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I want to be a good freelancer but i dont know how to do it..so can anybody give me some suggesition?
For becoming a good freelancer you need to show case your work to your client and then pass some skill te4st and certification exams to get the trust of the clients who visit your profile for the same
here are some tips below:
1) Be a good writer.2) Be comfortable communicating3) Be prepared for a lot of self-discipline and good money management4) Set a goal and keep working in the meantime
Good communication skills, Good knowledge, and confidence are necessary things for freelancer.
Keep a tight plan for work: This doesn't imply that I have the freedom of working in the hours that I set for work. Actually, I sometimes get to work when I need to. Be that as it may I attempt to adhere to a base work achieved criteria for my day. Assuming that I have accomplished that, I enjoy in some fun as an afterthought, such as staring at the TV or having an unanticipated night in bunk.
Be a good writer.Be comfortable communicating.Realize that turning a creative passion into a job can dampen your enthusiasm.Balance the joys of working alone with soaking up the vibes from being around other people.Become active in the planned community.Set a goal and keep working in the meantime
I recommend having at least one project of your own inspiration and creativity that showcases the best of what you have to offer. Something that is very well thought-through, original, showy, and doesn't appear to be slopped together in a quick and dirty fashion. Something highly technical and custom in design that you can brag and talk about.
The reason why is because it will say a lot about your intelligence, your style of doing things, and will be a testament to the quality of your work.
It also serves as a safety-net to protect yourself from having your hard-earned clients from being stolen by the competition. Thats a lesson I learned the hard way. I was once approached by a technology-solutions business stating that they had need of another developer, and they were offering a very attractive hourly rate. They wanted to know my usual rates and wanted to see examples of my work. Foolishly, I gave them both over thinking I had scored a new client. But to my dismay, they then turned around and solicited their services to my client base at a reduced rate lower than my own. I was furious and embarrassed to have been suckered by a false interviewing process, and going after them legally just wasn't an endeavor worth going to the trouble of doing. But today when asked to provide my portfolio, I offer to show interested parties my own projects (I have a few). That keeps me safe from giving customers to masquerading competitors, and it satisfies the authentic ones who rightfully deserve to see the quality of my work before making a hiring decision.
Is corruption and dirty practices that prevalent with remote online freelance work?
Sent from my XT316 using Tapatalk 2
I'm not sure how prevalent it is, but I can say that its not something I'm ready to just standby and let happen to me again.
It never really occurred to me until after it happened, but just use common sense:
All one would do have to do is post false gigs on classified websites touting very attractive (inflated) hourly rates and state that they are open to hiring a remote freelancer but require that all applicants provide their usual rates and their portfolios. That would effectively bring in a flood of applicants, and aggregately you'd then have a list of businesses that you know are potentially open to hiring remote freelance developers, plus you'd have an idea of what kind of rates they're accustomed to paying for the work. There's another name for such information: they're called "business leads".
If you want to be successful freelancer, first choose a site then join any freelancing site. Keep patient and be sincere.
If you really want to be a good freelancer, you need to be really well versed when it comes to your online searching and tracking skills. It is very important for the person trying to be a good freelancer to be good when it comes to engaging and communicating with different people who are involved in this field of online studies and learning. This is one way through which freelancing can become an engaging as well as an effective and learning habit for every one <snip />
Can any body tell me how can I fixed my freelancing job?
Why, is it broke? Just kidding! Could you please explain your question a bit more? I'm not quite sure how a freelancing job can be fixed?
Good quality connection capabilities , Nice information , and also determination are needed items for freelance worker .
Patience is the most important thing in freelancing. When you give your first bid to any project, be prepared that you have very less chance of getting the project. Keep patience and keep bidding until you hit up with your first project. After getting some good five star reviews from your clients, you will get more money out of your every bid.
Here is a list which would help you:
Being a freelance worker indicates a lot of independence to strategy your day at perform. Being your own manager you need to be excellent at creating guidelines to be successful. Following are some guidelines which will help you to be a excellent freelancer:
The first step is make your business plan and write down this on paper. This will give you many advances and definitely be worh the extra work.Plan your day ahead.Use free software. It will help you to save a lot of costs without necessarily having to give up a lot of functionality.Learn to say no.Create a blog or website.update your website regularly.Use social media to promote your blog or website.Be creative and reward every client. Treat every client as he is the only one .
I hope these tips will help you to be a good freelancer.
I've used freelancer, but to be honest the pay is the pits. I've found a good employer on there and do occasional work for her, other than that I don't touch them now. Bids are waaaaaay too low!
We've published quite a few articles about freelancing over the last few years. Some of these may be of use to you.
Honesty is the best policy!
Be honest with what you can bring in to the table. Don't make promises you can't keep. It's usually the simple stuffs. You have to be able to get and build that trust from your clients. This is the most important.
Communication plays a vital role. Get things clear and straight before doing any project. Be sure you and your client are in the same page.
I know its not easy. You will have to write down all your skills there. A lot of home work has to be done before going for it as you will have to be in contact with clients directly. Will have to show your keen interest in the projects posted by various clients. It takes a lot of time to gather points, reviews and reputation there so that you can get projects easily. You need to be honest there for your skills and pricing as it really affect others.


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Every week I get at least one CD or digital track from the next Britney/Gaga/Rihanna and so forth. There are lots of dance diva or pop princess wannabes out there and many of them come my way because they hope to hit the gay market. I don't blame them. We love our dance music. But with so many aspirants out there, it's tough to muddle through the mediocre and find who sticks out.
In the new Shabby Shriek column, we'll take a look at one female singer at a time, post a track(s), maybe a video, some vital info from websites or social netowrks and let you decide if she's Shab or Fab. We may throw a guy in here and there, but trust me, the ladies outweigh the men big time in this area.
Oh, and thanks to colleague Chance who loves him some dancey divas for days. He assisted with the concept.
This week, I received Skylar Grey's "Invisible" remixes — seven (count them, seven!) different versions of a song from her upcoming album of the same name. This reminded me that I had received another single earlier this summer. Come to find out, I also have eight remixes of her song "Dance Without You."

subset: commoncrawl


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Adventures in Nicaragua Q & A
Monday, 14 June 2010
Page 1 of 3
Study Abroad.
Sounds exotic, exciting, a chance of a lifetime. And it is. But for Trinity students it is also a way to be stretched personally and spiritually and often an opportunity to serve others.
Here juniors Joanna Dykstra of Hammond, Indiana, and Greg Meyer of South Holland, Illinois, talk about their Semester in Nicaragua experience.
View the photo slideshow.
Read about Greg's experience
- Prev
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His Number is Being Retired?Trivia brain teasers have some element of trivia in them, but they are not just pure trivia questions.
Joe was at a high school class reunion when he let slip that his college basketball jersey was going to be retired in the near future. Many of his classmates were very aware of Joe's success at college and knew many famous professional players had also attended the school before him. For him to be the 31st player awarded with the honor by the school was a great achievement, but his former high school coach who had dropped by the reunion to see many of his returning students knew Joe was mistaken. Why?
HintHis former coach is now a high school referee.
AnswerAfter a foul has occurred, all basketball numbers must be able to be signaled by hand by the referee to the scorer's table. Therefore, the highest legal number allowed is five. (The number 10 would be relayed to the scorer's table with 1 finger raised on his right hand with his left fist closed.) This means that there are only 35 possible legal combinations of jersey numbers (zero is not allowed). With 31 of these numbers retired, the college could not put 5 legal numbers on the floor, let alone field a whole team.
What Next?
See another brain teaser just like this one...
Or, just get a random brain teaser
If you become a registered user you can vote on this brain teaser, keep track of
which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
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Our advanced laser hair removal treatments use light energy to destroy hair follicles permanently in any hair-growing region on the body. Click here to watch a video with Dr. Joshua Eisenberg who performs these treatments at Capital Health Medical Center - Hopewell.
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"Through the excellent care I received, I have become a 'raving fan' of Capital Health and especially the care of Dr. Steven Johnson."
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This program is designed for patients considering weight loss surgery at Capital Health.
Dr. Alfredo Abud received his medical degree from the National University of Mexico City. He completed his residency and internship in general surgery at St. Francis Medical Center in Trenton prior to completing his fellowship of vascular surgery at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Abud is also fluent in Spanish.
Capital Health is a 501(c)(3) organization.


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12 in. x 12 in. Luxury Vinyl
Mesa Stone - Fieldstone
12 in. x 12 in. Luxury Vinyl
Flooring Type
Product Number
Performance Class
Flooring Costs
Residential Warranty: Lifetime Limited
Light Commercial Warranty : 5 years
Limestone Enriched Luxury Tile
Wear Layer
Urethane No-Wax
Gloss Level
Low Gloss
16 in. x 16 in.
