Tile: Ancient Material In Modern Day Designs

Throughout history tile has been utilized in interior and exterior spaces for both its beauty as well as its durability. The use of terracotta tile hand shaped from mud and clay of river banks and baked by the heat of the sun have been found in Mesopotamian architecture, and decorative tile has been found to date to 4000 B.C. in Egypt. Later, the Egyptians discovered that firing clay tile in kilns at high temperatures made the material more water resistant and stronger. The art of developing and manufacturing tile continued in Roman, Greek, and Asian architecture. China and the Middle East developed unique styles from a product made with white kaolin clay known as porcelain. The Persians revived the ancient Egyptian technique of ground quartz formulated with a mixture of white clay and glaze which most influenced the production of ceramic tile. Asia perfected the quality of detail by the use of glazes which later influenced the production and use of tile in the Dutch, Spanish, Italian, as well as other European Countries. As European colonists settled in North and South America, tile production rapidly evolved in these colonies also. Only the wealthy were able to import tile for their homes in the 1800's primarily for fireplace surrounds. By the turn of the century, tile was no longer a material for the elite. Tile application exploded in the utilization of foyer floors, bathrooms, and kitchens for sanitary purposes. Tile murals were applied for designing public spaces as well as "subway tile". The affordability and use of tile continued to spread world wide and by the 1980's, North America became an important market for tile manufacturers. Within the past several years, the tile industry has revolutionized. Computers, robotics, and machinery produce most porcelain tiles today in a variety of sizes, shapes, and styles; however, there are manufacturers that are partial to the ancient art of the handmade tile.  

Today tile plays a significant role in designing interior spaces of a home as well as commercial spaces. Tile is the longest lasting flooring product on the market. With proper installation and care, tile can last a lifetime. Tile has evolved from simply a sanitary surface to a pivotal element of design in a space. Due to innovative production, tile is available in a large range of sizes from small penny rounds to four foot by eight foot pieces. In addition to size, technology has allowed the industry to produce tile with unique textures as well as color. With this new technology comes experimentation of alternate materials such as glass, metal, wood, and leather being crafted into tile shapes which are integrated into tile designs. Machinery, such as the water jet, has allowed tile to be cut into intricate shapes that were once thought to be impossible or incredibly time consuming to produce. This new product provides a vast range of design applications in any space. Along with aggressive innovation in tile production and design, manufacturers of materials such as adhesives and grouts, as well as sealers and cleaners are working just as hart in making tiled surfaces the easiest surface to maintain in a home. Combined with no volatile organic compounds (VOC's), its antimicrobial surface, and insect resistance, tile is the most sensible design option for quality floors and walls.

Reviewing and researching new developments in setting materials, tile production, tile installation, and trends allows the team at BARRON Tile and Stone to provide its customers with the most current products available. Team members attend the annual International Coverings Tile Show to remain a step ahead in what is to come in the tile industry. Participating in workshops for the latest developments in installation materials and techniques allows us to provide quality results for our customers. Observing and conversing with manufacturers around the globe enables the team to see where the future direction of tile design is heading. The BATTON Tile and Stone team works hard to provide a unique showroom experience to its customers. The vast selection available provides design opportunities for any application and space. Visit us in person to experience Moore Counties largest, most innovative showroom, or visit us online at www.barrontile.net.                   

Outdoor Tiled Areas

We live in an area of the country that is awesome.  We still have all 4 seasons, (the leaves by the way are just starting to turn and they are going to be beautiful), and the winter summer extremes are not to harsh.  This makes having an outdoor living space very popular for a lot of our residents.  We get asked to do tile work in quite a few different areas.  We tile covered porches, non-covered porches, raised decks, BBQ counters, patio table tops, sidewalks and even a driveway or two.  Due to the outdoor exposure of these areas, there are extra precautions to take when making tile selections and picking an installation method.

