbags. Machines are used only for embroidery, while most of our products are handmade.

Our handbags are products made of intelligence, creativity and passion. Silk may always be associated with passion and sensuality. Different shapes and colors: bright colors, with metallic reflections, pink or other shades invaded by pure light, offer you the opportunity to make a choice.

We all love sheer, gauzy, floaty, and silky smooth fabric. There's something about it that is mesmerizing and fantasy like. We can offer you sheer crisp silk organza and soft smooth silk habotai gift bags which will make anything you put in them seem really special. Just right when you want to see through your gift bag to the special item inside or entice yourself to touch the bag more than open it up to see what's inside. Potpourri scents waft through better with the sheer organza fabric.

Some of them will hold gems, crystals, marbles, coins, and pixie shoes and they are perfect for wedding and party favor gifts. You may keep a locket of your baby's hair in one or great tooth fairy bag for little ones.

Other silk bags are perfect for potpourri, dried flower petals, semi-precious stone collections, necklaces, bracelets, brooches, cosmetics, and tiny lingerie (like a thong).

Last, but not least, there are silk bags perfect for all kind of things. Safely store your silk charmeuse cami to prevent snagging in your dresser drawers. Slip in gift slippers or socks! Use as a gift bag for silk scarves. Fill it with potpourri and hang in your closet from a hanger to freshen up a large walk in closet!

Just visit our site and you’ll find out more about silk bags!

Wholesale Handbags

There are wholesale handbags companies which can provide the highest quality of handbags, all of them extremely fashionable, at acceptable prices. They can be satisfying not only for those who deal with accessories, but also for the most exigent customers. The highest quality of workmanship, the finest materials, and the amazing style, both traditional and modern are only a few superlatives for a wholesale company which wants to be respected and to attract customers. Therefore, a handbag company must use the highest quality furnishings which go into every bag and their collection must include products for each preference, from sleek and sophisticated women or for dare and devastating sexy ones. You have to find designer inspired handbags or designer replicas. The prices must be reported to the quality. In a wholesale store products must be updated at least weekly with new arrivals. Sometimes you don’t want to pay full price for expensive products, even if you want them. You may have the best quality products at unbelievable wholesale prices and you may save money. Searching the web you may find the best wholesalers and distributors which can provide you original, new products, at the most incredible discount prices. Why wholesale handbags? Because this feature may provide you the handbags you need for any occasion. The wholesale stores are interesting, updated and challenging. The variety of handbags allow for differentiated shopping. The handbags are practical and enjoyable. Wholesale stores are an innovative approach to shopping for everybody. They are terrific!

Wholesale Handbags provide a choice of handbags collected by us from a huge readymade variety of fabric handbags and leather handbags designs. The choices made by our designers, the quality and the reliability of the manufacturers is always checked. The handbags are fashion orientated and they are collected from all over the world. At Wholesale Handbags you meet almost any requirement in terms of style or material. Please check out our products, we hope you will find them interesting and appealing as well.

Once submitted, you will be provided with the login info to the wholesale site. For returning customers who forget the private link, simply call or e-mail us to request the link. If desired, you can email and fax your order to us. We will also be glad to assist your order over the phone and answer any questions you may have.

When you order, you can mix colors or style.

The product details are all posted on this website for customer access at any time. It is quick and convenient.

For defective items, we allow replacement. Return on defective items must be made within 14 days.

We accept credit card order over the phone, wire transfer, or you can fax your order, along with your credit card info to us. If you submit a check payment, please wait for 5 to 7 business days to clear before we ship out the order.

The shipping charge will be based on the weight ond distance and will be calculated during your check out.

E-Book : HEALTH , DIET, FITNESS

2007-01-24T08:31:00.000-08:00

Health, diet, fitness

If you prefer to take up exercise in the middle of nature, and the weather is cold of rainy, don’t be disappointed. OK, it doesn’t sound great, but when you get to find your rhythm, you won’t be affected by weather any more.
Some people believe that if you take up exercise, your appetite will increase proportionally, and the calories burnt while training are come back immediately, or you may consume even more calories. But research made in the U.S.A. concluded that people who practise on a regular basis different sports eat as much as those who are sedentary. Consequently, this aspect shouldn’t be taken into account.
Don’t be overwhelmed by the idea of losing weight! If this is your main target, you should have a previous discussion with a fitness trainer and with a nutritionist, in order to establish together a training program. But don’t slow your initial rhythm, even if you don’t get the results expected immediately. Think of the idea that sport helps you to improve your appearance, through strenghtening muscular mass and decreasing progressively the adipose tissue strata.

Actually, each organism has special reactions, there aren’t any patterns in this case. But in general, after a first training session, you won’t feel as hungry as before, especially if you tried hard to finish your exercise; maybe the program was too long, or the exercises were too difficult and they made your muscles work a lot. However, gradually, the balance in your body will be established again, if you have a constant activity.

You mustn’t give up, as appetite depends on different factors, such as age, sex, way of living (if you are a sedentary person, or not), metabolism.
Anyway, if after the two or three weeks of training you realize that you eat more than usual, don’t panic, because during the next weeks, everything will become normal. Until then, when you are hungry, eat salads, prepared with vegetables or fruit, in order not to gather more calories.

Unfortunately, sport doesn’t help you lose weight if you don’t combine it with a diet which must be supevised carefully. Sport helps you not to lose muscular mass, which may happen if you follow a diet. Besides, it helps you burn calories more quickly.

Your metabolism can be easily influenced by stress, or depression, which are caused by a great emotional and intellectual effort. It doesn’t matter where you are, at home or at work, you have to give maximum randament and you do your best in order to succeed. There comes a moment when you feel weak and everything around you seem useless. However, you can’t get rid of responsibilities. That’s why, you have to find a solution to get rid of anxiety and to begin every day with a smile on your face.
Perhaps the last thing in this world which you need is sport, because sport as well may seem useless to you. And if we perceive stress from the medical point of view, it can’t be stopped by physical activity, but sport will definitely improve its symptoms. If a friend of yours is depressed, firstly you advise her to go out, to go for a walk, to breath fresh air.

Physical fitness

If you feel stressed, start taking up physical exercise on a regular basis and choose those activities which you consider pleasant: dancing, aerobics, swimming, jogging, hiking or cycling. It would be better if in any of these cases you should be accompanied by friends. However, you don’t neen a lot of friends, because crowds are depressing too, but you should not be alone either. If you are alone, instead of getting rid of stress, you begin to think again of your projects, of threatening deadlines, on your child who doesn’t obey to granny or of the broken tap in the bathroom.
It’s true, first you are not motivated, so you have to struggle with yourself, before being convinced about the advantages of physical activity. Apart from endorphin secretions, sport helps you sleep better, eat better (of course, not too much!)
In addition fitness exercise reduce the level of a stress hormon which can be found in your body. This hormon is produced by the suprarenal glands and it is controlled by the brain. In the case of a lack of balance, blood pressure and immunitary system will have to suffer. In addition, sport contributes to increasing the temperature of your body, which makes you feel comfortable.
All these effects have the role to overcome anxiety, depression, stress, tiredness, lack of confidence and frustration. Of course, the results don’t appear immediately, but you will notice at once some improvement. Apart from the physical activities mentioned, you can choose to take up a sport like tennis or badminton. A team sport is not recommended, because you are not in the mood to be involved in them. Besides, if there occurs a conflict between your team mates, the situation will become more complicated.

On the other hand, imagine that you play tennis. It has a double advantage. Your partner keeps you involved, he or she doesn’t let you stop, and through the style of the game you may have the opportunity to get rid of negative feelings, as you hit the ball.

As you know, everything is difficult at the beginning, especially if your feelings are deeply affected. That’s why, you have to start easily, with ten or fifteen minutes three times a week and increase constantly your rhythm. If you persevere, you will obtain results. You have no idea how stress or depression affected you first. You will have no idea, as well, when they left you alone...
First decide to start a rigurous program of physical exercise and you set your target. Perhaps when you enter a gym, that equipment seems irresistible to you and you would like to try all the devices! Although you have so many offers, don’t forget skipping or doing abdomen exercises. Maybe the second day you can’t move because of muscular contraction.
You have to take into account these aspects, for a higher efficiency of your exercises and for avoiding pains or accidents.
Skipping is a fantastic exercises for the health of your heart. Boxers use this exercise as a training before a fight, and nowadays it is largely practised during physical education classes at school.

Peak fitness
A peak fitness club may offer you a fully equipped and staffed health club. Their facilities may include large cardio and resistance gyms, studios, free weight areas, comfortable social and relaxation areas, saunas, steam rooms and sunbeds.
They can offer a large variety of classes, ranging from yoga to body combat together with a number of indoor cycling classes, considered the ultimate calorie burner.
Their facilities may include modern equipment as well as comfortable and attractive surroundings. Apart from the above equipment, the club can also feature some studios: a group exercise studio, an indoor cycling studio and a holistic studio. They can offer an extensive variety of classes ranging from core attack to capoeira, body pump to boxercise and spinning to street dance. Pilates and yoga, which take place in a holistic studio, may provide an ideal opportunity to get rid of the stresses of everyday life while toning and strengthening your body.
Each member can be entitled to personalised exercise programmes, conceived specifically to match their individual needs and desires. These programmes can be reviewed and updated on a regular basis, according to the progress made.
The spa area, including a sauna and steam room, may provide an excellent way to relax after a long hard day or to help aid recovery after a workout.
Nutritional and diet advice may be available, as well as a series of treatments and therapies to supplement and compliment your overall health program. These include massage therapies, such as sports massage, indian head massage, aromatherapy massage and swedish or holistic therapies, hot stone therapy and reflexology. Beauty treatments may also be available.
Whatever your health and fitness requirements are, you will be provided with expert knowledge, advice and friendly atmosphere to help you achieve your goals.
THERAPIES
A fitness trainer may also be fully qualified in remedial, holistic, deep tissue and sports massage.
Every treatment is tailored to the individual needs of the patient and it can provide relief from conditions such as muscular tension, strains and sprains, postural problems, tendonitis and also promote relaxation, improve circulation and a state of complete well-being.
The benefits of sports massage include improved joint mobilisation, circulation, flexibility and muscle tone. It can be used in a preventative role or restorative role, in order to reduce the probability of injury during and after exercise.
Remedial and deep tissue massage can include postural, limb and spine evaluation, joint mobilisation and trigger point therapy. It can help break up and eliminate scar tissue and rebalance the musculo-skeletal system.
Hot stone therapy is widely known for its deeply relaxing benefits. It uses a combination of massage with essential oils and heated and cooled basalt stones that are placed on specific acupressure points on the body. Hot stone therapy can promote improvements in conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, stiffness, back pain and it can also aid elimination of toxins through lymphatic drainage.

Fat flush fitness plan

This fitness plan means rapid weight loss as well as body toning and detox, energy boost, better mood and outlook. The first fat flush plan appeared in 1998. It was developed by a nutritionist, and its final form was released in 2002. Ann Louise Gittleman, its creator published cook books, a one day, fast track detox diet and fitness plan addons.

Summary of the method

Gittleman is convinced that the Fat Flush Plan will detox your liver and lymphatic system and it will make them produce rapid weight loss by increasing your metabolism, and reshape the body with adipose tissue loss and cellulite reduction. She promises you will feel younger, better and you will look good.

She mentions that there are five essential factors which cause weight gain and poor health: a toxic liver, which has a poor function, food intolerance and tissues which favorise water retention, a liver which is not happy when you eat, excessive insulin, and stress.

Diet Stages
We warn you that this is only a short presentation of the method. There are materials which provide you more information, once you are decided to lose weight using this method.
Stage 1
Phase 1 of Fat Flush
A two week phase: 1100-1200 calories per day. Drink adequately, give up of white sugar, white rice, white flour. Take one tablespoon flaxseed oil daily.

Stage 2
Phase 2
Ongoing Fat Flush
1200-1500 calories per day. Follow until you reach your target weight. From week one add a friendly snack per week and monitor your reaction and weight. Friendly snacks can include: sweet potatos, frozen or fresh peas, carrots,or butternut squash.

Stage 3
Phase 3
Lifestyle Plan
This phase means more than 1500 cal permitted per day. Base food choices on Phase 2 and introduce up to two dairy products and four serves of friendly carbohydrates per day.

Do you know how to follow?

There are three phases in the Fat Flush Plan. The whole program can be followed from one month to a lifetime.

For all the phases, you may eat a little lean protein daily, including two eggs. However, no dairy is permitted at all. Certain herbs and spices are allowed. Moreover, the nutritionist suggests they can speed up metabolism. These herbs and spices may be cinnamon, ginger, cayenne and mustard.

Phase one is an initial two week phase to start losing weight and begin your shape change. In this phase, all grains and dairy products are forbidden.

Phase two is the ongoing weight loss period with a less intense detox program until target weight is achieved. Carbohydrates which are considered hypoallergenic are introduced again, gradually, one at a time.

Phase three has been designed for maintaining weight and injecting energy into your daily life. During this phase you are allowed to eat more than1500 calories a day. Some dairy and grains can be introduced again, depending on your tolerance.

Here are some general aspects of the diet:
You are allowed to eat only one protein at a meal. Eggs are an exception.
Youn should eat fruit and vegetasbles separately.
You should not take water with meals, you only have to drink water between meals.

Diet 1

You will be able to achieve your objective, irrespective of its kind: losing weight, keeping fit or just strengthening your body. Your metabolism won’t be affected as a result of a diet and you won’t give up your exercise program because you are bored and you would like to escape routine. Does it sound impossible? It can be real if you respect some essential rules.

Respect a strict weekly program which has to include the following elements: a five day diet, associated with exercise in a gym, using the equipment recommended by the trainer, and six days you will perform specific exercise recommended for the rhythm of your heart. This type of exercise is essential for a quick process of burning off the fats in your body.

As far as the diet is concerned, you probably know that a strict one is absolutely incorrect and it is also harmful. You may eat less, three or four times a day, instead of eating twice a day enormous meals. Thus, the metabolism will function well and the digestion won’t be perturbated.

We sometimes abandon a fitness program, because we simply got bored. You may be right, because after two or three weeks doing the same exercise it is natural to claim a change. In order to prevent this situation, you must learn to diversify your program as much as possible. For example, on Monday you go jogging, on Tuesday you may ride the bike, on Wednesday you may go for a walk, on Thursday you try some new dancing techniques, on Friday you go hiking with your family and your friends and so on.

