Landscaping Your Front Yard

The picture of a beautiful house is incomplete without a properly landscaped frontyard. So, if you have a newly built home; or an existing residence, do take the time to design your frontyard in a way that suits your taste and complements the design of your house. You can plant appropriate garden plants, and use sculptures, figurines or water-bodies. Choose the landscape elements carefully depending on how much time and effort you intend to dedicate for maintaining the garden.

One simple way of landscaping your frontyard without much effort is to designate lawn areas and pavement areas. Use your Site Layout Plan to mark areas where you intend to plant grass and areas where you would like to pave using paving tiles. But, if you are interested in having a colourful and intricately designed frontyard, you could seek the assistance of an architect or landscape designer. Getting inspiration from Landscape ideas online is a good method; but you should make sure that your landscape suits the facade of your house and does not stand out as a mismatch.

You can have a beautiful frontyard garden even if the area is limited. Plant ornamental trees or palms and the likes; and if it suits you, even medicinal plants or fruit-bearing trees. In ancient 'Nalukettus', the 'Thulasi-thara' was a common frontyard or central courtyard feature; that is making a come back in many modern tradition-inspired homes.

Be well prepared before you execute the landscaping work. First of all, make a layout plan of the frontyard showing the green patches, paved areas and water-bodies. Rake the soil well to remove weeds or underlying plastic wastes that may be present in the soil. Also remove potential pest and insect colonies that may damage your garden in the future. Choose appropriate plants and other landscape elements like rock formations, garden lights and lay them according to your Landscaping pattern into lawns, cobbled pathways etc.

Having a paved pathway along the lawn can make walking in the garden a pleasant experience. The pathway can be paved using bricks, cobblestone or interlocking garden tiles. Setting up a waterbody with a cascade using a hidden silent pump adds to the beauty of the garden; if properly designed. Just be sure that you are not setting up a high-maintenance garden that needs constant attention, if you do not have the time or the means for it. The key is to balance your time and budget with your design- but remember! a beautiful frontyard garden is an asset to your home- as it enhances the quality of your surroundings.

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'Bamboo Floor-Tile' Factory Opened in Kerala

"Kerala's Industries Minister Elamaram Karim inaugurated a ‘high-tech' bamboo floor tile factory of the Kerala State Bamboo Corporation at Nallalam, Kozhikode recently. The unit, set up at a cost of Rs.9 crore, would employ 80 people. The State's share is Rs.5 crore and the Centre gave Rs.7 crore, the Minister said. (Rs.3 crore will be used as working capital)."- The Hindu: Wed, Mar 02, 2011

So what exactly is Bamboo Flooring Tiles and how appropriate is it for Kerala Houses? Let's take a look-

Bamboo is an attractive alternative for flooring because of its physical similarities to hardwoods. Bamboo floor manufacturers and sellers promote its strength, durability as well as resistance to insects and moisture while having the added benefit of being eco friendly. Bamboo flooring is typically made by slicing bamboo poles into strips. These are destarched by boiling, glued into boards, and milled. Preservative treatment is applied during this process.

The hardness of bamboo flooring depends in large measure on the species of bamboo, and its age when harvested. Three years is generally considered to be the best minimum. Flooring made from inferior species or younger bamboo dents and wears more readily. Good bamboo flooring products range from slightly lower, to significantly harder, than common hardwood flooring.

Installing Bamboo Floor Tiles
The secret to installing bamboo flooring is in the preparation. Make sure that the floor is clean and level. After the surface has been properly prepared it is time to determine how much flooring you are going to need. Measure the room and add about 20% additional material to cover cuts and mistakes. 

To achieve a professional look, stagger the planks so that no two end at the same spot. When it comes time to cut the boards to fit the size of the room make the cuts so that the rough edge is against the wall and will be covered by the skirting on the wall.

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Carpentry in Kerala

In modern Kerala homes, about 20% of the Construction Cost is spent on carpentry or wood work. They constitute the doors, windows and ventilators, kitchen cabinets, wall panelling, false ceiling, charupadi, wood flooring and furniture.

