Concrete is one of the most versatile and durable materials in the building industry. Although we tend to think of concrete as relatively modern, it has been around for centuries. Concrete was used over 4000 years ago in Rome and Mesopotamia. So, we can easily say it is one of the most time-tested materials.

The use of concrete in furniture started in the early 1900s... Did you know that Thomas Edison, most
known for the modern-day light bulb, is also credited with coming up with a type of cement for furniture? His Edison Portland Cement Company used a new mining and milling method, creating a different kind of cement for masonry blocks. Edison used this cement to make a concrete phonograph cabinet and various pieces of concrete furniture.

Concrete is made by mixing two components: cement and aggregate. The cement, mixed with water, is the paste. The less water you add, the harder it will be. Pieces of gravel (aggregate) are added to create strength. Coarse or fine pieces of stone depending on the finished look you want to achieve. You can add other components to the mixture of cement and aggregate to change the setting time, increase its strength or modify its color and appearance.

Concrete makes an excellent table or countertop. Not only is it beautiful in a modern décor style, but concrete furniture is also functional and clean. Since it is such a unique and usually architectural part of the decor, it will command attention in the room.

Concrete provides a finish that has a raw look and feel. There are also ways to get a concrete look that is more finished, polished, and smooth. These styles tend to cost more since they require more work and manufacturing time. A concrete tabletop pairs beautifully with a smooth teak base. Both are natural materials, so they blend well. To make different shapes beyond just the traditional square and rectangular shapes, manufacturers use various mold shapes. Round and oval concrete tables and bases are available that bring a softness through the lines to this rugged material.

Concrete furniture is not light. Be prepared for higher shipping costs and if you live in a condo on a higher floor, make sure there is enough space allowance to get your concrete furniture through stairwells and doorways. Tables are usually made in two pieces – the top and the base – for easier transport.

Concrete is an excellent option if you want outdoor furniture that will last more than a few seasons in our harsh climate. Concrete does not rot or degrade like wood, nor does it crack like synthetic rattan. You will not find a material that is more weather resistant than concrete when it comes to outdoor furniture. If used outdoors (or anywhere there will be water, such as the kitchen), a finish must be applied to the concrete surface. This finish ensures water will not seep into the concrete. Depending on your preference, you can select either a glossy or matte surface treatment.

Although concrete is durable, it can still scuff and chip, so avoid sharp objects if possible. Never put hot pots and pans on this surface since it may cause discoloration either to the concrete itself or the finish. Concrete does require some maintenance because it is a porous material. Be careful with any cleaningproducts that are acidic or volatile because they can also damage the surface. Just a good scrub with soap, water and elbow grease is the best way to keep your concrete furniture looking its best. When it comes to cost, concrete is one of the lowest cost materials. Its durability makes it a long-lasting item, so you get a lot of value for your dollar.

Need furniture? Visit us at our Puerto Vallarta store: 363A Constitucion just off of Basilio Badillo, or in
Bucerias at Heroes de Nacozari 126. We are open Mon through Fridays 10 to 2. If you are not currently
in Mexico, email us at furniture@solutionsmexico.com or Whatsapp us at +3221365156. We help you
buy right the first time!

Buying Real Estate in Mexico can be one of the best investments of a lifetime. Whether you are looking to extend your property investment portfolio, buy a luxury home to relocate with the family, find that perfect condo with all the trimmings for your retirement, or discover a tropical paradise where you can spend your winters, we recently purchased a property in Puerto Vallarta, just blocks from the beach, and found that buying real estate in Mexico was a breeze.

MYTH: Foreigners cannot buy property in Mexico.

FACT: Foreigners CAN buy property inside the restricted zones with a trust, and outside of the restricted zones with no trust needed.

MYTH: Foreigners cannot buy property inside of the “Restricted Zones” (within 100 kilometers from any national border and 50 kilometers from any ocean.)

FACT: The Fideicomiso system was specifically designed to allow foreigners to purchase property inside of the Restricted Zones.

MYTH: Real Estate in Mexico is really just a “Lease”.

