RetroSpace in Modern White on the backsplash
If your family is like most, it’s difficult to find time to fit in all the lessons, games, and causes on top of work. Finding a flooring surface that answers all the demands of your busy lifestyle should be easy, and it is with tile.
With tile you don’t have to worry about what it’s made of, whether it’s healthy, or if it’s going to be hard to clean. Tile is the only flooring surface that solves all your biggest flooring dilemmas.
Natural stone looking tile has been around for a long time—ever since the industry branched beyond glossy monochrome ceramic 4 x 4s. But the look has come a long way and is one of the most popular choices for the floor, wall, and even countertop surfaces.
Considering replacing your floors? The time is right to learn more about tile flooring. Tile is healthy, durable, easy to clean and care for, and comes in every style imaginable. Let’s look at just two of the most important things you should know about porcelain tile.
The most important thing to know about tile flooring is that it has built in durability and natural resistance to many everyday challenges. It’s made of 100% natural clay and fired in a kiln at over 3000 degrees.
Tile making dates back to the 13th century and today you can still see tile that is centuries old—the best testament to its durability.
The tile you can buy today benefits from technological advances in manufacturing and in the composition of the tile itself.
Daltile’s StepWise™ technology is a surface applied to tile that gives it up to 75% more slip resistance than standard slip-resistant tile. It’s perfect for outdoor applications or areas that are exposed to moisture like the bathroom or around the pool.
Much of our porcelain tile features ColorBody™, that means that the surface of the tile and the body of the tile are about the same color so if there are ever scratches or chips, it’s not noticeable.
Besides modern technology, tile retains its natural toughness. It won’t freeze, fade, or crack in cold weather so it’s great for outdoor patios or around the pool. Porcelain tile is impervious to liquids—that means that it doesn’t soak up more than .5% of its weight when submerged in water. So tile is virtually waterproof and stain-proof.
Tile never goes out of style. Even that 13th century tile in the oldest buildings in Istanbul still inspires designs today that don’t look dated or niche-y. Tile flooring offers unlimited color, texture, and patterns so you have the freedom seamlessly design throughout the home, both inside and out.
Once again, technology has changed the game when it comes to tile style. Specialized machinery gives us the ability to create different kinds of “structure” or touchable surfaces that increase the authenticity of our wood-look tile, and soften the look of our fabric-look tile. The state-of-the-art finishes of EverLux™ and touchable texture of TruTouch™ technologies make tile more beautiful and on-trend than ever before.
Reveal Imaging™ is an advanced digital printing process that allows us to emulate the beauty of natural stone or exotic woods on durable tile. It creates some of the best tile in the industry. TruEdge™ is the process by which we even the edges so you can have a tighter grout joint and a more seamless look. Both of these technologies help Daltile make tile that looks great year after year, despite the ever-changing trends. Timeless style that you can appreciate for a long time.
Consider yourself informed on two of the most important things to know about porcelain tile. Durability is what has defined the popularity of tile for centuries past. While it will continue to define it into the future, tile is quickly becoming a respected trend-setter that can go on the floors, walls, and countertops. Get the look you want with the durability that has been trusted for ages.
Want to learn more? Stay tuned for more important things to know about tile flooring. And why tile is the superior surface for your project.
Three colors, large format tile, cement and plaster graphic, unique mosaic.
Decorative Glass Mosaics & Liners
Create an unforgettable feature wall or backsplash in calming, but influential colors and daring patterns. A stunning mosaic that pairs effortlessly with glass trims.
Varied patterns from a 1 x 2 glass tile, six colors, eight color blends
Glazed Ceramic Floor, Wall & Mosaic with Reveal Imaging®
Soft cement and fabric visuals make this modern aesthetic perfect for bringing out the softer side of minimalism. Excellent paired with coordinating geo-patterned accents.
Wide selection of sizes, four colors, four unique patterns accent tiles
Glazed Porcelain with Reveal Imaging®, Floor
The look of handmade encaustic tile in warm and cool tones and multiple patterns comes together in Quartetto. Follow our lead or create your own masterpiece.
8 x 8 floor tiles, 8 solid colors, eight warm patterns, eight cool patterns
Glazed Ceramic Wall
Mid-century Modern design with hints of the contemporary, RetroSpace features translucence and a subtle undulation to the surface that sets it apart from the rest.
Two classic sizes, six colors, trim accents
Glazed Ceramic Floor
Oak inspired wood-look tile in on-trend colors suits every room from the kitchen to the living room.
