Monthly Archive for February, 2010

Should I Use Stone in My Home?

Published on February 26, 2010 in Tile Posts. 0 Comments

Limestone and Granite Fireplace

One of the first questions that our designers will ask you when you come into our showroom is what type of tile you would like to use in your home. While porcelain tile can be used on floors and walls, in kitchens and bathrooms, indoor and outdoor, stone tiles do have some characteristics that you should keep in mind when selecting tile for your project.

Stone, as a natural product, has a greater degree of variation from piece to piece than manufactured products. We believe that this natural variation adds to the beauty of the final installation, but it’s important to keep in mind. Even the most consistent stone will range.

All natural stones must be sealed in order to prevent stains. For harder stones like granite, you only need to seal it upon installation and very rarely afterward. Softer or more porous stones like soapstone or sandstone need to be sealed more frequently. Sealing is especially important for installations in areas like kitchen backsplashes and bathroom shower surrounds in which soap, oils, food spills and other potential stains are in contact with the stone surface frequently.

If you are considering using stone for an exterior project, it is important to consider whether the stone you choose will stand up to the elements. In the Pacific Northwest, we have all types of climate–from freezing winter to boiling summers and everything in between. As a result we encourage our customers to choose a stone that can withstand severe temperature swings even after being exposed to wind and rain. Be sure to let your designer know where you intend to install the tile so that they can help select a material that will last as long as your home (or longer!).

These are just a few of the considerations to keep in mind when deciding whether to use natural stone in your home. For more detailed information, check out the free resources available to you on the consumer page of the Marble Institute of America. MIA is also a great resource for advice on how to clean and maintain your stone tile installation once your project is complete.

7 Tile Resources that All Design Professionals Should Know

Published on February 25, 2010 in News and Commentary. 1 Comment

I have compiled a list of 7 of the best tile resource websites for professionals. Please use the comments to post any other resources I missed (no sales sites please, as I’ll just delete them).

Ceramic Tile Distributors Association: CTDA’s online education is best in class. Although there is a fee, the classes are an indispensable tool for training and well worth the expense. The site also includes a list of distributors which you can sort by geography and informative literature on sustainability, preventing mold, and using stone tile.

Tile Dealer Magazine: Tile Dealer is a professionally written and edited glossy magazine that is published quarterly by the CTDA. It has just moved to an all digital format, and reaches over 33,000 industry professionals each issue.

National Tile Contractors Association: The lead trade association for tile contractors, NTCA helps to disseminate best practices for tile installation. They also publish Tile Letter, one of the largest circulation newsletters in the tile industry.

Tile Council of North America: TCNA seeks to expand the market for tile in North America. One of the most important services it provides is the creation and testing of standards for tile products. TCNA labs test new tiles on more than two dozen standards, including chemical and stain resistance and coefficient of friction.

Tile Magazine: An independent publication of BNP Media, Tile regularly features content from the tile associations of Italy, Spain, Brazil and Turkey and has a handful of blogs on topics of interest to the tile community.

Marble Institute of America: MIA was established to promote the use of natural stone, and so their website provides resources to designers, installers, retailers and homeowners about selecting, installing and maintaining natural stone.

Tileist: A great blog written by Jen Renzi who authored the book, The Art of Tile. Her musings on ceramic tile provide inspiration for design and remind us of how deep the tradition of tile is.

It’s a Jungle Out There!

Published on February 23, 2010 in Industry Events. 0 Comments

Penny and others braving the King of the Jungle

Penny braves the jungle

Two weeks ago we had the opportunity to participate in a fantastic event called REFRESH. The evening provided the Seattle area’s top interior designers with the chance to see the latest and greatest trends in products for interior design.

Penny (on the far right in the photo) organized Statements’ participation in the event. As you can see, it was a lively group that knew how to have fun.

At our product table, we previewed a new mosaic glass from Hirsch Glass, stone tiles from Jeffrey Court, Casa Dolce Casa Ceramic Tile Rounds, and multiple porcelain floor tiles that go well with the specialty lines.

Porcelain, Glass, Stone, and Metal Tiles from Statements

What if Tiles Could Clean Themselves?

Published on February 22, 2010 in New Products. 0 Comments Tags: photocatalysis, self cleaning, tiles.

Within tile circles, one of the biggest developments of the last couple of years is the introduction of titanium dioxide treatments on the surface of porcelain tiles. I took some time to read over a scientific paper on how it works, most of which went right over my head. In essence, the titanium dioxide on the surface of the tile uses water and light to pull pollutants out of the air, much like a catalytic converter does in the exhaust system of your car. The process is called photocatalysis, and in independent testing has been shown to reduce bacteria by as much as 60% and organic pollutants by as much as 30%. The technology has been in use on other surfaces for a few years now, but there are still only a couple of tile manufacturers producing photocatalytic tiles.

In one conversation I had with a representative of a German company making these tiles, he described a project in a senior living facility. The staff were amazed at how much better the place smelled, since the tiles were actually improving the indoor air quality. If the results are as good as the researchers describe, these photocatalytic tiles will be used in every restaurant, every school, every hospital, and any other place where strong smells and high traffic result in poor indoor air quality.

For more detailed information, check out the Tile Council of North America’s Press Release.

Types of Stone Tile

Published on February 21, 2010 in Tile Posts. 0 Comments

Although dozens of types of stone can be used in residential and commercial projects, listed below are the most common categories of stone. Click on the image to see galleries and descriptions.

Limestone

Granite

Sandstone

Quartzite

Marble (polished)

Marble (tumbled)

Travertine

Slate

Onyx

Why We Pay More for Wind Energy

Published on February 18, 2010 in Sustainability. 0 Comments Tags: green business, Sustainability, tile, wind energy.

