It says in the installation instructions that temperature at the time of install is critical. I think it might be more critical than they think. We had DuraStone installed almost 3 years ago. We had two tiles which had some adhesive issues and were replaced withion 6 months of the installation. About two years after the installation we noticed some chipping. Before the end of the three year warranty period we contacted the supplier who sent out an inspector. We found about twenty tiles which were chipped.
The photo included is the largest one. The inspector reported that the cause of the chips was due to the users. Mohawk tested a spare piece and concluded that the tile met specifications. The district representative never came out to look at the floor. We are very disappointed with Mohawk's response and lack of ownership of the problem.
In this age of quality improvement we would have thought Mohawk would at least have their rep personnally inspect the floor and meet the couple who could abuse the floor so quickly! The prior photo are the typical chips,one in the upper left, one in the center and one in the middle right of the photo.
Attached to this post are three larger chips on a single tile near the refrigerator. We also know of another couple with similar problems. Luckily our supplier is helping us with a floor replacement.
I would not recommend Congoleum DuraStone. We enjoyed the floor for the first year or so after installation, but the top layer does cut, and peel if accidental drops are experienced.
Adhesive seeping was also a problem early on but has quit. The main complaint is that the areas exposed to direct sunlight have faded and will require replacement. Overall, I would not recommend the product to anyone for their floors except for a small DIY project maybe. Our floor was professionally installed but the flooring place is now out of business I installed DuraStone in and in only a few years noticed surface discoloration and excessive wear.
I've contacted the tile company and the referred me to Congoleum. Congoleum had an inspector come out and his conclusion is that it is not 'wear' but 'scratching' so they won't stand behind it. Our kitchen chairs have always had nylon glides on them but now Congoleum says we should have used felt glides.
I am very disappointed and do not recommend this tile. You would think a large corporation would stand behind it's product. It does not hold up against normal wear and tear. We had Congoleum DuraStone installed in and it had chips and digs within 4 days.
Congoleum rep came out and I said my only solution was to color with magic marker and superglue over to seal and he said "good idea". No help whatsoever. Gave us several free cartons of the tile which are still sitting in the attic 10 years later.
Wrote to the company and was told the Lifetime warranty didn't cover chips, peeling, scratches or digs. So don't use anywhere this might happen,like in a house where people live. I said I'd never buy a Congoleum product again and I have told everyone I know not to as well.
Also "Lifetime Warranty" means nothing. Worst product ever seen, did not know that is is a decal stuck on fiber board. Cuts,scratches, nicks and pattern fading in only six months.
Was very expensive from Lowe's, plus installed the pattern in all different directions. No support from Lowe's or Congoleum. Terrible flooring. Chips and scratches all over. Read several other forems and found the same thing. I am very surprised at the negative reviews for Durastone Symmetry. There is never a need to clean or reseal tiles and grout lines. Cleaning and sealing grout lines once a year is a task many of us have learned to despise.
Durastone tiles are available with or without integral grouting. The grouting in the Durastone tile is vinyl so it stays clean just as the rest of the tile. I have heard people complain that they love the look of ceramic or stone floors, but they hate the cold feeling natural floors can give. Durastone tiles and other types of luxury vinyl flooring tend to be warmer under foot than natural floors. This may not seem to be an important feature but to some homeowners it ranks highly.
The warmer feeling Durastone gives may also eliminate the need for several rugs throughout the house or room. Stain resistance is very important in kitchens, bathrooms and even other areas of the home. Ceramic and stone hold up adequately when something is spilled, but if the sealant is older, stains can occur. Durastone vinyl tile has a finish layer that is impervious to almost all stains with the exception of oil and gas based liquids. Hopefully, you will not have too many gas spills in the kitchen!
The stain resistance of Durastone does amazing with pet accidents. Not only will Durastone resist stains from pet urine, but it will not absorb the smell either. If you have pets, a luxury vinyl tile or plank is something you need to strongly consider.
Durastone carries a lifetime warranty against stains. If a Durastone tile were to ever become damaged, you can replace the tile with out the hassle of dealing with removing the grout. As mentioned earlier, there are no separate grout lines with Durastone tiles. You can remove the bad tile and glue down another. A side benefit is that Durastone products are warrantied by Congoleum for the life of the product against fading.
This becomes a huge advantage if you have to replace a tile 5 or 10 years later. With the built in fading resistance, a new Durastone tile replacement will match the others years down the road. Congoleum offers 6 distinct product lines in Durastone. With over 24 different patterns, colors and styles to choose from, you can create a natural looking floor with all the benefits that Durastone luxury vinyl tile has to offer.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login. You must be logged in to post a comment. The solar panel market is a growing and ever expanding market concept. The idea of getting off of addicting fossil fuels and going green and making energy efficient choices is starting to drive the world of tomorrow.
