How to distinguish a quality item from a fake? Cheat sheet for buyers: How to distinguish good clothes from cheap fakes (photo). Attention to seams
When purchasing a product or service, we first pay attention to quality. But if products or services are in a field in which we are not experts, determining their quality can sometimes be difficult. As is the case with screw piles.
Many unscrupulous companies actively take advantage of the poor awareness of their clients and, without a twinge of conscience, sell them second-rate rubbish under the guise of advanced developments. How not to fall for scammers and buy quality piles? What you should pay attention to?
Metal thickness. Take a micrometer with you!
Geometric parameters such as the thickness of the trunk wall and blades are selected individually at the foundation design stage. The basis for the choice is not only data on loads, but also data on the corrosive activity of the soil, the determination of which many companies unreasonably neglect.
Metal thickness – most important factor, affecting the service life, reliability and strength of the screw pile. To clarify the correct selection of this parameter, it is recommended that after calculating the service life, check the residual thickness of the shaft wall for compliance with the design loads (you will find detailed information about different standard sizes of piles in the article “”).
In the International Building Code, which is recommended for mandatory use, the thickness of the barrel wall, as well as the thickness of the blade, are not regulated. In accordance with IBC standards, these indicators are directly dependent on design loads. In the Russian SP 24. 133330.2011 “Pile foundations”, standard indicators for metal thickness are also not specified (we discuss this topic in the article “”). All this leads to many manufacturers saving on metal.
Therefore, the use of a certain standard size of piles must be clearly justified in accordance with the requirements of GOST 27751-2014 “Reliability of building structures and foundations. Basic provisions". Piles with a trunk wall thickness of 4 mm can be used in the construction of foundations for light structures (gazebos, fences, etc.), temporary structures (provided that the loads from them are relatively small) and in slightly aggressive soils. When constructing capital structures, as well as when laying foundations in moderately and highly aggressive soils, it is better to choose piles with a shaft wall thickness of 5 mm or more.
The actual barrel wall thickness may often not correspond to the declared one. Because of this, instead of a metal thickness of 4 mm, in reality you can get 3.5 mm, or even 3.2 mm (Russian GOST, by the way, allows deviations in metal thickness within 10%, which the manufacturer can subsequently use ).
If we talk about the thickness of the blade, then there is no unity among manufacturers either.
The vast majority of companies use designs with a blade thickness of 5 mm. However, the calculation results, confirmed by test results and experience practical application, indicate that this thickness, as a rule, is insufficient for the blade.
With a thickness of 5 mm, the blade turns out to be unstable to deformation, often does not provide the necessary load-bearing capacity for the material, etc. An increase in the thickness of the metal by just 1 mm increases the rigidity of the plate (blade) by 30%.
Therefore, when constructing the foundations of capital structures, as well as during construction in aggressive soils, it is worth using piles with a blade thickness of at least 6 mm.
Piles with a blade thickness of up to 5 mm inclusive can be used only in the construction of light structures (gazebos, fences) and temporary structures, the loads from which are relatively low.
In addition, during screwing, it is the blade that experiences the maximum abrasion load, therefore, the coating in this area receives the greatest damage. As a result, corrosion resistance is provided only by the thickness of the metal, i.e. The thicker the blade, the longer it will retain its load-bearing capacity.
The foundation does not tolerate neglect, and even the most insignificant deviations in your opinion can play a decisive role in the operation of the building. When purchasing piles, remember that you can indicate any data in the documents, including those that do not correspond to reality. Therefore, be sure to check the characteristics announced by the manufacturer. Inexpensive instruments, such as a micrometer, will help you establish the truth.
Steel grade. Demand a quality certificate for raw materials!
In addition to the thickness of the rolled metal, the quality of the steel that was used in production is also important.
As a rule, piles are made of steel grade 3 (St3), which is included in the group of structural steel grades. St3 is carbon steel of ordinary quality. The popularity of this steel is explained by its low price.