Another advantage of this variety is that, in a short time you’ll like it so much, that it won’t be stressful any more, as it was at the beginning. You get rid of monotony and you will train different muscular groups as well.

You may also change the way you take up the easiest exercise, for example the famous abdomen exercise. When you are able to perform thirty such movements quickly, it’s high time you started a new level: abdomen exercise, rising your legs, for example.

In the case of genuflexions, if you are able to perform them holding something heavy on your shoulders, the size of which will be established by your trainer, you must intensify your rhythm and increase the difficulty of the exercise.
If you want to strenghten your arms, you mustn’t avoid lifting weights. Don’t worry! You won’t become a packet of muscles!.

Physical activity in general means a great harmony between your mind and your body. You don’t have to start fitness only in order to lose weight, because when you reach the weight which you expected, you may give up sport. You must do exercise in order to keep fit, to be healthy and beautiful or to be energetic.

Your training program mustn’t be limited to the gym. It must be a way of living for you. For example, when you do the housework think of it as of an amazing opportunity for burning calories.

Diet for healthy living

Ten aliments for your health and your youth

“I don’t know what’s going on with me! I don’t feel energetic at all, although I sleep enough and I have a healthy diet!” Perhaps this is only your opinion, because not all the delicious foods are recommended for your body. This doesn’t mean that you should start a highly restrictive diet. On the contrary, many aliments taste good and they are a real source of health for you, through their considerable input of nutritious substances. We recommend ten such aliments for you.

Broccoli

In general, all the green leaf vegetables are very rich in C vitamin and different substances which can prevent cancer. It also has a high nutritious value, because it is rich in carbohydrates, vitamins, especially C vitamin and pro vitamins and it contributes to calcium fixation, which prevents the problems of the bones system.

Blueberries

It is recommended the consumption of the fresh fruit because they keep their nutritious properties. They are rich in antioxidants, an acid, with anti cancer properties, fibers, as well as B2, C and E vitamins. They also contribute to maintain the health of your eyes and the visual acuity.

Tomatoes

The nice red vegetables are a rich source of a strong anti oxidant which prevents cancer and slows the process of cell ageing. It also helps us to prevent circulation diseases.

Garlic

Most of the times we avoid eating it, but it is extremely healthy! It contains calcium, magnesium, sulfur, potassium and C vitamin, it is an important anti oxidant and it reduces cholesterol. Garlic also has antibacterial properties and it helps us to maintain a shiny skin, also preventing colds.

Green lettuce

Healthy and delicious, green lettuce is one of the best natural foods. It is rich in C vitamin, iron, and zinc, essential elements for beautiful nails and for a shiny healthy hair.

Dried plums

Although they lack some substances which exist in green plums, as a result of the dehydration process the dried plums are much richer in antioxidants, compared to the fresh fruit. In other words, if you eat a lot of dried plums you’ll have more chances to delay the first creases. They also contain potassium, iron and B vitamins.

Big beans

They contain antioxidants, fibers, proteins, folic acid, potassium, iron, magnesium and zinc.

Nuts and almonds

Rich in E vitamin, selenium, whose role is to produce antibodies and it also contributes to a good function of the thyroid, zinc, fat acids, nuts and almonds shouldn’t be avoided. They also have an important role in the action of the other antibodies and enzymes in the organism

Yoghurt

Eating daily a glass of yoghurt helps you maintain the health of your digestive system, protecting the immune system and preventing the emergence of eczemas and allergies

Apples

Apples contain, a bioflavonoid which fights against free radicals, helps the metabolism and strengthens the immune system and has anti inflammatory properties, fibers, potassium, an acid which contributes to the metabolism and to generate energy, pectin, a soluble fiber which regulates the cholesterol level, A and C vitamins.

Diet for healthy skin

You can’t have a healthy skin only using the best cream or the best makeup remover. It is also very important what you eat. Actually, your skin is an organ, just like your kidneys or your stomach. Fats and sugars have an important effect upon your skin; in fact they provoke all the problems of your skin. The following foods contain nutritious substances which feed the skin and prevent its being taken ill. Try to eat as much as you can from these foods during a week:

* almonds: 24 almonds contain 9 grams of mono saturated fats (as good for the skin as omega 3 fats) and six grams of protein contain almost a half from your daily necessary amount of vitamin E, 7% of your daily necessary amount of calcium and a considerable amount of zinc, nutritious substances which help you maintain a healthy skin.
* Green beet root is recommended for the persons who have a dry skin; beet root contains nutritious substances which maintain the skin soft, including A vitamin, biotin, and C vitamin. Try to cook beet root, in olive oil, with garlic
* Garlic has antibacterial components, which can protect your skin against infections. If you have predisposition for sportspersons’ problems or to other conditions which are harmful for your skin, add one or two garlic cloves minced in your daily food. The effects of the garlic are stronger than when it is eaten as a fresh vegetable.
* The oil extracted from the grapes kernels is one of the richest sources of an acid, which is an essential fat, which helps in the case of recovery of a damaged skin and it contains a strong anti oxidant which can prevent damages caused by the sun. Fat acids from the oil can also control the inflammation of the skin, like psoriasis. Because it resists to very high temperatures, the oil from grape kernels can be used for any kind of cooking, included to fry ups.
* Kiwi has a very strong effect upon the skin. It is a natural source very rich in C vitamin. A kiwi contains more than 100% from the necessary daily amount recommended
* Vitamin c is like a fighter against free radicals and it prevents the destruction of the skin and it contributes to the collagen production. Collagen is a protein like a fiber, which maintains the elasticity of the skin.
* Lentils like any other tissue of your body your skin needs proteins in order to be healthy. And lentils are a very good source because it contains a lot of fibers, iron, the complex of B vitamins and minerals. Try to cook lentils with olive oil, vegetables and fruit.
* Salmon: omega 3 fat acids which can be found in salmon maintain your skin elastic and they can reduce the inflammation which provokes psoriasis.

Try to eat a lot of salmon, as well as mackerels at least twice a week.

* Soya milk. If you have a spotted skin and you like drinking milk, Soya milk is ideal

Anorexia

Anorexia nervosa is a severe eating disorder which makes its victims to starve themselves, in some cases, to death. As an increasingly popular disease among teenagers and young adult women, anorexia nervosa has complex causes, which sometimes make curing it successfully a difficult matter.

As a mental illness, anorexia nervosa is cured first through psychotherapy. However, the medical complications of the disorder are often so serious that stabilizing the patient’s physical condition has to be the first step of treatment. Some patients are admitted to the hospital for this treatment. Weight gain, though often difficult to achieve, is the primary goal for restoring a patient’s physical health. Doctors may prescribe increases in food consumption and dietary supplements, and instruct a patient not to exercise. In the most severe cases, especially if a patient resists instructions to eat, nutrients and fluids may be administered intravenously. The female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone may be used to help restore bone mass and strength. Antidepressants and other pills are sometimes used to treat depression and anxiety. With treatment, many of the medical complications of anorexia nervosa can be reversed.

For people with severe illness, psychotherapy treatment may begin with an inpatient program in a psychiatric hospital lasting several days to many weeks. Inpatient treatment is usually followed by a longer period of outpatient psychotherapy. Day programs are also available, in which an individual receives intensive treatment in the hospital during the day but does not spend the night there.

Different forms of psychotherapy are used to help people with anorexia nervosa recognize and change their distorted attitudes about food, weight, and body image. Counseling helps people understand and resist societal pressures to attain a certain body shape. Treatment also addresses any other factors, such as abuse, trauma in close relationships, or low self-esteem, that have contributed to the development of the disorder. Frequently, other family members are included in the therapy to help address problems in family relationships that are contributing to the patient’s illness. Group therapy with other individuals suffering from anorexia nervosa is often particularly helpful because it helps people recognize distorted perceptions and behaviors that they share with other anorexics. Patients sometimes meet with dietitians to learn about nutrition and meal planning.

Anorexia nervosa can be difficult to treat because many patients deny they have a problem and resist treatment. Some fear that treatment will involve gaining weight. Recovery from the disorder is a long and uncertain process. Little is known about preventing anorexia nervosa. Some professionals have developed prevention programs that combat the cultural emphasis on appearance and the identification of thinness with health, happiness, virtue, and power. These programs stress developing sources of self-esteem that are based on qualities other than physical appearance and promote acceptance of the natural diversity of body types.

In most eating disorder cases if a person is able to gain his or her psychical balance, he or she will gain back all the kilos lost. If the problem is more serious than anorexia, a visit to a doctor and serious investigations will solve the problem of gaining weight.

A healthy diet

You have just found out from your friends about an excellent diet or you have a new subscription for your gym.

This time you will succeed to follow the program imposed by the diet or by the trainer.

But there are some moments, for example in the morming, during your period, when you go to the gym, when all your good intentions abandon you and the stomach requires some more food. Do you feel that you can’t face such moments? Read the following tips which will help you to keep fit.

Before going to the gym

If you go to the gym directly from your work, you may want to crack something on your way. Maybe a biscuit or something salty? If you eat something more consistent during the break, such as a banana or milk and cereals, you won’t be so hungry before going to the gym. Moreover, you will have the energy necessary to finish your exercise.

And it is very important to drink water right before you start doing the exercises, because during them you will lose a lot of water. If you don’t consume enough liquids, you can’t concentrate very well and you’ll get dehydrated. You should also try to drink between a litre and a half and two litres of water daily, and half a mug right after starting the exercises at the gym.

During your period
If you are always looking for delicious foods during your period, you may be in danger to break your diet because of the chocolate and the cakes.

Research proved that during this time of the month women consume 500 per day more than during a normal day. This happens because they need more energy which is taken from the supplement of iron, magnesium, B vitamins and essential fat acids.

You lose a lot of iron with your period, so the resistance of your body to infections decreases and there may appear a tiredness sensation. In order to keep a high level of the iron in your body, try to eat mere red meat, green vegetables, nuts, cereals and seeds. You should also eat dried fruit, nuts without salt, chicken, turkey, eggs and fish.

In front of the TV
Our environment may influence our diet too. For example if you want to eat popcorn while you watch on TV your favourite movie, there are chances to want popcorn each time you sit in front of the TV.

In order to avoid this trap, the best thing is to eat at table, not on the sofa in front of the TV. You must eat in quiet place, without being disturbed by anything. It will help you focus on the food. This means that you will eat more slowly and you will know when your stomach is full.

If you still want to eat something in front of the TV, try dried fruit. Or drink a glass of milk or a cup of tea. Many times we think that we are hungry, but in fact we are thirsty, so before opening the fridge, drink something.

A personalized diet

There are some domains in which everybody is an expert. One of them is nutrition. Or more precisely, everything related to diets. Almost everybody tried one or more diets and the results of these diets, irrespective of their principles are rather similar: during the diet you lose weight and after it the lost kilos come back again, unfortunately in a greater number than the lost kilos.

Unfortunately, as well, the person who wants to lose weight will be happy if the results are immediate and long lasting.

There are many magazines which recommend different tips for losing weight. Some of them are decent, but there are a lot which are dangerous for your health.

In general, diets which are dangerous for health are based only on aliments which contain a low number of calories and they don’t have a nutritive value, or they limit drastically the amount of sugar from the organism.

Moreover, these diets are addressed to everybody, without taking into account the specific traits of each person: health, socio professional circumstances. It is obvious since the beginning that they can’t work for everybody.

In order to avoid an incorrect diet, you should see a doctor specialized in nutrition, who can recommend you a diet based on your real necessities and who will take into account all the specific features of a person.
Thus you will have a personalized nutritional program which has as a purpose the supply of all the nutrients necessary to the organism and to a healthy, balanced life.

Learning alimentar principles, the way of properly combining them and the awareness concerning the alimentation, with everything it involves, are only a few advantages obtained as a result of nutritional consulting. Besides, personalized diet doesn’t mean major or sudden changes in the transition from the old eating habits to the new ones.

There are a few stages of this kind of consulting:

• evaluating in detail eating habits;
• issuing a nutritional analyze sheet in order to see which are the necessities for an improved diet.

• recommending an alimentar program;
• making every week a graphic, in which you plot all the progress you made.

In order to personalize the diet the specialists take into account general information related to the health of the patient, sex, age, specific diseases and socio professional features, type of activity developed, work program, etc and other parameters as well:

1. Blood group it is the first criterion in personalizing a diet. Each blood group has a series of particularities concerning ingestion, digestion and absorbtion of nutrients and it determines a certain behaviour of alimentar lecitines. Alimentation according to blood group is useful for losing weight and for increasing the energy level or to cure some chronic affections.

2. Macronutrients balance must be reached daily combining in a corresponding manner the foods so that you consume 30% proteins, 40% carbohydrates and 30% fats.
3. Toxic alimentar additives must be identified and eliminated from your alimentation; therefore additives will be given as examples and they will be classified according to the severity of their toxicity.

A personalized diet

There are some domains in which everybody is an expert. One of them is nutrition. Or more precisely, everything related to diets. Almost everybody tried one or more diets and the results of these diets, irrespective of their principles are rather similar: during the diet you lose weight and after it the lost kilos come back again, unfortunately in a greater number than the lost kilos.

Unfortunately, as well, the person who wants to lose weight will be happy if the results are immediate and long lasting.

There are many magazines which recommend different tips for losing weight. Some of them are decent, but there are a lot which are dangerous for your health.

In general, diets which are dangerous for health are based only on aliments which contain a low number of calories and they don’t have a nutritive value, or they limit drastically the amount of sugar from the organism.

Moreover, these diets are addressed to everybody, without taking into account the specific traits of each person: health, socio professional circumstances. It is obvious since the beginning that they can’t work for everybody.

In order to avoid an incorrect diet, you should see a doctor specialized in nutrition, who can recommend you a diet based on your real necessities and who will take into account all the specific features of a person.
Thus you will have a personalized nutritional program which has as a purpose the supply of all the nutrients necessary to the organism and to a healthy, balanced life.

Learning alimentar principles, the way of properly combining them and the awareness concerning the alimentation, with everything it involves, are only a few advantages obtained as a result of nutritional consulting. Besides, personalized diet doesn’t mean major or sudden changes in the transition from the old eating habits to the new ones.

