Floor Defect Checking

Dear All,

I'm sharing with you how I measure the leveling of my floor tiles.

These are the tools I've used:

A LASER LEVEL

  A DIGITAL INCLINOMETER

A MEASURING TAPE 

Steps to take measurement

1)  Fnd the most leveled tile in the room. Based on my experience watching tilers at construction sites, tilers often use a leveled surface at the centre of the room as a reference point, set up a laser level on it, and start laying tiles in reference to the laser level. Using this concept, the most leveled tile will usually be the tile in the center of the room. However, use an inclinometer to double confirm this. A leveled tile will indicate the same angle irregardless of which position or direction you place it on the tile. If the angle is vastly different, try the inclinometer on the corner tiles of the room. The leveled surface that your tilers use could be at the corner of the room instead.
  
2) Establish the reference point and height. After finding the most leveled tile in the room, set up the laser level on it (my most leveled tile is in the centre of the room). The laser level will reflect a perfectly horizontal line, as seen on the wall. Place a mark under the laser level as an indicator, in the event you forget this reference point. Use your measuring tape to measure the distance between the floor and the laser line of the tile. Indicate the height on the tile as well, in case you forget the height. I've indicated the height on the tile below. This height is the ideal distance the tile should be from the laser line.

3)  Measure the height of all tiles with reference to the laser line. Now, repeat the steps of measuring the distance of the tile and the laser line for every tile in the room. A perfectly leveled floor will have tiles that are of the same distance with the laser line (in my example above, all my tiles should have a distance of 136mm from the laser line). The larger the distance the tile is from the laser line, the lower the tile; the smaller the distance the tile is from the laser line, the higher the tile is. An uneven floor will have varying tile heights from the laser line.

4) Use a torch light or spot light to confirm the unevenness. Once you are done measuring the heights place a torch light on the floor and shine it on the tiles. A shadow will appear if the tile is lower than the neighbouring tiles. A bright and lighted edge will appear if a tile is higher than its neighbouring tiles.

 

Why check leveling of tiles?

• It is unsightly and not nice to see
• It can cause a accumulation of water during cleaning of the floor with wet mop
• There is a possibility that you might cut your feet with the uneven edge that can be sharp
• Like the above reason you might just trip over the tile and fall
• YOU PAID A HANDSOME SUM OF MONEY FOR THE HOUSE AND POOR WORKMANSHIP IS JUST UNACCEPTABLE.

Visiting Your HDB Flat For The Very First Time

Dear All,

I want to share my experience of visiting my flat from the very first time. The below article might not be of use for our Malay or Indian friends but just for the sake of those that need to do the below, bear with me for a short while!

As the key collection date start to be nearer, I started my research on the internet and also asked around the elders in my family on what you should do for opening the door of your new flat.

As a Chinese Buddhist that believe in Feng Shui (风水）I went to Google to see what information I can gather online on visiting a new home. I did my looked at a few sources and  I found quite some information on this Singaporean Fengshui website : Feng Shui Master Singapore on the key collection and door open ceremony. Please visit the website for more information.

Apparently there were a lot of steps to take and also a lot of things to prepare for the first time opening of your new home. All these are the so called "Open Door Ceremony a.k.a 开门仪式）.  But before I start I have to acknowledge that I took some of the ideas from Feng Shui Master Singapore and improved it based on my own knowledge of being a Buddhist and a believer in Feng Shui and also advices from the elders. So here I go:

Materials required - this are my estimates only. you may bring more of each item

• Uncooked Rice - 8 cups
• Sea Salt or fine salt - 1 packet
• Dry tea leaves - 3 packets
• 5 types of beans 五谷 - black beans, soy beans, green beans, red beans - 3 packets
• Fah Gao 发糕 - 2 orange coloured ones
• Incense paper - 5 stacks (Ask for 金银纸）
• Red Candles - 4 pcs 
• Incense Sticks - 1 small pack
• 拜土地公的料 -  1 set (ask the auntie at the shop)
• 5 big plastic containers
• 1 big metal container for the burning of incense paper 
• Pineapple - 1 pcs
• Organge - 5 pcs
• Match stick - 1 box
• Cotton wool - 1 packet
• Water - 1 litre
• Newspaper - Sufficient

Date and time to visit:

1. You can Google for auspicious timing and date or you can find your own spiritual master to help you decide. My wife and me decided on not minding the time and date but the decision is yours!

 

Prepare the stuff properly first before you start the procedures. These are the preparations:

1. Mix the 5 grains in one container (estimate sufficient amount for the whole house)
2. One container of rice (similarly estimate sufficient amount for whole house)
3. One container of salt
4. One container of green and red beans resting on cotton wool

Procedure:

1. Before I open the gates and doors of my home I did some offering outside my home. This is because I believe in some ways that there are spirits living in the home as it has been vacant for a while and by offering incense I am 'inviting' them to come out, yet not offending them in anyway.

I opened up the dry tea leaves and rested it on the floor, used 1 Fah Gao and lit 2 candles (one for myself and one for my wife). I placed the candles in the Fah Gao, placed the 5 Oranges on the floor and using a metal container, I burnt 2 stack of incense paper. While burning, I repeatedly mention that I will be shifting into my home soon and I don't mean to offend anyone in any way.

2. After the burning is done, lit 3 incense sticks knock on the door and announce you are entering to the house. While opening the door you can say some auspicious words like 升官发财， 身体健康，万事顺利， 平平安安。

3. Once you are inside you can start to roll the pineapple. While rolling you can sprinkle the mix of beans, rice and tea leave all over the house and especially on the corners of the house. While you are at it remember to sprinkle the salt also. This items are believed to be able to cleanse the house of bad energies. Place the container of green and red beans resting on cotton wool that is sufficiently hydrated at the center of the house.

4.Set up some newspaper at the center of the house in the living room and place the remaining Fah Gao on it. Light the 2 candles and some incense sticks. You can play some Buddhist mantra on your hand phone and chant some simple mantras like  南无阿弥陀佛, you can also politely "ask" the beings that is in your house to move on. For example,  各位众生，请你们离开我的家。 我要搬进我的新家了，请去外面收取我供养给你们的东西。

5.You can leave the home as soon as you are ready but before that you will need to burn the remaining 3 stacks of incense papers out side of the house to make offerings to the beings. 

Note: In the event you can invite a monk to the house please do so as it is an auspicious thing to do. In Buddhism doing dharma to a monk gives you merit. By inviting them to your home and asking them to do prayers, it cleanse the house as the bad stuff will leave your place once they feel appeased by the prayers.

6.Open up some of the windows, but do not leave it wide open in case of rain. The purpose of this step is to to allow the beings to leave your home as it is generally believed that they cannot leave through the main door.

7.Visit the house after 3 days and clean the floor of all the stuff you threw around the house. The plastic container with the beans should have sprouted out and you can start on your defect checking!