Ceramics as a material were initially used by the scientists in the space industry. They used the ceramic sheets on the outside to create a heat shield against the high temperatures which were generated when the shuttles were entering the earths atmosphere. Once the ceramics as material was popular its first use was in the ball bearings industry where they used the ceramic material to make ball bearings which were being used wherever there were high intense heat situations. Now the ceramic industry is a large industry with the ceramics being used in every conceivable form ranging form the flooring industry where ceramic tiles are popular to the high end aerospace industry. Initially the ceramics were the refractory material which is still used in the flooring industry but for the high end uses there were hybrids developed like the silica carbide and the silica nitride. These ceramics have advantages over the traditional steel or other materials.

Ceramics are corrosion resistant as well as they are heat resistant and of course they much better at bearing heavier loads than steel. It is for this specific reason that the ceramics have been used by the industry even in the medicine world. Specific for bone implants and orthopedic restorations the ceramic material is used as it is very hard and tough to sustain pressures. The other major use of ceramics is now being done in the semiconductors world. The integrated chip circuit’s that are used computers and other high techs gadgets have ceramic material. The ceramic material is also used in manufacturing of insulators and capacitors.

In fact one of the major uses of ceramic has been in the cosmetic dentistry industry especially the porcelain veneers. Porcelain veneers are used by the cosmetic dentists makes new veneers for use on their patients. Porcelain veneers have a vitreous and glassy feel and that is why the look good on the tooth for a glassy white finish as dental crowns. Ceramics as material is been continually evolved to make sure that in nowadays world it is environment friendly and can be easily disposed off also. These materials are hard and hence pose challenges when they are recycled as they cannot break down easily. So there is more research being done nowadays to look into this aspect of the ceramics.

Sponging: Of all faux finish techniques, sponging is the easiest, even children can do a somewhat messy reproduction of this technique. In order to sponge, you must first paint the entire area one base color. After this coat dries, then you can take a sponge or even a plastic bag, dip it in paint, and apply the paint randomly to the walls. Although this is a random process, you want to be careful not to get any one area of the wall extremely dark or leave it extremely light or your eye will be drawn to that spot immediately.

Combing: Combing is a little more difficult. When combing, you use a squeegee with teeth to comb through the top layer of paint. As with sponging, you want to have a bottom layer so that when you comb there will be a matching layer beneath it. Using a combing technique is also very inexpensive, and you can use the squeegee to make wavy, zigzags, and other designs on the wall.

Glazing: Glazing is actually the product that you put over your first coat of paint. In order to glaze your walls correctly, you should take a class. You may be able to find a home improvement store that offers glazing classes or you may need to talk to a local interior decorator about classes, although these will likely be very expensive. Glazing places a transparent coat over the base coat of paint, making the wall look a bit shiny and transparent. You can use as many coats of glaze as you want to get the desired look.

Trompe-L’oeil: Trompe-L’oeil is French for “fool the eye.” This finish fools the eye into thinking that the wall has a marble or granite finish. This is probably the most difficult finish to accomplish on your own. For creating the marble finish, you use a technique very much like sponging, but this one takes a bit more talent. Visit local stores to see if they have classes or tips on achieving this style.