There are a few stages of this kind of consulting:

• evaluating in detail eating habits;
• issuing a nutritional analyze sheet in order to see which are the necessities for an improved diet.

• recommending an alimentar program;
• making every week a graphic, in which you plot all the progress you made.

In order to personalize the diet the specialists take into account general information related to the health of the patient, sex, age, specific diseases and socio professional features, type of activity developed, work program, etc and other parameters as well:

1. Blood group it is the first criterion in personalizing a diet. Each blood group has a series of particularities concerning ingestion, digestion and absorbtion of nutrients and it determines a certain behaviour of alimentar lecitines. Alimentation according to blood group is useful for losing weight and for increasing the energy level or to cure some chronic affections.

2. Macronutrients balance must be reached daily combining in a corresponding manner the foods so that you consume 30% proteins, 40% carbohydrates and 30% fats.
3. Toxic alimentar additives must be identified and eliminated from your alimentation; therefore additives will be given as examples and they will be classified according to the severity of their toxicity.

Pregnancy diet

In order to give birth to a healthy child the future mother should have a diet rich in nutrients. Most often this diet means supplements of minerals and vitamins, especially iron, calcium, folic acid and sometimes vitamin D. During pregnancy the woman needs more proteins, but salt should limited in order not to increase blood pressure.

This is what you have to know during pregnancy

1. Iron is part of hemoglobin, plasmatic protein responsible for the transport of the oxygen to the tissues. During the pregnancy the amount of blood increases in order to supply a corresponding nutrition to the baby so insufficient iron may lead to anaemia. In order to prevent anaemia, the pregnant woman can eat aliments rich in iron: spinach, broccoli, meat, strawberries, integral cereals, dried fruit and vegetables. Prenatal routine tests can determine the necessity of a supplementary amount of iron.

2. Calcium is important for maintaining the integrity of the bones system of the future mother, and it is also essential in developing the baby’s skeleton. The dily dose recommended is 1200 mg, a sufficient quantity to assure the necessary amount for the mother and for the baby too. Besides, a pregnant woman shoul eat foods rich in calcium, like dairy products.

3. Folic acid is essential for the synthesis of the proteins and in the formation of new cells, being necessary both for the evolution of the maternal tissue and the baby’s tissue. The daily dose recommended increases during the pregnancy from 2 mg to 4 mg. These doses may be also reached through an alimentation rich in folic acid: eggs, vegetables, oranges and wheat germs.

4. During the pregnancy a woman must eat a lot of proteins. The daily dose recommended is 60-70 grams. Foods which contain proteins are also an excellent source of vitamins and minerals like iron B6 vitamin and zinc.

5. Salt must be consumed in limited amounts. Therefore pregnant women must avoid processed foods or fast food products, because they are very salty. Excessive amounts of salt can make you put on more weight than it is necessary.

6. Coffee must be limited during the pregnancy and alcohol must be totally eliminated from the diet during the 9 months of pregnancy.

To conclude, your best source of vitamins is nutritious food from all the food groups: grains; vegetables; fruits; calcium foods such as dairy products; protein foods such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dried beans, and nuts; and fats, oils, and sweets. Most doctors and midwives recommend a good diet plus prenatal vitamins for extra insurance. Prenatal vitamins are preferable to ordinary multipurpose vitamins because they are designed to meet the added nutritional demands of pregnancy.

It is also important to have your diet evaluated by a nutritionist. If you lack certain nutrients due to food allergies, intolerance, or dislike, additional amounts of specific supplements (such as calcium, iron, and others) may be recommended. A nutritionist can help you plan a diet that is in line with your taste preferences and consistent with your ethnic or religious background.

Probiotic diet

Probiotics are groups of bacteria which are alive and which live in our digestive track, in an absolute harmony with our organism. During the last ten years, these bacteria, which don’t cause any disease were studied very carefully in order to highlight their role in the immune regulation, stimulating the immunoglobulin production, and in the absorbtion of the nutrients or in the treatment of diarrhea in the case of children and adults. Unfortunately, the balance of these bacteria groups is sensible and it can be easily disturbed by factors like stress, antibiotics and contraceptives.

most of the probiotics are produced as a result of the fermentation process of the lactc acid and the best known microorganisms used in order to produce probiotics are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. The probiotic concept consists in the idea that if positive bacteria are introduced in the digestive track when the organism is exposed to diseases, or after a strong treatment with antibiotics, which destroy the probiotic flora, too, the lack of balance of the digestive system can be minimal. For example, the intestinal flora needs 6 months to recover after a 7 day treatment with antibiotics. Instead, probiotics act like natural antibiotics, which don’t disturb the normal work of the digestive track, but they can stop dangerous pathogen agents like Salmonela, E-coli, staphilococci etc.

Briefly, here are the advantages of probiotics upon health:

1. Increase the biodisponibility of the proteins and the fats of your diet through complete ingestion of these nutrients in the digestive track, which is an important fact both for adults and for children.

2. Probiotics can prevent the intestinal drain of any kind (diarrhea or constipation)

3. These beneficial microorganisms can reduce inflammation and digestive hyper sensibility caused by food allergies (to lactose, gluten etc)

4. They can help to prevent the destruction of the liver as a result of an incorrect diet.

when are probiotics necessary? The ingestion of these microorganisms can be performed by aliments or by supplements and its purpose is to prevent or to treat. Therefore a glass of fresh yoghurt (without sugar, fruit, cereals, seeds or other insertions) can be eaten for long periods of time, either for a balanced diet, or for treating a diarrhea caused by different resons like stress, antibiotics consumption, infections etc.

There are people who even if they don’t tolerate lactose can eat yoghurt because lactose, or the sugar in the milk fermentates and is transformed in lactic acid in yoghurt, right under the action of probiotics. Instead, people who are allergic to proteins found in milk can’t eat yoghurt and then supplementary probiotics are the easiest solution.
Foods which contain probiotics are usually natural, but they can be produced through processes, carefully controlled which must maintain the bacteria groups alive after fabrication. Yoghurt, kefir, fresh cow cheese, baby formula are just a few examples of foods rich in probiotics.

You mustn’t forget the advantages of probiotics concerning beauty care too. They fight against constipation so they help to eliminate the toxic waste from your body, so you’ll have a nice silhouette and a healthy, fresh skin.

Diet and happiness

The food we eat can influence our mood. This aspect is generated by a lot of factors. For example some foods influence the chemical reactions in our brain, the way they are digested may also influence us, as well as the way they interract with our immune system.

Food can also have surprising psychological effects which may influence seriously the way we feel. To continue, docors specialized in diets will provide you some tips related to aliments which must be consumed in order to be healthy. In this article you’ll find out some secrets which will help you fight against tiredness.

- fibers
A new study proved that if you eat a lot of fibers, you can fight against tiredness very successfully. The study tested a group of voluntaries for a month. Those who ate a larger amount of fibers from cereals reduced their tiredness with 10%. This thing is also related to the fact that when you feel a little constipated you also feel tired, clumsy, swollen and in a bad mood. The consumption of fibers prevents constipation. Eight persons out of ten don’t consume a proper amount of fibers. The amoun recommended is of 18 grams per day.

The easiest way to include more fibers in our alimentation is to eat bread and integral pasta, fruit and peanuts, including as much fresh vegetables as we can in our diet, eating as much cereals as we can for breakfast, eating slices of avocado in our salads, eating cooked peas, using integral flour, more than traditional flour, for baking, and adding bean pods or lentils in soups and stews.

- foods without fats
Fats slow the digestive system. The organism finds it difficult to metabolize something rich in fats. Therefore it will take some time to get back the energy from the foods you eat. This means that when you eat foods rich in fats you will feel, in general more tired and clumsy. Foods can be called low in fats if they contain less than 5% fats – less than 5 grams of fats in 100 grams of food. Vegetables and fruit usually have low fat contents, so you may include them in your daily alimentation.

- breakfast
When we wake up in the morning we haven’t eaten for seven or for eight hours and the sugar level in our blood is very low. A proper breakfast will help us increase the sugar level in our blood, giving the organism more energy in the morning.

It is quite surprising that most of us skip this meal. Without breakfast you will lack energy during the first part of the day. Research proved that those who skip breakfast compensate by snacks rich in fats. These will make you feel more tired during the day.

The last researches proved that cereals are the healthiest foods for breakfast. Vitamins and folic acid contained by cereals can reduce the risk of a heart attack because they contribute to reducing the high level of amino acids in your blood, which can provoke heart diseases.

Selenium and health

Although our society evolves from the technological point of view, there are more and more people suffering of heart diseases or they are obese.

An important cause of these diseases is a wrong metabolism due to a wrong alimentation.

Nowadays we eat without feeding our organism, because the food we eat doesn’t contain enough active biological factors.

The lack of vitamins, minerals, fat acids from our food can lead to cancer, heart diseases, obesity.

These diseases are also produced by smoking, incorrect alimentation, alcohol consumption, pollution of the environment and of the foods, heredity, socio financial stress.

Hypocrates, told that food should be our medication and our medication should be our food.

He was right 2500 years ago and he is right nowadays too, because a food doesn’t bring to the person who is eating it only the satisfaction of a great taste or a delicate aroma. It must also assure the metabolic necessities of that person.

More than two decades ago, in Japan were promoted functional foods. In the USA functional foods are defined as aliments which are beneficial for health, apart from their traditional nutritive value. Nowadays these healthy foods dominate the market of alimentary products in the Occident.

Foods which are sold nowadays are really healthy?

Before answering to this question, we’ll mention a few words about the alimentar chain. It has a great importance as far as the quality of the aliments is concerned, as well as their processing.

Foods come from agroalimentar raw materials whose origin is vegetal or animal. For example bread is obtained by the processing of the wheat, but this can be poor in selenium for example, because the soil doesn’t contain such minerals.

The maize used in feeding the animals, grown on such soils will have a poor selenium content, therefore the meat and the dairy products eaten won’t have a highly nutritive value. This lack of selenium can be compensated by alimentar supplements or by functional foods.

What is the role of the selenium in the human body?

Selenium is a chemical element discovered in 1817 and its name is related to Selena, the goddess of the moon in the Greek mythology. In the last century researchers established a connection between the lack of selenium in the soil and food, on the one hand and on the other hand mortality in China determined scientists to study more carefully the effects of selenium upon human health.

Selenium doesn’t have an equal distribution on the Earth. There are rare areas where you can find selenium in excess. The poorest selenar areas are in the northern hemisphere, in Scandinavia, England, Scotland, China, Romania etc.

First we must notice that the rhythm of our life is very fast and our alimentar behaviour, unfortunately became worse than in the past. We eat more fats, more proteins, we consume more alcohol and cigarettes. Our meals are irregular. We eat a lot or we eat little food at a meal. The variety of the foods we eat is reduced, even monotonous, with a supplement of carbohydrates. We are stressed, we take more pills and our environment is polluted. Under these conditions our health needs an immediate improvement.

Diet eating healthy plan

Diet authors promise a lot of advantages and they make many scientific recommendations. But they are not always right.

The fight with the number of kilos is a never ending one, especially for women.

Those kilos stick easily to your hips or to other parts of your body and it is very difficult to get rid of them. So we are in a continuous quest for advice and help.

Who wants a long lasting success and she also wants to remain healthy, must change her diet, but in a guided way.

Because you may happen to be the victim of the biggest lies related to diets. Here are some of them. You may lose weight eating proteins. False! Proteins contribute to the consolidation of muscles, bones and organs. This doesn’t mean that a dish of proteins guarantees athlet muscles or that the fats will melt. Negative calories are the secret of a diet without any problem. It is a lie! The body would have to consume more calories than the foods ingested produce. Negative calories don’t exist. Enzymes burn fats. You eat tons of pineapples and your waist becomes thin. It would be great, but it doesn’t work. It is true that exotic fruit like pineapple and papaya contain a lot of enzymes, but their role is to help the digestion of proteins, not to melt the fats.

Only fats make you put on weight. No! It’s true that fats are the main enemies of the silhouette and they contain twice more calories per gram than proteins or carbohydrates. But only if you eat a lot from a food you put on weight. Even if you eat rice without any fat. Fat people eat more than thin people. Not necessarily! Studies proved that on average fat people eat less than thin people. The reasons for a wrong burning are hormons, heredity or too many tough diets which affected the metabolism.

The ideal weight is that in the tables. No way! These numbers were established in the fifties by an insurance society according to some data provided by customers. Nowadays we know that the ideal weight is that which makes you feel good, not a weight reported to some artificial norms. Vitamins stimulate the metabolism of the fats. Nonsense! Vitamins take care of a correct burning of the fats. But they don’t have any connection with the presence of fats in the organism.

Dissociated diets help you lose weight without counting calories. Wrong! The organism is able to digest both proteins and carbohydrats. Actually they can be found together in many foods.

The diet you choose must be reported to your lifestyle and to your work program. You don’t have to change your entire program just for the sake of losing some kilos.

You shouldn’t try all the recipes recommended by nutritionists. Choose a varied diet. If it is too monotonous, you will get bored quickly. Avoid drastical prohibitions.

Attention; some diets may last a long time. The foods recommended must contain sufficient carbohydrates and a few fats.

Healthy eating diet plan

Insomnia is defined as the incapacity of a person to fall asleep or to maintain his or her sleep during a few hours. The causes of insomnia are multiple: the existence of a pathology, stressful life, excessive consumption of coffee or alcohol, a chaotic lifestyle, drug addiction etc.

Alimentation is very important in preventig and treating insomnia and it is essential that aliments which produce intolerance should be discovered and avoided. Thus, there are some kinds of aliments which help a person to fall asleep, whereas there are other foods which have an inhibitor role for sleeping.

Foods like vegetables, especially green leaf vegetables, integral cereals like porridge, brown rice, any kind of mushroom, fruit, seeds, basil are sources of complex carbohydrates, which have a slightly sedating effect because they increase the secretion of the neurotransmitter which induces the sleep. A glass of milk, without fats, drunk before going to bed is one of the oldest and the most efficient remedies for the insomnia. Milk contains a substance which changes into that neurotransmitter, through a biochemical process and it induces the sleep, preventing the person from waking up early

Green lettuce is famous as a fighter against insomnia. This is possible because green lettuce contains a sedating substance. Therefore you should eat every evening green salad, associated with vegetables, peanuts and fish. All these foods contain the vitamin B3, which assure a healthy sleep. Green lettuce juice can be mixed with lemon juice and you can drink it in the evening to be sure that you will fall asleep.