12 in. x 12 in. (Shown)
12 in. x 12 in. (Shown)
12 in.
Sq. Foot per Carton
DIY Level
Installation Method
Full spread
Download Installation Guide Professional InstallationDIY Installation
No matter what flooring type you choose, we recommend you consult your retailer to locate an experienced professional installer. Professional installers have the experience needed to help ensure your floor is installed properly.
Visit the DIY Luxury Vinyl Flooring Installation section of the site to explore installation information and options for this and other Armstrong products
How to Install Luxury Vinyl Floors
How to Install Luxury Vinyl Floors
Trim and Moldings
Trim and Moldings OverviewTrim and Moldings for - Mesa Stone - Fieldstone
Matching trim is available for a wide variety of resilient floor styles and will provide a finishing touch to your flooring installation.
Multi-Purpose Trim
Transitions to varying levels. Can be used as T-molding or surface reducer.
Stairnose Trim
Finishes the edges of stairs, step downs, or landings.
Customer Reviews
Rated 4.2 out of 5 by 82 reviewers.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Caroline Excellent floor We had this floor professional installed in our kitchen and dining area about a month ago. I have already dropped a sharp knife on it, had a beer bottle fall on it from about 3-4 feet off the floor (it didn't break) plus we have a 45 lb dog running on it daily and there is no sign of damage or scratches on it. It looks great and is so easy to clean - I love it! January 2, 2016
Rated 1 out of 5 by Sylvie Resilient..NOT. It has chipped in 6 places for no apparent reason. It scratches easily. Resilient..NOT We purchased this product because it was suppose to be resilient. We installed it 5 months ago. It keeps chipping and leaving a white mark and I can't tell you why. We didn't drop anything.... Armstrong rep. Gave us a free box of tiles and told us how to replace the tiles. We haven't tried it yet. December 14, 2015
Rated 5 out of 5 by michelle23 Love this floor We installed this floor ourselves with grout in a large portion of our home & love it, it does not show dirt & holds up well with our dogs December 11, 2015
Rated 5 out of 5 by Gerri2 Love the look. We had the 16 x 16 tiles installed in August and we are very satisfied with the look and durability. It is easy to clean, does not show every speck like the former sheet vinyl. We replaced the carpet in the dining room and entrance hall and the sheet vinyl in the kitchen, hallway and bath. The transformation is amazing and has given us the updated look we wanted-with low maintenance. We highly recommend this product. November 14, 2015
Rated 5 out of 5 by CLMonty Beautiful and durable. I love the feel of this on bare feet. I had it professionally installed without grout in the kitchen, hall bath and entry hall from the garage and love the look. It is easy to keep clean, very durable and easy to replace just one tile if I ever need to. I later had a different color of the same product installed in 2 other bathrooms. October 1, 2015
Rated 5 out of 5 by Bozocat Love, Love, Love! I live in North Central Florida (away from Gulf or ocean) but I wanted a beachy feel for my home without going the wood route. Home is 10 years old & the carpet was needing a change. I fell in love with a neighbor's off white wood flooring that they had placed throughout the house. So, all my carpet got ripped out & the Mesa Stone was placed in every room! The installers put it over my existing vinyl. I love how all one tile gives a home a wonderful flow. It looks like stone... I just use my Dyson vac & spot clean spills so far. Have not done a major cleaning yet & it still looks like new. Get tons on compliments on the floor. September 10, 2015
Rated 5 out of 5 by Justcoz Product above expectation The floor looks fabulous. We were told that we will get tired of it before it wears out. September 10, 2015
Rated 5 out of 5 by Randy This Product Looks Fantastic We just renovated our kitchen and I did not want to break-up the existing ceramic tile to install a new floor. This product was a perfect solution. A self-levelling skim coat followed by the application of the tiles and grout. The result is a great looking slate floor with a warm feel. Easily do-able for an experienced DIYer. July 22, 2015
Rated 4.2 out of 5 by 82 reviewers.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Buckmaster Great, great product!!!! We were looking for a flooring material that would- look like ceramic, yet be warmer and softer on the feet and would be resistant to normal wear as well as not be impacted by small stones that are inevitably carried in by our footwear. Of course, it would also have to look great and be available in colors that would coordinate with the rest of our country kitchen. This product not only met, but exceeded our expectations. We have had it for 3 years now and it looks like the day it was installed! Highly recommend this product to everyone. April 24, 2015
Rated 5 out of 5 by Surfnski I am so happy we put in this flooring We have a very large basement and had previously carpeted it. Unfortunately, pet stains were a constant problem, so I explored options and settled on this tile. We love it. It looks like Italian Travertine tile but it is soft to walk on, stays at room temperature, (mounted on a concrete basement floor in the dead of winter in Oregon it's amazing to have a floor that is the same as air temperature and means we didn't need heating coils under it like real ceramic tile). It is also quiet when our dogs run on it. And now pet stains and spills are not a problem at all as it is totally grouted and waterproof. Thinking of using it in a commercial building we own as we have not had one problem with wear in two years. April 10, 2015
Rated 5 out of 5 by JoJo39 Looks like ceramic tile. We chose this tile, because it looks like ceramic tiling. We did not install it, but the men that did sure did a great job. We have had many compliments on this flooring. It is newly installed, but seems to me the upkeep will be easy. It has given our kitchen a much needed face lift. March 30, 2015
Rated 4 out of 5 by chewyloe This product looks great, but... We had this product installed in our kitchen & laundry room one year ago. In that year, we have noticed at least 6 tiles that are damaged. We have no idea what happened on 3 of them…. they have cuts in the tile and we don't know how it happened. The other tiles have white spots where the color was rubbed off. One spot is under one of our kitchen chairs. We have since put new pads on the bottoms of all the chairs. So, although the product looks great & is easy to clean, we are not completely happy with the durability. March 16, 2015
Rated 5 out of 5 by hookem This product is AMAZING! We had this professionally installed in our kitchen and laundry room. We LOVE it so much we are now having it installed in our bathrooms. My husband swears we had the heating element installed because it is nice and cozy under your feet. March 9, 2015
Rated 3 out of 5 by ggofsix Love the look, question durability. A few weeks after having the Mesa Stone installed, we noticed a couple white spots on the floor. The business where purchased sent a rep to look. He had no ideas, just the top coat was peeling in very small spots, about 1/8 to 1/16 inch. He took a pencil and colored areas in, said he would have a Armstrong rep come look. That was the last we heard from him. Gave up on emails, etc to rep and business. We have had the floor 2 years now, still love overall look, but continue to get white spots. Easy care flooring. Looks great overall, just not sure about durability. March 3, 2015
Rated 5 out of 5 by oldguyfred great product , easy to install I installed D4113 Alterna Mesa stone light grey 16" floor tile in our entry way over a year ago. The product is so durable and easy to clean that we decided to replace floor tile in kitchen, laundry room, and bathrooms with the same tile. The product is rated highly by a national consumer reporting magazine and the cost was on par and sometimes lower than other comparable floor products. I installed the product myself and the project turned out very nice. The S-288 adhesive does a great job bonding tile to concrete I would recommend this flooring to anyone as it is attractive & durable. February 25, 2015
Rated 4 out of 5 by KristieH Kitchen Project My husband installed the Mesa Stone Beige in our kitchen. It has totally transformed the look of our kitchen, what an upgrade! So far, I love the floor. It is durable and relative easy to clean. This is a high traffic area in our home and I have been very pleased with it's durability and ability to uphold a beautiful look, even when it has been trampled on all day. February 24, 2015
Rated 2 out of 5 by Carol08 Poor Durability I had this flooring installed less than 2 yrs ago and I am not happy with the durability. Wish I read reviews on this, I would have never bought this flooring. I keep finding gouges in the flooring and have no idea how they get there. I wish I could replace the flooring Love the color but that's about it. January 24, 2015
Rated 1 out of 5 by Monica98 Not a durable floor. If you are looking for a durable floor this is not it. I dropped a plate and it gouged the surface and the plate did not break. We have many locations where something has been dropped and it gouged the surface. We built a new home so I wanted to make sure I had a floor to last. We had it professionally installed. We have had it for 2 years. The top layer of vinyl is so thin that it is easy damaged. I put felt pads under my kitchen chairs just to find a location under the chair of numerous scratches from something getting caught in the felt. The company recommended felt pads. If that is the best then I would hate to see what an unprotected chair leg will do to the floor. Not worth the extra money. January 12, 2015
