Porcelain, mostly used for flooring, has grown in popularity over the past 7 years to match the demand of ceramic.  Therefore, manufacturers have created more kinds of porcelains, better looking porcelains, and deluged the market so price is competitive with other flooring materials.

The most expensive type of porcelain is called ‘rectified’ which means that it is calibrated with exacting straight edges so that your installer can lay with hardly any grout joint.  However, you MUST have at least a 1/16” joint for proper installation.  Why, because not only does it hold the tile down properly, but grout allows no moisture to penetrate down to the floor.

A huge point of concern which is fiction is the notion of thru-body material.  Actually, thru-body denotes the color in the body of the tile, not the pattern that appears on top.  If a chip occurs you will see the body color and the specific pattern will not follow under the top.  Generally, thru-body types are more costly.  If a chip occurs in a white-body porcelain, then you will see a white clay base and not red clay.

Porcelains in today’s market are remarkable.  A large percentage of these tiles emulate the look of stone, slate, and even wood planks in all shapes and sizes.  Cost depends on origin, finish, texture, and design.   Basic porcelain, 18”x18” can range from $1.99 sf up to $12.50 sf.  Because of supply and demand, porcelain flooring is more desirable than ceramic due to its hardness, strength, and durability.  All good porcelains are dense and will not absorb anything.  A good installation will prevent chipping and problems so interview your potential installers.

The kinds of finishes in the marketplace are smooth or matte, glazed with slight texture, sometimes glazed with a high sheen (often slippery), and polished which is created the same way stone and granite is polished.  We offer small porcelains such as 2” that are netted for use, let’s say on your shower floor.  Currently, a longer linear format is the newest trendsetter.  A 12”x24” is highly desirable now for a less traditional subway or offset brick look but with more streamlining.  Patterns, like long fine lines or ribbing, are great for a more contemporary feel.  The standard in sizing now is 18”x18” or 20”x20”.  What you choose is more about ‘the look’ than anything else.  There are literally hundreds of options now available to the homeowner.  We now offer 24”x24”

Main floors (high-end or basic), bathroom floors and wall, exterior patios and verandahs, pool waterline and spas, wall niches, and more are just a few of the ways porcelains are used.  May homeowners and commercial customers are opting for porcelain vs. stone for no-maintenance, cost of material, and low installation pricing for their signature look.  Come in and see our world of porcelain and how you can change your perception!

You may have a stove-top and hood area or just a straight wall space to cover.  Sometimes there is a microwave area that is slightly higher, but typically the distance from counter to cabinet is 18”.   Then if you are fortunate enough to have a hood area to decorate, it can start at 30” high or more and 36″ – 60″ wide.

So let’s begin with your cabinets.  Depending on the color and style of cabinet will lead us to possibilities.  Of course the countertop is also important.  It could be a solid surface granite, or marble, or soapstone, or tile.  This will affect your decision whether to contrast  or coordinate your tile or mosaic backsplash.

Since your backsplash will sit next to and under your cabinets, this is the best determining factor for your tile choice.  Often client’s come in to see me with their cabinet drawer and digital images.  If possible, bringing in a piece of countertop and printed plans are the most helpful.  Then we can begin looking at the different products that are available in the market to make your splash unique.  You will probably be judged by your family and friends on your choices — so no holds barred!

Be bold and daring, classic and demure, or bright and colorful.  There are many ways to express ‘you’ with your backsplash… a traditional subway look, a painted mural on tumbled marble, or perhaps a stainless steel magnificent mosaic.

The ‘style’ of your home will speak volumes if you look around.  It might help to bring in fabric or a decorative plate that you love.  We can can pinpoint what to show you.  We want you to be as passionate about this decision as we are.  There has never been a disappointed client that is unhappy with their choice.  After all, we are working with you every step of the way.  We will even assist with sketches and images so you can visualize what is to be.

There is no limit with what can be installed in your backsplash.  Mosaics, penny tile, tumbled marble, relief decos, honed or polished stone, glass tile in endless sizes, and beyond.  French country, Hampton’s cottage, Mediterranean, beachy, island style, diva, and more are just some of the ideas to work with.  We will help you get there with just a little input.  We will show you the latest in tile couture so you can shout out that you LOVE your kitchen!