Along with the House Design, the Architect provides a Schedule of Joinery Details which lists the number of doors and windows and the quantity of wood needed for making them. If you intent to get the Joinery made by yourself instead of relying on readymade doors and windows, this schedule can be taken to the carpenter or timber merchant to purchase the required wood.

Standard Door and Window sizes-

The Lintel level for a house is usually at a clear height of 7ft (2.10m) from the floor. This is the standard height of the door including the frame. Windows and ventilators also have their upper edge at this level. The width of the door can range from 80cm for toilets and store room doors to about 90cm for interior doors and 1.20m for the main door. Main doors with more than 1.20m can be double shuttered.

The height of the window is usually 1.35m with a sill level of 75cm from the floor level. Kitchen windows in Kerala are given a sill level of 1.00m above the floor so as to have enough clearance for the kitchen counter. Extra care should be taken when angular windows and bay windows are being made for customized openings so as to avoid misfits!

Commonly used timber in Kerala-

1. Teak (തേക്ക് - Tectona grandis)

3. Jack (പ്ലാവ് - Artocarpus heterophyllus)

4. Irul (ഇരുള്‍ - Xylia xylocarpa)

4, Pyinkado (വരവ് ഇരുള്‍ - Xylia dolabriformis)

5. Mahogany (മഹാഗണി - Swietenia macrophylla)

6. Acacia (അകേഷ്യ - Acacia auriculiformis)

7. Ayani (ആഞ്ഞിലി - Artocarpus hirsutus)

8. Bijasal (വേങ്ങ - Pterocarpus marsupium)

Things to note when you purchase wood-

Buying a Tree-

1. Age of the tree- If you buy wood from a plantation, you can even get a 'birth certificate' of the tree, with the date of planting. Trees that are cut prematurely will not be as hard or as durable as adequately aged ones.

2. Check the cross-section of the tree to find if there are any 'white' areas that are soft spots to be avoided. Trees with more solid heart wood bulk ensures lesser wastage.

3. Try to get trees that have a regular girth from one end to the other with at least a girth of 35in, than ones that have too many 'bends', so as to reduce wastage while slicing in the timber mill.

Buying Processed Timber-

Buying wood from a timber mill is slightly more expensive than procuring a tree and getting it sliced. But it is preferred by the home-builder who has time constrains. Standard plank sizes for Door and Window Frames is a cross section of 4in x 3in. For Window shutters the cross section is usually- 3in x 1.5in, for Door shutters- 5in x 1.5in.

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Terrace Maintenance

If not properly maintained, the terrace would be littered with dust and dried leaves during summer. As the rainy season begins, this may lead to water getting stagnant on the terrace due to clogged drainpipes; which may lead to weakness of concrete slabs. The terrace and drainpipes should be cleaned before monsoon begins; along with sunshades and balcony slabs.

The positioning of drainpipes is very important.They should be at a gradient lower than the level of the slab, to assist in easy removal of water. If water is not drained properly, it may affect the strength of the beams and columns. It is advisable to properly waterproof the open terrace, built-in water tank and sump. Various kinds of waterproofing materials are available in the market.

Leakage on walls, bathrooms or ceiling should be taken seriously and repaired without delay. Techniques such as Injection Grouting, Crystalline Grouting etc can be used. Cracks that appear should be properly analyzed and either repaired if they are structural; or filled up using sealants.

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Red Oxide Floor: 'Kaviyidal'

During the 1970s, Red and Black Oxide Floors were all the rage in Kerala. Malayalis called it- 'Kaviyidal'. These days, Red oxide floors have made a return with many improvements.

They are still a favourite among Low-budget Home Builders, as they give a smooth shiny polished floor for a much lesser price compared to other alternatives.

Moreover, various patterns can be artistically created to give a marble or parquet look to the oxide floor. Pavaratty in Trichur is famous for its Red Oxide experts- especially to get the 'Pavaratty Finish'.