Rated 5 out of 5 by Laura19 Awesome looking and easy to clean We had this product professionally installed 2 1/2 years ago. The guys made it look easy and did an awesome job. We had a laundry room, two halls leading into the kitchen and the kitchen floor done. The installers did a perfect job of figuring out the center so all the rooms and halls had the right amount of tile on each side of the walls. This tile is easy to clean and also hides the dirt well. We have two dogs and seven cats with claws and have not had any scratch issues. We've dropped lots of things on it without marring the surface. The only thing that nicked it was dropping a screwdriver and of course it fell with the pointed end. Not bad enough to replace but easy to do if we choose. The other nice thing is that if you drop something breakable it usually won't break unless very fragile. No problems with popping tiles. Looks as good as the day it was installed. The only problem we had was some cracks in the grout. We found out that you don't use as much water with the grout as you would with ceramic and I know our installers did. I was told that this can cause the grout to crack. Very easy to remedy by just adding grout over the existing grout and smoothing it out. Cracks gone. It is also very warm and much softer than the laminate we had in our kitchen. Overall would definitely put it in again and we're going to put it into our parents home. November 21, 2014
Rated 1 out of 5 by Marianne65 I would not recommend I always try to find something positive; I do like how warm the floor is when you walk on it and it does look nice at first glance. Our floor was professionally installed and we have had serious issues with chipping and tearing. I've lived with this floor for about 2 1/2 years and I am so very disappointed. In my opinion Alterna does not have the durability required for kitchen use. Whenever we drop something on it, like a cup or heavier spoon, the top buckles and peels and it has been chipping along walls and in corners for no reason. We have been told that these issues are not covered by the life time residential warranty. I have never been so dissatisfied in a flooring product as I am with Alterna. November 18, 2014
Rated 1 out of 5 by eddie this product was terrible it scrached very badly and it always looks dusty and dirty due to no gloss. October 31, 2014
Rated 4 out of 5 by SLAM Happy with product - has been installed for over 3 years We installed this over our existing linoleum flooring in our kitchen, half bath, laundry room, and the flooring between our front door and the kitchen. Offset with oak floors which we installed in our living room and dining room it looks really great. 3+ years later and the flooring is surviving just fine. Like others that commented - in each box we found some tiles that we were not as happy with (white spots or coloring that we were not happy with). We were prepared for this and either did not use these tiles or kept them for use in corners or edges where the parts of the tile that were cut out were the miscolored sections. October 6, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by Ali M. What More Can You Ask We had Mesa Stone Beige in 16 inch squares installed in our kitchen and absolutely love it! This floor has everything going for it. It looks like natural stone, but it is so much more comfortable to walk on, and it isn't slippery when wet! It's so easy to clean, and doesn't show dirt easily. What more can you ask? September 19, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by Ginger Love my new floor!! Mesa Stone Beige has just been installed in my bathroom. I can only rate it on appearance. It is beautiful!! After 6 months I will rate it on durability and maintenance. September 7, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by diverduo better than actual stone or ceramic i recently completed the installation of my alterna mesa stone flooring. i found the installation went very smoothly and the product was easy to work with , after the intall, my wife and i both agree we should have done this sooner it changed the entire look and feel of our kitchen. we have invited friends over just to show them what this floor did for our kitchen and recommend it to everyone. its great September 4, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by Beebs 1953 I would highy recommend this product. We had this product professionally installed in our kitchen, and it looks fantastic with our slate countertops and cherry cabinets. We have two black labs and the floor has held up perfectly - very durable, no scratch marks, etc. Easy to clean. We have received many compliments and friends are surprised that it is not real stone. I would highly recommend having the product professionally installed. I watched our installer and this is not a job for even an experienced do-it-your-selfer. If you want the best results and the most beautiful results, hire a professional installer. I am going to use this product for our next remodeling job in one of our bathrooms! July 6, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by Ginny This product has the look of slate, but is not hard like slate. It's easy on the legs and warm. We had our kitchen tiled in this product, using grout (optional). It is absolutely beautiful! Love the feel and the look of real stone or slate. The colors are neutral enough to go with any color cabinets. Looking forward to enjoying this floor for many, many year. April 18, 2014
Rated 4 out of 5 by Bear best of both worlds the look of ceramic with the durability and warmth of vinyl. beautiful product Mesa fieldstone installed in our kitchen and the marble look vinyl in the bathroom . The grout doesn't get dirty or stain. love how easy it is to keep clean. Also used the armstrong on line coupon! March 22, 2014
Rated 4 out of 5 by jamoka easy to instal We just completed our kitchen floor. We choose the staggered brick pattern. The tiles were very easy to cut and install. The grouting did take some time, but in the end the flooring is beautiful March 3, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by CHRISNSTACY Excellent Flooring We had this product professionally installed in our kitchen,diningroom, bathroom and two entryways. We are very pleased with this product and are always excited to show our family and friends. This product came recommended from a family member who had it installed and I have already recommened it to others as well. Thanks for putting out such a durable, long lasting product that comes with a great warrenty! March 2, 2014
Rated 1 out of 5 by kitmak Easily scratched I have had our Armstrong LVT down for about a year and it has multiple scuffed areas. Prior to the remodel from our flood we had put down the $0.99 cent peel and stick groutable vinyl from Lowes and had it in place for over 18 months without a scratch in it. It kills me that I paid for Luxury Vinyl Tile and professional installation when I could of gone back to the "cheap" stuff that was perfectly good. Any recommendations on how to repair? February 22, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by Lois Lane Love my new kitchen floor We installed Mesa stone beige in the kitchen in March 2013, a do it yourself project. Takes quite a bit of time as we had to subfloor it first. Grouting takes a lot of time. I am very pleased with the finished product. We installed felt under the chairs as a precaution. I have to large dogs and it is holding up well. I had a couple of accidents that put a nick in the floor as something fell out of the fridge and landed just perfect to make a nick, was very surprised that that happened, put a bit of glue under it to hold it down. I love the ceramic tile look with the grout and have had lots of complements. The only other problem I am having is the grout is cracking along the edges of the tiles, but I know that our house shifts a lot. Would use the product again. February 12, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by Kcvers Awesome product! We installed this product a year ago in two bathrooms. We did the grouted installation. We have two dogs including a Rottweiler and have had no issues with these floors. They show no wear after a year. I love the look of stone and the warmth under foot. Plus they are more resilient to walk on than stone or tile. January 21, 2014
Rated 1 out of 5 by CDDS Don't like this floor and it hasn't been down 24 hours I had this floor installed in two bathrooms on 12/9. I see white spots in certain places and it hasn't been down 24 hours. Someone needs to call me in reference to this. This flooring wasn't cheap and something needs to be done. December 10, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by Scott This Armstrong floor goes well with my kitchen The Alterna Mesa Stone matches my granite countertop with a purple haze and is a lighter color to brighten the kitchen. The sixteen inch floor panels worked out well and covered the floor without needing many partial panels. A fabulous product which should endure for many years of enjoyment. December 10, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by Lynn44 This product is simply beautiful! This flooring has transformed our kitchen. It has a modern look now, and most people don't realize it's NOT ceramic tile or slate. It is very realistic, and appears durable. I love the fact that should anything unforeseen happen to a tile it can be individually replaced. November 4, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by kllane Gorgeous floor We have had this flooring for almost 3 years now and it still looks new! We are finishing our basement and will use this again in our bathroom. We are very pleased and have received many comments on our floors. October 7, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by SE4131 Wow! So stoked on this floor! As a regular homeowner, I was a bit intimidated to take on the removal of an old, crummy, saltillo tile floor and replace it in my historic 1908 home. After years of hand wringing and thought, we finally settled on the Alterna Mesa Stone, and could not be happier about it! Ripping up the old floor was painful - cheap ceramic tile on top of wonderboard, which was then screwed into the original hardwood floor - and after over 100 years of life, nothing in this house is level. I put down new hardyboard, leveled the floor with self-leveling compound, then put down the new Alterna floor. My only real issue was learning about the adhesive, but once I got the hang of that I was flying across the kitchen! Cutting and putting down these tiles was a snap, and the new floor looks and feels great! August 12, 2013
Rated 4.2 out of 5 by 82 reviewers.