Energy efficient machines, ever lessening gas mileage on cars, lower emission requirements, and more recycling than ever before are signs that the world is trying to change the way it thinks about energy consumption and conservation. Two technologies that are currently used to harvest solar energy are the solar photovoltaic and solar thermal methods.
Basically, solar photovoltaic technology PV involves the conversion of solar rays into electricity, which can then be fed into a grid or used separately to power lighting, heating and air conditioning systems as well as all the home appliances. Solar thermal technology, on the other hand, harnesses sunlight directly to produce solar power, which enables appliances such as solar cookers and water heaters to function without conventional electricity.
The best solar panels technology uses arrays of solar cells to receive sunlight and convert the same into electricity. A solar cell is basically a fine silicon wafer. PV solar panels comes in poly crystalline , mono crystalline, amorphous material and thinfilm varieties. Currently, crystalline silicon panels are the most commonly used PV systems. However, silicon is expensive and in short supply.
High production costs make silicon panels too expensive for the average consumer in India. Companies are researching alternatives such as thin film systems as well as other non — silicon options to bring down the cost of production and make PV solar panels widely accessible. Photovoltaic systems are developed using specific combinations of solar cells. Basically, PV systems are available in two designs, which are flat — plate and concentrator panels. As of now, most of PV solar panels sold in the World are constituted of crystalline silicon cells.
Solar shingles also use PV technology. These power generators are designed to look like regular roof shingles and the advantage is that they are quite often capable of providing power even when the roof is partially shaded. PV solar panel do not require direct sunlight, they can also function properly in daylight. This photovoltaic technology product electricity even in cloudy weather. A PV cell is made up of one or more layers of semi — conducting material, which is normally silicon.
When the PV cells receive sunlight, electric field develops around the layers which helps in the flow of electricity. The intensity or strength of PV cells is measured in terms of the energy they generate in maximum sunlight and is referred to as kilowatt peak or KWP. PV systems connected to the grid require hardly any maintenance apart from ensuring that they are kept clean and are not in the shade from surrounding trees. Photovoltaic technology can be used to power consumer appliances as well as large electrical systems in the commercial sector.
PV Solar panels water pump used for irrigation and drinking water distribution. You can benefit from solar panels installed on your roof or wall so long as your house is not in the shadow of other buildings or large trees. Shade reduces the output of solar modules.
Also, these panels can be heavy and the surface on which they are installed must be strong enough to support them. This technology is more or less environmentally benign. Though the manufacturing process of PV panels is polluting to a certain extent, these panels are eco — friendly to use.
Solar photovoltaic power does not emit greenhouse gases. Thin — film technologies are being adopted by a few solar panel manufacturers because they use no polysilicon. The cost of thin films is less compared to silicon cells as the technology used to made is wafer thin layers of photosensitive material and the manufacturing process consumes less energy.
Thin films can be embedded in roof shingles, windows and sidings. Globally, Jinko panels are reported to be the most efficient solar PV panels on the market. With rising oil prices and growing awareness of the need to adopt environment friendly energy sources, the market for photovoltaic technology is poised for healthy growth. The advantages of using solar energy would include: a significant price reduction in your power bills, it is quite easy to install as well as maintain, it produces little to no carbon emission and is very environmentally friendly and the extra energy that you have left over can be fed back into the electrical grid which would earn you credits.
The use of solar energy as an alternative resource for energy is very popular nowadays. This is not surprising since it is the easiest to use when compared to the other resources but there are certain disadvantages to using it too.
Nonetheless, solar energy still proves to be the best option for most people despite of its obvious disadvantages. Besides, you can always start small and have enough panels that would lower the amount you have to pay for each and every month.
Remember, every little bit counts. So there you have it, just some of the things that you need to know about solar power when it comes to its alternative energy advantages and disadvantages.
Sophia Wilson is a content creator and senior marketer at Isolux Solar. She enjoys researching various topic and writing to spread knowledge to the reader. The bathroom is one common part of the house that usually undergoes home renovations. In a bathroom, the focal point of the upgrade is normally the toilet. With the many bathroom toilet models these days, homeowners have a lot of options to choose from. One of the increasingly popular toilet options today is the tankless toilets.
As its name suggests, the tankless toilet does not have a tank that makes use of gravity in flushing out the waste. Instead, it utilizes a powerful flush action to eliminate waste. Home tankless toilets have a motorized pump mechanism that pumps in a certain amount of water to the bowl. There are certain benefits of a tankless system that makes this type of toilet ideal for a basement bathroom toilet as well as bathrooms located in other parts of the house.
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