FACT: The trust has a 50-year lifespan. Unlike a lease, at the end of the 50-year period it will become renewable for a filing fee of approximately $1,000US. Thereafter it is renewable in the same manner, for subsequent 50 year periods in perpetuity. The bank acts as trustee – most banks in Mexico have trust departments to manage trusts (fideicomisos). They charge an annual trustee fee of about $550US and each bank charges vary slightly. The trusts in the banks are ‘off balance sheet assets’ in that in the event of a bank closure or dissolution (there has never been a bank failure in Mexico – ever), the trusts are not considered assets of the bank and would be assigned to another bank under the auspices of the Bank of Mexico.

One of the interesting differences we noticed was the use of "Notarios" or Notaries. These individuals are NOT like the simple Notary Public in Canada or the USA. They must pass the Mexican equivalent of the bar exam, they are then required to take two years of extensive study while practicing in a notary’s office following which they are subjected to a 3 day examination program and finally must be appointed by the state to a specific office in a city of which there are only a predetermined number of “notario” offices appointed. Notaries in Mexico are the only entities that are recognized by the Commercial and Land Registry and the Taxation Authority and they are empowered to collect taxes for all 3 levels of government.

Once you complete the purchase process you are then the proud owner of the beneficial rights of a trust, the body of which is the property. Think of a glass of water – the glass represents the trust and the water is the property. You have complete control of the glass. Same thing with a trust – you control it completely. You can sell the property, rent it, gift it or lend it – just so long as whatever it is you are doing with it is legal. You will also be obliged to maintain it and pay property taxes. Property taxes are .08% of the assessed value – which was established when you purchased the property by way of the tax assessment appraisal that was registered with the assessment office (the ‘Catastro’).

Overall, the process was very easy, just make sure you are dealing with a reputable Real Estate agency.

You can quite often read the question "Which is the best internet provider in the area?" on social media groups.

After living a few years in Nuevo Vallarta progress knocked on the doors of our area in form of an alternative internet service provider in the spring of 2021. In the past we didn't have any choice, really. Well, the only choice was if we want internet, or not. All underground lines were in the hands of Telmex until then. Unfortunately these were old copper lines which allowed only ADSL internet service. In our particular case this meant maximum data transfer speeds of around 13Mbps down, and 0.6Mbps up.

By the end of 2020 the new kid on the block called Totalplay offered to our little neighborhood of 4 streets to put new fiber optics lines into the ground, and to install the connections into the residences, while offering new internet plans of up to 500Mbps speed.

Of course the majority of neighbors were happy to finally get hooked up to more performance and possibilities due to the higher transfer speed.

Sounds great so far, doesn't it?

After a few days of using the new service I noticed the downfalls of Totalplay.

Totalplay, just as most ISPs (Internet Service Providers) requires their own modem/router to be used which would pass all traffic through a gateway that made sure that the user has an active subscription to the service. That's not unusual. However Totalplay goes 2 steps further.

1. They do active DNS hijacking.
   This means all outgoing traffic from your home to the internet will be routed to their own DNS (domain name server). So basically subscribers lose the ability to pick their own DNS server because Totalplay will enforce that all traffic from your home will hit their own DNS server.
   Why is this important to know?
   Well, internet used to stand for the freedom to use the world wide web in the way your prefer. Sometimes this requires to use a DNS of your choice. This could be to access particular services, to navigate around stupid country restrictions, or just to use DNS masking services to protect your own privacy. Gone with Totalplay. No more picking a DNS of your choice.
   Clever home network users would now say "hey, if they hijack the traffic to their own DNS, I'll set up my own router". Read on.
2. They restrict their own modem/router and block setup options.
   This is unfortunately another big deal. As I mentioned above you can't replace the Totalplay modem/router since it constantly checks if you have an active service subscription. That's very normal with pretty much all ISPs. But Totalplay even blocks some of the modem setup options, so even though you can access the modem's BIOS (setup), they have the most important options blocked. One of those options is to put the entire router into a bridge mode. Bridge mode would mean to disable important functions (like DNS settings), assuming that you connect your own router and let this one handle these functions. In practice it means yes, you can add your own router, but your own router will only take care of your home wifi network. All outgoing traffic will still go through the Totalplay router with its own settings applied, where they again force you to hit their DNS servers.
   I've contacted the Totalplay support 4 times in order to request unblocking my Totalplay router remotely. Every time they told me that they will need to assign a static IP address to my particular router, but that they don't have any IP addresses available. Well, after weeks of waiting, and wasting hours in the support chat I eventually gave up.
   