There are, of course, aliments and substances which should be avoided by people who suffer from insomnia: coffee, black tea, cola, alcohol, nicotine, chocolate, spicy foods, alimentar additives, preserved foods, salt and excessive sugar.

The sensibility to these stimulents varies from a person to another, so that there are people who ingest a small amount of chocolate or coffee, even without coffeine and they can’t fall asleep. Alcohol, fo example is a substance which may affect the duration and the quality of the sleep. When you ingest it, you can release adrenalin and the level of the neurotransmitter which produces the sleep decreases.

You must also avoid enormous meals, rich in proteins late in the evening. You may eat turkey or tuna, milk, green salad, integral bread for dinner. On the contrary, ham, salami and sausages, cheese, potatoes, spinach, egg plants, tomatoes are foods which contain either many alimentar additives, either a substance which increases the quantity of noradrenalin, which is a stimulent issued by the brain.

Nocturne hypo glicemic level is another element which must be avoided because it influences the maintenance of the sleep. When the level of sugar decreases, in the body will be released some substances which have the role to regulate the sugar level, which stimulates the brain, fact which is materialized by the nocturne appetite.

You may eliminate gradually this phenomenon, replacing the refined carbohydrates with complex ones, which contribute to maintaining a constant level of the sugar in the body.

Healthy diets
Your browser may not support display of this image.
Although nowadays there is a real invasion of diets and methods for losing weight, more and more persons are interested and eager to try on their own these formulas, most of the time presented as magical.
The truth is that, there does not exist an ideal diet, suitable for each person. This happens because each organism has its particularity. And what may be perfect for a person, for another person may not have any effect or it may be a real disaster.

That is why it woul be ideal to see a doctor specialized in diets before starting a diet, even if your neighbour or your best friend succeeded in losing a considerable number of kilos in a short time using that diet.

You must know that the greatest energy consumption is determined by physical activity. If for performing a difficult physical work you need a lot of calories, if you decrease the amount of physical effort without changing the diet, you will put on weight.

Maybe this aspect can be noticed more easily to those people who used to practise a performance sport. Without an active lifestyle and without going on taking up physical exercises, decreasing in the same time the number of calories, it is not likely that they maintain the same weight.

Another very important factor which should be taken into account is age. Thus, at an age of 35 – 45 years the necessary amount of calories decreases with 3% compared to the age of 25. And between 45 – 65 years, the necessary amount of calories decreases with 7.5% for each decade, compared to 25 years.

It is also very well known the fact that men need in general more calories than women of the same age.

Food ratios recommended according to age and sex :
1. Teenagers- men
13-15 years
16-19 years Weight
52 kg
63 kg Calories necessary
2600 cal
3070 cal
2. Teenagers- women

13-15 ani
16-19 ani
50 kg
54,5kg 2500 cal
2300 cal
3. Adult men
(medium activity) 65 kg 2900 cal
4.Adult women
(medium activity) 55 kg 2200 cal
5. pregnant women
(last 5 months) +350 cal
6. Nursing women
(first 6 months) +550 cal

Medium physical activity means a consumption of 35-40 calorii/kg/day, and in this category can be mentioned students, merchants, soldiers, people who work in the light industry or in agricultural mechanized work.

Easy physical activity (30-35 calories/kg/day) is performed by lawyers, doctors, clerks, teachers, computer programmers, architects.

Great physical activity determines a consumption of 40 – 45 calories / kg / day, and here can be mentioned dancers, performance sportspersons, miners, steal workers, those who work in the agriculture, but without any machines.

Another important aspect for a healthy diet is the rhythm of the meals. The same diet, with the same number of calories can lead to putting on weight if you eat once or twice a day. If you eat three or four times a day the weight can be maintained normal, because a hungry organism deposits a great amount of the energy taken from the aliments.

Peanut allergy

Food allergies are fairly common, but they are poorly understood. When foods are digested and the nutrients are absorbed in the intestine, substances in the food probably stimulate the allergic response.

Peanut allergy is a reaction of the immune system to the proteins which are contained in the peanuts. It is an allergy which appears quite frequently in Australia, while in Europe there are fewer cases. Its manifestations are red skin, breathing problems and faint. The tests which have a positive result demonstrate the existence of this allergy, but they must be realized under medical supervision. Unlike other allergies, peanut allergy is a disease which persists during teenage too, if it was detected during childhood. In most of the cases the reactions aren’t so serious, but this suffering may last throughout your entire life. The allergy also can manifest itself if you eat food which contains peanut oil or small peanut particles. What can you do in the case of such an allergy? If a child suffers of peanut allergy he must be taken immediately to a doctor specialized in allergies. If the child is allergic to peanuts, he must avoid eating any product which contains this fruit. It is recommended that the ingredients should be checked before eating a certain food. Chocolate and other sweets may contain bits of peanuts so they should be avoided. Some children react simply by touching peanuts or breathing tiny particles of them. Likewise, they tell of a woman with a peanut allergy who succumbed to anaphylaxis after eating a turkey sandwich cut with a knife that had previously been used to slice a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

In most of the cases medication is necessary, more precisely injections containing adrenalin. Because contact with peanuts can’t be always avoided the child must be supervised permanently. There are solutions in order to reduce the risk of the occurrence of this kind of allergy. Mothers should avoid eating peanuts during their pregnancy if they are worried about their baby. Different studies proved that this method doesn’t reduce any risk, but it is easy to be applied and it ids possible to have positive effects,

It is proved that avoiding eating peanuts while we nurse the baby, you do reduce the risk of an allergy.

A baby who is younger than one year shouldn’t eat peanuts.

Don’t use creams which contain peanut oil for the skin of your baby.

Tests for food allergy

There are two tests which can be performed in order to check the allergy to different foods. The first one means injecting the skin wit with a solution containing the agent which may cause the allergy. After that the area which was tested is analyzed. The second test is based on the analysis of the blood. The doctor checks the types of antibodies associated to the consumption of certain substances. If the results are positive, then a person is allergic to that substance. We shouldn’t avoid different foods if we are not sure that they may affect us.

Gluten allergy

Sometimes gluten allergy may affect the skin of your elbows, knees, face, shoulders, and rarely your hands and your mouth. This disease affect more men than women and it is frequently confounded with psoriasis. Its symptoms are quite numerous, so it is sometimes difficult for a doctor to establish a diagnosis. Doctors concluded that if a sick person goes on eating foods based on gluten, he or she can develop an intestinal cancer. Unfortunately doctors are not very familiarized with this allergy and they can somtimes establish a wrong diagnosis. A patient confessed that he lost huge sums of money and time as well on many analyzes and mistaken diagnoses until the doctors discovered his problem. All this time doctors said that he had an irritable intestine or cancer or a form of leukemia. But they never thought of his diet.

Treatment

The only treatment of this disease is to eliminate foods based on gluten from your alimentation. These aliments are wheat, wheat flour, and other derived products, as well as other cereals like oat or rye and different products made of them. This diet must be kept as long as the patient is alive. However the patient may eat millet and rice. In general people don’t eat millet but rice is an excellent source of carbohydrates for the sick person. Rice may be cooked in a lot of different ways, including under the form of rice cakes.

There are companies which produce aliments without gluten, using a series of ingredients which are permitted, in formulas well balanced from the nutritional point of view. This products are very expensive for some of us.

Here is an example of cocoa biscuits, special for gluten allergic people:

You are given the ingredients and the quantities:

Cocoa [g] 25

Potatoes flour [g] 50

Rice flour [g] 50

Grey pea [g] 25

Peanuts [g] 25

Sugar [g] 75

Butter or margarine [g] 75

Eggs [piece] 1

This recipe contains the ingredients for 20 biscuits.

How can you prepare them?

• Mix the egg with the butter or the margarine and then with the other ingredients until you get a quite hard paste.

• Cut the paste and shape it in pieces having the size of a nut, put them in a tray which was greased and flatten them with a fork

• They can be decorated with nuts or sugar.

• They are baked in the oven which was heated previously at a temperature of 180 Celsius degrees, for 12 – 15 minutes

• Let them cool in the tray.

In every country there should be companies which produce foods without gluten, special for gluten allergic people:

• pasta made of rice flour,

• dessert products, like biscuits without gluten.

Before being released on the market these products should be tested. All the patients who suffer of this disease should be registered and their necessities should be taken into account by special companies. The products deprived of gluten can be ordered by the patients directly to the laboratories.

Wheat allergy

Foods derived from cereals like wheat, oat, rye, porridge are extremely popular in alimentation. Nutritionist tendencies, especially during the last decades pointed to integral cereals, increasing the amount of fibers in alimentation, which led to an increasing consumption of such products, for example different kinds of bread made of integral wheat enriched with bran, harsh flours or other additives. Arguments brought for integral cereals are based on two factors:

The nutritive contents of integral cereals and of the flours which are not refined is bigger than that of refined flours.

White flour is considered an aliment which is quite inferior from the nutritional point of view, taking into account that its composition is deprived of a series of micronutrients. However, white flours and different kinds of white bread are sometimes preferred instead of aliments made of integral cereals.

The fibers which can’t be digested, from the integral cereals, reduce the possibility of a constipation and of the toxic and harmful substances effects which, being carried by the fibers and eliminated, don’t stop for a long time inside the intestinal track so they don’t have time to function.

If they areconsumed permanently during your life, the action of regulation and homogenization of the wheat fibers is manifested by reducing the incidence of colon cancer. While these arguments for the consumption of aliments based on wheat, there are problems related to them, too. The consumption of aliments based on wheat is usually great enough, taking into account sweets, desserts, which a high concentration of sugar. Aliments based on a high concentration of sugar have a decissive contribution to the amount of calories in the diet of obese patients. On the other hand there are people who suffer of a genetical problem and they can’t digest some proteins which are contained by wheat. This is the case when a wheat allergy appears. Actually it is more like an intolerance of this food in the organism. This allergy can be treated by eliminating from the diet all the foods based on wheat.

According to some statistics reported in the U.S.A., about one person from 300 suffer of this disease. In other countries such official statistics aren’t available yet.

Symptoms

Symptoms may appear at any age. They may appear in the case of children when they eat for the first time foods based on wheat, so at the age of some months, at nursery school children or at school children but also in the case of adults, even if these cases are quite rare.

The allergic persons can’t digest a proteic component contained by wheat and by the flours resulted by grounding. This allergy can’t be explained in a satisfying manner. Some people say that the intestine of the person affected by this allergy can’t secret an intestinal enzyme which is responsible for the digestion of wheat compounds. This disease can be associated with chronic diarrhea, with lost of weight, malabsorbtion, blood lost and anaemia. Most of the times the interior of the thin intestine is modified. This can be proved through a biopsy.

Mold allergy

Mold allergies frequently occur in spring, but they may as well bother you in other seasons too, as long as mold can be found in your environment. The basic symptoms of such an allergy are running nose or sneezing. But let’s classify the allergies according to the season, as people who develop seasonal allergies suffer different changes according to the time of the year. Thus, in spring people can be allergic to pollen, herbs, trees and they sneeze, they may have itching sensations, running nose, conjunctivitis and tears in their eyes. In the summer there is another type of pollen, and when the cereals are harvested, the pollen amout increases very much in some regions. Autumn ias the season of mold allergies, because then the leaves which fall produce an enormous quantity of mold spores which raise then in the air. But mold can be also found in the house, in dark or wet areas especially. In winter, people who spend most of their time indoors, dust mites and the hair of their pets may cause allergic reactions.

However there are a few persons who react to any allergen possibly all through the year. The majority of the persons who suffer of an allergy are sensible only to a limited number of allergens and only a few weeks a year. The rest of the year they won’t develop allergic symptoms.

Can you make the difference between a mold allergy and a cold?

Allergic symptoms like tears, red skin, itchy eyes, or running nosemay cause discomfort. They are similar to the symptoms of most of the breathing diseases. Have you recently get rid of a cold? It is hard to tell which is the difference between a mold allergy for example and a cold because most of the symptoms are similar. If you catch a cold in the same time of the year, every year, and the cold lasts a few weeks or even months, this means that you are rather allergic to some allergens of that period of the year, for instance, mold in autumn

Allergies may be associated with sinusitis, caused by viral, bacterian or fungic infections. Allergies may cause the inflammation of the nasal cavity. In such a case, mucosities in the nose can drain and they can accumulate in the sinuses. This mucus accumulated is an excellent environment for bacteria breeding, and this leads to sinusitis. The symptoms of sinusitis are: headaches, green or yellow mucosities, nasal congestion, fever.

Asthma also can be associated with allergies.

What can you do in order to prevent mold allergies?

You may use a hair dryer and an air conditioned system when the weather is wet and humid especially in basements or other areas of the house where the presence of mold may be a problem. If mold appears in your bathroom, clean it regularly, using desinfecting substances which prevent the spreading of mold. A solution obtained from chlor and water usually solves the problem. In addition you may consider an investment in a modern ventilation system. Mold can also appear in toilets, attics, fridges, showers, waste bins and under carpets.

Allergy medication

Allergic reactions are the result of an excessive sensibility to substances which are not harmful under normal circumstances.

Factors which produce allergies

Allergic rhinitis caused by the pollen spread in the air in the spring is a common allergic reaction, which is mild enough, and which can be developed by many persons, but insect sting, food allergies and medication allergies are awful and their reactions can be sometimes very severe.

There aren’t any medications without developing the risk of an allergic reaction. It doesn’t matter if the medications were prescribed by the doctor or they weren’t prescribed.

The chances to develop an allergic reaction to a medication tend to be increasing reported to the amount of medicine ingested and the interval within the medication was taken.

This doesn’t mean that a person who is used to take a certain kind of medication quite frequently must develop an allergic reaction to it. Most of the people don’t have to face such a situation. But an allergic reaction to medication is always a serious problem. That’s why you must be aware of it and of the signs which announce this allergy.

There are a lot of medicine which can be essentially associated with the occurence of an allergic reaction.