That is, screw piles from St3 are an option from which no one expects much. If you are going to build a shed for storing equipment on summer cottage, then this option is quite acceptable - cheap and cheerful. But if we are talking about a house in which you plan to live for decades, then there is clearly no need to rush.
Piles made of steel grade 20 (St20) will suit you. It is a carbon structural steel that is used to make structures used in exposed environments. high temperatures or heavy duty work.
St20 has higher values of physical and mechanical properties: Brinell hardness, short-term strength limit, proportionality limit (yield strength for residual deformation). Strict control chemical composition in the production of steel grade 20 also has a positive effect on product quality.
The use of St20 for the manufacture of screw piles increases the percentage of structural strength, resistance to alternating loads, resistance to corrosion and, as a result, increases the service life of your foundation by 10-15%.
detailed information about these and other steel grades is contained in the article “”.
You will not be able to determine the steel grade by eye, so ask the manufacturer for a quality certificate for raw materials.
Welds. Require ultrasonic inspection of welds!
In the construction of pile-screw foundations, two main types of piles are used - SHS with a cast tip and SHS with a welded tip. In the first case, the tip with the blade is welded to the shaft of the screw pile, in the second, the tip is first formed, and then the blade is welded to it. That is, both types require welding.
Due to poor welding quality, the service life of a screw pile can be reduced by 80%. A poor-quality seam at the end of screwing often breaks and becomes deformed, which, as a rule, leads to settlement of the foundation. Therefore, quality control of welded joints is necessary. And it must consist of at least two stages.
The first stage is visual measurement control (VII), which reveals obvious defects: displacement of edges, burns, undercuts, fistulas, surface cracks, etc. (external inspection, however, does not determine the continuity of the weld, since it may contain foreign objects and/or cavities, and therefore provides only a 50% quality guarantee). The second stage is penetrant color flaw detection or ultrasonic testing of weld continuity.
Penetrant flaw detection is a flaw detection method based on the penetration of certain liquid substances into surface defects of a product under the action of capillary pressure, as a result of which the light and color contrast of the defective area relative to the undamaged area increases.
Special light- and color-contrast indicator liquids are called panetrants. If the penetrant is based on dyes that are visible in daylight, then the control method is called color. In color capillary flaw detection (CD) bright red dyes are used.
Ultrasonic non-destructive testing (UTT) of welded joints makes it possible to identify defects located at a depth of 1-2 mm to 6-10 mm from the surface of the weld. Ultrasonic testing of welded joints is regulated by the provisions of GOST 14782-86 “Non-destructive testing. Welded connections. Ultrasonic methods" and GOST 18353-79 "Non-destructive testing. Classification of methods and types."
Methods of non-destructive testing of welded joints are discussed in more detail in the article "".
To confirm the quality of the weld, request a weld continuity report from the manufacturer. Availability of a quality certificate, ISO, etc. is not a confirmation of the quality of a specific batch of screw piles.
SBC coating. Require a quality certificate for coating!
In the case of screw piles, the coating refers to additional methods protection against corrosion. This is due to the fact that when installed in the ground (of any type), the pile experiences a significant impact on abrasion. The coating (including expensive varieties - polymer and hot zinc) is damaged in such a situation, which means that it simply does not make sense to consider it as the main method of protection.
But you shouldn’t completely abandon coverage, since it minimizes negative impact environment onto the above-ground part of the screw pile.
For a long time, screw pile manufacturers have used a coating based on epoxy resins, then it was replaced by a two-component anti-corrosion coating based on polyurethane resins, which has higher adhesion, including on uneven areas (joints, welds, recesses, etc.).
It is worth clarifying that, along with epoxy coating and coating based on polyurethane resins, some manufacturers offer galvanized screw piles. This method of protecting metal from corrosion is very effective, but the use of hot-dip galvanizing is not always justified. For example, galvanized screw piles are prohibited from being used when designing structures of buildings and structures that are exposed to moderately and highly aggressive soils with a pH value below 3 (strongly acidic) and above 11 (alkaline) (see clause 9.2.8 SP 28.13330.2012 " Protection of building structures from corrosion"). In addition, this is a rather expensive option.