First of all we want to make sure that we pick a tile that is a porcelain.  These tiles have a near zero absorption rate.  This is important as moisture can seep into a ceramic tile, and then if we get weather below freezing the expansion of the water can pop the glaze off the tile, or if the moisture is under the tile it can compromise the bond to the substrate.  Next we want to make sure that the tile has a slip resistant finish on it.  We get pine pollen that falls a couple times a year and leaves a light dusting of very fine powder on everything.  This can make a smooth surface very slippery.  We also want to consider color. A dark tile will absorb heat all day long and then radiate it onto the house and the occupants of the deck making a once cool evening feel to hot to be outside.

Second we want to consider the surface, or substrate that we will be adhering the tile too.  Some people think that the hardest thing a tile guy does are tile showers.  And we do see a lot of failures due to improper install techniques in tile showers.  But I think that I have seen more deck failures relative in numbers then shower failures.  Most of the failures we see have to do with water seeping in and getting the deck material wood wet, which then makes the wood expand letting in even more water, and then the tile bond starts to loosen as a result.  We see better results on concrete areas, but we have seen a good deal of failures there as well.   Did the concrete have enough time to cure, was it sound to start with, was it level, etc?  One of the products that we just love here is called Ti ProBoard.  We have been using it here as a replacement for the traditional treated plywood with cement board on top and then either a waterproof roll-on membrane or a sheet good membrane.  We actually are so happy with the product that we wont tile an exterior deck without it.

Third we want to consider how the color and style of the tile match or compliment the exterior design of the home.  We come out to the clients home and spend some time talking about the different ways the light will reflect off the tile, the tone of the color, the slip resistance, the way that it will be edged, how it ties into the other adjoining surfaces, etc...

And finally we want to make sure that we pick the right grout for the area.  Color, durability and density are all factors that we consider for use in an area that gets beat on by the sun, rained on, snow sits on it at times for weeks, pine pollen falls on it, mold wants to grow on it, etc.. Grout gets treated fairly harshly in an outdoor environment and bad grout can ruin the prettiest of  tile jobs.

If you would like a free in home consultation to pick our brains on what you could do in an outside area, please call our office to set up an appointment.  (910) 673-3884

Information on Ti-ProBoard can be found here
http://www.finpan.com/products/ti-proboard/ti-proboard/

Tile Trends

Tile Trends, the short version.

Todays tile manufacturing processes have made the tile market explode with optoins.  We have water jet cutting machines, laser etching, automated mosaic assembly, high definition printing, new glazes, better kilns, and all in all better design people being drawn to the industry because of it all.  Back only 10-15 years we were a showroom of mostly basic beige and gray 12x12 tiles with a few 18x18's for our really cutting edge customers.  Now we have design options that almost seem endless.  The other exciting thing about lots of manufacturers with all these great ideas is that they are all pushing to be number one in the market.  This means that the product stock levels and delivery are being improved every day.   They are also being much more competitive on the pricing of these new products.  Tile can now be the focal point of any room, it can tell a story, add focus, bring in lights, change a mood.  Try doing that with basic beige 12x12's.  This is also making the showroom experience so much more diverse as well.  Our team has found ways to hone in on what your style and preferences are, and then bring the products that match to your attention.  The selection process can be daunting on your with so many choices, but we would love to have a chance to help walk you through it.  When you start using tile in the ways it can now be used it is even more important then ever to get just the right design and product application.

A couple of other things that are very prevalent in tile design today are not only size and color, but shape and texture as well. Tile has come a long way from a 12x12. Tile in the form of a plank with increasing size and finer grout joints is producing a sleek clean updated look. Hexagons from small deco sheets to larger formats are being used for additional design interest on floors and walls. Color is also trending a long way from the basic beige. Taupe and gray are all the rage.Ghosting patterns on wood look planks, hexagons, as well as the traditional 12x12's add an updated patterned look. Textured tile introduces a design appeal which adds dimensional interest that is captured by the light of the space. Printed textured wall tiles are replacing dated pealing wallpapers. Wood look tiles have become increasingly realistic to hardwoods in appearance and texture. Wood look tile is being used as a maintenance free alternative to hardwoods in high traffic areas to avoid the maintenance refinishing due to damage from scratching or water. The current tile trends are adding new design possibilities to every space. Our showroom team continues to research and stay a step ahead in bringing our customers the latest trends as they are available to provide the most diverse and current selection.