Going green has never been so popular. It’s everywhere from trying to ban plastic shopping bags to not using plastic bottles, but what about tile for home interiors or commercial spaces? A great stylish option that is also good for the planet is Alumillenium recycled metal tiles.

Alumillenium was founded in 1996 in Iropuato, Guanajuato, Mexico “….with the idea to create a new innovative concept using recycled metal materials as the principle component for tiles.” Alumillenium the company was way ahead of the whole green movement but it wasn’t until recently that people have really started to notice how amazing this product really is.

The first of the two recycled metals is aluminum which comes in three finishes, brushed, natural and sandblasted. The aluminum is a 100% post industrial and post consumer products, coming from the recycled combination of aluminum cans, windowry scraps, used transformer coils, trailer pulley wreckage, industrial scraps, offset sheet metal, caning left over’s and combustion motor pistons.

The other metal choice is brass, which comes in four finishes; antique, rustic, green and sand brushed. The brass like the aluminum is post industrial and consumer as well but has between a 78%-88% recycled content. Products used are copper pipes, water meters, burned magnet wires, brass keys, brass cut outs from coin makers, used faucets, burrs from spinning lathe work and brass zippers. A fun little characteristic of the brass tiles is the fact like any brass they patina with age, giving them the classic green tint.

Due to the recycled content of both metals and the fact they are completely handcrafted each tile will exhibit a wide range of tone in addition to some warping.

Alumillenium is a truly a unique tile and will add an extra special relatively contemporary quality to any room. The tiles are intended for interior vertical and some horizontal surfaces in most residential and some commercial applications, but can also be used for exterior applications, however, remember the brass will patina. Applications also include bathrooms, walls, shower walls/floors, vanity tops, wainscoting, kitchen backsplashes and counters.

Who knew going green could be so stylish.

Have you ever had a client ask, “What is the difference between porcelain and ceramic tile?” and been unable to give a concise definition? We get this question a lot in our showroom, and so we thought we’d give a little primer on the difference between porcelain and ceramic tiles.

Porcelain Tiles

Much of the confusion over the definition of porcelain comes from the fact that the term was originally a marketing term and not an industry definition. However, as more manufacturers used the term “porcelain” to describe their densest ceramic tiles, the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) decided to create a standard. In short, the current industry definition of porcelain tile is: ceramic tile that has a water absorption of less than .5%.

So what’s the easiest way to explain that to your clients? If you were to weigh a porcelain tile, and then put it in a bucket of water for 24 hours, and then weigh it again, it would only weigh .5% more. Standard ceramics would absorb more water and therefore add more than .5%. Because of their low water absorption, most porcelains are not susceptible to breakage as a result of rapid freezing and thawing. As a result, these porcelains can be used outside even in cold weather regions.

Ceramic or Non-Porcelain Tiles

The TCNA defines ceramic tiles as a non-porcelain made predominantly of a white clay body. They have a water absorption greater than 0.5%. Ordinarily, non-porcelain tiles are unable to be used outdoors due to their water absorption, however there are some manufactured with similar properties to those of porcelain tiles.

Overall, a general rule of thumb is non-porcelain tiles are great on walls and light- use countertops, while porcelain can be used pretty much everywhere in residential applications (and often in commercial applications as well), but there are always exceptions. Therefore, it is a good idea to check with the manufacturer and, if it’s available, to ask for a tear sheet for application information.