Please don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to bash Totalplay. I'm very happy to finally have a performant internet connection. And if you have no idea what DNS, VPS, or IP adresses are, all of this won't be a concern to you. But if you're a home network geek, an advanced internet user, or a professional who depends on certain networking routes to connect to a company server or to coworkers, then this article should be interesting and concerning to you. Especially when you get into the situation of making the right choice between available internet services.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article I used to be a Telmex ADSL customer before Totalplay came around. Telmex didn't have the restrictions I described with their own modems. It was no problem to choose a DNS, or to put the entire router into bridge mode. Unfortunately Telmex doesn't have fiber optics lines in our area, and I'm not willing to go back to 13Mbps down and 0.6Mbps up speed.
However in other areas you might actually have a variety of good and performant choices.

Feel free to drop a comment about your own experiences below.

It is not easy to tell the difference between good quality and poorly made furniture. Most folks buy furniture based on what it looks like and how much it costs. Unless you have studied furniture manufacturing processes and materials, it is far too easy to end up spending your hard-earned money on items that may not last. Furniture is not cheap, so you want to make sure it will stay looking good and comfortable for as long as possible.

I am not suggesting that every piece you purchase should be heirloom quality with a high price tag—quite the opposite. I believe in helping people know the pros and cons of their purchases regardless of the price tag.

Here are some tips on how to tell if a sofa, table, or bedroom set is well-made and worth the price.

1. Look for wood furniture constructed using either solid hardwood that is adequately kiln-dried or plywood that is at least eight layers.
2. If you buy pine furniture, buy from a manufacturer who selects the wood, properly dried, without knots. Knots are more prone to cracking. Also, proper manufacturers use varnish, not used car oil. If it smells like car oil, avoid it!
3. Stay away from the press board (IKEA/Walmart/Grocery Store) furniture if you want it to last. It will not stand up in the humidity and is prone to termites.
4. On any wood furniture, check the joints. Choose ones that are screwed or dowelled. Even better are joints that are dovetail or mortise and tenon. Check underneath and look for reinforcing blocks that are attached to corners for additional support. If you see joints that are nailed or stapled or exposed glue, it is a sign that the furniture will not last as long.
5. Veneers are a great solution to get a beautiful piece of furniture at a reasonable price. Make sure the veneer is either solid wood or good plywood.

6. If you purchase a piece of wood furniture such as a desk, dresser or nightstand, better quality items often have dust panels between drawers. These thin sheets of wood make the structure stronger.

7. Always open and close all doors and drawers to make sure they do not stick. Look for drawers that have metal gliders with stops. The higher quality items will have grooves underneath the drawers so that with the change in humidity, they can expand and contract without issue. If there are no metal gliders, it is generally a sign of lower quality workmanship.

8. Since most upholstered furniture is covered by fabric, it is usually impossible to check out the frame. This is where it is critical to get the information from a salesperson. Do not be afraid to ask about the materials used to make the frame. If the salesperson cannot tell you immediately, this is a sign they are interested in your money, not your satisfaction.

9. Ask about the foam. Seat cushions should be made with high resiliency foam (HR), not high density (HD), if you want it to be comfortable for years.

10. Be cautious buying any leather-like product. There are many cheap bonded leather pieces of furniture in big box stores and many Mexican furniture stores. This "tacto piel" cracks and peels within the year. Unscrupulous retailers may try to convince you it is leather. The best way to know it is genuine leather is if you know and trust the brand.