6 x 26 plank, three colors, authentic wood grain
Natural Marble and Limestone
Exude confidence with natural marble and limestone in versatile colors and stylish sizes. Available in several finishes, mosaic, and trims.
Four colors, large format sizes including plank, trims and mosaic
Marble, Limestone, Travertine
Satisfy your sense of adventure with Parksville Stone—inspired by natural limestone, marble, and travertine monuments and landmarks around the world.
Five colors, multiple sizes including plank and linear, elegant mosaics
Get more detail about all this beautiful product today!
Here are five things you’ll definitely want to consider when shopping for surfaces.
The possibilities are nearly endless when it comes to tile. No matter what style you’re going for, tile has what you are looking for.
Cutting-edge technology lets us recreate your favorite flooring surfaces with precision so you’ll get the look without the added maintenance, worry, or cost.
Everybody knows that durability is the hallmark of tile. But next time you client is concerned about durability, go the extra mile and tell them why tile is so durable.
Tile is
You won’t want to use heavy chemicals to clean your tile, but you could if you really needed to. It resists chemicals and chemical spills. Many tiles can withstand the weather too, from the hottest Arizona day to a freezing Minnesota winter. Just make sure to recommend a tile that is rated for exteriors.
Tile has a 60 year life span. Actually, you will want to update your tile long before it wears out—but the point is you don’t have to. Ancient Turkish baths still have intact tile in perfect working order. If breakage does occur, it’s a matter of replacing the one tile instead of the whole floor.
Commercial builders have long relied on tile to meet the demand. It handles heavy foot traffic and even wheel traffic. Tile also offers commercial spaces a bit of style. Tile isn’t institutional these days, it offers high design with the same durability.
Tile has always been very easy to clean. Even with the new textures available today, cleanability is still simple. No special products or chemicals required.
Tile is
With other floor surfaces, a dropped glass of red wine could be cause for distress. But with tile, it’s no big deal. It resists stains. If clients are still concerned, tell them to seal the tile and grout to keep their floors looking great—even in high-traffic.
Hospitals and other care facilities need to be able to sterilize floors without worrying about damaging surfaces. Tile is easy to sterilize and can be sterilized over and over without injury.
Enjoy any look you want anywhere you want. Tile is well known for floors, but it can do much more than that.
Tile for the outdoors continues to grow with surface technology such as StepWise™ that makes tile safe for outdoor applications. That means you can continue the flooring from your kitchen right out onto the patio for seamless indoor-outdoor design.
Tile is made of clay and other naturally occurring minerals. That’s an important consideration when your clients are worried about keeping materials out of their spaces that have potential adverse health effects.
Tile has NO
Ceramic tile is rarely if ever a culprit of “Sick Building Syndrome” and other environmental illnesses and respiratory concerns that you hear about in the news today. Beyond being made of natural elements, any potentially dangerous materials are burned off during the firing of the tile.
Tile makes for happy, healthy homes! Learn more about creating a healthy home with tile.
Entries were judged by a panel of experts from the design industry on the design’s function, aesthetic, and the use of Daltile’s featured products. “We were so impressed by the creativity and innovation in the student submissions this year,” Shelly Halbert, director of product design at Dal-Tile, told Floor Covering Weekly at the awards ceremony held at the Daltile Design Studio in Philadelphia this week. “It [showcased] the amazing talent we can look forward to in the next generation of designers.”
This year’s grand prize winner is Baileigh Petty, an interior design student at Utah State University.
Petty designed a juice bar break room in the Booz Allen Hamilton space that emphasized health and wellness with easy access to fresh produce and a clean-lined, inspiring aesthetic. “I selected tile products and colors that were natural and included natural elements that would create an atmosphere of comfort and refreshment,” she told us.
Consideration for the Booz Allen Hamilton brand was also a top priority. “I took the brand colors and brand messages and integrated that into the design,” Petty says. Booz Allen Hamiltion is no stranger to creativity. The juice bar design is a reflection of the mission statements and focus of the Innovation Center-which is what makes this design such a great fit.
The future is bright for Petty who plans to pursue a career in commercial design after she has completed her final year at school. We look forward to what her career will offer the world of design.
The Daltile Philadelphia Design Studio hosted the awards event where Petty was presented with a scholarship check for $10,000 on behalf of Daltile, ASID, and Booz Allen Hamilton. She said, “this is a huge boost to my confidence as a soon-to-be professional in the design field and will give me a great start.”
