The modern construction industry is characterized by such qualities as simplicity and speed. When you start construction work on your site, you most likely want to carry it out as soon as possible, because both construction and repair can no longer be called pleasant processes. In addition, doing quality work is the natural desire of any person. And if you can also save a lot of money, then this will be just an ideal option!
From here it becomes clear why cheap, high-quality and easy-to-use building materials that can be installed very quickly are so popular in the modern construction market.
The main materials that facilitate the process of construction and repair are building mixtures. These are special substances produced in factories. Their composition is selected in such a way as to perform certain repair or construction work.
Construction mixtures are divided into ready-made and dry. Dry building mixtures are made on the basis of lime, gypsum or cement, and most often - from a combination of them. Some building mixtures also contain special additives that give them certain properties. The polymer additive is of greatest importance for dry construction mixtures. Due to this, the mixtures have increased adhesive properties and high adhesive ability.
The main characteristics and properties of building mixtures are:
- High quality;
- Saving money due to non-waste use of material (that is, you prepare exactly as much mixture as you can use right now)
- Easy to use;
- Profitable price;
- Individual properties that can improve the quality of work.
Construction mixtures include:
- Self-leveling floors;
- Plasters;
- Tile adhesives;
- putties;
- primers;
- Waterproofers and sealants;
- Masonry mortars.
Now let’s look at each type of these mixtures in more detail.
Plaster
There is a special material intended for finishing ceilings, walls, and building facades. Divided into two types:
- Starting plaster (for initial treatment)
- Finishing plaster (for final processing or decoration).
Plasters can be made from cement (then called cement plasters) or gypsum (gypsum plasters).
Dry plaster is presented in the form of lightweight and easy-to-install cladding sheets. They should be nailed to the wooden frame. For 10 square meters of plaster sheets, at least 250 grams of nails are required. The top of the dry plaster is covered with wallpaper or painted with oil paint or a mixture of casein glue. Before painting or wallpapering, dry plaster must be carefully processed. Treatment consists of filling dents, surface damage, seams and nail heads.
Such plasters boast:
- Low thermal conductivity coefficient;
- High quality;
- Ease of use;
- High degree of sound insulation;
- Resistant to fire;
- Cost-effective (proper consumption of raw materials)
- Possibility of using plaster throughout the year.
The use of dry plaster helps create a smooth surface, which can then be processed using any modern materials.
Decorative plaster deserves special attention. Its main types are:
- Structural plaster. It consists of special granules of different sizes (diameter from 0.5 to 3 mm). These granules create a “fur coat” effect. Using sprayers you can create various fancy designs.
- Textured. It is characterized by plasticity, which makes it possible to form various bas-reliefs, panels and other types of decorative elements from them.
- Mineral. The composition includes quartz, granite, marble and other minerals. Intended for preparing spectacular natural textures.
- Venetian. With its help, you can create an imitation of finishing a room with marble, malachite, etc. If the work is done correctly, it is simply impossible to distinguish a fake from a real material.
Depending on the type of binder, decorative plaster is divided into water-based and non-water-based materials. This plaster contains polyurethane and epoxy resin. Plaster based on epoxy resin can be used in enclosed spaces, and polyurethane compounds are also used in finishing facades.
Palm oil in infant formula: let's talk about the harm and benefits
Why is palm oil added to baby food?
Before talking about the dangers of oil, we should say why it is added to baby food. Experts highlight several positive characteristics:
- Prevents cancer;
- Tidies the skin;
- Contains 20% more vitamin A than is found in carrots.
- The substance is absorbed better than milk fat.
Adding it to baby formula makes it fattier and closer to mother's milk.
Palm oil is considered beneficial because it contains various substances. Among them:
- Vitamins A and E;
- CoenzymeQ10;
- Saturated fatty acids.
Therefore, the food industry cannot do without this oil. Despite this, most parents try to buy baby food without adding it. Of course, there is some danger.
Based on observations of children and research, experts have proven that:
- The use of palm oil interferes with the absorption of calcium, which children need for the formation of the skeleton.
- Children experience constipation, colic, and regurgitation.
- The oil clogs blood vessels and increases cholesterol, so it should not be used by children with cardiovascular diseases.
However, this applies to a low quality product. And baby formulas contain an extract of palmitic acid, so there is no danger to the child.
Kids need to get nutrients
At the same time, newborns and infants up to one year old should receive beneficial substances from mother's milk or its substitute. This is the only source of nutrition until the child begins to eat regular food. Calcium is also necessary for children from the first days of life. It is believed that the use of palm oil leads to the fact that it is not absorbed by the child's body. The studies were carried out on babies who were less than six months old. Their bodies absorbed 20% less calcium than those children who were given baby food without the use of oil. Therefore, they concluded that when palmic acid and calcium are combined, the latter is not absorbed. The resulting composition from the two substances becomes insoluble.
If palm oil is present in infant formula, fats in addition to calcium are not absorbed. Babies become constipated. Most often this happens in newborn babies, as their body is just beginning to establish directional work outside the mother’s body.
Some manufacturers add olein. It also contributes to the development of side effects. The product formula has now been revised. If the packaging indicates that it contains modified palm oil, it means that a universal formula has been added to the infant formula. There will be no harm from such a mixture.
Based on this, parents must decide for themselves whether they will buy formula with or without palm oil.
Primer
Any surface needs treatment, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s plaster, wood, brick or aerated concrete block. The surface must be provided with certain properties that provide high-quality adhesion to one or another subsequent layer. If the surface is very smooth or cracked, loose or absorbs moisture well, no putty or paint will stick to it. In order to eliminate such properties, as well as increase the adhesive properties of the base surface, a primer is used.