The Red/ Black Oxide powder is mixed with white cement and applied to the floor. Even with the best materials and finishes, the estimated cost is less than Rs.15 per sqft, making it a value-for-money choice!

Method of application

For Red Oxide flooring the flooring oxide and cement are mixed in the ratio of 1:3 to 1:5 by weight/volume. This mixture is made into a thick slurry with water and applied for cement flooring, wall and steps.
For mosaic flooring first of all, mix the Red oxide with white cement, chips and white powder in dry powder form. After mixing the above items well, and a little water and mix them thoroughly. Again add more water according to your requirement.
Coverage

100 to 150 Sq. feet per Kg for flooring top finishing with cement slurry and color oxide (color oxide and cement ratio 1:5). However varies with the thickness of the top finishing and the type and color of the cement used.
Points to note

Mix oxide flooring colours thoroughly with grey or white cement in 1:8 ratio by weight. Colour to Cement ratio may be varied to get deeper or lighter shade of a particular colour. Best results achieved when White Cement is used.
Prepare a consistent and slightly thick paste with water, taking care to mix well. Apply a thin coat of this coloured paste evenly on the floor. Soak continously for next 3-4 days under water column. After complete setting, polish for best results.
Avoid using colours other than Red, Yellow, Black and Chocolate for exteriors. Do not use acid for cleaning or polishing. Use your imagination to create colourful patterns in interiors.

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Terracotta Floor- 'Tharayodu'

This is the culmination of our series of articles on suitable flooring systems for Kerala Homes. And this week, we take a look into our tried and tested Terracotta Floors- 'Tharayodu', as they are called in Malayalam.

Terracotta Tiles have been used in our state since ancient times. They were moulded in Kerala country-sides and baked in crude kilns and then laid down on residential floors of the nobles and the wealthy. Today, they are manufactured using high-tech machinery and baked in modern kilns that give them lasting hardness and luster.

When used unpolished, Terracotta Tiles may absorb moisture, could develop hairline cracks and also may get easily stained. But high grade polish prevents wearing and gives the floor long lasting durability. They can be given a matt or glossy finish as suited.

Many Home Owners prefer to lay Terracotta Tiles in their homes selectively- in the Living Room, Bedrooms, Internal Courtyard etc. This flooring system is used to complement other kinds of flooring systems like granite and wood to create interesting patterns.

Terracotta Floors are priced at a very affordable range of Rs.15 to Rs.50 per sqft. They provide for a healthy and green design concept. Apart from locally manufactured Terracotta Tiles, they are also imported from Mexico and Egypt; and also come in Pre-coated and Water-proof varieties, which can be used in wet areas too without the concern of high maintenance or mold formation.

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Glass Floor

For those who prefer luxury, there is Glass Flooring. It can be used in specific aesthetic areas within the house. It can be further enhanced by providing an aquarium below the glass floor, installing spot lights and setting up interior landscaping. Specially processed laminated toughened glass is used for this kind of flooring.

Laminated glass has a layer of Poly Vinyl Butane between glass sheets, which prevents shattering of the glass. The more laminated the glass it, the more expensive it becomes. The usual thicknesses of Glass Flooring is 15mm and 19mm.

If you are planning to install Glass Flooring in your Kerala House, approach experts beforehand and discuss the floor plan with them. Unlike other flooring materials, glass floors are not readily available in the market and have to be pre-ordered as needed in the design. Processing centers are located in cities like Bangaluru and Noida.

Glass floors are available in many colors. Prices vary according to color and thickness. Special stickers can also be used to create colorful patterns.

Anti-skid stickers are also used over the glass surface to make the floor non-slippery. Thermo-fused glass is used to create a chiseled appearance.

Glass floors are installed over a steel grid. It can be done in two methods. The glass can be fixed to the steel grid using specialized bolts- which is an expensive process. The glass sheets can also be stuck to the grid using adhesive, which is comparatively cheaper.

Glass floors are easy to clean using water and scrub. If they are not leveled properly, glass floors may produce cracks. The cost of glass floors in Kerala ranges from Rs1200 to Rs2000 per sqft.

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