FloorTalk – for all the latest flooring fashions

Getting new floor covering can be a major change in your home and installing new floor covering is no easy task. This should be left to a professional! Whether you are tackling the project yourself or hiring a professional, these are tips you will want to be aware of. Being aware of these misconceptions can help you have a smoother installation.

GENERAL INSTALLATION MISCONCEPTIONS

1. Once the installation is complete, there is no need to save leftover material. Leftover material is needed in case of repairs. Having the original material will ensure that your repair will be the same shade / dye lot as the original installation.
2. The installer will arrive on time and be completed as originally promised. Often, the installer will run into situations at another jobsite that require more time and attentio. Just remember that if it were your house, you would want the installer to take their time for a quality installation.
3. Floors can be installed in any weather. Some types of flooring cannot be installed in extreme heat or cold.
4. Floors can be installed in any stage of new construction. Some builders for example, prefer that tile be installed under the kitchen cabinets. So, this would need to be done earlier in the process. Since it is durable to dirt and traffic, it can be installed earlier. Carpet, on the other hand needs to be one of the very last items to be installed so that it doesn’t get abused before you move in! (more…)

 Glass Tile – one of the hottest trends in tile for artistic and creative expression. It’s design capabilities are endless and can bring unique personalization to your tile project. If you are not familiar with the types, sizes and applications, read on.

Glass Tile can be sold by the piece, sheet or square foot. Be careful when pricing to know if the price is by the piece or by the square foot. Finishes are typically either gloss or matte and are sometimes etched. Because there are so many handmade products, there are endless options of sizes, shapes and designs.

Common sizes:

1×1 (typically sold on 12×12 sheets)
1×2
2×2 (typically sold on 12×12 sheets)
3×3
4×4
5×5
6×6
3×6 (popularly called “subway” tile)
4×8
12×12
Geometrics

Opacity

Glass tile comes in a variety of opacities. The transparent glass can range from clear like a window to green like a Coke bottle to vibrant colors like deep sea blue, emerald green or cherry red. The thicker the transparent tile, the more intense the color. Tiles can be full of color even adding a metallic or iridescent effect.

Texture

Flat – completely smooth
Rippled – textured variation
Low – small continuous dimples
Random – irregular ruts and peaks
Relief – molded into shapes

Custom sizes and patterns

Anything you can think of. A picture, a painting, a logo, a name, multiple colors, no limit on size – the only design limitations are the ones you set!

Flexibility

Another benefit of glass tile other than its design capabilities is its flexibility. Glass tile can be installed on curved walls, round columns, curved tub fronts, mirror frames, countertops, table tops and other furniture in various shapes and sizes. It is even being made into jewelry!

Glass tile can be installed:
Inside
Outside
Floors (not all glass tile can be installed on walking surfaces)
Walls
Pools (not all glass tile can be installed outside)
Curves
Showers
Backsplashes
Sink splashes
Tub fronts
Accents with natural stone or ceramic tile

Design ideas

Since glass tile can be expensive, it can be very effective in small quantities. Some ideas are:
Instead of the whole floor, use glass tile for borders, dots in intersections or create an area rug and use glass tile in the center. Powder room floors are typically small and it can be a huge impact to tile the whole floor. Instead of tiling all of the walls in a bathroom, tile just the area above the sink and behind the mirrors. Instead of tiling all of the walls in a shower, create a picture frame on the back wall and fill the center with glass or cut down sheets of mosaics to create stripes in between tiles. (horizontal or vertically)

For a more significant impact, glass tile is one of those products that can be used to cover floors, walls as well as objects all in the same room and still be stunning.

Whether you use a handful of glass tile or a room full of glass tile, their impact will be artful and expressive. Use these tiles to express your personal style in any space that calls to be covered. Have fun, use your imagination and enjoy the world of glass tile!

One simple floor design technique that can really add life and punch to your room, while remaining a classic layout is adding “dots”;. This can be simple or very detailed. Another name for this installation technique is called “clipped corners”;. This installation technique can be particularly effective when the style and design in the rest of the room is quiet, simple or without a lot of other patterns.

There are many different ways you can add these dots.

• Tiles laid on the diagonal with dots in the intersection of each tile.

• Tiles laid on the diagonal with dots in the intersection of every other alternating tile.

• Tiles laid out with dots with the addition of a border around the perimeter of the room.

• Field tile that is laid straight. In a clearly defined area, most likely the center of a room, laid out with a border that created an area rug. The center of this area rug can be laid on the diagonal with dots in each intersection or every other intersection.  