Antibiotics are the first medications which can be associated with severe allergic reactions. For example, statistics say that only penicilin can provoke about six hundred deceases a year. Other medications associated with allergic reactions are aspirin and ibuprofen, as well as medication for high blood pressure, medication which treats epilepsy and insulin.

The anaphilaxy induced by medication is immunoglobulin E and non Ig E, which is mediated.

In the medical practice, the term medication allergy is frequently used, sometimes quite easily, in order to describe intollerance reactions, with polimorphic manifestations. Most of the times they don’t have a structure proved to be allergic.

If some manifestations are labelled as medication allergies and the doctor is wrong, the patient may be deprived of the proper treatment. This is a therapeutic mistake and when it occurs, the patient may abandon quite easily a proper treatment.

Among numerous intollerance reactions to medication, real allergic reactions occupy a special place, and the diagnosis is suggested as anamnestic and it is confirmed by methods which confirm, in general, Ig E mediated sensibility.

Allergic reactions caused by medication are unexpected, they are not realated to the amount of the medicine taken or to the pharmacologic effects of the medicine. The most often they occur after a previous sensibility to the agent which is the cause of the allergy or to a related agent, clinically being similar to allergic reactions to other etiology, with a local or systemic expression.

Medication anaphilaxy is an immediate systemic, general reaction, multiorganic, which has as a structure Ig E mediated sensibility or a non Ig E mechanism.

Under both circumstances the clinicat situation is the same: nettle rash, breathing phenomena, variable heart rhythm, low blood pressure, neurological phenomena, like balance trouble, dizziness or unconsciousness etc.

Cat allergy

A lot of people are allergic to cats, and the easiest solution woul be to avoid cats. However many cat lovers won’t get rid of their cats. This is a quite common situation, but you can live together with your cat although you are allergic, if you respect some rules.

Some cat owners don’t realize that they are allergic to cats.

When people sneeze in the proximity of a cat, this thing is not caused by the hair of the cat, as many people may believe, but by the proteine secretions of the sebaceous glands from the skin of the cat, and from its salivary glands.

Taking into account that cats adore to groom themselves, there remains a lot of bry saliva on their hair. Moreover, it is possible that bits of their skin fell all through the house. This process of dry skin falling is called desquamation. The desquamated cat skin may have a size which is less than dust particles in the house, so it may persist in the air more than dust. These allergens are very sticky, so they can easily land on the things in the house; walls, clothes, bed.

A frequently met prejudice is that cats which have short hair cause less problems. Actually, research shows that the secretions produced by cats are very different, and the cats with long hair can be more easily groomed than those with short hair.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any hypo allergenic cats, and the tomcats produce more proteic secretions than the cats. If you have a tomcat, the castration will help to reduce these secretions, because the tomcats which are castrated produce less secretions than those which are not castrated. However these factors won’t guarantee that the cat or the tomcat which are castrated are safer for an allergic person. You also need other preventive measures too.

There are two important factors which may affect the quantity of allergen in the house. The first is the furniture made of soft essence and the second is whether the cat is kept indoors or outdoors.If you keep your pet indoors, you mustn’t keep it in the house very long time, or you mustn’t let it enter certain areas of your house. For example, never let your cat sleep in your bedroom or on the chair you usually sit. The mattresses, the sheets and the materials which cover the furniture attract the allergens, so don’t let your cat sleep on them.

You must get used to the idea that you are to clean your carpets with steam jet every three months, because the allergens easily get into the carpets.

Just like in the case of the other allergies, the best remedy is to avoid the contact with the allergen, but there are also other methods to reduce their effects. Mediceine, with or without a prescription, injections against cat allergies, so go to see a doctor in order to find out which is the best treatment fou you in the case of a cat allergy. And remember, if you can reduce the quantity of allergens in your house, you can treat the allergy without breaking the relationship with your cat.

Allergy relief

There are a lot of people who develop allergies to different elements which belong to their environment. Some of them begin to sneeze when they are touched by a dust particle; furthermore, there are other people who start to have itching sensationswhen they feel the presence of an animal around them. Besides, some people have different reactions to different foods. Each person in this world must develop once in his or her life an allergy. Maybe some of you don’t realize it right now, but you will certainly discover one day something that your body refuse to tolerate.

A lot of people are tempted to spend much money on medications. They don’t realize that the remedies for their problems are very close to them. However, these natural remedies do’t have immediate effects. An allergic person must start the treatment before the beginning of a season which may develop allergies. If you start a herbal treatment in the middle of the allergy period, keep trying it for some weeks before saying that it doesn’t work. Here are some natural remedies which will bring you an allergy relief:

Green tea: sweeten it with honey and drink a cup or two of it, daily.You may replace it with black tea, because both types of tea are produced by the same plant, but the effect upon your allergy won’t be as strong as in the case of the green tea.

Honey: when it is used to sweeten your tea or consumed in small quantities, it may help to reduce the symptoms of your allery. Honey will help you become more resistant to some kinds of pollen which may cause allergies. Honey won’t be beneficial if you put it in your food while cooking it.

Camomile tea: sweeten it with honey and drink a cup of two a day.

Ginger: clean it and squeeze a piece of fresh ginger. Put it in a pot and boil it for five or ten minutes. Drink this tea once a day. If you want, you may sweeten it with honey.

Garlic: it helps to stimulate the immunitary system and it is a good remedy in preventing colds. It can be consumed cooked or fresh, because it won’t lose its properties. You may add it to your salads.

Mint tea: during warm seasons you may drink it cold because it will provide you a refreshment sensation. It helps a lot in the treatment of your sinuses and colds.

Thyme tea: it can be used in the treatment of colds, sinus problems and in order to clean the nose. Prepare a cup of tea using a tespoon of dry thyme for each cup. Never eat more than one cup a day. It can also be used in your cooked food.

Oat flour: if your allergies cause itching, oat flour can help you get rid of it. Pour a cup of boiled water on a teaspoon of oat flour. Let it rest for thirty minutes, then apply it on the itching areas.

Allergy symptom

Allergy is a normal reaction of the organism to one or more substances, which in general are not harmful for the majority of people. The substances which cause allergic reactions are called allergens. An allergy is essentially a physical affection, but psycho emotional factors like stress, fear, anger etc. may determine symptoms or get symptoms worse. The most common sources of allergies are: tree pollen, herbs and cereals, dust, mildew, animals, some foods and pills, as well as insect sting. According to the way they enter the body, the allergens are classified in air allergens like pollen, dust, mildew, animal hair or skin, food allergens, egg white, milk, wild strawberries, strawberries, etc., insect allergens, like insect venom, medication allergens and chemical allergens, irrespective whether they are professional or not. The defensive shield of the body against infections and diseases is made of antibodies or immunoglobulin. Some people produce excessive amounts of the antibody called immunoglobulin E. In large amounts it overreacts when it comes into contact with an allergen, stimulating the elimination in the organism of some chemical compounds which, on turn, accelerate the symptoms of the allergy, which is mediated by this antibody.

Which are the symptoms?

Allergic reactions cause different symptoms of different organs and systems, located more frequently at the level of the nose: allergic rhinitis, with symptoms like itching and nasal congestion, sneezing and secretions. At the level of the lungs, asthma may develop suffocation sensations, associated with whizzing. In the case of the skin, there may appear eczemas, atypical dermatitis, eruptions accompanied by itching at the level of the arms, legs and neck, contact dermatitis, characteristic lesions associated with itching, which may appear as a result of direct contact with substances from cosmetic products, jewels, clothes, and through direct contact with different professional allergens.

At the level of the eyes, there can be developed conjunctivitis, associated with itching, red color and tears. In addition, nettle rash means small areas of different sizes which cause itching and it appears on the skin, lips, in the mouth or in the nose. Inside the digestive track, may appear stomach cramps, vomiting or diarrhea.

Allergies affect about twenty per cent of the people and a part of them are transmitted hereditarily. The first symptoms of an allergy can appear at any age, but those who have predisposition for allergies may develop symptoms since their childhood.

Will allergies disappear?

In some cases the symptoms of an allergy may disappear without any treatment. A high per cent the children who suffer of allergic eczemas will eventually develop asthma and other breathing problems and allergic rhinitis which are not treated or asthma can produce physical anomalies and emotional problems, which will have serious consequences for an adult.

Those who had occasionally allergy signs during their childhood may develop in time symptoms, more serious and persistent. Without treatment and medical care, allergic eczemas can extend and they can produce an infection; that is why it is important to be detected immediately and treated.

Allergy asthma

While breathing, the air which enters the lungs contains some impurities. These impurities can be dust mites, gases, other allergy agents. Perhaps these impurities can be normally found in the air. Usually, the bronchia notice these impurities and eliminate them automatically. This happens without realizing it. In the case of bronchi tic asthma the areas in which such impurities enter, contract themselves more than normally. This exaggerated contraction is called bronchi tic hyperactivity. In the case of some people who may suffer of this kind of disease, maybe there are some genetic changes, at least for those areas which contract more than in the case of healthy people. In other words, it is possible that allergy asthma should be a genetic disease. Attention! A genetic disease appears because in the genes of a certain person it is written that at a certain age a disease will appear. When he is born, a baby is not ill and you can’t realize that he will suffer later on of asthma. The disease may appear later, or it may appear only under certain conditions. A congenital disease is a disease with which a person is born; the child has this disease since the day he was born.

So, allergic asthma is not a congenital disease. The child is not born with asthma. Allergic asthma can be a genetic disease which appears later on, after a child is born and / or only under certain conditions.

What is the role of allergenic aggression?

The great allergenic exposure, in the case of some patients seems to be a capital generator factor, being able to cause even sudden death. An example of environment allergen agent found in the U.S.A. is called Alternaria, and it is a common cosmopolite mildew, which can multiply 200 times the risk of serious acute asthma when it is found in the air. Alternaria type of allergenic exposures can be met in libraries and in air conditioned buildings.

Can food allergens or medication determine the installation of a serious acute asthma?

Food allergens were found responsible of a high number of deceases, especially in the case of children. Also, some medication as the beta blocking one and aspirin are highly dangerous for patients who suffer of asthma.

Recent pharmacy reports from Sweden and from the World Health Organization warn people upon the responsibility in some cases of serious acute asthma of conversion enzyme inhibitors.

Can be asthma cured by removing sensibility?

Removing sensibility or specific hypo sensibility is a specific immunotherapy, laborious, long lasting method which is potentially dangerous and rarely indicated in the case of a child’s or a young adult’s asthma.

It can be recommended in the following cases:

* The responsible allergen identified is unique, based on a pathogenic mechanism, incriminating Ig E (multiple sensibility is a failure factor)
* it is possible only the partial elimination of the allergen;
* The patient shows symptoms a period which is long enough in order to justify a prolonged treatment period.
* The allergen exists under a purified, standardized and lyophilized form.

Classical examples which indicate hypo sensibility are wasp venom allergy and pollen allergy.

Dog allergy

There are situations when a dog, which is considered man’s best friend, may become his worst enemy. This is the case when a person believes that he or she suffers of dog allergy. Some people go to the doctor only when they are concerned about a possible dog allergy. Before jumping to conclusions you have to check your concerns, because there is the possibility to accuse a dog unfairly. The first thing you can do is to undergo a specific test. A doctor begins by asking the patients questions about their symptoms, about the history of allergies in his family, about the patient’s exposure to allergies. When he has enough data, he analyses the situation in order to decide what he can do for the patient. The best known allergy tests are a skin prick test or a dermatological test. The first one means a gentle prick through a drop of allergen extract on the surface of your arm, and the second one means the injection of a small amount of allergen extract into the skin. If the skin becomes red and swollen, you must be sure that you suffer of a kind of dog allergy. If the test is negative, that means that not dogs are the source of your affection and in this case, the investigation may continue. There are some people who get rid of their dogs before having a confirmation that they are the source of the allergy. Sometimes they discover later that the source was a fluffy toy for example.

If you were diagnosed with a dog allergy, you have to know what aspect of the dog you are allergic to. In general, patients allergic to dogs are allergic to their saliva. Dogs groom themselves by licking their fur and their skin. They deposit on them dog saliva antigens which can become airborne after they dry. These antigens may spread to carpets, furniture, clothes, everywhere in the house. However, allergy to dogs is not very troublesome, because dogs are usually kept outdoors, they are not kept in bedrooms and most of the dogs are washed regularly. After the dog allergy is confirmed, the best way to reduce allergy symptoms is to remove the dog from the home. In addition, you can use specific medications and allergy immunization.

The medications used to treat dog allergy are similar to those used to treat other kinds of allergies, such as seasonal allergies or asthma. They may include sprays, antihistamines, asthma pills, and nasal steroids. You should establish with your asthma or allergy specialist, which of these ways of treatment would correspond best to your symptoms. Allergy immunizations function essentially by gradually building immunologic tolerance to the specific antigens you are allergic to. This process usually starts with injections every week, then, step by step, it evolves to injections every month, and it can be stopped after three or five years of therapy, with a good chance of keeping your immunity to a specific antigen.

In this case the famous saying “Beware of dogs!” should be taken into account.

Food allergy

Food allergy is a complex of signs and symptoms which appear after eating some foods, to which a person may be sensible.

Food allergy is complicated and it depends on the diversity of the foods, of the products resulted after their change during the digestion process and on the changes which occur through preservation of the foods and cooking them. The foods we eat, irrespective if they are of animal origin, vegetal or mineral one, they can determine in the case of many different persons different adverse reactions among which there are some of allergic origin. The foods belong to allergic agents which are not enough known from the immunochemical point of view.

Causes

The causes of the reactions which occur after food ingestion may be different:

* The consequence of an insufficient enzymatic digestion
* The consequence of the contamination of the food because of the preservers, the microorganisms
* The effect of the intrinsic harmfulness of the food, as a psychological reaction.

Types

The most frequently may appear allergic reactions of the following kinds:

* Nettle rash
* Eczemas
* Rhinitis
* Bronchi tic asthma
* Migraine
* Anaphylactic shock

Symptoms

Food allergy may have many different symptoms:

* pale face
* abdominal cramps
* digestive trouble
* vomiting
* diarrhea
* cough
* dermatological problems
* neurological problems
* psychosomatic manifestations
* joint pains

When a person has such symptoms as a result of ingesting some food, he must go the doctor immediately, in order to certify the allergy. There can be done immunologic tests or challenging tests. These tests are based on prohibiting that food for two or three weeks and then it may be reintroduced gradually, under medical supervision.