There are several main types of primers:
- Mineral-based - used for preliminary leveling and primary surface treatment of foam block, aerated concrete or concrete, as well as gas silicate, brick and expanded clay concrete. The main binder is cement.
- On an acrylic basis - they are distinguished by their versatility, since they are used both for mineral bases and for putty and plastered surfaces. It can also be used for fibreboards and particle boards. Their main advantages are quick drying, affordable price, absence of unpleasant odors and complete environmental friendliness.
- Alkyd based - found application in the processing of metals and wood. The surface of the wood under the influence of such a composition becomes susceptible to any finishing compositions. These compositions can be selected depending on the type of future coating. For example, if the base is zinc chromate, such a primer is versatile, but a primer based on zinc phosphate has increased corrosion resistance. Alkyd primer cannot be used on mineral surfaces.
Classification of baby food
The range of products for children is diverse and it is very easy to get confused when choosing them. To prevent this from happening, you need to have information about the characteristic features of each product.
Baby formula
Formulas are considered the most popular product for infants. They can be:
- dry;
- liquid;
- fermented milk;
- fresh.
In addition, there are also special breast milk substitutes that contain thickeners. They have a therapeutic and prophylactic effect on the child’s body, preventing the occurrence of flatulence and regurgitation.
For premature babies, there are mixtures with bifidogenic supplements; their use can eliminate the manifestations of dysbacteriosis and constipation.
In a separate group are mixtures made from soy; they are used to feed children suffering from food allergies to milk protein.
There are also mixtures with partially digested milk proteins; they are prescribed to children with soy allergies.
In order to purchase a good formula that will suit your child, it is recommended to use the following tips:
- the mixture must be appropriate for the child’s age;
- the mixture should not contain dyes, thickeners or flavors;
- It is recommended to check the expiration date of baby food.
It is best to buy your child a formula that contains additional components, such as probiotic bacteria, because they have a positive effect on the condition of the baby’s immune system.
Porridge
It is impossible to imagine childhood without cereals; almost all parents give them to their children. It is allowed to introduce porridge as complementary food from 5 months, because it is at this age that the digestive system begins to form. Before starting its use, it is recommended to contact your pediatrician and obtain his permission to expand your diet.
At first, it is better to use monoporridge made from one type of grain, without salt and sugar, to feed the baby. It is better to dilute porridge with breast milk or water. Pediatricians recommend starting to introduce complementary foods in the form of buckwheat and rice porridge; over time, you can add millet and corn porridge to the diet.
In order to buy high-quality porridge, it is recommended:
- remember that they all differ in their composition, choose the porridge that suits your child better according to the doctor’s recommendation;
- carefully inspect the packaging, its integrity should not be compromised, otherwise bacteria will get into the baby food;
- do not give preference to children's products, companies whose manufacturers add preservatives and dyes to their composition;
- make sure that the product has passed control at the Nutrition Research Institute; information about this should be on the packaging.
Puree
You can find many types of purees, they can be:
- meat;
- fruit;
- vegetable;
- berries with the addition of cereals, milk, cheese or yogurt.
You can introduce them into your baby’s diet from 3 months; it is better to start with applesauce, because it is hypoallergenic. Over time, you can give puree from plums, bananas, and pears. From the age of five months, complementary foods can be introduced in the form of vegetable and meat purees.
Children enjoy consuming such products, which is why they are in demand. When buying puree, you must remember that it must be of a high level of quality. When choosing such a diet, you should consider the following nuances:
- The product must be appropriate for the age group to which the child belongs.
- Pay attention to the expiration date and integrity of the product packaging.
- It is better to start introducing purees that are made from fruits and vegetables grown in the climatic zone familiar to the body.
- Pay attention to the composition; the puree should not contain sugar, dyes, preservatives or other compounds of chemical origin.
- Buy a quality product, regardless of the price; it is better if it contains a mark on the packaging that it has passed control at the State Research Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences.
Juices
The vast majority of parents, when choosing juices, make sure that they do not contain dyes or flavors. These are of course important points, but besides this, attention should be paid to:
- packaging integrity;
- best before date;
- information on what age the product is best suited for;
- presence of a quality control mark.
Water
Nowadays, the quality of drinking water is not at the best level. In this regard, it is better to use special baby water for feeding a child, which is not only not harmful, but also beneficial for the growing body of children. When choosing water, you need to remember that it:
- should not contain chlorine, silver and carbon dioxide;
- must be extracted from deep wells and, without succumbing to chemical influence, retain all useful substances.
putty
Putty refers to one and
the most common types of building mixtures. It is needed to repair defects on various surfaces, as well as to level them. It consists of two main substances - a binder and a filler. As the amount of filler increases, the adhesive properties of the putty increase. These properties are also enhanced by the addition of polymer modifiers.
Putties are divided into cement and gypsum. Gypsum is used for internal work, and cement - for external work, as they have higher strength. Depending on the purpose, the following types of putties are distinguished:
- Vologostiyki;
- decorative;
- façade;
- elastic;
- For sealing cracks and cracks;
- For alignment.
The choice of putty is made based on the task at hand and the place where it will be used.
Positive aspects of baby food
Even though mother's milk is the best for a baby, using baby food has its advantages, such as:
- providing the required amount of food;
- balanced content;
- a wide range, thanks to which you can choose a product that will help eliminate child health problems or prevent their occurrence;
- the opportunity to provide full care for the child even in the absence of the mother.