Update: The folks at REC provided me with more accurate information regarding our renewable energy credits purchases. View the new post.

Statements Tile is a green business, top to bottom. After an extensive environmental audit three years ago, we instituted a sustainability program that addresses the impacts we have on the environment beginning with the most cost effective and working down the list. Essentially, we want to get the most bang for our buck. We have written about a couple of those initiatives, including big picture stuff like product selection (What makes our tile green?) to little picture stuff like composting in our staff kitchen (It’s easy being green!).

One outcome of the audit was the recognition that we don’t have control over all the ways our business impacts the natural environment. In fact, our biggest footprint is the emissions associated with shipping material from the factory to our warehouses in Seattle. So how can we mitigate those impacts? In a partnership with Renewable Choice Energy, we are now purchasing carbon credits equal to the emissions associated with our freight, effectively canceling out the emissions from our shipping with credit from reductions from other sources. The reductions come in a variety of formats: the construction of wind turbines, the planting of trees, or the installation of solar energy facilities.

But the question we ask is why we are willing to pay more for clean energy and carbon credits, not how we do it. When my grandfather started a tile company over forty years ago, he wasn’t looking for a quick buck. He wanted to create something for his grandchildren. He succeeded. Taking the long view, thinking generations into the future, is built into the DNA of our company. It’s our definition of sustainability, and it’s why we are willing to take the extra step to make our business green.

One last note. As I wrote this story, I came across an article, just published today, about how the shipping industry can go green–without any new technology. Just by slowing down.

5 Rules for Choosing a Tile Installer

Published on February 17, 2010 in News and Commentary. 0 Comments Tags: stone, tile, tile installation, tile installers.

The biggest mistake that people make on their tile project is not spending as much time shopping for an installer as they do shopping for tile. Tile installation, especially when it comes to stone, glass, metal or other specialty tiles requires expertise and skill. To help you navigate the process of selecting a tile installer, here are five simple rules:

Check with independent monitoring agencies. Angie’s List and the Better Business Bureau maintain databases of tile contractors and installers, with ratings and reviews. These may not distinguish between the good and the great, but they’ll certainly steer you away from the worst.
Ask for referrals from friends. Think about friends and neighbors who have done a kitchen or bath remodel and ask them what they thought of the tile contractor and if they have any concerns about their tile installation. Chances are they’ll have a good recommendation, with a couple of tips on how to work with the contractor (e.g. “He did a great job, we just had to keep on him about our deadline.”)
Make sure they are licensed and bonded. Reputable tile contractors will be able to provide you with copies of current insurance and business licenses. If they refuse to provide the information, take your business elsewhere as it will mean that you have little recourse if something goes wrong.
Ask for examples of similar work. There are major differences between installing ceramic tile and installing stone. Or between glass tile and porcelain. You don’t want to be the guinea pig for a tile installer who is using your project to learn how to install a new material. Ask the installer for pictures of installations he or she has done with the same type of material. In many cases, tile installers will have an image gallery on their website where you can see the types of installations they have done. Take the time to preview their work.
Request a detailed quote (from more than one contractor). Although I have yet to meet a tile installer (or any contractor, for that matter) who enjoys paperwork, all of the reliable ones provide detailed quotes. Their quotes include a breakdown of material costs (underlayment, setting materials, tile, grout, sealer, etc) and labor (tear out and prep, installation, and finish work–if required).

Finally, a word to the wise about tile installation and remodeling projects. Never in the history of renovation has there been a job that went exactly as planned. There will always be at least one glitch, probably many. The best preparation for the unavoidable glitch is to underbudget by 10% in time and money, so that when the project takes 10% longer and is 10% more expensive, you’ll be right on target.

What is Success?

Published on February 16, 2010 in News and Commentary. 0 Comments Tags: success.

To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

This is to have succeeded.

–Ralph Waldo Emerson

Georgetown, Our Home, Is Seattle’s Art Enclave

Published on February 15, 2010 in News and Commentary. 0 Comments

A great video from the Seattle Times about Georgetown, the south Seattle neighborhood where we are located. Status Ceramics, our sister company that makes handcrafted tile, is located in the historic Rainier Cold Storage building in the heart of the neighborhood.

Beige: The Celine Dion of Tile Colors

Published on February 12, 2010 in News and Commentary. 0 Comments Tags: aubergine, beige, brass, chocolate, chrome, color, design, lime, lipstick, tile.

It pains me to say this, but the most popular tile color of the last decade is beige. There is nothing wrong with beige. It’s safe. It’s an easy choice.

But you know what? There’s nothing right with beige either. It’s the default choice when you’re overwhelmed with selection. Beige is what builders install in spec homes.

If you’re an interior designer working with tile, you should get thirty lashes every time you select beige tile for a client. What did they hire you for? If they wanted beige, they could have gone to Home Depot and had one of the guys in orange aprons help them pick out their tile. They hired an interior designer because they wanted someone to help them make the tough color and design choices.

Selecting beige tile for an interior design project is like recommending a Dan Brown novel or the Olive Garden for dinner. Your clients want you to steer them toward William Faulkner and that great new Italian place downtown. Sure, it pushes them out of their comfort zone a bit, but the end result is so much better–a new kitchen or bath that they’ll show off at their next dinner party.

For a few ideas, check out these stunners:

Monthly Archive for February, 2010

Should I Use Stone in My Home?

7 Tile Resources that All Design Professionals Should Know

It’s a Jungle Out There!

What if Tiles Could Clean Themselves?

Types of Stone Tile

Why We Pay More for Wind Energy

5 Rules for Choosing a Tile Installer

What is Success?

Georgetown, Our Home, Is Seattle’s Art Enclave

Beige: The Celine Dion of Tile Colors

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