The test is considered positive when initial symptoms can be reproduced. Different symptoms which occur after eating can be immediate, intermediate or late. Immediate symptoms occur during the first hour after the administration of the food, the intermediate symptoms appear in the next hour and the late ones during the following several days. Immunologic tests led to this classification of the reactions after eating a suspect food. All the data collected by the doctor on the occasion of the clinical exam, helps him establish a preliminary diagnosis and orientates him towards lab exams, suggesting him the direction of dermatological tests, necessary to confirm the etiology of the affection suffered by the patient who is investigated. Without this first stage of the clinical examination, the quality of the diagnosis has to suffer a lot. The second stage has as purpose to establish the allergic origin of his clinical behavior. During this stage, through lab means, the changes which confirm the involvement of the allergy mechanism will be studied.

The best known exams are those which establish the total immunoglobulin E serum. These tests are only as a guide, they are not definitely representative for an allergic manifestation, because they also appear in other manifestations, which are not allergic: intestinal parasitizes, some neoplasm forms, infections, or after taking certain pills.

Allergy treatment

A person who is allergic, irrespective of the type of the allergy must see a doctor, when the first symptom of an allergy appears. First it is recommended to see a generalist, and if you have the possibility, to see your personal doctor, who knows your medical past very well, then you must go to a specialist, who will recommend the corresponding treatment. After improving and curing the symptoms accused by the sick person, which are caused by the source of the allergy, the doctor must find a therapeutic solution in order to prevent the recurrence of the allergy in the future. The solution may be quite easy and it is usually based on the exact identification of the source or the sources of the allergy, which caused those symptoms. After the source of the allergy is identified, it must be isolated from the allergic person, quite a long period of time. This one should be careful, wherever he or she goes, not to cross over the source of the allergy again. This solution is the best, when the doctor and the patient can collaborate, in order to solve the case. When the doctor can’t collaborate with the patient, there may be other therapeutic means. There are antihistaminic pills, which may contribute to the decreasing of the intensity of the symptoms. Nowadays the most frequently used method is based on getting the patient less sensitive to the source of the allergy. This method can be achieved by taking pills or through injections. A treatment is successful only if the indications received by the patient are respected entirely. Besides, a periodic visit to the doctor who started the treatment increases the chances of the success, by carefully monitoring the case. It is important to know that, even if the results are not satisfying immediately, if the patient respects the indications, he or she may have more chances to tolerate the sources of the allergy in the future. It is interesting that an allergy source can be better established by the patient than by the doctor. For example, did you know that the smell of some foods, like fish may cause breathing allergy? It is difficult for a doctor to correlate the patient’s symptoms with all the possible allergy sources. When the allergic patient goes to see a doctor, maybe the last thing he remembers to tell him is that he ate fish, because fish is in general a light food, well tolerated by anybody. The best treatment for an allergy is to get rid of its sources, after you have discovered them. When this is not enough and the allergic reaction degenerates in serious illnesses like asthma, dermatitis, eczemas, there are alternative medicine solutions, which may exclude side effects, like putting on weight or being sleepy all the time. You may go to a natural therapist and he will indicate you the best natural remedies for your allergy.

These remedies are in general based on plants, which are available in each naturist pharmacy, or you may even find them in your pantry, if you like picking medicinal plants in the summer.

Muscle and fitness hers

It sounds like the title of a magazine for women, for those ones who want to know all about muscle and fitness, for themselves, not for their husbands. These magazines offer information about the importance of the fitness in a woman’s daily life, associated with lots of worries or nutrition problems.

This kind of magazines consider that each person has a beautiful body, if she knows what to do in order to get a lean, not skinny appearance, without excessive fat. You can be helped to become healthy, fit, beautiful and happy.

Obviously, you won’t become like a skinny model if the structure of your body doesn’t allow this, but at least you will get fit as much as your genetical program permits it.

If you are at your best, not only from the physical point of view, but also mentally and emotionally, people will appreciate you for the effort you put into improving your whole life, including your training and diet. It is always a nice thing when you can improve your body to the capacity you are genetically programmed for.

You shouldn’t be misled by different magazines which promise that you will become like a model pictured in there, because in a magazin almost every amazing detail is due to makeover. Those magazines exaggerate. The story of before and after is never convincing.

This kind of magazine is created to bring out the best which nature has offered you and to guiding you with sound, practical advice on health, nutrition, physical fitness and psychology. In the real world, achieving the best you can be, stands as a brilliant example of how beautiful and dedicated you are.

Fitness nutrition life and training

Some essential aspects

If you're driving yourself mad with a super complicated routine or you're just starting out, this program can offer you the body you want.

Elementary nutrition

Timing of meals, food choices and calorie-counting represent the nutrition gateway to your target. You will never accuse eating disorders, there are a lot of experts who want to support you.

Your best accessories will be sculpted shoulders, tight triceps and beautiful biceps.

There are supplements which promote recovery, increase lean body mass, boost immunity and enhance performance to help you achieve winning results.

Besides, there are fitness exercises which can help you achieve the shapely legs you desire with one intense workout per week.

This type of magazines also provide you some recipes which are low in fat, delicious and they won't undermine your work in the gym.

If you conquer the bosu ball, there is no longer wonder what this blue dome can do for you. There are seven exercises which will challenge your balance and your muscles.

Fill your tank and fuel your efforts with a few snacks specific for working out. whether you want to hit the weights, treadmill or both.

30-Minute Workouts, whether you want to lose, gain or maintain, are enough and you can be offered an exercise plan in order to achieve your target. When you are out, just look for „Muscle and fitness hers” and you won’t be disappointed.

Fat flush fitness plan

This fitness plan means rapid weight loss as well as body toning and detox, energy boost, better mood and outlook. The first fat flush plan appeared in 1998. It was developed by a nutritionist, and its final form was released in 2002. Ann Louise Gittleman, its creator published cook books, a one day, fast track detox diet and fitness plan addons.

Summary of the method

Gittleman is convinced that the Fat Flush Plan will detox your liver and lymphatic system and it will make them produce rapid weight loss by increasing your metabolism, and reshape the body with adipose tissue loss and cellulite reduction. She promises you will feel younger, better and you will look good.

She mentions that there are five essential factors which cause weight gain and poor health: a toxic liver, which has a poor function, food intolerance and tissues which favorise water retention, a liver which is not happy when you eat, excessive insulin, and stress.

Diet Stages

We warn you that this is only a short presentation of the method. There are materials which provide you more information, once you are decided to lose weight using this method.

Stage 1

Phase 1 of Fat Flush

A two week phase: 1100-1200 calories per day. Drink adequately, give up of white sugar, white rice, white flour. Take one tablespoon flaxseed oil daily.

Stage 2

Phase 2

Ongoing Fat Flush

1200-1500 calories per day. Follow until you reach your target weight. From week one add a friendly snack per week and monitor your reaction and weight. Friendly snacks can include: sweet potatos, frozen or fresh peas, carrots,or butternut squash.

Stage 3

Phase 3

Lifestyle Plan

This phase means more than 1500 cal permitted per day. Base food choices on Phase 2 and introduce up to two dairy products and four serves of friendly carbohydrates per day.

Do you know how to follow?

There are three phases in the Fat Flush Plan. The whole program can be followed from one month to a lifetime.

For all the phases, you may eat a little lean protein daily, including two eggs. However, no dairy is permitted at all. Certain herbs and spices are allowed. Moreover, the nutritionist suggests they can speed up metabolism. These herbs and spices may be cinnamon, ginger, cayenne and mustard.

Phase one is an initial two week phase to start losing weight and begin your shape change. In this phase, all grains and dairy products are forbidden.

Phase two is the ongoing weight loss period with a less intense detox program until target weight is achieved. Carbohydrates which are considered hypoallergenic are introduced again, gradually, one at a time.

Phase three has been designed for maintaining weight and injecting energy into your daily life. During this phase you are allowed to eat more than1500 calories a day. Some dairy and grains can be introduced again, depending on your tolerance.

Here are some general aspects of the diet:

You are allowed to eat only one protein at a meal. Eggs are an exception.

Youn should eat fruit and vegetasbles separately.

You should not take water with meals, you only have to drink water between meals.

Fitness gyms

Any woman can become quickly dependant on the gym she goes to, if she chose the suitable one for her. Before going to a gym, you can take into account some aspects related to the best way of selecting your ideal sports area.

Accessibility

A gym has to be situated somewhere not far from the area around which you usually walk during the day, somewhere on the route home – work or in adjacent areas. Don’t pay for a subscription at a gym which lies far away from your habitual area. It may take you a long time in order to reach it and you won’t go there more than three times. Our time is too precious to be lost in traffic!

Timetable

If the gym is open from nine to seven and your program is from ten to five, you don’t have any advantage. You can also take into account situations when you have to leave your work earlier, while other times, perhaps more often you can work supplementary hours. Besides, take into account other activities after work, such as meeting your friends, social events. You can analyse which activity is the most important for you. On the other hand, if you are a busy person, going to a gym should written down in your agenda, as being an important activity.

Staff and equipment

You go to a gym for training, so you will have trainers and you will have to use different machines. You have to watch the latter ones carefully. They must be modern, new, and / or well maintained, and what is more, they must be sufficient for all the trainees. You won’t go to the gym in order to wait for your turn to use a machine. Besides, the trainers must be professionals and they should be able to establish the most suitable training program for you.

Space and cleanness

When you pay for your subscription, don’t forget to look around you. Imagine that in the same space there are about twenty women who have to change their clothes after aerobic classes. Is there enough space for them? Are the showers clean? Is the space aired?

Training partners

Try to visit the gym at a time when you would normally go there and have a look to those who are training. Are there more men or women? Is it too crowded? Are there too young or too old persons, for your preferences? Don’t forget that you will see those people several times a week.

Money

When you consider the money spent on equipment, don’t think only of the cost of a subscription. You have to take into account the cost of the transport until you get there, the time spentb there, the quality of the gym, whether the subscription includes a number of sessions or it is unlimited, but it can be used until a certain date, whether you may take another person with you under the same subscription. Finally you can conclude that the most expensive gym is the best for you.

E-Book : LEUKEMIA

2007-01-24T07:32:00.000-08:00

LEUKEMIA

1) Introduction to Leukemia

Leukemia (definition) is a progressing disease which affects cells that are not yet fully developed and, as a consequence, they cannot carry out their normal functions. There are four major types of leukemia: acute or chronic myelogenous, and acute or chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Leukemia is a type of cancer; in other words, leukemia cancer is of the blood cells. For a better understanding of leukemia, it can be useful to know about normal blood cells and what happens to them when the disease develops.

Leukemia starts to develop when the human body produces large numbers of abnormal white blood cells, which are different from healthy cells and cannot function properly. Leukemia starts in the bone marrow, but can eventually spread to the blood, spleen, liver, central nervous system and many other organs. In leukemia, the bone marrow starts producing a large number of undeveloped white blood cells. Then, they block production of normal white blood cells, impairing our ability to fight against infection. Leukemia cells can also crowd out other types of blood cells that are produced by the bone marrow, and this includes the red blood cells, which are responsible for the carrying of the oxygen to the tissues from our body, and platelets, which help form blood clots.

But leukemia can also affect animals, precisely cats, and this is called feline leukemia. Sometimes, we hear so much about this disease that we actually wonder: what is leukemia? Well, if we really want to learn more about this disease, the most indicated thing we can do is to ask a doctor. He or she can give us more leukemia information than we could ever imagine. Leukemia patients (and not only) can find out even more about leukemia from other sources, such as the Internet or medical books. And information about leukemia is very important in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease, for patients and for doctors, as well.

Contrary to what many people believe, cancer leukemia is not only a children’s disease, and by asking about information on leukemia, we can find out that there are four main types and many subtypes in this kind of disease, and that only some of them are frequent among children. Leukemia cancer information can be, therefore, life-saving.

Leukemia and lymphoma (the latter originates in the lymphatic system) represent a complex group of different blood-related cancers. There are two primary types of lymphoma and they are: non-Hodgkins and Hodgkins lymphoma. Because of the major advances in their treatment, there have been noticed important improvements in the survival rates for leukemia and lymphoma over the last decade.

In the year 2000, there was estimated a number of 30,800 new cases of leukemia only in the United States. Leukemia blood cancer occurs mostly in males rather than in females and in white population rather than in black.

Although there are hundreds of leukemia definitions, it would be very easy for us to remember that this disease is a cancer of the bone marrow resulting in excess production of leukocytes.

535 words

2) Interesting Facts on Leukemia

Leukemia facts are important in understanding, identification and treatment of this kind of disease. Many people have preconceived ideas about it and cannot know for sure what they are dealing with until they come across some certain leukemia facts. The first thing that should concern a person that is interested in leukemia, is that it represents, in fact, a cancer of the bone marrow and blood and that it is characterized by the uncontrolled growth of the blood cells in our bodies.

Another fact about leukemia is that it consists of four types. The first type of leukemia is called acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and it develops from a genetic damage in the DNA of the developing cells in the bone marrow. Some leukemia risk factors at this level might be represented by the Down syndrome or by the use of chemotherapy in the treatment of ovarian and breast cancer. The second type of leukemia is the acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), which can occur from a genetic injury to the DNA of a cell in the bone marrow, especially in the case of children. The third type is known under the name of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML); it generally affects adults over the age of 30 and may also result from an injury to the DNA, but this time of a stem cell in the bone marrow. And the last type of leukemia is the chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), mainly characterized by an accumulation of lymphocytes in the bone marrow, spleen and blood lymph nodes.

An important leukemia fact is the recognition of its symptoms; most patients complain about lack of energy, loss of appetite, fever, loss of the sense of well-being, bone or joint pain, excessive night sweats, nosebleeds, bruising, infections, fatigue, weight loss and paleness. It is also very important to learn that the only ways to treat this disease and its symptoms are chemotherapy and bone-marrow transplant. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a medical term representing a method used in the treatment of leukemia.

Statistics represent some interesting facts about leukemia. For example, few people know that leukemia represents only 2% of all the adult cancers and 1/3 of all childhood cancers. Want some other facts about leukemia? For example, the five-year survival rate for children is of 80%, while for adults only 42%. Also, research in the treatment of leukemia has managed to minimize its death rates, dropping 5.1% over the past 20 years. Adults and older people are 10 times more likely to be diagnosed with leukemia than children. All these represent demonstrated facts on leukemia, and not just simple statements.

