CLOCKS

Wood Quartz

Granite Worktops and Quartz Worktops – are they Really Good Value for Money?

Everyone knows that granite worktops and quartz worktops look great. They also know that real granite and real quartz, the proper solid stuff that runs all the way through rather than the MDF core with a stone overlay, costs money. Significantly more money than a PVC covered worktop or even a wooden one. So what's the big deal? Is granite, or quartz, really that much better than a different kind of work surface?

 

Well, let's look at the options. A person can kit his or her kitchen out with wooden worktops; solid surface plastic worktops; or laminate. All have properties that set them apart from granite worktops and quartz worktops. A wooden work surface has an element of traditionalism; a solid surface plastic coated worktop has a kind of functional mid range show home look to it; and laminate is what most of us grew up with, the cheaper more cheerful fitting that is supposedly easy to clean and keep. So part of our comparison has to do with looks: which work surface has the right look?

 

That depends on the room the work surface is going to be fitted in. In general, an ultra modern look kitchen is not the right place for a wooden work top. A fake hard surface plastic top with a stone look might work – but then one runs into the problem of strength and quality deterioration. Solid surface work tops just don't have the internal strength or durability of granite worktops or quartz worktops – and they don't quite look the part either. If you're having a kitchen done in an ultra modern style then compromising on work top quality seems like a bit of a daft thing to do.

 

Other styles of kitchen might suit a wooden work surface: a farm style kitchen, for example, or a nice clean classic look kitchen. Thing is, they'll also suit granite or quartz. So here the decision has to be based as much on practicalities as aesthetic. The problem with wood is this: it's very difficult to maintain. It stains, it doesn't clean so good, it scratches and marks easily and it warps near heat or damp. Granite worktops and quartz worktops are impervious to almost all rough treatment – to scratch granite or quartz; you'd have to hit it with an axe.

 

That means, of course, that although a wooden work surface might be nominally cheaper than its stone cousins, it may actually cost more in the long run. The maintenance costs of wooden work tops, in terms of cleaning products, protective products and the inevitable refurbishment after a few years' service, can end up being more than the purchase and installation costs of quartz worktops and granite worktops put together.

 

Ultimately, the reason quartz and granite work surfaces cost a little extra is because they are of such good quality. They're versatile, too – unlike any other work surface, granite and quartz go with any decor, any scheme and any style. And that's a value for money no other type of work surface can match.

About the Author

Quartz worktops and granite worktops might cost a little more than other types of work surface: but they are, ultimately, better value for money, in terms of durability, usability and overall appearance. For more information please visit http://www.stonemasters.co.uk/.

Can anyone tell me the optimum pH. and water hardness for rapid growth of Nitrafying bacteria in a new .....?

...Nitrafying bacteria in a New fish tank?
I have been going for about a month but want to be certain of GOOD bacteria growth in my tank. I have alrady done my preliminaryies . I have kickstarted with an old filter added to my new tank from an already established tank. I also have some Bannana plans,java moss and java ferns...oh and some genus of the Anuibas species of plant. I am useing a 15 gal. tanl with a 20gal capacity Marineland bio-wheel filter, An air stone U.G.F., useing crushed granite and quartz substrate. A 28 watt "day light" fluorescent light( light cycle is 08:00>14:00 on and 16:00>20:00 on. the air cycle is 20:00>08:00 hrs there is also a good peice of seasoned drift wood in the tank. It currently houses % small ghost shrimp,6 small pond snails and 10-12 3 week old guppies. Everything seems to be fine but for how long right?. I am most concerned in setting up the tanks Nitrogen cycle bacteria groth as an insurity( guppies are "cull fish"), but if they live cool.

your optimum ph is going to be what it is going to be. It is best to stay with a stable PH and that is whatever your water supply says it is. PH will not effect rapid growth of bacteria. That will happen if the ph is low or high. A month should be fine for the cycling process to complete, however, you have added plants and fish.

Have you tested your water and if so, what were the results? Adding fish and plants to your tank will at first add to the biofilter.