There are many different tile sizes that can be used for dots as well as ways to achieve “dots”

• 1×1 tiles (works best with tiles at least4×4)

• 2×2 tiles (works best with tiles at least 6×6)

• 3×3 tiles (works best with tiles at least 6×6)

• 4×4 tiles (works best with tiles at least 12×12)

• 6×6 tiles (works best with tiles at least 12×12)

• Mosaics that can create custom sizes or standard sizes like 3×3, 4×4 or 6×6

• 12×12 natural stone pieces cut down into custom sizes or standard sizes like 3×3, 4×4 or 6×6 

Areas in your home that “dots” can be used:

• Complete floors

• Accents in floors

• Showers

• Tub Surrounds

• Backsplashes

• Accent areas in backsplashes such as behind the stove or sink

• Wainscoting 

Color combinations that are attractive uses for dots or clipped corners:

• Solid color field tile and same solid color accent dot

• Solid color field tile and different color accent dot

• Solid color field tile and patterned accent dot

• Field tile with natural stone accent dot

• Light colored field tile with contrasting dark accent dot such as black dot and a white floor or cream floor and dark brown dot

• Darker colored field tile with contrasting light accent dot such as a black floor with a white dot or a dark brown floor like emperador marble with a crema marfil or travertine dot. (shown below)

• Solid floor tiles with decorative accent tiles.

• Accents can be created from natural stone, glass mosaics, glass tiles, metal tiles, ceramic tile, decorative ceramic tile or porcelain tile. 

Keep in mind that the installation cost is usually higher due to the amount of work it takes to cut each tile that receives dots. If the dots are created by cutting other tiles, this can increase the labor costs even more. The uniqueness that this pattern provides is well worth the additional labor costs.

For other installation patterns, Happy Floors has a great source on their website. You can enter the size tiles you are working with to ensure the size tile lays out properly with the dot you’ve selected.

A great visual resource for trying these designs out is on the WFCA website’s Virtual Room Designer. Here you can choose different tiles in different room applications.

Happy Designing! Get Creative!

Color Trends - Color trends in fashion and home styles often cross paths. The thing to remember is that trends are always changing, changing with the seasons. Don’t feel pressure to change your home’s color palette every time fashion trends change! The natutral time to change your home colors will happen when you are ready. These changes over time will help create your own personal style. Over time you will have an eclectic look that you can be proud to call your own.

The ultimate source for color forecasting in fashion is Pantone. Click here for Pantone Fashion Color Report Fall 2008 and Pantone Fashion Color Report Spring 2008. My favorite color from the spring report is Cantaloupe!

Hot Colors

• Purple – in fashion and home, purple is the front runner of color.
• Yellow – Yellow is the new orange! Orange will still remain with a presence, but not quite as hot as yellow.
• Blues – varying shades from soft spa blues to robin’s egg blues to deep sea blues. Many nature inspired blues.
• Greens – with all of the buzz about the environment, natural greens are making their way into the home
• Browns -look great with other hot colors, especially the softer colors where black would be too harsh. (more…)

For those of us out there that like to be SPOILED or like to spoil ourselves, this award showcases products for you!

Watts Sun Touch Floor Warming Systems -I got to spend some time with the guys at Sun Touch. After posting the last blog on radiant heat flooring I stopped to chat to see what else they had to offer. They were kind enough to confirm that all of my concerns were valid, and that I had nothing to worry about. I also learned of a few other benefits that heated floors offer such as the floors drying faster, cats will stay off the furniture and rest on the floor, plants thrive better (especially when the sun goes down) and for the truly spoiled…. you can even warm your shower bench! Sun Touch and Warm Wire are the most requested radiant heat products in North America and takes a lot of pride in the support network they provide to their dealers, end users and installers. No matter what type of application you have or system you want, they have a solution to offer. For added reassurance, they have a product called “Loud Mouth” that sounds an alarm during the installation process if there is any damage to the heating element so it can be easily repaired before the finished flooring is installed.

To be fair, I also have to tell you about another radiant heat flooring company that impressed me quite a bit called Danfoss. They set themselves apart by offering a product that is simple to install while maintaining the highest quality standards. They offer a self adhesive mat that adheres directly to the sub-floor which in some cases can save an entire step during installation. The heating cables are pre installed in the mat reducing installation time, potential errors while also giving you balanced heating. The connections to the thermostat save time and money thanks to twin conductors that are built over the entire surface of the mat. Time is again saved with the benefit of no need for custom orders with this product.. All size adjustments can be made to the mat on site by cutting with scissors, even in rooms with curves and angled walls. Danfoss offers comfort and peace of mind with their unmatched warranty of 10 years that is transferable and their tool called “The Little Buzzer” that acts like the Loud Mouth product mentioned above. To me, these are signs that a company stands behind their product.