This leukemia fact sheet also takes into consideration facts on feline leukemia. Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) infection is the most dangerous and widely spread infectious disease among domestic cats and wild felines. The three types of FeLV are: FeLV-A, FeLV-B, and FeLV-C.

The leukemia journal impact factor is one of the most interesting topics, proving that this disease managed to cover all aspects of its research and treatment.

539 words

3) How Is Leukemia Diagnosed?

Leukemia currently represents about 2% of all cancers, and it is common among nine out of every 100,000 Americans every year. Males are more likely to be affected by this disease than females, and Europeans are more frequently affected than Africans or Asians.

Leukemia diagnosis and prognosis vary widely. There are three important factors in the prognosis of leukemia: the patient’s age, his/her general health, and the time since leukemia diagnosis. For example, younger patients such as children or teenagers who are otherwise in good health have the best chance for survival when diagnosing leukemia at an early stage.

The variation of leukemia prognosis depends on the form of leukemia. Generally, the patients which present chronic forms of the disease have a tendency to live longer than those with acute forms. Statistics show that the average survival rate for patients with chronic leukemia is about nine years. It has also been demonstrated the fact that only half of all leukemia diagnosed patients which present acute myelogenous leukemia can survive five years. For those who have an acute lymphocytic leukemia, their survival rate is alarmingly smaller.

The diagnosis leukemia no longer has such a great impact on patients, as medical progress over the past thirty years in this medical area has greatly improved the prognosis for lymphocytic leukemia and for myelogenous leukemia as well. Doctors are more experienced in this area these days, and the treatments are much more effective than they used to be. As a consequence, an advanced leukemia prognosis is nowadays very possible and also common to patients with diagnosed leukemia. So, it is more and more possible for patients to face not only the possibility of a remission, but also of a cure.

The first step in the physical diagnosis of leukemia is the patient’s need of a medical advice from his/her doctor after describing one or more leukemia symptoms. The doctor must then try to figure out the cause of these symptoms and to identify the disease they point out. He/she has the obligation to perform tests on the patient, such as blood tests or, in more severe cases, even a bone marrow biopsy.

3/4 of chronic lymphocytic leukemia prognosis occurs in adults who are over the age of 60, but never in children, and it also affects men 2 or even 3 times more often than it affects women. The lymphocytic leukemia diagnosing occurs also at a greater level in North America and Europe, and it is seen as a “rarity” in South-East Asia and in Japan; this information demonstrates the important role of heredity in the development of leukemia.

Generally speaking, chronic lymphocytic leukemia progresses slowly and the doctor is the only person capable to determine, by different tests, how far the disease has progressed. With the help of these tests, he can also predict the patient’s survival time. This depends on the number of lymphocytes in the patient’s blood and bone marrow, the size of his liver and spleen, the presence or absence of anemia, and also platelet count.

535 words

4) Perspectives on Childhood Leukemia

Leukemia in children, as in adult patients, refers to cancer of the white blood cells, also referred to as leukocytes or WBCs. In the case of juvenile leukemia, many abnormal white blood cells start to be produced in the bone marrow. All these white cells crowd the bone marrow and eventually flood the bloodstream, becoming unable to perform their actual role of protecting the body against disease.

As childhood leukemia progresses, the disease clashes with the body’s production of some other types of blood cells, such as platelets and red blood cells. This leads to anemia, which can be indicated by bleeding problems and severe infections.

Leukemia in children accounts for almost 25% of all childhood cancer types and also affects about 2,200 American children and teenagers annually. Fortunately, the chances for a cure are very good with infant leukemia, especially if the disease is discovered at an early stage. If treated in time, most children with leukemia are cured and their recovery is not threatened in any way by a childhood leukemia relapse.

Generally, leukemia in child is classified into two types. The first one is acute pediatric leukemia, which develops very rapidly and which is encountered in almost 98% of leukemia children; the second one is chronic leukemia and it develops much slowly than the first mentioned.

Acute childhood leukemias are also divided into acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). These types of child leukemia depend on whether specific white blood cells (also called lymphocytes, which are linked to immune defenses) are involved or not in the process. Studies show that almost 60% of children leukemia is acute lymphocytic leukemia, and about 38% is acute myelogenous leukemia, also called juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia.

Childhood leukemia symptoms often confuse doctors, because they are very much alike to other common and inoffensive diseases that children normally develop during their childhood. In the first stage of leukemia, children become feeling very tired and feel the need to rest. Sometimes, they have fever and they have no longer the same appetite, which leads to weight loss. Then, they become gusty, cranky, irritated or moody.

The infant leukemia medical treatment should begin in an appropriate and fully-equipped medical center. Children also need parental and emotional support to defeat the crisis, as it is well-known how our psychic influences our health.

The good news is that there is not only one childhood leukemia foundation, but hundreds of them all across the world, and many more thousands of people willing to give a chance to the children which are affected by this disease against their will. These people, with the help of the existing leukemia foundations, can offer not only financial help for pediatric leukemia patients, but also a normal life and the perspective of a bright future for these apparently helpless children.

Childhood and leukemia are two opposite words that should never coexist the way they do. But, surprisingly, children often prove to be braver than many other adult patients which are affected by the same disease as they are.

547 words

5) How Do I Know I Have Leukemia?

The early symptoms of leukemia are characterized by frequent fevers and infections. In the patient’s body, the healthy red blood cells start to diminish and, consequently, they cannot carry the oxygen throughout his body. The leukemia signs and symptoms become very visible, as the patient becomes anemic and starts looking pale and tired. Other leukemia signs are represented by frequent bleedings, bruising and weakness.

In the case of acute leukemia, the situation aggravates; the patient feels sicker day after day. However, both chronic myelomonocytic leukemia symptoms and chronic lymphocytic leukemia symptoms are alike, as the patient feels the increasing need to consult a doctor. In this case, symptoms may not appear for a long time; but when they do, they are generally moderate at first and worsen gradually.

The most common leukemia symptoms are represented by: headaches, exhaustion or weakness, frequent infections, loss of appetite and weight loss, fevers and night sweats, frequent pains in the bones and joints, easily bleeding and bruising etc. These are not certain signs of leukemia, as they could be also caused by some other problems. Maybe many patients would consider that the most important leukemia symptom is fever or fatigue, but the first thing they should do is to call a doctor and make an appointment immediately. And it is very important to be sure, as only a doctor can diagnose and treat the problem. Once the symptoms of leukemia established, the next step is the finding of an appropriate treatment. The leukemia signs are many but, unfortunately, the treatments are not. And, as we said before, the signs of leukemia can be deceiving, so patients would better ask for medical advice as soon as possible. Symptoms of chronic leukemia are, in the first place, felt in the skin, kidneys, digestive tract, testicles and central nervous system. Both childhood leukemia symptom and leukemia symptoms in adults are almost alike, with slight differences; one of them would be that the symptoms of leukemia in children are stronger felt by their body, as their immune system is not yet prepared and fully developed for such diseases.

Many symptoms of feline leukemia are similar to the symptoms leukemia children have. It is very important for the owner of a cat to be able to identify some feline leukemia symptoms, because feline leukemia is the most dangerous killer of cats after car accidents; 21% of all the sick cats that are taken to veterinarians have feline leukemia symptom. Signs of feline leukemia become visible when the cat is not feeling well and it is irresponsive.

The symptoms leukemia patients present are not always evident, even for the doctors. The same thing happens with the signs of leukemia in child patients, and only after some blood tests can the disease be surely identified. Although the warning signs of leukemia are various, many times leukemia signs symptoms that can be misinterpreted. Only leukemia symptoms blood presents are relevant to the doctors and can be the first step in choosing a proper treatment.

530 words

6) Are There Cures For Leukemia?

Leukemia treatment generally consists of five major approaches for the leukemia cure: the first one is represented by chemotherapy and it kills leukemia cells by the means of anti-cancer drugs; the second leukemia treatment is called

interferon therapy and it is used to slow down the reproduction of leukemia cells; there is also radiation therapy to destroy cancer cells by exposing the patient to high-energy radiation; stem cell transplantation (SCT) is used to enable the treatment with high doses of radiation therapy and chemotherapy; and, at last, surgery removes the enlarged spleen of the patient and installs an access device through the veins, for giving medications and withdrawing blood samples. From these leukemia treatments, the doctor is the only person capable to choose the most proper treatment for leukemia.

Maybe in the future new leukemia treatment will be possible, but so far the most frequently used cure for leukemia is still leukemia chemotherapy. Leukemia cures should also involve physical and emotional support from the doctors, as well from the family and friends of the patient.

The patient can find information about treatments for leukemia by asking a doctor’s opinion, by reading specialty books or by surfing on the Internet. With the help of cancer treatments leukemia can be stopped (often by children) or only maintained at a certain level.

The chronic lymphocytic leukemia treatment (or simply the chronic leukemia treatment) may include the clinical trial of chemotherapy with stem cell transplant and also the clinical trial of a new treatment.

But doctors are not the only ones to decide what acute leukemia treatment to apply to each patient. In fact, the doctor only presents the alternatives; the patient is the last one to decide. Perhaps the doctor would incline for a lymphocytic leukemia treatment or, by case, he would choose chemotherapy for leukemia; however, if the patient refuses both variants the doctor suggested and decides to choose a herbal cure for leukemia, it’s the patient’s decision that counts, and the chemotherapy leukemia treatment is “erased” from the list.

One of the diseases that are included in the social security’s list of disabling conditions is leukemia. A person diagnosed with leukemia is supposed to file a claim for social security disability insurance leukemia benefits, to help out his own treatment and recovery. The insurance benefits help a lot, as the patient who files this claim is incapable to gain any money with this health condition. This social security association carefully evaluates the patient diagnosed with leukemia and establishes the type of leukemia he suffers from, to be sure that the person truly cannot survive without the money they offer.

It is well-known that leukemia also affects cats. The worst aspect of this disease is that there is currently no cure for feline leukemia. Actually, there exists the possibility of steroid treatment or of chemotherapeutic treatment, but it can only produce a temporary remission in some cats. With the help of this therapy, cats affected by leukemia can live normally, either for several weeks or for several months.

541 words

7) Are The Types of Leukemia Important to Patients?

Leukemia is classified by how quickly it develops. Acute leukemia is fast-growing and can overrun the body within a few weeks or months. By contrast, chronic leukemia is slow-growing and progressively worsens over years.

There are four different types of leukemia, and the leukemia types are the following:

1. Acute leukemia: this type of disease gets worse rapidly and the immature blood cells multiply very fast.

2. Chronic leukemia: at this level, the disease worsens gradually. The abnormal cells are more mature compared to those in acute leukemia and can only execute few of their functions.

3. Lymphocytic leukemia: at this point, lymphocytes are affected more than the other blood cells, and this leads to the incapacity of the body to fight against viruses and infections.

4. Myelogenous leukemia: this type affects the monocytes, that are other kinds of white blood cells from the bone marrow, which protect the body against bacteria, viruses and infections.

The above mentioned leukemia diagnosis and types are the result of the investigations of many doctors during hundreds of years of research. In 2004, statistics from different sources show the difference between the distinct types of leukemia in the United States:

- Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia: 3,830 new cases;

- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: 8,190 new cases;

- Acute Myeloid Leukemia: 11,920 new cases;

- Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: 4,600 new cases.

The most frequent types childhood leukemia are acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). The first type of leukemia occurs in 60% of the children and the second leukemia type in 38%. Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is one of the rare types of leukemia in children, as there were encountered only 50 cases of this kind of disease in the United States.

The two major types leukemia has been split into very carefully are its acute and chronic forms. Each of these leukemia types has different characteristics by which they can be recognized. While acute leukemia is characterized by the rapid growth of the immature blood cells in one’s body, the other one has as a main characteristic the excessive accumulation of somehow grown-up, but yet abnormal blood cells. The leukemia types prognosis shows that in acute leukemia immediate treatment is required, because of the rapid accumulation of the malignant cells which, if left untreated, the patient is going to die within months or even weeks. In contrast, chronic forms sometimes need to be monitored for some weeks or months before the beginning of a proper treatment, for its maximum effectiveness.

The four types of leukemia and causes are not interrelated and, actually, there is not even a single known cause for all of the different types of leukemia. From all the possible causes of the four types of leukemia, researchers and doctors, as well, remained focused on only four of them: genetic predispositions, some viruses, some natural or artificial ionizing radiation and certain kinds of chemicals. However, these assumptions do not offer any certain answer, because there is no way to prevent the disease until the cause or causes of leukemia are found.

584 words

8) Rai or Binet… What Do Doctors Choose-Leukemia?

As with any kind of cancer, by the process of staging leukemia, doctors can find out how far the cancer has spread. Most of the cancer types have stages of I, II, III, or IV, which indicate not only the size of the tumor, but also how far from the original location in the body the cancer has spread. There are, of course, different leukemia stages, depending on its degree of development. Leukemia stages are practical because doctors guide the treatment of the patient based on the 5 stages of leukemia. These stages leukemia has also help determine what the chances of the patient’s survival (also known as prognosis) are.

There are 2 different systems used for the delimitation of the stages of leukemia: the Rai classification (frequently used in the United States), and the Binet system (used more widely in Europe). The Rai stages of leukemia can be further separated into low- (or stage 0), intermediate- (stages I and II), and high-risk (stages III and IV) categories. In other words, the 5 stages of leukemia recognized by Rai are:

* Rai Stage 0 (or the early stages of leukemia): Lymphocytosis (a very increased number of lymphocytes in the blood) is present. The size of the liver, spleen and lymph nodes are normal and the number of the red blood cells and platelets is also almost normal.
* Rai Stage 1 (or the first stages of leukemia): Lymphocytosis is also present and the lymph nodes are enlarged. The spleen and liver are under normal dimensions and the number of red blood cells and platelets is also normal.
* Rai Stage 2 (2nd stage leukemia): Lymphocytosis is present, along with enlarged liver or spleen, not necessary, however, with enlarged lymph nodes. The red blood cell and platelet counts are near normal.
* Rai Stage 3 (leukemia stage 3): Lymphocytosis appears together with anemia (the presence of too few red blood cells, which leads to paleness and lack of energy) symptoms, with or without enlarged liver, spleen or lymph nodes. The number of platelet is again almost normal.
* Rai Stage 4 (stage 4 leukemia / last stages of leukemia / leukemia final stages): Lymphocytosis and thrombocytopenia (too few blood platelets) appear, with or without anemia and enlarged liver, spleen or lymph nodes.

