{Our Cerdomus Italian GREEN Tiles}

Our balcony needed to be renovated. In the past we had tiles put onto it but they were not very well laid. Water had gotten underneath them and after frost, the grout had cracked and even caused a moist ceiling in the storage room beneath. So husband Pieter went ahead and took them all off, using a crow bar, he could lift big segments of them so that did indicate they were 'loose'... This time we had selected Cerdomus Italian GREEN Tiles. Of course we do have a special spot in our hearts for Italy, the country where we once lived and worked... 

This photo has been taken on April 18, the day before we went on vacation to Curaçao.

Husband Pieter had hauled these CERDOMUS ceramiche tiles home inside our Toyota RAV4, that by the way, just turned 16 on July 9. Still a loyal work horse. 

These Italian tiles are 30 x 30 cm

Cerdomus Green Tile; Durango Ambra...

Cerdomus Green Tile link

You can read about their Environmental specifications by scrolling down on that page.

They do use 40% recycled material, which is great for the environment! 

Europe is far more strict on Environmental issues than other parts of the world and we ought to become more conscious no matter where we live. Recycling; Repurposing; Upcycling in order to keep the amount of trash produced at a minimum! All of us have to work on making our Carbon Footprint as small as possible. 

This is just a screen shot from their Durango Ambra tile pdf, featuring special irregular edges.

These Porcelain Stoneware Tiles have been baked at high temperatures reaching 1220°C

We also selected these tiles because they did go perfect together with our GREEN aluminum slate Interlock® roof in Aged Copper

The tiles are already laid by husband Pieter and we are just waiting for the Polyurethane baluster rails to arrive from Vintage Woodworks, Texas... The PVC corner posts from Vintage Woodworks are already placed. By the end of this month the balcony will be completed I hope!

Related link:

CERDOMUS at CERSAIE 2013 | video from October 9, 2013, about this very modern concept tile production

{Our Balcony} | previous post by me where you can see the balcony as it was

{GARDENIA PASSION}

On June 12, I did manage to cut our last Gardenia blossoms. They lived a miserable life with all the heavy rain, turning brown on their edges. But they were gorgeous and they tried so hard to be beautiful; regardless the environment. So I did use them for two of our dinners as table decoration. Let me share these gorgeous blossoms with you; too bad I cannot recreate their heavenly fragrance for you to enjoy...

Such a spiraling bliss with heavenly fragrance...

These still look fine; not all got browned from the rain, depending where they were on the shrub.

For our dining room table I used this large oval Wedgwood  Cream Color on Cream Color vase.

Here you see more of the browning from the rain.

The square Wedgwood Cream Color on Cream Color vase I used for the round kitchen table.

Our Gardenias consist of different varieties and here you see our Aimee Yoshioka; the largest one.

Full of yummy pollen for the bees.

Showing this Aimee Yoshioka next to my hand, close to the kitchen bay window for more light on a rainy day.

This is really a LARGE BLOOM!

Together with these wax candles (battery operated) they make a perfect centerpiece...

Just setting the table near our kitchen bay window,  for you to see.

When I did host the dinner for 12, I might have had better gardenias but NO time on hand for making any photos... 

Old vintage linen damask tablecloth with roses and new French napkins from Le Jacquard Français with roses.

French Baccarat Piccadilly stemware

Gero Zilmeta 528 Menuet flatware

Silver napkin ring holder from Kotagede, Indonesia

Plates are French Pillivuyt Sancerre

from GeorgiaWeather Rainfall Calculator

From April 19 (when we left for our Curaçao vacation) till July 9, we had 37 Rainy Days with a total Precipitation of 17.15 inch or 43.6 cm.

No wonder that Gardenias do show brown edges...

By the way, IKEA is selling Gardenia jasminoides as potting plants! In the US, The Netherlands and in Germany and probably other  countries as well. It's the small variety but still the same fragrance!

