21 Read the text and make up a dialogue using the expressions from Appendix 1:

WHAT MAKES A WOOD STAIN “GREEN?”

“Waterborne wood stains are safer than oil-based versions,” according to William and Shari Steber, owners of Timber Pro Coatings, Portland, OR.  “Our stains are waterborne or made primarily from bio-preferred, plant-based oils and blended with a small percentage of acrylic to boost durability.”

Ever watched rain drops bead up on a flower petal? That’s the design Timber Pro Coatings tries to mimic. They use natural ingredients because they believe Mother Nature knows the best way to repel water absorption.

Manufacturing environmentally safe wood stains and finishes for 17 years, Timber Pro Coatings was one of the country’s first manufacturers of low toxicity wood stains. The Stebers are fully aware of industry greenwashing, and they make it a point to warn consumers about so-called green terms that are more about marketing than safety.

Shari Steber says, “The term non-toxic does not truly apply to wood stains, because non-toxic would mean you could practically drink or bathe in the product! We consider it dangerous to label a wood stain as non-toxic.”

How can you know you’re getting an eco-friendly stain? The best way is to ask to see the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) on the product. Stores are required to keep a sheet on file for every coating product they sell.

The MSDS will also list the percentage of hazardous ingredients, which should be below 10%. Any wood stain or sealer marked flammable is most likely not eco-friendly. Ideally, clean up should involve only soap and water. The mineral spirits needed to clean your tools and equipment after using flammable oil based stains or sealers are certainly toxic.

22 Topics for projects and presentations:

1. Types of paints and their properties.

2. Qualities of a good paint.

3. Siding stain.

4. Classification of varnishes.

5. Colour perception.

Part III. Architecture of civil buildings

“High buildings have a low foundation.”

Thomas Fuller (writer)

Unit 8

raft foundation	b) strip foundation	c) pad foundation

Figure 8.1 Types of Foundation

1. Match the columns:

raft foundation	a) is basically a strip, or ribbon, of insitu concrete running under all the loadbearing walls
strip foundation	b) is used to support individual point load such as that due to a structural column
pad foundation	c) is used to spread the load from a structure over a large area, normally the entire area of structure

2 A) What is the purpose of foundations? Express your opinion in 3-5 sentences.

Read the following passages and compare your ideas:

1. The main purpose of the foundation is to distribute the structural load over a large bearing area without causing bearing capacity failure and excessive settlement to obtain a level and hard strata or bed for building operations to increase the stability of the structure as a whole.

2. A good strong foundation ensures good strong stable ground for a good strong and lasting structure. If you build a house on sand and the sand around one of the corners of the house washes away due to rain water falling off your building the building will begin to sink in that corner and the result will eventually begin cascading further along the buildings edges and sides until the entire building is consumed by leaning caused by unstable ground.

3. При наших совсем не «плюсовых» зимах слой грунта сверху промерзает. Вода, содержащаяся в нем, замерзает и  расширяется. И грунт вспучивается, в зависимости от количества воды в его замерзшем слое. Коэффициент расширения у сильнопучинистых грунтов иногда достигает 12%, а обычно – около 10%. Это означает, что при глубине промерзания 1,7 м грунт может приподняться на 10-15 см.  Чтобы эти зимние вспучивания не разрушили или не перекосили дом, и нужен фундамент.