Rated 1 out of 5 by Naca Very disappointed - did not live up to promises Our vinyl tile looks great, I love the look. However, I have some serious concerns regarding the durability of the product. When looking for a new flooring product, I knew what I was looking for - a product that my children could drive their cars on and drag chairs across. When my sales person heard those requests, he didn't hesitate to recommend vinyl tile for durability. We hadn't even had the product for three months, and I had serious concerns with the product. I am most concerned with the surface of the product. It does not seem to be very "strong". We had several small spots where the top thin layer has almost ripped off, exposing the white/cream colored base. This concerns me so much because we were very gentle with the floor. I did not allow my children to do anything rough or play roughly on the floor, because it was new. When the top layer comes off, it is very noticeable, because the white middle layer is of great contrast to the dark top layer. I see it all the time, and it drives me nuts! All of our chairs, step stools, tables, and toys have been covered with felt pads on the legs/bases before we moved the furniture onto the floor after it was installed. I didn't want to chance any damage to the floor. A couple of these spots where the top layer has come off are on our steps. If the steps were a place of rough use, I could understand this happening. However, I know my children (or us) aren't playing or doing anything rough on the steps due to safety. I also have concerns regarding the edges of the tiles. Some edges seem to have either been damaged before installation, or are easily damaged because the edges sit higher than the grout. Some edges show the white base of the tile, as I described above. We had new flooring installed to replace our old peel-and-stick tile. The peel-and-stick tile were supposed to have a very limited life, but even in the almost ten years that we had them, they were more durable and didn't sustain any damage compared to the new vinyl tiles. I want to be able to live in our home and enjoy it. However, after having several spots of the floor where the top layer has come off, I have been finding myself constantly telling my children to be careful, not allowing them to play as they normally would. We spend a lot of time in the areas where we installed this product, and I need to worry about other things than the floor! I don't know if these issues are specific to only the chocolate D1409, or all of the luxury vinyl. I wish this review would be available to those considering any color of vinyl tile, not just chocolate. I know that if I had read about how the product performs before, I definitely would not have had it installed. August 10, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by Karley Love the texture and color. The 12 x 12 tile look just like the stone on the driveway out behind our house, so natural they look like real stone. We love the texture in the tile and they are warm on your feet. We couldn't be happier with our new floor and will recommend the Armstrong Alterna to everyone. August 2, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by las1106 Beautiful - looks like ceramic without the downsides We installed Mesa Stone (Chalk) in our new kitchen and are very pleased with it. It looks like a natural material, but it's not cold to walk on. The one caveat is that the recommended grout was actually a LOT lighter than it looks on the sample cards. We were delayed because the Gypsum grout that we ordered was way too light and we had to wait for another color (Driftwood) to arrive. But it was worth the wait. July 10, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by Rick Textured, Beautiful, and Stylish We recently installed Armstrong's Alterna Mesa Stone - Terracotta/Clay vinyl tiles in our Florida room, replacing carpeting that had worn out. The flooring is textured, beautiful, and stylish and complements the furniture and decor in the room, including the paint color on the walls. This flooring material was recommended by our flooring contractor and we can see why. Even the installation was easy and problem free. In short, we are very pleased that we chose the Alterna flooring and look forward to many years of trouble free use. July 1, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by NCHomeOwner This flooring has great features. We recently had the Mesa Stone-Fieldstone vinyl flooring installed in the kitchen/breakfast room/laundry & pantry areas. We could not be happier with the quality and look of the finished product. The Mesa Stone-Fieldstone has the look of actual stone and the comfort and cleaning ease of vinyl. June 19, 2013
Rated 4 out of 5 by TakeNote Very happy with this floor I wanted a new kitchen floor that was indestructible, groutless and would not show dirt easily. After reviewing many options, luxury vinyl tile seemed the answer and we liked Alterna the best. The fieldstone color has the beige and gray tones to tie in the marble backsplash and the stainless steel appliances beautifully. Professional installation was quick and easy using the special Armstrong glue and trowel. However, after the floor was complete, I kept seeing a repeat pattern in the tile that need fixing. Using a heat gun and a sturdy putty knife, the installer removed the offensive tiles and replaced with new ones. We were extra careful this time to make sure that the pattern repeated more randomly. I started calling the pattern pieces, "swirly" and "white spots" because those were the two things that needed to be carefully controlled. For the life of me I cannot imagine why this particular pattern was chosen by Armstrong, because it appears that there are obvious flaws in the design. However, we had enough extra to fix the problem without reordering. We have been using the room for several months now, and I am completely happy with the floor. We get quite a few compliments, with many people thinking it is actual stone and cannot figure out how we managed to do it without grout. (Just the reaction I was hoping for.) It is soft and warm underfoot and clean up is a breeze with Once and Done. If this floor stands the test of time, I will remain a most satisfied customer. June 12, 2013
Rated 2 out of 5 by landv Wish I had read KDuval's review before purchase I fell in love with the store sample...varigated tones of greys that swirled and created a great texture. The upsetting thing is most of the tiles on my floor now have white spots on them...not on the showroom sample...looking like something has spilled. I only have 3 tiles remaining from the installation to replace the most distracting, and can't afford to buy more boxes in hopes of finding 'perfect' ones. I am heartsick! this was not only very costlyfor me but what I hoped would be a huge selling point for my home in a few years. I don't know what to do. June 5, 2013
Rated 1 out of 5 by Joey56 Should be more durable I had this floor installed 3 months ago during our Kitchen rehab project we recently had a tile chip in the center which left a white spot just terrible really sticks out with this tile. Replacing this tile as it is grouted and glued is a expensive project once you buy the Armstrong adhesive,grout and labor cost one tile is a $300 job May 22, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by mrusse So far we're loving this floor! As we were researching our flooring for the breakfast room, kitchen, hallway and entry, the top of my wish list was to put in porcelain tile because I'm a big fan of permanent flooring and I wanted something that is easy to get clean, is waterproof, and won't need to be replaced. However, my husband doesn't like how hard and cold the porcelain and ceramic tiles are. My list of what I absolutely want from my flooring in these rooms includes: looks nice; sturdy and durable over time and real-life normal living; waterproof; reasonably easy to keep clean and occasionally disinfected; and stands up to normal activities of pets, young adults, and little kids (so that when they walk across it and roll toys across it and spill on it I won't need to panic about every little mistake). I hunted everywhere, read all kinds of stuff about flooring, asked all kinds of questions from everyone. In the end, we decided to go with Armstrong Alterna Mesa Stone Fieldstone because almost all of the information I could find about it was positive and seemed to meet my list of requirements. (*A note of thanks here to the admin of the Armstrong facebook page, who was very helpful in returning answers to some of my specific questions in a timely manner.) There was so little follow-up feedback on the Armstrong Alterna Luxury Vinyl Tiles out there - other than a few glowing reports we were getting - that I decided to begin an ongoing review for future flooring hunters out there who are scouring the internet for whatever they can learn about it. Therefore, this is the first part of my review of our new LVT and I expect to add more as time goes by and the flooring ages. We got the Armstrong online coupon to purchase the floor, but it was from a store that was a bit far away, so we talked to a closer store. Michael's Carpet and Flooring in St. Peters, MO honored the coupon so we purchased the flooring through them. They've been very helpful with tips and explanations of instructions when we had questions, so we're really glad we went with someone more local. We began installing the Alterna in the breakfast room ourselves about a month ago (mid-April, 2013). We decided to go groutless since we laid some out and we liked the look of it without grout - and I figured if I'm not going to go with the porcelain tile, I saw no reason to complicate vinyl tile with unnecessary grout issues. However, we purchased a tub of the "Smoke" grout Armstrong recommends for this tile and we have used it to fill in unavoidable gaps such as against doorways, along the bottom of a step between the breakfast room and the kitchen, and along the edge of a raised rounded brick hearth in the breakfast room. We have done the same in the kitchen and then in the hallway. We carefully read and followed the instructions that came with the tiles because we feel an ounce of prevention is worth avoiding the problems later. Before installation we let the tiles sit in the room for a minimum of 48 hours at 65-70 degrees per instructions, and we waited a minimum of 5 days before allowing anyone or anything to use the floors and we kept the house temperature constant to give them plenty of time to cure properly. The result is absolutely beautiful! I still have the sample of the porcelain tile I had picked out before we decided to go with the Alterna, and the Alterna Fieldstone tiles are so much prettier and more realistically patterned! Husband took tile samples to work to show people who are interested in looking into this impressive new style of vinyl flooring for their own homes. We love the pattern and color of the tiles we picked out and we love the way they feel on our feet. Since we've always had a "no shoes" rule in the house, that's a nice perk! The dogs are walking a bit more carefully than usual on it since for some reason they look like they slip some on it, but the people here don't have problems with slipping. The floor wasn't really hard to install when the instructions are followed, but I gave "Ease of Installation" a value of "4" because the tiles are thick and the top layer is hard so cutting it was trickier than the older-style vinyl. But that's a good