It's Hot Style in the Tile

Traditional looks has renewed popularity in modern-day households

Tile applications for the home have shed a utilitarian past.
While still most typically used in bathrooms, kitchens and the occasional hallway, choosing tile has increasingly become a design option rather than simply a time-honoured way to finish a home. As with many things these days, the resurgence of tile can be attributed in part to new manufacturing technologies which can not only replicate expensive natural materials at a relatively lower cost, but also offer a wide range of colour, pattern, and panel treatment options. Large sizings, even in small spaces, have also been a popular choice with consumers of late.
Materials commonly used for tile products include clay-based ceramics and porcelain, as well as glass, granite, limestone, marble, sandstone and slate. Newer applications include mosaics in stainless steel. Tile's growing status as a home covering application for the fashion and design-conscious is reflected in the product lines of higher profile industry players such as the American firm Ann Sacks and Italy's Bisazza. The latter, based in Alte, Vicenza, specializes in glass mosaics that show up in the trendiest new commercial projects, but Bisazza points out that their work is inspired by centuries-old Venetian mosaic traditions.
Indeed, it seems silly in some way to talk about "what's new" in tile, since this man-made process has existed for millennia, but technology has made its mark. Glazed tiles, for example, once required a two-step heating, or firing, process, but automation has made single step firing possible. The current Italian industry is strong, commanding 20 percent of the international market in ceramic tile manufacturing. Competing countries include Argentina, Brazil, Portugal and Spain.
For the homeowner, retailers stress the importance of choosing the right strength of tile for a particular application. What works for a wall covering won't necessarily do for a floor, but if the area is a low traffic area, for example, an exception can be made. In terms of creating a unique room in a house, stone has become an increasingly popular choice for kitchen floors and countertops. In the bathroom, colourful glass mosaics have become a classic wall and floor covering for shower areas. Tile coverings also seem to manage to bridge a gap between traditional and modern tastes, which may mean one less design point to debate with a partner.
The presence of tile in a home has always suggested a reassuring permanence. It can be easier to clean and longer lasting than other covering options, but homeowners should be prepared for the potential of a higher initial cost for tile. The product's durability suggests it pays for itself in the long run and many consumers seem to be willing to take this leap of faith.

Publication Date: 2004-07-25
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=4195