Three runners-up were also announced at the ceremony. Brianne Brooks, Amanda McRae, and Sasitorn Wangspa recieved scholarships for their excellent designs. Additionally, a grant was awarded to the school with the most entries. Utah State University claimed that honor with 70 student entries.
We join with Daltile, ASID, and Booz Allen Hamilton in congratulating Baileigh Petty on her accomplishment and look forward to meeting more promising future designers next year.
Haut Monde in Nobility White on the floor
“First and foremost when picking tile,” says Slaughter, “you have to like it. It has to be pretty.” Luckily there’s plenty of that at Daltile. Consider wood look tile or stone look tile for the bathroom. There’s a high demand for durability in the bathroom and a faux look offers “the look of the real McCoy without the maintenance of the real McCoy,” says Slaughter. “You can get creative with faux types of materials in a way you can’t with the materials they represent. It offers a solution for rooms like the bathroom.”
Slaughter recently finished work on a luxury residence in Fredricksburg, Texas in the Boot Ranch development. Her favorite tile in the house? The master bathroom. It’s covered in large-format stone look tile, Haut Monde in 24 x 48 inch size. “They look like they could be excavated stone, yet it’s porcelain—perfect for the bathroom,” says Slaughter.
Panaro Blend brick joint marble mosaic on the wall
“Secondly, your tile has to complement the things that you’ve already selected for the home,” says Slaughter. Every design has to have some continuity. If you’re crazy about that cherry red penny round tile, but the rest of the house is a traditional look in beige, you may want to rethink your bathroom tile choice.
Go neutral with elements that are more permanent and add bold and bright in the details. For instance, Slaughter used an eye-catching marble mosaic, Panaro Blend brick-joint 1 x 5/8 inch, in the powder bath at the Boot Ranch home. It stays true to the general color scheme and feel of the house but adds a touch of luxury and pop of interest in a small space. It acts as a stand-out feature of the home but doesn’t stand alone.
Mont Lucia quartzite on the bathroom vanity
“Thirdly, tile has to be durable, stain resistant, and it has to be long-lasting. You want materials that are timeless, will be around for a while, and won’t run the risk of being unappreciated in a few years,” says Slaughter.
In the Boot Ranch home, Slaughter chose quartzite in Mont Lucia for the countertops in one of the bathrooms. This natural stone is everything it needs to be for the bathroom vanity—durable, resistant, and gorgeous. It will never look dated and keeps its luxurious look for a long time when cared for correctly. And because it’s a smaller bathroom and has limited countertops, you can afford the splurge on natural stone.
Stay on target for bathroom tile you’ll love with these three simple tips from a pro. Visit a Daltile showroom near you to experience our selection of bathroom tile for yourself.
Each year, Daltile teams up with the American Society of Interior Designers to present undergraduate interior design students with the opportunity to earn scholarships. The themes and challenges revolove around creative designs that meet the needs of real life situations.
This year’s theme is Imagine What’s Possible: Design for Innovation. We’ve partnered with Booz Allen Hamilton Innovation Center to provide students with a real space to create for.
The challenge for students in 2017 is to reimagine the Booz Allen Hamilton Innovation Center and incorporate Fitwel components to create a stimulating and comfortable space for employees.
Fitwel is a future-looking building certification, similar to LEED, focused on occupant and community health and well-being. Using the existing Innovation Center footprint, students should look at the entire space and identify areas of opportunity throughout the floor plan that can be redesigned to increase occupant health and comfort, on budget.
The grand prize winner will take home $10,000 and runners up will take $2,500. Additionally, a $10,000 grant is up for grabs for the school that has the most student entrants.
Entries will be accepted August 15 to September 29, 2017. An awards ceremony will be held in November at ASID’s Career Exchange Program at NeoCon East held in Philadelphia.
Join with us in developing a passion for interior design in the rising generation! Spread the word to your colleagues and acquaintances at colleges and universities around the nation.
Panoramic (on the right) next to a regular sized natural stone slab
Roy Viana, director of Natural Stone and Slab at Daltile said it like this, “we all know what a great performer porcelain is; just translate all those capabilities to a slab and you’ll understand the value of these large porcelain surfaces.”
Europe has already been designing with these extra-large format surfaces for a couple of years. Now they’ve hit the American market and they are making a huge impact. They increase the scale and style of porcelain tile on par with natural stone slab and that’s opening up a whole new world.
| Panoramic in Statuario on the walls and vanity |
Get more details about Panoramic Porcelain Surfaces from a Daltile representative or visit a local Daltile Stone Center.
