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Yup Yup Yup, then you can also use the edge of the granite top to sharpen your knife too...good idea right?

In short, these are man-made tiles but material are fom nature stone. Usage is in-between marble and granite. Can be polished if need to but usually not. Can Wash with chemical unlike marble and granite. Price quite exp. Some come with shiny mirror chip in it. Have less problem than granite and marble, as it is harder than marble, but thickness very consistance than granite.

So is it after getting A's discount and talk to B for discount to match A, then get B's discounted price to tell A that still can't match, and then get A's further discount to tell B..........Where is the ending? ID do have difference concept and design, material etc that affect the costing. If you like ID A then talk to ID A if the price is not too far away. Just engage the one which your budget fit, you click well with and you like his design that's all. Price can be neg one but dun over sequeeze their rice bowl la

Hope this i s helpful

Strength of a cabinet is not only depending on the material itself but far more important is the method the contractor engaged for the joints. Certainly, solid ply will definately have better strength than hollow. Locally, most carpenter rather use solid ply for the matter not so much on saving material but more to saving cost on labour. It is easiler and faster to cut a solid ply and nailing them to form a cabinet. Hollow construction is only practise in those 70s days and for those countries where labour cost are cheaper than material. So I don't think there so much worry on the construction generally. As to material wise, also dependent on what and where they are constructing. Comparing between plywood and boardboard which seems to be similar to most layman but the usage is very different. Plywood have the tenancy to crack when nailing at the thickness portion esp near the edge, whereas, boardboard do not give good grip to screw. Some carpentry take trouble used both material to construct a cabinet because of their different characteristic. In general, boardboard are best use to construct solid door becuase it is much lighter and very straight by nature unlike plywood which often warpped. But plywood give better strength to vertical construction in general

If your friend's neighbour refuse to bear the cost, ask him to report to his HDB branch directly. Dun need to argue with the neighbour. The HDB officer will come and inspect and demand them to do it. Then each got to pay their own cost. I think you friend cost will be much lower as he only need to make good the ceiling and paint that's all

Just manage to find the cost of Wrought Iron Gate from a window contractor...hehehe Cost of a gate is about $700.00 per set...

Can you imagine your airfare to fly to China and to Italy? Italy tiles may be on higher cost but not necessary be the quality is better as alot of cost has gone to Freighting. Besides, alot of Euro manufacturer has shifted their plant to the Asia and many in China. So are you saying that tiles that produce in China which manufacturer is Italy own no good or it is still a Italy made tiles? Nothing is impossible. No offence but I think its a bias statement. Just to highlight, I no supporter for China product but neutral. Just commenting my know-what that's all The price of tiles will not tell exactly where it comes from. There are many other country that product similar tiles, like thailand and indonesia. I've no comment over price of Spain and Italy tiles, but you will probably be paying more for freighting cost for tiles that manufacture directly from Spain and Italy. I think we should look at the quality and finishes that suit us than looking at the country of original unless we are brand conscious

There is no average cost for homogeneous tiles. The range is quite wide; between $2+ to $10 psf. I think you should not concern about the place of manufacture as the process and technic are basically the same, so do the pros and cons as they are basically same product. Only concern should be your budget, the design, size, and finishes.

This is a rather new product in the market. Wrought aluminium gate is still aluminium gate but the aluminium material used is thicker than normal and were sent for process to "bud" on it like wrought iron. Other than the design, it is still a normal aluminium gate that's all. $1K is too exp already.

Homogeneous tiles is originally manufactured using "Bai Gao Ni" and mixed with colour pigment into paste form like flour. Other material can be added to it like pebbles extra. Like Making cookies using chololates chips. Then the paste is spreaded over a formwork and send for ovening at high temperature of 800 to 1000 degree. However, this process doess allow manufacturer to produce much design, that's why you will see the older version homogeneous tiles really homogeneous throughout but design wise very limited, either plain or spotted. The new design homogeneous tiles, still using Bai Gao Ni but this time they did not mix the colour pigment to make it homogeneous (maybe to save cost). The paste will be spreaded on formwork to make tiles and oven till semi hardon before printing of designing on the tiles. That's why what you see is only nice coloured design surface and the content is still white. Maybe we should not view the homogeneous tiles as fully homogeneous nowadays. Perhap just a name to determine that the tile is made of bai gao ni. The only difference between homogeneous tiles and ceramic tiles is homogeneous tiles are much higher density than ceramic due to the difference in material they used. So don't expect the tiles to be homogeneous; its just a name to determine the material they used. Cost of homogeneous tiles indeed had came down by alot since years ago. Some cheaper one can even cost much lesser than the ceramic tiles. Another difference between homogeneous tiles and ceramic tiles is at the edge of tiles; ceramic tiles is quarter rounded at edge and homogeneous tiles are either 90 degree or 45 degree chamferred. This make the tile joint much smaller than the ceramic tiles and the grouting can be as flush to the level but not the ceramic tiles which the grouting always sunken in and trap dirts.

Yes indeed cost cheap to remove. Generally it does remove but just be sure that the stain are remove at nearest to incident time. Else prolong leaving it will cause chemical reaction between the stain and the mineral content in the stone; then it will become permanent. Stain do not suck into the marble easily esp when its new because it has been polished and some waxing material is above it. It will fuse into marble if the maxing material is wear off; this is when you see the marble is not so shine. I won't believe that there is one one smart alex in the world. Its just a trade secret that people won't want to share and maybe can make some bucks

Yup, indeed that's the case. The tilers need to cut the tiles neatly as close to the wall as possible and also to follow the contour of the wall. Very time consuming and labour intensive. Also that this is the latest trend coming up.

The built in furniture will not be affected by the skirting. Only the ready made furniture. Design with skirting or without skirting is individual. But personally I feel its neater without skirting but the tilers got to do more work lor.

Both marble and granite can work. Its only the time that you need to maintain the bleached cotton wool. Granite and marble got different density. Granite normally easiler as it has higher density than marble. Marble will taken long time. That's why I say 3 days