Also, taking a filter from another tank will NOT cycle your tank. It holds very little usefull bacteria to enter your tank. The air stone as well is strickly decoration in the tank. It adds little to no Dissolved Oxygen which can only enter your tank in the form of movement, ie. filter, waves, waterfalls, powerheads etc. Sounds like a nice tank. If your guppies are still alive after a week, your tank is ready for additional fish. I will warn you, not to add too many at one time. 1-2 fish and/or plants a week apart. This allows your biofilter time to readjust to the change. Adding too many at once can overload it.

Here is more on PH and how it works in your tank:

The property of water to resist changes in pH is known as buffering capacity. You can determine the capacity of your buffering system by measuring total hardness. A reading of 4-6 dH or higher is usually adequate to keep the buffering system in place and maintain a stable pH. A reading under 4 dH means there isn't enough of a buffering system and the pH is likely to drop. For higher pH levels, you will probably want to aim for 6-12 dH. Many hobbyists choose to measure only Carbonate Hardness (KH), which is a measure of the calcium carbonates in your water. This test is also effective in maintaining a proper buffer system. When testing for Carbonate Hardness, a reading of 75-100 mg/L is adequate for most aquariums, while a reading of 100-200 mg/L would be desired for higher pH levels. For the purpose of freshwater aquariums, measuring either total hardness or carbonate hardness is necessary, but measuring both independently would not be needed.

You need to know that anywhere in your aquarium where detritus (a fancy term for dirt) accumulates is a source of Phosphate production. As detritus accumulates in your gravel bed and on your filter pads, the Phosphate levels in your aquarium rise. Free Phosphate ions may bond with calcareous buffering material, precipitating calcium from your aquarium, and reducing your aquariums ability to keep pH stable. This is why it is so very important to clean your filter pads regularly and vacuum the aquarium gravel with each water change. In addition, your tap water contains buffering ions. Doing regular partial water changes will help to replenish the buffers which have been lost. This is important in all aquariums, because fish respiration and organic wastes alone will cause a gradual drop in the ability of your aquarium to buffer against pH swings.

Now the question becomes what to do if the fish you want to keep have very special pH requirements. If your fish prefer a pH level which is reasonably close to the pH your aquarium water is naturally buffered to, then I do not recommend you make any changes at all. Unless you are keeping an extremely specialized fish your fish will be fine. On the other hand, if your fish have pH requirements which are far from the values in your tank, then you have work to do.

Let us consider methods of raising the pH of your tap water. There are many additives on the market today which claim to raise your pH. Most of the liquid products on the market today are a 50/50 success at best when used alone only to find the ph will soon return to the normal level of 6. You also need to use a product to increase the buffering ability of your aquarium. To maintain a stable pH in the upper levels of the pH scale for fishkeeping, I would recommend using a buffering substrate such as crushed coral. You can add crushed coral to your existing aquarium. You can place larger amounts of shells or chrushed coral beneath the substraight in the tank. I personally place the crushed coral in a mesh bag and place the bag in my filter. You will want about 1 kg of crushed coral per 40 liters of water to buffer the water to hold a pH around 7.6. This method does not allow for the use of large quantities of crushed coral, but can be effective if you only need to make small adjustments to your aquariums buffering ability. This is why ocean items such as shells and ocean sand should not be used in a fresh water aquarium. It does raise the PH level.

Be assured that attempting to control pH is the most frustrating experience for a fish hobbyist. I would guess that 50% of the problems encountered in new aquariums are a result of the aquarist attempting to change the pH level. Few fish keepers actually need to adjust their pH. For the majority of aquarists your tap water pH will be adequate. The dangers of adjusting the pH incorrectly far outweigh any benefit you may receive by moving your pH a few points on the scale.

Remember, when it comes to adjusting your pH, less is more! Stability is most important. Routine maintenance is the key to keeping your pH stable and your fish healthy!

Also, do not use baking soda in your tank. Over doing the ph plus adding additional salt is not going to do your tank any good. It will also revert back to 6 when the carbon filters pull the Soda out.
Hope this helps

Hones Quartz Wood Sawers

Tags: countertop, countertops, decorating, granite, kitchen, petrified wood quartz

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 24th, 2010 at 7:40 pm and is filed under collectibles clocks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.