As a comparison, in the Binet staging system, leukemia had been classified by the number of affected lymphoid tissue groups (such as spleen and liver, neck lymph nodes, groin lymph nodes or underarm lymph nodes) and the presence of anemia and thrombocytopenia, as follows:

* Binet Stage A: No more than 3 areas of lymphoid tissue are enlarged, with lack of anemia and thrombocytopenia.
* Binet Stage B: 3 or more areas of lymphoid tissue are enlarged, with lack of anemia or thrombocytopenia.
* Binet Stage C: Anemia and thrombocytopenia are present, either together, or separately.

It is impossible to know all about first stage leukemia, stage 2 leukemia, stage 3a leukemia or any other leukemia stage. At the same time, every stage of leukemia is important in the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of this cruel disease.

559 words

9) First Type of Leukemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is referred to as a monoclonal disorder, which can be characterized by a progressive accumulation of abnormal white blood cells, or lymphocytes that are functionally incompetent to defend the human body against viruses and other type of diseases and to fight against infections.

Patients with CLL leukemia present different kinds of symptoms and signs of chronic lymphoma leukemia. There were many cases when the CLL chronic lymphocytic leukemia was discovered incidentally after a simple, routine blood test.

As it often happens in the case of most malign cancers, the exact cause of chronic lymphocytic leukemia is uncertain. It has been noticed that chronic leukemia lymphocytic is a disease that mainly affects adult people, especially over the age of 55. However, recent statistics show that even individuals aged 35 years or younger are diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia more often.

An unusual form of leukemia is chronic lymphositic leukemia, which commonly affects adult people over the age of 65. Another form of leukemia is chronic lymphatic leukemia (or chronic lymphnotic leukemia), and the median survival of patients with this kind of disease is about 10 years, as they are prone to develop second malignancies.

There are two main types of white blood cells: lymphoid cells and myeloid cells. Leukemia can arise in both of them. When chronic leukemia affects lymphoid cells, it is called chronic lymphonic leukemia (or chronic lymphomic leukemia); when myeloid cells are affected, the disease is called chronic myelocytic leukemia.

Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) is usually a disease of older adults, but it can also occur in children, as well. As a possible treatment, CMML responds to chemotherapy, but only temporarily. Patients who are diagnosed with this type of leukemia survive approximately only for the next 2 years from the actual diagnosis.

There are two different types of treatment available for patients with cond chronic lymphocytic leukemia: standard treatments or treatments that are tested in clinical trials. Before beginning a chronic lymphocytic leukemia cure, patients may want to think about taking part in that clinical trial, which represents research study intended to help the improvement of current treatments or maybe obtain information on new treatments for patients with cancer.

A chronic lymphocytic leukemia diet might, first of all, consist of a careful examination of the production and expiry date on all the products before eating them; also, the patient must wash himself with soap and hot water before and after touching any kind of food; he must also keep perishable food very hot or very cold, avoiding in this way the contact with bacteria; the immediate refrigeration of the leftovers in airtight containers is also of extreme importance.

It is very important to follow a low bacteria diet until the patient’s immune system returns to normal. Food must be prepared in such a way that would avoid the risk of infection. Leaving these aside, the patient is allowed to consume any kind of food, with some exceptions. The proper diet of every patient can only be given by his own doctor.

551 words

10) Third Type of Leukemia

Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is a fast-growing cancer of the white blood cells and bone marrow. In acute myelogenous leukemia, the bone marrow produces many unformed, abnormal cells, also known by the term of blasts. They normally develop into white blood cells that fight infection, but blasts are abnormal and undeveloped in acute myeloid leukemia, so they cannot fight infections.

Acute myelogenous leukemia is the most common type of leukemia. Statistics show that more than 12,000 new cases occur in the United States annually, especially in adults over the age of 65 (adult acute myeloid leukemia). Childhood acute myeloid leukemia is registered in only 10% of all cases. Acute myeloid leukemia symptoms are caused by the low numbers of healthy blood cells and the high numbers of leukemia cells. When the white blood cells cannot fight infection anymore, the patient begins to feel discomfort, fever and to notice frequent infections. Another leukemia symptom is anemia. Bleedings may also occur, as a consequence of the low numbers of platelets which cannot control the bleedings any longer.

Adult acute myelogenous leukemia has been divided into 8 subtypes, from M0 to M7 under the FAB (French-American-British) Classification System. This classification was made based on two characteristics:

1- The type of cell from which acute leukemia developed and

2- Degree of maturity.

Each subtype is defined by a particular pattern of chromosomal translocations and has varies by the means of prognosis and response to therapy.

The eight different subtypes of acute myelogenous leukemia are:

1. M0 (or acute myelogenous leukemia M0; undifferentiated AML);
2. M1 (myeloblastic, immature);
3. M2 (or acute myelogenous leukemia M2 / acute myelogenous leukemia type 2; myeloblastic, mature);
4. M3 (promyelocytic / acute promyelocytic leukemia - APL);
5. M4 (myelomonocytic);
6. M5 (monocytic);
7. M6 (erythroid);
8. M7 (megakaryoblastic).

Some acute myelogenous leukemia explanation could be found; however, some presumptions cannot form the base on which a treatment could be given.

Acute myelogenous leukemia and Agent Orange are believed to be interrelated. By 1962, Agent Orange was sprayed over some parts of South Vietnam and Cambodia and so, Agent Orange and acute myeloid leukemia are connected, because the first contained some chemicals which could have caused anomalies in the children of the Vietnam veterans.

Acute myeloid sarcoma leukemia is a solid tumour composed of immature cells of the myeloid series. A novel single-chain immunotoxin was constructed by combining a CD33 acute myelogenous leukemia single chain Fv (scFv) antibody fragment with an engineered variant of Pseudomonas Exotoxin A (ETA).

The acute myelogenous leukemia consolidation chemotherapy refers to a kind of courses which help patients to prepare their body and mind for what follows.

The chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML leukemia / leukemia CML) is also a cancer of the bone marrow, and occurs in middle-aged adults and children. An acute myelogenous leukemia relapse or recurrence of leukemia can occur anytime during therapy or after completion of treatment.

Acute myeloid leukemia and Sweetser (a non-profit organization providing quality treatment and support to patients and their families through a network of mental health, behavioural health and educational services) are fighting together to give a chance to people affected by leukemia.

610 words

11) Fourth Type of Leukemia

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a slow-growing cancer of the white blood cells, sometimes referred to as chronic myeloid leukemia, chronic granulocytic, chronic leukemia myelogenous, chronic leukemia myeloid or chronic myelocytic leukemia. Chronic myelogenous leukemia is a very common type of cancer. For example, in the United States, more than 20,000 people present chronic myeloid leukemia symptom and about 4,600 new cases are diagnosed each year. Most cases of chronic myelogenous leukemia appear in adults, but there are about 2 - 4% cases of childhood chronic myeloid leukemia.

Sometimes, the chronic myelogenous leukemia symptoms do not appear in patients. They only feel a kind of weakness, fatigue, weight loss and fever. Afterwards, they develop into lack of appetite, anemia and severe infections. Because the symptoms of chronic myeloid leukemia are deceiving, the patient finds out about the disease during a routine check-up.

At this time, allogeneic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is the only available treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia. The chronic myeloid leukemia diet therapy aims to delay the advancement of leukemia from a cond chronic myelogenous leukemia phase to acute myeloid leukemia.

Chronic myelogenous leukemia chemotherapy uses drugs (given as tablets with hydroxyurea) and injections (as a more intensive chemotherapy treatment).

Chronic fever leukemia myelogenous symptom treatment does not exist. Fever is a common symptom with leukemia and cannot, therefore, be treated separately from others, but as a whole. The treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia includes different approaches of the disease, depending on the doctor who treats the patient; but the latter’s opinion also counts in deciding what cure for chronic myeloid leukemia is more appropriate, depending on the stage of leukemia the patient is in.

The incidence is approximately 1 in 100,000 people per year. Some facts about chronic myelogenous leukemia show that most of leukemia cases are identified in adult people between the ages of 50 and 60, and there is a higher incidence in males rather than in females. After chronic myeloid leukemia testing and research, it has also been estimated that chronic myelogenous leukemia occurs in every 3 of 100,000 individuals over the age of 60.

Chronic myelogenous leukemia causation is not yet known, but researchers believe that heredity has some importance in the further transmission of the disease to children.

Some questions were raised by the patients along the years, regarding the chronic myelogenous leukemia. Two of them are in fact very important in learning more about this disease and how it can affect our health. Can chronic myelogenous leukemia go into remission? Well, doctors refer to remission when speaking about the state of absence of leukemia activity in patients with a chronic situation; the answer is positive. The second question is: does chronic myeloid leukemia progress if treated? It depends on the stage it is in, but no actual treatment can offer permanent cure of this disease, and the effects of these treatments are only temporary; in the best case, the disease stagnates at the stage it is in, prolonging the life of the patient in a relatively normal state.

592 words

12) Do We Know The Causes- Leukemia?

Along the years, researchers have studied all the possible cellular changes in the human body that could be associated with the causes of leukemia, but what remained unknown by now is why these changes occur. Many leukemia causes are possible: age, sex, genetics, environment, and lifestyle. It is known that leukemia, like all types of cancer, begins as a mutation in the genetic material (DNA) within certain cells. It is possible that the external or internal causes of leukemia of such change add up over a lifetime. We do not know for sure what causes leukemia, but what we truly now is that it begins when one or more white blood cells experience some sort of DNA loss or damage. Those errors are further imitated and carried further to succeeding generations of cells. The abnormal, undeveloped leukemic cells remain in that phase and are unable to mature properly. Instead, they do not pass away like normal cells, but tend to multiply and mount up within the body.

Sometimes, leukemia patients wonder whether the cause of leukemia is the misuse of pesticides, household cleaners or paint. They also take into consideration industrial pollution, electromagnetic fields, or radiation. A lot of other factors are still being studied as possible causes of leukemia. Which of the above mentioned factors causes leukemia? Do we think that one of these factors really could cause leukemia? These are unanswered questions that concern millions of people all over the world.

In their desperate search for answers, some people think that dental implants cause leukemia, but doctors assure them that such thing does not exist, or has not yet been demonstrated. Many people believe that benzene causes leukemia. Well, benzene is, in fact, a clear, flammable and colorless liquid with a sweet odor, present in raw oil and gasoline and is an important industrial chemical used in industry as a solvent, or in the fabrication of other chemicals and products such as dyes, detergents, nylon, and plastics. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded that benzene can cause leukemia in humans, especially in the case of workers exposed to high levels of benzene.

Once some adult leukemia causes being established, it is time to focus on the cause of leukemia pediatric doctors believe to have found. Does air pollution cause childhood leukemia? Actually, researchers published a study in the “Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health”, after they discovered that exposure of pregnant women to air pollution is one of the most likely factors to cause childhood leukemia. Carbon monoxide, particulates and nitrogen oxides (which are associated with oil burning, particularly in engines) and non-methane volatile organic compounds (including benzene, 1,3-butadiene, benzapyrene and dioxins) are cited in the research. In the case of leukemia children causes are much more dangerous, as the strength of their bodies to fight against diseases and infections is much weaker.

Leukemia diet causes nitrates and for all children, nitrates are generally troublesome, as they can interact with other substances in their body and form leukemia.

542 words

13) Insecurity vs. Insanity - Leukemia

Along the years, there have been made numerous associations and differentiations regarding the acute leukemia vs. chronic leukemia topic.

In acute leukemia (or cancer acute leukemia), the bone marrow cells are incapable to properly mature and to fight against viruses. The immature leukemic cells continue to reproduce and mount up within the body. Unfortunately, because of the lack of treatment, most patients with acute leukemia live less than a few months. Although some subtypes of acute leukemia might respond well to treatment and patients become cured, other types of acute leukemia have a less favorable perspective.

In chronic leukemia, the cells are able to mature and their function is not at a normal rate. But, although the chronic leukemia cells look mature, they are not completely standard and cannot fight infection and viruses as well as normal white blood cells can. The overproduction of cells, however, is not the main problem that speaks about chronic leukemia. The actual problem is that chronic leukemia cells live much longer than normal white blood cells, making up a massive accumulation of mature granulocytes or lymphocytes.

Acute leukemia is characterized by the rapid growth of immature leukemic blood cells. Childhood acute leukemia is much more frequent than adult acute leukemia. Immediate treatment is necessary.

Chronic leukemia is characterized by the excessive build up of somehow mature, but still abnormal blood cells. It may generally take months or even years for chronic leukemia to progress, and the leukemic blood cells are produced at a much higher rate than normal cells. Adult chronic leukemia is more frequent than childhood chronic leukemia, but can normally appear in any age group. While acute leukemia must be treated immediately, its chronic form can sometimes be monitored for many time before a treatment is given; in that way, the therapy is much more effective.

Acute leukemia and chronic leukemia are also different by the treatments they respond to.

When dealing with acute leukemia, the strategy is to control the bone marrow disease, and offering proper treatment for the central nervous system (CNS). Generally, most doctors rely on combinations of drugs for the initial phase of chemotherapy. The advantages of chemotherapy are the early remission of leukemia and also a lower risk of disease resistance. Once remission has been achieved, consolidation treatments are given to prevent disease recurrence.

When dealing with chronic leukemia, the truth is that it is probably “incurable” by present treatments. But most chronic leukemia patients do not require therapy. Studies show that people with stage A chronic leukemia do not need early treatment. For example, in patients over the age of 60 who have low-risk, early stage disease (or Rai Stage 0) a “watch and wait” approach is recommended to be taken. By contrast, patients which suffer from advanced disease (as Rai Stages III or IV) should benefit from chemotherapy and treatment with a corticosteroid (such as prednisone, prednisolone). At this stage, the disease can cause autoimmune syndromes in which the patient’s immune system attacks and even destroys his own blood cells.

560 words