draft introduction.

In the past, the only kind of tiles we knew were bathroom floor tiles and probably those used in the kitchen. Aside from these places, never were they used in any other part of the house. The basic materials used for flooring or wall covering was either wood, cement, metal, glass and marble or stone slabs. This was because during that time, these materials were the most attractive and fabulous finishing for our homes. It was these materials that manufacturers concentrated on and were developing. But as time progressed, and in order to give the public more choices, manufacturers geared towards cheaper and better alternatives for home finishing’s. This is where tiles came in. Before, ceramic floor tiles were the most widely used kind of tiles, but eventually different kind of tiles were developed like porcelain tiles, stone tiles and even stainless steel tiles. The reason for this shift is because tiles have certain advantages over the other traditional home finishing’s. To name a few, most tiles are stain resistant and easy to clean or maintain. They are also more affordable than their counterparts and are also known to be durable and can last longer than any other materials used for floor and wall covering. Because of the many wonderful characteristics of tiles, they were no longer just used in bathrooms or kitchens, but also all over the house. Tiles were now used in bedrooms, living rooms and patio. And they were no longer just limited as floor coverings but also used in walls and sometimes even ceilings, both inside the house and outside wall exteriors.
More and more homes are now choosing tiles over other materials because of the versatility it offers. People are given wide latitude to mix and match colors and designs as they please, which was remotely possible in the past. It is also now very much possible to create the unique dream house you have always wanted, because you are given more options. The improvement and development of tiles have greatly contributed to interior and exterior designing that more beautiful homes are being built each day using tiles. The affordability of tiles has also made this possible. Tiles are also now the household choice, because cleaning them is just a breeze. Even those that need special attention such as stains, is not that hard to handle. You do not need professionals to do the job for you unlike the other materials. Everything you need to deal with the stain can easily be bought at the store. There are also no complicated procedures for you to follow, but just simple and elementary steps to completely make your tiles look brand new. Tiles have proven their worth all these years, from its humble beginnings as first being just tediously hand-made and decorated to being manufactured using machines. Tiles are now one of the most widely used construction material around the world, either used in small dwellings to gigantic skyscrapers. It is just about time for you to discover what tiles can do for you.
As the production and development of tiles grow further, the progression of coconut application to industrial and commercial uses synchronized to the basic construction materials world’s usage. The coconut is not a nut but a fruit. The term coconut pertains to the fruit while the tree is called a coconut palm. It belongs to the Arecaceae palm family and can grow up to 6 meters tall. Called the "tree of life" in the Philippines, all parts of the palm have uses -nothing is wasted even at the end of its fruit bearing years. (file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Donnel/My%20Documents/thesis/coconut_tree.htm) Coconut, as we all know, has many uses. From roots, trunks, fruit, husks and shell up to leaves can be utilized.