The quality of any coating is confirmed by a certificate, which must be requested from the manufacturer.
Package. Marking. “Little things” that we don’t attach importance to
“Little things don’t matter. They decide everything." This statement belongs to one successful American businessman who achieved success by devoting enough time to seemingly insignificant details and issues.
If we talk about buying screw piles, such “little things”, attention to which will protect you from possible losses, will be the labeling and packaging of the finished product.
The marking must contain information about all participants in the production process: the mark of the welder, cutter, shift foreman, etc. This allows the company to build a system of personal responsibility and promptly identify those employees who improperly perform their duties. Marking is a guarantee that the manufacturer from whom you purchase screw piles carries out proper quality control.
When the products are properly packaged, you are confident that the piles will arrive from the warehouse without damage. Well, in addition, the presence or absence of packaging is an indicator of the integrity of the manufacturer with whom you plan to cooperate.
Documents for a screw pile
We have already talked above about the documents that you have the right to demand from the manufacturer, and now we want to summarize and supplement what has been said.
So, if you purchase screw piles, the seller is obliged to hand over to you without any reminders following documents:
certificate of conformity for products (a document certifying product compliance with the requirements of technical regulations, provisions of standards);
product warranty certificate (a document according to which the company undertakes to assume responsibility in the event of warranty claims).
At your request, the seller must provide you with:
quality passport (technical document containing the main specifications products. Confirms the quality of a specific batch of product).
ultrasonic inspection report on the continuity of the weld/report on penetrant color flaw detection (a document containing information on the quality of welded joints of a specific product batch);
certificates for raw materials: steel, wire, coating, etc. (a document certifying the compliance of raw materials with the requirements of technical regulations and standards).
At your request, the seller is also obliged to provide you with the following for review:
an example of calculating the strength of a weld seam (a document confirming that when welding using certain materials, the weld seam will be strong);
technological maps for conducting VIC/Ultrasic testing welds;
a copy of the product specifications (document establishing technical requirements to the production process, as well as product quality requirements, tolerances, etc.);
product patents (a document confirming that no one’s copyright/patent rights are violated);
certificates for the equipment used (plasma machines (for cutting sheets and pipes), welding machines, etc.);
technological map welding on the type of screw piles you are interested in;
certificates of the National Welding Control Agency (NAKS);
certificates of welders (NAKS) and flaw detectors.
In addition, be sure to visit the production facility of the organization from which you plan to buy screw piles.
P.S. Don’t be afraid to seem too meticulous; pay attention even to the little things, because they can also help you make a decision.
And one more small note. Focus primarily on product quality, not cost. Remember that no self-respecting entrepreneur will give away a truly high-quality product at bargain prices. But he won’t “raise” the price either. If they quickly and clearly explain to you what the cost of each pile is made up of, you can be sure that you are dealing with professionals.
Coming to the store to buy something new clothes(dress, shirt, suit, etc.), desire to buy an item High Quality, which will serve us for a long time, does not always coincide with reality. It often happens that clothes lose strength and color after the first wash.
We'll tell you how to distinguish quality clothes from low-quality products without leaving the store. It's very easy to do.
1. Cotton
Take a piece of the product in your hand and squeeze it. When you let go, you saw that the fabric became like crumpled paper? — it was treated with a solution to preserve the shape of the product. After washing, items are in danger of being quickly lost. appearance. A big plus of a cotton item is that pills do not form on it.
2. Seams
A sign of good quality is frequent stitches and strong seams. Pull the fabric along the seams. Has the seam started to unravel? — the quality of the item leaves much to be desired.