The cleanest white marble known to man, from Greece, is Thassos marble.  There are different qualities of this stone, but superior grades have no streaks, veins, or striations of color, just tiny mottling hardly seen.  This material can be seen in old movies depicting Greek gods and roman emperors used with black marble for interest in mosaic design.  Today, we still use this bright white stone in large slabs or tiles for floors, walls, and beyond.   Use this marble for a perfectly white glossy room for your home or commercial bathroom for status.

White marble with veining, also known as carrera, the whitest background with light grey striations, is probably the most well known.   Next you will find statuary marble with a more definite grey vein.  Then there is calacatta white which has a soft grey background and specific veins in shades of grey.

Now we use these marbles for floors in larger sizes and accompanying mosaics for clean and simple design.  From 2″ basketweaves to 1/2″ mixed up fields, these marbles are fabulous to work with.  You can decorate with whites and add color in paints, towels, fabrics, or other types of stone or ceramics.  Consider using white ceramic subway tile on shower walls and mix with carrera stone in 2″ hexagon mosaics for your shower floor and dry floor!  Moderate pricing for walls and the bling for your  floors.   The look is classic, designed for the sexes, and easy on the eye for elegance.

Using white with white stone tile with a backdrop of any color in the rainbow for furniture or accessories completes an expensive design style.  Just adding pewter or silver to a pure white kitchen or bath can give you the feeling of serenity and calm.

For an added bit of flavor, use calacatta gold marble.  This popular stone is white with striations of soft beigy-gold and some soft grey.  It works well with white and biscuit colored fixtures.  Perhaps just a slab for your vanity countertop on top of a dark wood cabinet.  An idea worth its weight in tile!

That said, here is some information that might be helpful when selecting stone tile.  To start, stone is formed on earth over thousands of years.  It may appear as a mountain or deep down in crevices called quarries.  The outermost layer is called limestone.  It is the softest of all stones (although very durable), and the most dense leaving hardly any veining or striations to be seen when cut.

The next layer is travertine, this is what saturnia is made of, just a particular part of Italy.  There are many voids or hidden holes where lime or water runs inside creating beautiful veining and movement from piece to piece.  This stone tile is supplied either filled or unfilled (meaning any obvious voids) depending on the design you are looking for.  Unfilled material tends to be more rustic in nature and texture.

Then comes marble in a myriad of  colors, numerous linear striations, and designs.  From the  iron, water, and lime deposits comes fabulous stone tile designs that are used for everything where a finish needs to go.  Outside verandas, upstairs balconies, patios, main floors, walls, bathroom floors, kitchen backsplashes and beyond.

Finally we find granite, the hardest of all stone materials.  From multi-colored to dimpled, to flecked markings reminiscent of metals, this is what most homeowners use for countertops.  This material, in stone tiles, can range from 12? to entire slab lengths for floors, counters, and more.

Most of the time the purchaser can decide what type of finish they want on their stone tile.  For instance, you can have polished, honed (meaning smoothed without a gloss), brushed for a very organic textured feel, or whatever finish your fabricator can provide.

In any design, there should always be room for natural stone materials, whether tumbled, polished, brushed, or honed.  Hopefully these stone tile tips will assist when you’re ready to purchase this timeless organic material for your special place.  By the way, installing stone in your home always adds monetary value to any room.  Happy hunting!

Glass tile comes manufactured in many shapes and sizes to fit any consumers’ desires.  From as small as 3/8 of an inch to over 16?x16? comfortably to be used on floors, walls, pools, backsplashes, spas, etc.  If it can be ‘covered’, it can handle glass!  The smallest sizes usually come in the form of mosaics which can be netted, paper-faced, clear taped, or meshed.  These typically are sold by the square foot or similarly.  The larger sizes, from about 4? and up, are sold individually due to weight, but can still be ordered by the foot.  As far as shapes go, from mini-brick looks to bigger bricks, or diamond-shaped or rhomboids, to squares, circles and beyond, they are now all available in our market.

Yes, I did say circles.  Come visit our showrooms to see the multitude of glass tile in circular form.  From random mosaics with multiple sizes on each sheet, to mini-rounds in solid colors or blends.  How about designing with an entire wall of glass circles on your main shower wall and different field or background materials on the other walls?  We can help you create a masterpiece in style and design.