thing if it means the tiles prove to be durable over time! We were careful to always try to keep several boxes mixed together so no slight color variations would be noticeable and we randomized the arrows on the backs of the tiles so the tiles would look natural. We did have several tiles that never quite stuck properly in spots for whatever reason, but they were the exceptions out of many, so we just did them again. I have not rated the flooring for "Quality" or "Durability" yet because although the tiles look and feel amazing and the thickness, weight and solid-feeling top layer give us confidence, we can't really know much about the quality or durability until they prove to be as durable over time and normal real-world use as promised. To care for the tile, all furniture has felt sliders permanently attached, even if the furniture isn't normally moved. Because the floor looks so pretty, I'm actually enjoying cleaning it! (I know....Weird, right?) For daily care, I either use a broom when I have more time for careful sweeping, or I use a large (18 inch wide) dust mop I purchased that covers a large area for faster work. The mop picks up dust and hair and I can use it to push the particles into a pile to be swept up into a dustpan. I purchased Armstrong Once 'n' Done Floor Cleaner for the weekly mopping, and I've purchased a second large (18 inch wide) new wet mop with no exposed hard parts to keep from accidentally scratching the floors when I'm cleaning. Finding a bucket for that mop wasn't easy, but I found a long, narrow squeegee bucket at the hardware store that fits the mop perfectly. My next step is to purchase a couple of mats that meet the standards for "non-staining vinyl-backed mat or a woven rug that is colorfast" per the Armstrong care guide at http://www.armstrong.com/assets/commflooringna/literature/downloads/F8663.pdf. For now we are temporarily using cloth rugs indoors and other mats outside the doors to catch dirt coming in. Watch for future posts! If you don't see any after this from me, you can assume we're probably still happy with it. I'll try to check back in from time to time to verify that for anyone searching for flooring though because nothing can compare to a review from someone who has owned and used the product for awhile and can tell you how it holds up over time. May 17, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by TSChris13 Love it!!! Chose this flooring because I love the look of stone/tile, but not the coldness, maintenance and possibility of cracking. Everyone who has seen it is shocked when tell them it is vinyl! We had an independent flooring installer put it in our kitchen, breakfast room hallways and powder room on our main floor with a grouted installation. We have a large dog and teenage boys and it is holding up beautifully so far. I also love that it does not show dirt easily! We will most likely be adding this type of flooring in our two upstairs bathrooms as well, and since it is a much smaller area, I feel confident tackling the installation myself. April 28, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by cphill Beautiful floor This floor looks beautiful. It looks as real as a stone floor yet it is not hard and cold. We used grout and the texture and shading on the floor give our kitchen depth and warmth. We are thrilled with this product! April 12, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by Judy This is a great product. This product had been recommended by the vendor as part of my kitchen remodeling venture. I love it. It gives you the impression that it is stone until you look closely at the product. It is easy to clean and maintain. April 4, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by sal51601 Looks good in bathroom This tile really looks great in our bathroom. The colors blend with the vanity and tub. March 31, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by SAL51601 Beautiful Floor This tile looks great in my kitchen. The colors blend so well with my cupboards and stainless steel appliances. Love the compliments I have received. March 31, 2013
Rated 2 out of 5 by sadchris looks great, but cant take daily living I have had this floor for less then a year and it does look great, especially with the grout. i was told that it is very durable, pet friendly and water resistant. i have had one tile start lifting due to minor water from a dog bowl. another tile is pealing like paper showing white underneath. two other tiles are wearing through the top and also show white. I have felt under all my chairs and did not expect this performance from such a highly rated and expensive floor. March 27, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by Shawn Lovely, warm, & comfortable I love this tile. The mix of neutral colors (tan, grey, white) goes well with furnishings and the light colors provide a cheery atmosphere. The rooms take on a more open and airy appearance. Everyone has commented on how beautiful it is and asks if it is cold to walk on, but I have been in my bare feet in the winter with no discomfort. I had 44 boxes professionally installed in one day covering almost my entire house. I like the fact the tiles have natural looking random patterns. Be sure your installer follows the installation instructions that ensure the randomization of the tile patterns. It is so easy to clean the house now that I am done in no time. Vacuuming was so time consuming and such hard work. After seeing the dirt that had collected under my old wall-to-wall carpet, I am so glad it is gone. The house is much more hygienic now and better for my allergies. I wish I had done this originally instead of carpet. I recommend it highly. March 25, 2013
Rated 2 out of 5 by rncmchris Not sure about this flooring We loved this floor for our kitchen remodel and paid more for it as a luxury vinyl not wanting ceramic tile. A month after installation we noticed a small area of white about the size of a pencil eraser where the surface peeled off. We thougth we could do with that but then a whole other area under the kitchen table had white speckle patches of worn / peeled surface. Our table and chairs all have protectors on the bottom legs. Our dealer said we can have it replaced but what a pain. . I am worried about a repeat problem and not sure what to do. It sure is a beautiful floor though. March 25, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by Marcy51 It's beautiful! I had Alterna Mesa Stone installed in my mudroom/laundry room and in my kitchen. It's beautiful. I chose this product because I wanted to avoid the hardness and coldness of ceramic tile. The texture is beautiful. We had it grouted and it looks like tile. A great choice. I haven't had it long enough to address the wearability or ease of cleaning but so far, I'm happy. March 23, 2013
Rated 4 out of 5 by Thomas S. #1 Choice Must See Installed Mesa Stone Chocolate in the kitchen which is a perfect choice for a high traffic area. Install was quick and easy great DIY project.Color hides dirt and spills and cleanup is quick and easy I know because because two days after install I spilled tomato sauce all over and it cleaned up like it never happened. Even the dog has not scratched it running out the door. Thanks for a great product !!! February 8, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by Marcy 70 This product looks like real stone I just installed this product next t a Hickory medium wood floor and looks very elegant. I did not grout so up keep will be very easy and the product is mush warmer and softer on the feet and still looks like real tile. I love it and am getting a lot of good complement. February 1, 2013
Rated 2 out of 5 by wanda40 this product chips easy. Flooring places should sell touch - up paint so I don't have to spend time figuring out how to match paint. January 31, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by Norma K. Great! Looks like stone. After much consideration, selected and had installed Alterna Mesa Stone Beige in kitchen, hall, and bathroom. Product has the look of real stone but great comfort underfoot and not as hard to stand on versus sheet vinyl or ceramic tile. One of the beautiful features of floor, it appears to be textured but in reality is smooth and will be easy to clean. January 20, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by MLCS Very Happy With This Floor We installed this floor on our own in our mud/laundry room. I was concerned about the weight of the appliances, heavy foot traffic and wetness from boots in the Winter and the effects it would have on the durability of the tiles. I contacted Armstrong via email with my concerns. I recevied a prompt reply and was assured Alterna was the floor to use. The installation was quite easy. The floor looks great and the color is very pleasing and easy to pair with beiges, browns and greys. It is comfortable when feet are bare and it is easy to clean/maintain. I would have no hesitation in recommending this product for a similar use as ours. January 7, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by ruzicka Love it! We got this flooring to replace some older laminate flooring. It was installed professionally, so we cannot comment on how easy or hard it is to install. In any event though, we love it so far. My wife was VERY worried that it would end up looking like a lot of other vinyl flooring (she has a definite bias against most vinyl!). However, even she says that she can't see any difference in the look of it compared to real tile. She loves it! January 2, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by Pelle Great upgrade for hard to please family We had the Mesa stone Terracotta/Clay D4114 professionally installed in the kitchen and utility room after a water damage, and the kitchen never looked more beautiful and bright than now. We live in this architect designed house where every design detail matters and the floor just improves the light in the room, is warm to walk on and looks like stone. We are so happy about this choice and will probably replace other floors in this house with the same floor. December 24, 2012
Rated 2 out of 5 by bmhandyman Save your money do not buy this flooring, very poor quality I just spent $10,000 geting 1200 sft of this tile installed in my home by a flooring store, I bought it because I was told it was the most durable flooring on the market, I should have know better. When I took a sample home I broke it in half and found the top layer was basically wallpaper glued to an old school commercial vynil tile (like the kind you find in schools and floors) I have had the flooring in for 3 or 4 months and have 10-12 spots where the floor is falling apart, I have chips and pieces missing all over and when a chip is missing it is white and really stands out I have been taking a brown crayon and have been coloring in the missing parts and melting the wax into the voids, I am very unhappy with this flooring and would not recomend it to anyone. December 23, 2012
