Check the relative strength of a brick by a simple test :
Take a brick and drop it from a height of about three to four feet. Start from three feet and keep increasing the height. The point where it crumbles completely gives you an idea of the relative strength. If one variety of brick breaks at three feet and the other at four feet, the latter is almost twice as strong as the former.
There are also various labs where you can send samples to test the crushing strength of a brick. Weigh a brick, then immerse it in a pail of water for about 24 hours and weigh it again. If the weight gain is very high, then the brick is of inferior quality.

Installing The Casing Pipe Is Most Important..

Here are a few things to remember before you hire your borewell drilling contractor :

* Make sure that the contractor has all the required infrastructure (like drilling rigs) for the job and can source qualified geologists to conduct a survey of the land to locate water.
* The drilling company should also have the technology for installing pumpsets and servicing these sets later on.
During the construction of the borewell, the most important thing is the installation of the casting pipe. If this is not done properly you are liable to get silty water. If you use inferior casting pipes they will quickly corrode and the life of the borewell will be lessened.

The size of the drilling pit is very important. According to government rules, the pit's diametre should be 147 mm. If the diametre is less than this, the submersible pumps won't fit in. If you are not careful, the contractor can just dig the pit and walk away, which would be of no use.

The actual quantity of the water yield can be measured with the help of a V-Notch. Make sure the contractor shows you the yield by passing the water through the V-Notch. When you have installed your pumpset, see that the contractor guarantees after sales service.

It Should Be Smooth, Dry & Cool To Touch...

There are two types of cement: Grey cement - used only for construction purposes, and White cement -for a variety of uses like mosaic flooring, in cement paints, and as a primer for paints, etc. Grey cement costs more than white cement because the production costs and excise duty are higher. White cement also sets faster. For grey cement, the strength after 28 days of setting is taken as the final strength. White cement achieves this strength in about three days time.

How do you buy cement ?
The cement has to be fine in texture. It should be smooth, dry and cool to touch. Fineness gives more strength to cement because the chemical reactions take place faster. Do not buy cement which is in rough, granular lumps. This indicates it has been exposed to moisture. Cement is now available in grades and is easier to buy . For eg: 53 grade cement implies that a cube of cement can withstand a pressure of 530 kgs per square centimetre. You can check this on a compressing machine. This is called the breaking strength of cement. Good cement hardens faster. You can therefore remove the scaffolding / formwork faster than usual. You save on centering and labour costs, and your bulding is ready much faster .

See That Marble Tiles And Slabs Are Sqare Edged..

Marble has qualities and advantages over other stone materials. It is more durable, attractive and is available in various colours - white, yellow, red, black and green, which can be used to match any kind of decor.

When used for flooring it provides a highly elegant finish which is hard, durable, dust free and suits Indian climatic conditions.
Marble possesses great reflective qualities and its crystalline structure gives it a bright lustre. Marble is broadly classified into two categories - white and coloured. For exterior finishes, sound marble with uniform quality should be used. If the marble contains flaws, voids, is discoloured by veins and lines, it should be treated for soundness by spraying surface treatment compounds.

Good marble should comply with the following requirements:

  * If immersed in cold water for 24 hours the marble should not gain more than 0.4% in weight.
  * On Moh's scale (a scale of 1 to 10 to measure hardness of solid materials, where talc, the softest material occupies No.1 position, and diamond, the hardest material is No.10), hardness of marble should measure more than 3.
  * When you buy marble slabs and tiles see that they are square edged. Tiles and slabs are available in the following finishes:
Sand abrasive finish - a flat non-reflective surface.
Hone finish: a velvet smooth finish with little or no gloss.
Polished finish: a highly glossy finished surface which brings out the full colour and character of marble .