Glass tile even comes as an overlay to porcelain field mimicking a large piece of glass that can be walked on.  Of course this can also be applied to walls.  There are even ink-jetted curved designs in the glass itself to create a wallpaper look.  With the use of iridescent colors, opaques, solids or translucents, start designing with no holds barred!

The next way glass tile is manufactured is to blend with stones or slates, onyx, metals or porcelains and ceramics.  These ideas come from designer-driven needs to bring something different to a client’s plate.  We  have random sizes of glass tile, with different shades of color, all included on one mosaic sheet of tile.  Sometimes this mosaic sheet of glass will include metal pieces or stone pieces all designed for the perfect amount of bling.

An important thing for the consumer to know is that installation can be challenging.  The best installer has worked with glass before,  has specific references, and is comfortable using this medium.  There are very clear instructions from factories advising how your glass should be installed for the very best outcome.  Also, the setting materials are different for glass than for any other tile.  Tile Market & Design and our select manufacturers will only stand by our glass products if the installation was done properly and to certain specifications.  We are always available to connect your installer with the correct technical information available.

A great tile installation will have no trowel marks behind the tile.  The back of the tile should be cleaned first, then spread with the setting material before it is attached to the surface.  The surface should also be laid with setting materials.  Then the tile is attached and manipulated around so all potential air is pushed out of the wet mud.  Your finished product should be as fabulous as when you saw the grouted boards in our showroom.  Clean, sparkling, smooth to the touch, and fabulous.  Of course, the grout you choose plays a significant role in the final look of your installation.

In closing, know that most of our glass tile is more than 70% recycled.  Our glass tile comes mostly  from the great USA,  Italy and  Spain.  Check out out the Tile Market & Design website for a smidgen of what the world has to offer in great glass tile.

A good designer will need to see what you are using for your counter top like  granite, marble, tile, or solid surface material.  Next is your cabinet choice so it can be determined what contrast will be desired.  If you don’t have a sample piece of wood handy, just bring in a drawer or take some digital photos.  This way all the materials surrounding your future backsplash will be known and the design process can begin.

Usually a homeowner has a small idea of what style they are imagining.  It can be a subway tile for a traditional look, tumbled marble and inserts for a more Mediterranean feel, or linear glass tile for a real contemporary splash. These are just a few of the multitude of options we can assist you with.

Here at Tile Market & Design, we can assist with any style you can think of.  Our staff is constantly educated on the latest and greatest products available for your  backsplash, or splashback, design.  Bring in a magazine photo, an on-line image, a piece of fabric or swatch of color and we can begin.  We will transform your space from its current look to your own fabulous one-of-a-kind backsplash.

From simple to exotic, from partial to full backsplash, we can also accommodate your budget concerns.  That’s what we do best — design with your challenge of color, style, design, budget or all of the these.  Your house is unique and we will help you make it a beautiful home.

The following dilemma was easily solved with our expertise:  a homeowner wanted a traditional but updated subway tile look in her kitchen.  With the information provided, granite sample of her counter top and a drawer she brought in, we were able to design her backsplash.  We offer several different sizes of subway, from standard 3?x6? to 2?x8? for a longer look or 2?x4? for a smaller look.  We have myriad of colors, sizes and styles here in our showroom to choose from.  For this homeowner, we chose a 3?x6? beveled and crackled  subway tile in ‘bone’ for that perfect compliment to her kitchen.  (We are happy to order samples if we don’t have what you need in our warehouse.)Tile Market & Design has contracted with more than five factories  for subway tile lines.  This way, we have control of price point, sizes, colors, and textures for the latest in tile couture.  We even provide crackle finishes for a dressier look as well as glossy and matte finishes for a more classic feel.  How about a chiseled subway tile in natural limestone… no problem for us.  From  clean lines to irregular edges, we have all the choices you need to make the best decision for your home.

Whatever your challenge, the design staff at Tile Market & Design can assist you with your  your backsplash, splashback, or vanity splash area.  We have the most, but that doesn’t mean the most expensive.  — We look forward to working with you on your next home project!