Rated 2 out of 5 by Kduvall Product sample was beautiful, but.......... I would advise anyone who is interested in any of the Alterna products to actually buy a test box first. The single tile is deceiving as it only represents what is considered the most ideal pattern of the flooring and in my opinion, not a fair representation of the other 3 repeating tile patterns. There were a total of 4 repeating tile patterns in this line. The Mesa Stone-Moss sample we purchased from was exactly the type of coloring and pattern that was desired. Unfortunately after having a professional installer install our floor, 2 of the 4 different reoccurring patterned tiles were not so nice looking. These 2 tiles seemed to have nickle to dime sized white divets which resembled acid droplets or paw prints of white rough feeling material instead of the normal veining pattern with smooth texture feel one would expect to see in a "stone" type pattern. We now must buy at least 6 extra boxes from the distributor to "cherry pick" the 2 desired patterned tiles from the 2 undesirable pattern type tiles to finish out the highly visible areas of our floor. We will use a floor rug to hide the other tiles. What a shame. Pulling up the tiles to replace them was daunting for the installer and required a blow torch and pry bar so the quality of the flooring is really good. so this review earns excellent marks for durability. October 26, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by Minni This was an awesome way to go. We just did a house remodel and put this in the pantry,laundry , and main bathroom. Went with grout between the squares and it looks like real stone/tile. Have had numerous comments oh how nice it looks. So far please with how it cleans with just warm water and a rag..(.yes I am old fashion and wash floors by hand ) Think we will be liking this choice for some time! October 11, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by Jeannie You will not go wrong with this! I really like everything about it. We pulled out our ceramic tile and installed it in the foyer, kitchen/dining room and back hall. Holds up well for a busy family. Chocolate is a great color that hides all kinds of dirt and animal hair. Comfortable to walk on barefoot and easy to clean. October 7, 2012
Rated 1 out of 5 by JMR1937 Top rubs off Actual top surface is very thin. The configuration and adhesive of the top layer is not durable. We have sliders on the bottoms of all of our chairs. We have only had the product for three months and have already had to replace one tile was at the bottom of our stove and we will need to now replace tiles that are under our table chairs because the top layer is rubbing off already. The people in our house do not wear any shoes in the house. Its like the flooring is like the sandpaper and anything that rubs against is will wear off. August 21, 2012
Rated 4.2 out of 5 by 82 reviewers.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Joe57 Alterna Mesa Stone Beige Flooring ... excellent product. We just finished installing the Mesa Stone Beige Alterna flooring. We love the look, especially with the grout installed. It looks like real stone. We have had many compliments on the floor from friends & family. Great product and easy to install. August 21, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by teacher Great looking floor. I love my new luxury vinyl. With grout, it looks just like tile but is soft and warm on the feet. You have to touch it to know it's not ceramic tile. It doesn't show any dirt and is easy to clean. I give it a "thumbs up!" August 17, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by gf's mom animal friendly, looks great, easy to clean, does not show dirt Love this floor, the looks, color, grout. There was an issue that the grout cracked in one area but they came back and refilled it and that was what Armstrong recommended to them and it worked. The feel is so good on bare feet. The colors are assorted so it does look like real slate. August 17, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by SusieQ This is a fabulous product. We chose this product because of it's realistic appearance and durablility. It looks very much like a slate tile. We liked that it would not be as cold as ceramic or as prone to chiping. The installation was a bit tricky at first, but we quickly found techniques to speed up the process. August 17, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by Dr. Saari Excellent product for a busy office I had it installed in my new office in January 2012... best decision ever. Looks great and patients can't say enough positive about it. I used it solely in a high traffic location and after 8 months it's still perfect looking and very easy to clean. I had it professionally installed. I would use this product again in a heart beat. August 14, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by Rachel T. Armstrong did an excellent job in creating this product with the look and feel of ceramic tile We had Armstrong Alterna Mesa Stone professionally installed in our kitchen, hallway,hall closet and small bath. We also had the grount added. Just beautiful, looks like and feels like real ceramic tile, easy to clean using Armstrong once and done cleaner. Armstrong did a wonderful job with creating this flooring. It is not cold like ceramic tile. When company comes over to visit, they think it is real ceramic tile. They are just amazed at the look of Alterna. We would highly recommend this product. May 3, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by Elaine Beautiful and natural looking We had the Alterna installed this winter and love it! It is not cold and hard like tile, but has fooled many guests. It has held up excellently to our 90 pound dog's nails. The texture and color pattern disguises pet hair well. It cleans easily with the vacuum. Our neighbor has had it for nearly 2 years and it still looks like new. May 3, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by Jena4 I love my new floor! I recently had the Mesa Stone flooring installed in my newly remodeled kitchen (professional installer). It is beautiful and I have received many compliments! Several friends thought it was real slate because of the relief on the tile. I opted for a lighter grout (mushroom) than what was recommended in the literature. I wasn't able to give an install or cleaning recommendation since I hired a professional to install and haven't had a need to clean it yet. I give this product a thumbs up! March 19, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by Mary50 Awesome product Purchased this flooring for our kitchen and it looks great. Can't tell it's vinyl, really looks and feels like ceramic/stone but not cold. It even has the texture of stone. I highly recommend it, Armstrong is on to something with this. I would use it again. December 29, 2011
Rated 5 out of 5 by Yogi This is the perfect flooring...warm, durable and beautiful! This is the perfect flooring for someone who wants the durability of tile with the comfort of vinyl flooring! It is beautiful, warm on your feet, easy to clean and if a tile should get damaged, it can be easily replaced since it is tile flooring! My feet are no longer sore after working all day in my kitchen! September 29, 2011
Rated 5 out of 5 by Gigi This product far exceeded our expectations! My husband and I are currently remodeling our home.We used Armstrongs Alterna Mesa Stone in the color Gray Brown in our second floor laundry, master bathroom and guest bathroom.We could not be happier with the results! It is warmer than tile-Has the look of real stone and is so simple to keep clean!We are now considering using the same tile in a different color in our kitchen.Our original plan was to use hardwood flooring.I belive that this product would be much easier to maintain in a busy kitchen.Armstrong-We thank you for offering such an outstanding product! September 22, 2011
Rated 5 out of 5 by langk_77 Absolutely gorgeous floor!! This particular tile caught our eye at a local flooring store so my wife and I decided to purchase it and have it professionally installed. It far exceeds our expectations. It's durable and very easy to clean. Definitely recommend to anyone!! September 13, 2011
Rated 5 out of 5 by Jackie2 My wife loves it !! After many months of looking, we chose the Armstrong Luxury Vinyl Tile. It was put in with the grout lines. It hides dirt, is very easy to clean, feels good under foot. I like the stone look and is so realistic . We often get comments on how good the TILE looks. We have this in our eat in kitchen with 8 chairs. We put the ceramic looking feet protectors on them and have had NO scratched floors. I do admit they get dragged across by us and the kids but you would never know it. I highly recommend this ( D4106). September 13, 2011
Rated 5 out of 5 by Busy mom Great product! When we built our house we were watching our budget. This product gave us the look we wanted but at a fraction of the price of stone or tile. It was beautiful and we always get lots of compliments. Almost two years of heavy traffic and it is still as beautiful as the day it was installed. I'm a busy mom and I love the ease of care. We used the Mesa stone beige which has a complex pattern and doesn't show dirt much at all. The grout really is still stain free and the whole floor is much easier to clean than the sealed grout/tile floor at our old house. I clean it with the Armstrong Once and Done cleaner. We did not install this ourselves, so I can't attest to how hard that is. I would use this product again in a heartbeat. September 5, 2011


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medicine > Student Financial Services > Loans > Graduate Plus Loan
The Federal Direct Graduate Plus loan is a federal loan program that allows students to help pay for tuition and other educational expenses not covered by the Federal Direct Unsubsidized loan and other financial aid.
Who is eligible?
In order to apply for this loan, borrowers must be Graduate/Professional students. Students must be U.S. Citizens or eligible non-citizens. Students with a F1 or F2 student visa, J1 or J2 exchange visitor visa or a G series visa are NOT eligible for federal aid. Students must also be accepted and enrolled at least half-time at an eligible school, and be in good academic standing. A credit check will be performed by the Department of Education at the time of application to determine credit worthiness.
How much do I qualify for?
The Grad Plus loan can be borrowed up to the Cost of Attendance minus other aid.
How do I Apply?
To apply, file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). A credit application and Federal Direct Graduate Plus Master Promissory Note (MPN) as well as Loan Entrance Counseling may be completed online. For additional information on the Federal Direct Graduate Plus Loan Program click here. To access the MPN and Loan Entrance Counseling visit www.studentloans.gov.
What is the interest rate?
On August 9, 2013, President Obama signed into law a reduction of the interest rates on Federal Student Loans. The Graduate Plus loan interest rate for graduate/professional students was reduced from 7.9% to 7.211% for loans processed on or after July 1, 2014. Interest rates will be established each year for the Direct Graduate Plus for which the first disbursement is on or after July 1 through the following June 30. The rate will be the sum of a uniform "index rate" plus an "add-on" that varies depending on the type of loan and the borrower's level as a graduate/professional.
Are there fees associated with this loan?
Yes, for all Direct Graduate Plus loans disbursed before September 30, 2014 the loan fee is 4.288%. For all Direct Graduate Plus loans disbursed on or after October 1, 2014, there is a 4.292% loan fee. The loan fee will be proportionately deducted from each of the two loan disbursements by the lender. Here is an example of the current fee structure: for a loan amount of $20,000, each disbursed amount that the University receives on you behalf will be approximately $9,571.
What is a Post Enrollment Period?