Related links:

{Gardenia by Royal Albert and our Garden Gardenias} | previous post by me

{Heavenly Gardenia Jasminoides 'Aimee Yoshioka'} | previous post by me

{May 22 Gardenia by Royal Albert and blooming Gardenias in Baccarat vase} | previous post by me

{Energy Efficient GREEN Roofing Arrived}

It takes quite some time for getting the photos and all the information for writing these posts about our home's transformation. Here I will show you that on April 18, right before we left for our Curaçao vacation, our Interlock Energy Efficient GREEN Roofing Arrived!

JIT = Just In Time...

Our cat supervisor Speckie girl keeps an eye on those pallets!

To the right you can also see our 'Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold'.

So how did we find Interlock Roofing?

After we had water leaking into our basement in February, we decided it would be time to do something about our roof and gutters.

The aging shingles did clog up our gutters as the sand-sized minerals in it, did wash down the roof with heavy rains. Over the years this had worn off and it made the gutters spill over when we had heavy rain.

Searching the Internet I found this Canadian company, in Delta BC. That is the Province of British Columbia where our Liz is also born so we both know that good things come from Canada. 

The name of the company is Interlock Metal Roofing a Manufacturer of Lifetime Roofing Systems. Never re-roof again.

They are one of North America's largest metal roofing manufacturers, with over 12 distribution centers in Canada and the United States.

When we contacted their head office in Delta, BC Canada, we got a reply from their Georgia representative.

Sure, such an investment one does not make over night. 

After we studied very thoroughly and really LOVED this Energy Efficient GREEN Roofing; we went ahead and ordered it.

Reduce your Carbon Footprint, now and for a lifetime - that sentence appealed to us!

Energy Efficient GREEN Roofing link to above page

Interlock® Roofing is an Energy Star® Partner

We figured that by investing into a life-time roof, that could save us 25% in Energy Costs is a lot more return on investment than anything else at this time with our downward economy.

On the same page it did explain all the different types of aluminum roof and giving their Reflectance.

We went for Slate in Aged Copper and you can see below what that would do for us.

This Aluminum Aged Copper surface reflects 55% of sunlight and has a solar reflectance of 0.55 initially and 0.34 after 3 years.

We did select Interlock® Aluminum Slate in Aged Copper, top left as one of nine colors available.

That would look best like what we started out with in November of 1990 with our shingle roof, as seen in my blog post about Our Home on March 24 of 2013 (see link below).

Our fiberglass window boxes had come off the walls for the painters to pressure wash the home.

Here they hold the tarp in place for protecting more Interlock material for the roof.

Next day we had to fly to Miami so it was a good feeling it had arrived all the way from New England.

Our cat-girl Spicy is keeping watch!

In the back again our stunning Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold!

Stay tuned for the follow up...

Related links:

{Saving Energy and Our Attic} | preparation for Saving Energy and Going Green

{Our Home on March 24 of 2013} | previous post by me
Flower Framers of Cincinnati | Source for Fiberglass Window Boxes

Related links where this stunning Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold, can be seen:
Wow...I think this deserves a thread! Golden live oak! | GardenWeb discussion...
{Lush Green Garden} |previous post by me
{# 1111 - Our Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' changing color} | previous post by me
{Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' in Sunshine at its BEST} | previous post by me
{Our Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' with Catkins} | Previous post by me
{Our Mrs. G. G. GERBING Azaleas} | previous post by me
{Our Patio Tiles in the Front} | previous post by me
{RARE Icicles in Our Garden} | previous post by me
{My Powder Blue Escada Jeans Suit} | previous post by me showing me in front of Grand View Gold
{Our Lovely Lilac Clematis 'Silver Moon'} | previous post by me showing young Grand View Gold

{Cloudy Day versus Sunny Day}| Previous post by me
{Blooms on our Windmill Palm - Trachycarpus fortunei} | previoius post by me 

{Our Golden Live Oak has LOTS of Acorns!} | previous post by me

{Our Different Oaks} | previous post by me

{My Silk Quilted Vest Creation and YOUR Opinion Requested...} | previous post by me showing golden oak

{Our Live Oak got a Haircut} | previous post by me