3. Lightning
Hidden fasteners - zippers with a closed puller on clothes, made of metal - are the most durable, and also very reliable. External and plastic zippers are a sign of a low-quality item.
4. Hem
Skirts, as well as trousers, should have a hem of about 4 cm. For blouses, shirts, T-shirts, a hem of about 2 cm is required. Is there a hem missing, or are there even stitches in its place? - you are probably holding a product of dubious quality.
5. Fabric
Simply pull the elastic part of the product, then release. Did you see the loss of shape? — the item is made from low-quality material. Textile good quality keeps its shape unchanged.
How to distinguish high-quality clothes from low-quality ones
6. Zipper length
Concealed fastener - zipper on trousers and skirts must be even, of the same length and the same color on both sides. The color of the puller must match or harmonize with the color of the product.
7. Composition
Cotton, wool and silk are made from natural raw materials, so they are durable and wear-resistant. 100% cotton tends to shrink after washing. We recommend choosing products with artificial fabric additives, such as polyester, bamboo, etc. Things with such a composition will please you much longer, and they dry much faster after washing.
8. Stitches and threads
Please pay Special attention, how the drawing is made, what color the threads of the product are. Drawings and patterns must match. If the seams are made using threads of a different color, this is a low-quality product, made in haste.
9. Buttons and loops
Buttons must be firmly and neatly sewn on, the threads must not stick out. And the holes are cut, tightly overcast, neat and with even seams.
10. Paint
On straps, handles and zippers, the paint should not leave marks at the bends. Also, another, lighter or dark color one part of the product that differs from the rest is unacceptable.
After a couple of washes, this paint will gradually fade and begin to fade.
Now you know how to distinguish high-quality clothes from low-quality ones and you will easily make the right purchases that will delight you for a long time.
I really want my favorite shade of lipstick to stay on my lips and delight you with its brightness for as long as possible! And how annoying it is to discover, every time after eating or drinking, erased stains and a smudged texture. You can increase the lifespan of your lipstick and make it super durable in just 7 steps. So here you go simple circuit so that the lipstick stays on your lips all day.
Preparation
First, we moisturize and nourish the lips to make them as even and smooth as possible. The shade will fit better on this type of skin. You can use chapstick or clear lip balm. It is enough to apply the product for 15-20 minutes, and then remove the excess with a napkin, and you can start applying makeup.
The basis
Paint your lips last after applying foundation. Your regular lipstick can be used as a lip base. Foundation, but it should be very small. Gently apply just one small drop onto the skin of your lips with your finger, and remove the excess with a napkin.
Pencil
It is important to have a pencil included with lipstick suitable shade. They can easily create the perfect contour. To make your lipstick last longer, carefully paint over the entire surface of your lips with a pencil. This technique will create the background necessary for the longevity of the lipstick.
Powder
Now you need to fix the base layer. Perfect for this purpose loose powder. It is better to take a mineral one - it has no tint and has a silk texture.
Pomade
Now you can apply lipstick. Slowly and delicately spread the product, not missing any corners or folds. For quick and high-quality application use a special lipstick brush.
Powder
The lipstick also needs to be fixed. Powder your lips again, barely touching the lipstick layer. To maintain the richness of the shade, do this through a thin paper napkin, and for a matte effect, powder your lips directly over the coating.
Repeat
In order to achieve maximum color durability, repeat the pencil-powder-lipstick-powder sequence 1-2 more times.
Ready! Enjoy the color and in an impeccable manner without constant touch-ups.
5 stylish ways to wear a sweater if it's already spring but still cold
We have already said more than once that it is still too early to put warm clothes on distant shelves. Because the sun, which seems warm at first glance, is not yet a guarantee of truly warm days. And the off-season is rich in unpredictability. So, the sweater should still remain in your favorites at least until the end of March. What to wear with this universal thing to surprise unusual images and look modern (and not like a granny), we’ll tell you now.