Graduate Plus loans borrowed after July 1, 2008 are eligible for a 6 month post enrollment period from the day the student graduates or drops below half-time enrollment.
Are there deferment options?
Graduate Plus loans are deferred while the student is in-school. There are additional deferment options available.
What about repayment?
Repayment begins within 60 days after final disbursement of the loan. However, while enrolled, Graduate Plus loans are placed in an in-school deferment status and will maintain a post-enrollment status for six months after graduation or you cease to be enrolled at least half time.
To view an overview of this loan and the other types of available loans, click Loan Overview.
NOTE: Disbursement of funds may not be disbursed to the student prior to enrollment for the academic year. Loans are disbursed in two installments, not to exceed 1/2 of the loan amount.
If your loan is denied due to adverse credit, you will have the option to obtain an endorser or appeal the credit decision.


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Premium quality custom horse halter, constructed of double layers of 1" nylon with rolled throat for a superb fit. Large square cheek hardware with curved bar configuration allows for easy access of snaps or chains. Personalized halter features throat snap and adjustable chin strap. Every monogrammed halter comes with an overlay of 5/8" nylon in a coordinating color of your choice and one monogram location in your choice of thread color. Add a second or third location of monogramming for just $14.50 per location.
Personalized Horse Halterby BrooksideStarting at:$39.95
This moisture-wicking polyester fleece sheet features center surcingle and removable rear leg straps, open front with 1" double strap and buckle closures. It is cut back at the withers with easy-clean premium fleece at the mane and has rear darts for a contoured fit. Great for layering, lining, or alone to keep your horse clean and warm. Machine washable.
Fleece Horse Sheetby BrooksideStarting at:$30.00
Heavy duty canvas with reinforced seams. Measures 19" x 19" x 11" with large opening. Metal loops attach to a stall or trailer. Colors may vary. Trim color may vary.
Canvas Hay Bagby Valley Vet SupplyAs low as:$15.49
Coated outer shell, 600 x1200 denier, is waterproof and breathable. Two-part liner with 340 grams of fleece in the upper half and 70 denier nylon for the bottom half. This design prevents the build up of dirt and shavings yet provides the needed warmth over the horse's back. A great lightweight winter turnout or rain sheet. Other features are a 1" front double strap and buckles with added hook-and-loop closures to hold in place while adjusting the buckle strap closures, an action shoulder gusset, easy-clean premium fleece at the neck, elastic removable leg straps and a double-locking tailpiece. This lightweight blanket works well in warm climates.
Lightweight Turnout Horse Blanketby BrooksideStarting at:$66.00
Features Coolplus lining! This one-of-a-kind medium weight turnout is both waterproof and breathable. Tough 600 x 1200 denier polyester outer shell for durability, with 240 grams of hollow fiberfill insulation and the Cool Wick super absorbent liner, this blanket is great for trailering and stall usage as well as a turnout. Its Cool Wick Lining allows you to put your horse away damp and feel assured the liner will dissipate the extra moisture.
Medium Weight Turnout Horse Blanketby BrooksideStarting at:$88.00
Brookside is now offering a one-of-a-kind poly cotton show sheet that will withstand the everyday wear and tear from your horse and still look like new. The cotton blend is preshrunk, color fast, and can be washed regularly. The sheet includes detachable 1" leg straps, which reduces the risk of tearing. For your performance horse, the brushed cotton will wick away any moisture and leave your horse soft and smooth.
Cotton Show Horse Sheetby BrooksideStarting at:$45.95
* Antique Dot Hardware * Rolled throat * Triple ply nylon Regular horse size only. Every monogrammed halter comes with an overlay of 5/8" nylon in a coordinating color of your choice and one monogram location in your choice of thread color. Add a second or third location of monogramming for just $14.50 per location.
Personalized Antique Dot Horse Halterby Mustang ManufacturingStarting at:$43.95
1" nylon halter with russet leather overlay on nose and cheeks. Hand stamped tooling on leather. Maximum 8 spaces on cheeks and 16 spaces maximum on nose.
Trophy Series Personalized Nylon Horse Halterby Supreme WesternStarting at:$33.95
Ideal for your trophy room or for awards. Price includes hand stamped tooling. Maximum 2 lines: * 1/2" letters – 16 spaces on each side * 3/4" letters – 10 spaces on each side * 1/4" letters – 36 spaces on each side
Nylon Trophy Series Horse Breast Collar w/Russet Leather Overlayby Supreme WesternStarting at:$42.95
8" x 8" x 1-1/2" pockets on each side of this saddle pad are a convenient place to store items while riding. Pockets have hook-and-loop closure. Excellent quality, rated as a best seller.
All Purpose Trail and Endurance English Saddle Padby Royal InternationalStarting at:$49.95
Great to use alone as lightweight grooming hoods or they can be used under traditional hoods to add warmth and help prevent hair thinning from hood rub. Easy on and off with vinyl zipper from chest to chin and wide elastic girth strap. Made of Dupont Lycra Spandex fabric.
Lycra Horse Hoodby BrooksideStarting at:$61.95
With an array of colors and an awesome new Crescent design, this pad is perfect for any rider. The new color combinations are sure to WOW you while also offering optimal comfort and Wick Dri properties. Easy to care for and a great price, you can't go wrong! 22.5" across the spine by 18.5" drop.
Ecole Crescent All Purpose English Saddle Padby RomaStarting at:$31.95
Provides a lightweight "jacket" for your horse. Closed front design, made from 420 denier breathable nylon with rear leg straps and easy-clean fleece at the withers. * Constructed with beauty and comfort for your equine athlete. * Neck/withers fleece is easy-clean premium quality. * Fitted for comfort & elastic leg bands all designed to prevent pinging (white hair). * Elastic/nylon combination leg straps; loop on one end, snap on the other. * Nickel-plated hardware with overlay of brass plating. * Matching turnouts, stable blankets, sheets, boots and bags!
Nylon Horse Sheetby BrooksideAs low as:$66.45
Quilted barn-style blanket constructed of a 420 denier nylon water repellent outer shell, with 240 grams of hollow fiberfill insulation. Inner lining is a 70 denier nylon to keep the coat smooth and soft. The foal blanket has an adjustable front hook -and-loop closure that adjusts to fit sizes 28"-42".
Adjustable Foal Stable Horse Blanketby BrooksideAs low as:$37.95
Ideal for your trophy room or for awards. Price includes hand stamped tooling. Nickel plated d-rings. Latigo lined. Maximum 2 lines: * 1/2" letters – 16 spaces on each side * 3/4" letters – 10 spaces on each side
Personalized Trophy Series 3'' Horse Breast Collarby Supreme WesternStarting at:$78.95
* Great stable or trailering blanket * 420 denier nylon water resistant outer shell * 340 gram hollow fiberfill * Cut back neck * 70 denier inner nylon liner * Single belly strap with 2" snap and D * Non-detachable 2" adjustable rear leg straps * Closed front design
Medium Weight Stable Horse Blanketby BrooksideStarting at:$63.60
At last a foal blanket that does it all from stall to turnout! This blanket adjusts from size 28" to 42" to accommodate the growing foal. The 600 x 1200 denier ripstop waterproof, breathable outer shell has 120 grams of hollow fiberfill insulation and a 70 denier nylon liner to give your foal warmth and protection from the outside elements.
Adjustable Foal Turnout Horse Blanketby BrooksideAs low as:$52.21
Lettering stamped on leather with basket weave design. Maximum 3 lines with 1/2" letters-top row 15 spaces, middle row 12 spaces and bottom row 15 spaces. Leather piece is 12" long and 3" wide at widest point. Standard size (800-1100 lbs) only.
Bronc Nose Horse Halterby Supreme WesternStarting at:$69.95
* 1200 denier outer shell * 340 grams of hollow fiberfill insulation * 70 denier nylon inner lining * 6" longer than a normal hood * Includes three detachable elastic hood straps
Comfort Cover Horse Neck Warmerby BrooksideStarting at:$49.95
* Super tough protection and room to grow * Breathable 420 denier outer shell * 300 grams hollow fiberfill insulation * 70 denier nylon inner shell * Hook and loop front closure to adjust for growth * Two 2" criss cross surcingles with snaps and D's * Elastic rear leg straps * Will adjust from a 48"-60"
Adjustable Pony/Yearling Stable Horse Blanketby BrooksideAs low as:$90.21
This super tough, quilted stable blanket is the favorite in many barns! Breathable 1200 denier outer shell for durability, 300 grams of hollow fiberfill insulation and 70 denier nylon inner shell. Easy-clean high-grade fleeced at the withers. Open front with 1" nylon straps and buckle closures. Front hook-and-loop closure holds blanket in pace while buckles are adjusted. Single girth strap and hidden removable elastic leg straps. This sharp barn blanket provides an overall contoured fit and notched cut back wither that will fit your horse with class and style.
