We were pleased to attend the International Surface Event in Las Vegas in January this year. It is always a privilege to be able to attend a conference to see what the trends are in home surface design. Connecting with other professionals and companies that understand what you do and want to help you bring the best product to your customers gives a renewed passion and inspiration for our work.
It's tough to distill several days of information and products into a few words, but here are the main takeaways:
The Big Trend: Large Format Tile
Tile pieces are getting bigger and bigger! Why?
Larger tile pieces can make smaller spaces feel more open and expansive. Larger tiles mean fewer grout lines and can provide a more contemporary look with more design options.
The textures and finishes we witnessed on large tiles at this conference were mind blowing. Weathered, antique, natural, or sleek and modern were looks that were all represented in fresh ways on large tile.
A small sampling of textures on large-format tile.
We're pleased to see that the wood look in large-format tile planks has come a long way over the last several years. The appearance and feel of wood floors can now be yours without the concerns of using wood in wet spaces. And with tile, you never have to worry about refinishing like you do with wood.
Bigger Tile Requires Better Installation
There are several considerations when using larger pieces of tile in your home decor. A big piece of tile has more potential to crack if not installed properly because there are fewer joint spaces to accommodate shifting or movement in the structure.
Big tiles require meticulous surface preparation. If you don't have a qualified tile contractor who knows how to perfectly prepare the surfaces that will hold these heavy tiles, you will have problems.
If your contractor isn't familiar with the latest products that are designed to cut, place, hold, and accommodate these modern materials, the integrity of the tile structure is at stake. You may end up with cracked or broken tile, tile edges that aren't smooth, and the dreaded lippage (when tile edges don't line up to create a flat surface.)
Elite Tile Colorado has already been installing large-format tile for years and has worked hard to stay ahead of the trends. You can feel confident that the materials we use meet or exceed the industry standard.
In some cases, manufacturers have come to us for feedback on their installation products, and we were glad to reconnect with several of these companies at TISE 2016!