With checked trousers
Checkered trousers are a hot hit of the outgoing winter. And so beloved that even in the spring it is not going to give up its positions. So you can't miss this stylish chance.
With a leather pencil skirt
A leather skirt is always sexy. A leather pencil skirt- doubly sexy. In addition, it is also universal - in this form you can not only go for a walk or meet with friends, but also to work - the length and style allow it.
With leather trousers
Leather trousers in a duet with a sweater look no less attractive and daring. Especially with short sheepskin coat or an insulated leather jacket. The image will be so self-sufficient that it will not require additional accessories. Of course, not for the office, but is that really where our whole life lies?
With jeans mom
If you're not in the mood for such an extravagant wave, call on your favorite jeans to help. We hope yours is a high-waisted mom model. After all, in addition to being fashionable and stylish, they are also incredibly comfortable.
With cargo pants
And here is the bomb new product of spring - cargo pants. This is exactly the case when brutality plays into the hands of femininity. We strongly recommend getting such a universal thing.
Of course, if you want to be the most fashionable on the spring streets.
We asked - we answer.
Alas, there is no universal recipe. This is because the counterfeit watch industry is heterogeneous. However, a fake can almost always be identified without any extra effort. One of the first criteria (when it comes to buying a watch) is price. Fake watches or copies that pass off as real watches are often sold cheaper than the original, this should alert you. As well as the lack of papers, box and photographs of the back cover.
The main universal rule number 1: always doubt!
They try to sell fakes (replicas) even on watch forums and on specialized platforms for selling watches, not to mention ordinary sites on the Internet. If in doubt, contact experts, they will help you determine whether the watch in the photo is real. You can even go to forums for fans of fakes - they can often help even faster (after all, they are experts in this matter :). By the way, doubt even cheap watches - the Chinese even make fake plastic Luminox or cheap Fossil (the crappy quality is immediately obvious).
If you doubt whether your interlocutor/friend/girlfriend has a real watch, first, simply compare their income and capabilities, and the approximate cost of the watch. Agree, it’s unlikely that a person wearing cheap shoes and carrying a leatherette briefcase can afford a Rolex, and a girl on the subway with a phone for 2,000 rubles is most likely wearing a copy of Hublot with fake diamonds.
Well Rule number 2: take a closer look at the second hand. If it is quartz (and most fakes, especially cheap and mass-produced ones, have quartz movement), and the original assumes mechanics, then this is the owner of a “fawn”.
However, we do not always deal with cheap fakes that are sold in buckets in Thailand. There are also those that can be brought to clean water very, very difficult. The best way out here is to turn to experts. Otherwise, you will have to seriously scour the Internet (or, as an option, go to a watch store and “touch” the original in person).
There is another way out: take a closer look at the clock. Even if you are not a connoisseur of Audemars Piguet or Rolex, you can find some "jambs" that are inherent in all fakes. Typically, a replica is identified by crooked and/or incorrectly positioned inscriptions, a displaced and/or too deep-set date window, incorrectly positioned chronograph elements on the dial, dust/dirt on the dial, a cheap strap with crooked stitching, and distortions on convex crystals. This is what can often be seen in photographs. Well, the mechanism is the easiest part of the replica to identify differences from the original. Moreover, even if you have not seen the real mechanism, uneven inscriptions usually give away a fake. It is clear that “taking a closer look” means looking at a photo or turning the watch in your hands; just a passing glance at the watch may not be enough. So be careful.
So let's take 2 examples.
Example 1 - Rolex.
And here you can see a burr at the 12 o’clock position: they forgot to file it :) 
Bracelet made of tin a la Amphibian. Yes, these are fakes :) Well, the “coating” has been torn off: inside, apparently, it’s brass 
What's wrong here? Yes, a lot of things. First of all, they are too new to be a vintage watch. Secondly, a bracelet in the style of the East is definitely not the case real Rolex. Next, we look at the difference in the color of the phosphor on the marks and arrows. We also pay attention to the burr at the 12 o'clock position. If this is not enough, look at the bald spot on the bracelet and the crooked stamping on the clasp.