Comfort Cover Stable Horse Blanketby BrooksideStarting at:$74.40
* Great trailering or stable neck warmer * 420 denier outer shell * 300 grams of hollow fiberfill insulation * 70 denier nylon inner lining * 6" longer then a normal hood * Three detachable elastic hood straps included
Lightweight Horse Neck Warmerby BrooksideStarting at:$54.95
Heavy-duty nylon hay bag has reinforced seams and feeding hole. Metal loops provided for ease of hanging. Hand stamped tooling on single-ply leather. Maximum 2 lines: * 1/2" letter - 16 spaces * 1/4" letter - 32 spaces
Personalized Trophy Series Hay Bagby Supreme WesternStarting at:$34.95
Ideal for your trophy room or for awards. Price includes hand stamped tooling. Latigo lined. Stainless steel d-rings. Maximum 1 line: * 1/2" letters – 16 spaces on each side * 3/4" letters – 10 spaces on each side
Personalized Trophy Series Horse Breast Collar 1-1/2''by Supreme WesternStarting at:$56.95
* Heavy-duty rope bag * Hook-and-loop and zippered front pocket * Three divided sections in main compartment * Plus four interior pockets in main area * Rear compartment completely zippered for easy access
This 420 denier nylon hood features a 2" throat snap and D to prevent slippage. Five double-locking hook and loop closures ensure a comfortable, snug fit.
Unlined Nylon Full Horse Hoodby BrooksideAs low as:$61.70


text:
Fashion can make allies of the most seemingly apposite of pairs. Last week, ex-US Secretary of the Treasury, current Harvard Prof and FT columnist Larry Summers announced that: "One of the things you learn as a college president is that if an undergraduate is wearing a tie and jacket on Thursday afternoon at three o'clock, there are two possibilities. One is that they're looking for a job and have an interview; the other is that they are an asshole." Then, yesterday, Peter Bingle, chairman of PR company Bell Pottinger, revealed in a blog that he had received "a letter informing me that my membership of Soho House and Shoreditch House was being revoked 'effective immediately… because I have disregarded Soho House's 'casual dress code.' I have been banned for wearing a suit!"
© The Financial Times Ltd 2016 FT and 'Financial Times' are trademarks of The Financial Times Ltd.


text:
More than one in eight state schools and colleges are failing to send any students to the UK's top universities, according to latest figures.
And nearly two thirds saw none of their pupils win a place at Oxford or Cambridge.
Wiltshire sends only one per cent of pupils to Oxford or Cambridge, according to new statistics, published by the Department for Education (DfE).
And Swindon was placed in the bottom ten local authorities which send pupils to any university.
The figures reveal that a teenager's chances of attending a leading Russell Group university - seen by many as among the best institutions in the UK - depend heavily on where they live.
Teenagers in Reading are over 30 times more likely to go to a Russell Group university than those who studied in Portsmouth, the data suggests.
It also shows a stark divide in a student's chances of a top university place based on the type of school they attend, with those educated at grammar schools more likely to win a place than their peers.
The experimental data shows what young people went on to do after leaving school or college in the summer of 2011. It includes how many A-level students at each school and college in England went on to higher education in general, as well as the numbers that went to Oxford and Cambridge, and those that went to Russell Group universities.
Overall, more than half (53%) were recorded as being at university in the six months after they left school or college, up from 48% in 2010.
About 11% of state-educated teenagers went to a Russell Group institution in 2011, while 1% went to Oxbridge.
A government analysis of the data shows that 287 state schools and colleges (about 13%) had no pupils going on to a Russell Group university, compared to 359 the year before.
A total of 1,373 state school and colleges (about 63%) sent no pupils to Oxford or Cambridge in 2011, down from 1,394 in 2010.
Between them, these two universities have around 6,700 places for undergraduates each year.
A breakdown shows differences in pupils' chances of a top university place across the country.
In Reading, 38% of state school pupils went to a Russell Group university (including Oxbridge), along with 26% in Sutton and 25% in Buckinghamshire.
At the other end of the scale, just 1% of Portsmouth's school and college leavers won a place at one of these top universities, along with 2% in Knowsley, Merseyside.
Reading saw 7% of its pupils win a place at either Oxford or Cambridge, while in Portsmouth, Knowsley, Rochdale, Halton and Rutland none went to these universities.
The figures also suggest that selective, or grammar, schools are more likely to send pupils to top universities than other state schools.
All of the top 10 schools and colleges sending pupils to Russell Group universities were selective, the data shows, along with the top 10 schools sending pupils to Oxbridge.
The top state schools in England for sending pupils to university overall were Aylward Academy - a sponsored academy - in Enfield, north London, and Reading School - which is selective - in Reading. Both saw 95% of their students go on to study for a degree in 2011.
Schools Minister David Laws said: "We are publishing this data so people can see for themselves how different schools, colleges and local authorities perform.
"It is right that parents have as much information as possible on which to base decisions for their children's education.
"Some students will be aiming to get a job after college, others will be hoping to win a place at a great university. But all schools and colleges must ensure they deliver for all their students - whatever that student's target."
Top 10 local authorities sending pupils to university:
Brent: 73%
Harrow: 71%
Merton: 71%
Redbridge: 71%
Ealing: 70%
Reading: 70%
Sutton: 68%
Tower Hamlets: 68%
Barnet: 67%
Bexley: 66%
Enfield: 66%
Waltham Forest: 66%
Bottom 10 local authorities sending pupils to university:
Portsmouth: 28%
Knowsley: 32%
Swindon: 33%
East Sussex: 35%
North East Lincolnshire: 38%
Rochdale: 39%
West Sussex: 40%
Southampton: 41%
Brighton and Hove: 42%
Bristol City: 42%
Southend-on-Sea: 42%
Top 10 local authorities by the proportion of pupils going to Russell Group universities (including Oxbridge):
Reading: 38%
Sutton: 26%
Buckinghamshire: 25%
Trafford: 22%
Barnet: 22%
Merton: 19%
Brent: 19%
Bournemouth: 18%
North Yorkshire: 17%
Wirral: 17%
Redbridge: 17%
Bottom 10 local authorities by the proportion of pupils going to Russell Group universities (including Oxbridge):
Portsmouth: 1%
Knowsley: 2%
Rochdale: 3%
Barnsley: 3%
Middlesbrough: 3%
East Sussex: 4%
North East Lincolnshire: 4%
Sandwell: 4%
Thurrock: 4%
Greenwich: 4%
Top 10 local authorities by the proportion of pupils going to Oxbridge:
Reading: 7%
Barnet: 3%
Sutton: 3%
Herefordshire: 2%
Bromley: 2%
Kingston upon Thames: 2%
Torbay: 2%
Wokingham: 2%
Bournemouth: 2%
Trafford: 2%
Buckinghamshire: 2%
Bottom 10 local authorities by the proportion of pupils going to Oxbridge:
Portsmouth: 0%
Knowsley: 0%
Rochdale: 0%
Halton: 0%
Rutland: 0%
Luton: 1%
Southampton: 1%
Norfolk: 1%
Lambeth: 1%
Derby: 1%
Medway: 1%
Southwark: 1%
Lewisham: 1%
Suffolk: 1%
Bedford: 1%
Windsor and Maidenhead: 1%
Blackpool: 1%
Southend-on-Sea: 1%
Devon: 1%
Somerset: 1%
Peterborough: 1%
Durham: 1%
Leicestershire: 1%
Central Bedfordshire: 1%
Oldham: 1%
Haringey: 1%
Oxfordshire: 1%
Poole: 1%
Dorset: 1%
Essex: 1%
Darlington: 1%
Hounslow: 1%
Brighton and Hove: 1%
North Somerset: 1%
Bracknell Forest: 1%
Hampshire: 1%
Sheffield: 1%
Kent: 1%
Surrey: 1%
Lincolnshire: 1%
Nottinghamshire: 1%
Warrington: 1%
Stockon-on-Tees: 1%
Hammersmith and Fulham: 1%
Cheshire East: 1%
Cumbria: 1%
Birmingham: 1%
Manchester: 1%
Cambridgeshire: 1%
Northumberland: 1%
Telford and Wrekin: 1%
Warwickshire: 1%
Liverpool: 1%
Cheshire West and Chester: 1%
Lancashire: 1%
Ealing: 1%
West Berkshire: 1%
Bath and North East Somerset: 1%
Hertfordshire: 1%
Kirklees: 1%
Camden: 1%
Bexley: 1%
Harrow: 1%
Wiltshire: 1%
Kensington and Chelsea: 1%
Enfield: 1%
North Yorkshire: 1%
Wirral: 1%
Redbridge: 1%
Merton: 1%
Brent: 1%