However, this is not the most best fake, here defining “fawn” is quite simple.
Example 2 - Panerai 388.
Everything is more complicated here. The processing of the case is very good, general form watches - just like real ones. What to do?
The simplest thing is to look at the strap, it can give us a fake. Counterfeits always have straps worse quality than the originals. We look at the quality of the leather and the stitching.
According to the numbers, there is one problem that is noticeable even to a layman - minute hand placed a little crookedly. She seems to be looking up. This, by the way, common mistake replica manufacturers. What else? We look at the date window, it is a little deeper than the original. The date itself is also a little closer at the top of the window.
Well, glass. Glass for Panerai is thicker in the middle and narrower at the edges (to avoid distortion); manufacturers of “replicas” often neglect this fact to save money. On this fake, the glass is of different thicknesses, but there is still minimal distortion. And, most importantly, the glass is placed crookedly - in one part it is level with the body, and in the other - 1 mm higher.
We deliberately did not talk about mechanisms. Why? Because the mechanism is the last thing you see. If you have a watch on your hand, you definitely won’t notice it. If watches are sold online, they often try not to show the mechanism. And finally, not everyone is able to distinguish a fake mechanism, without being specialists in this field. However, there is a similar rule here: look at the quality of the inscriptions, they are usually poor even on top-end fakes.
The inscription swiss made is almost not as executed as the original. But, alas, only a pro can tell the difference 
Feel free to ask experts on the forums: how to distinguish a fake? Is this watch in the sales section on... (insert as appropriate) a fake?
How to distinguish high-quality photo printing from poor quality? A few simple tips:
The first sign of low-quality photo printing may be a low price. Using the example of a 10x15 print, less than 5 rubles. A price below this mark can only be justified by a significant volume of printing, at least 1000 prints per order or more. Today, only the cost of a print (chemicals + photographic paper) cannot be less than 4 rubles in any way, except by saving chemicals and using expired photographic paper. You should also not forget to include in the price of a print: depreciation and spare parts for printing equipment, the cost of renting the premises in which all this is located, as well as employee salaries. If you consider all this, you will seriously think about where the offers for cheap photo printing come from.
It is quite easy to distinguish expired photo paper from normal one. In a photograph printed on such photographic paper, in places where there should be White color will be yellow. And the more expired the paper is, the “yellow” it will be. Other colors will also be distorted, but this is less noticeable. There are quite large losses in halftones and saturation. There are many other minor signs, but at first glance ordinary person they will be clearly visible only if you print the same file on different papers with the same print settings and compare photos side by side.
In order to reduce the cost of a print, many laboratories use cheaper grades of paper. The paper grade is indicated on back side photos, so it's pretty easy to identify. For example, the Kodak brand has 3 widely used grades of paper - Kodak Edge, Kodak Professional and Kodak Royal. And Fuji has 2 most used options - Fuji Crystal Archive and Fuji Supreme. Examples are given in ascending order of image quality, paper thickness, and cost. The difference is again clearly visible in comparison with the same file on different papers with the same print settings.
An indirect indication can be information about the maximum possible print format in the laboratory. If the maximum format is up to 15x20 or 20x30, then printing is most likely done on a digital frame (equipment originally designed for printing from film, but converted for digital printing). It’s hard not to notice the loss in sharpness, halftone contrast and saturation compared to a print on full-fledged digital equipment.
It is also worth mentioning such a common phenomenon as employee theft of consumables (chemicals, paper). A person working with stolen materials can give a price significantly lower than the market price, but this phenomenon is short-lived and one-time in nature.
Well, you should pay attention to the place where the photo laboratory is located. It doesn’t have to be, for example, in Okhotny Ryad, but all sorts of basements or industrial zones, with difficult access to the territory and the condition of the premises in which all this is located should make you think about the status of the company.
