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October 2020

Magazine

www.tile-magazine.comwww.tile-magazine.com

Mosaic Tile Designs

Radiant Heating

The expansive assortment of styles, cutting edge materials, modern palettes, and exquisite attention to detail set MSI’s backsplash and wall tile collection apart from the rest. And now

there’s even more to love, with the introduction of our beautifully crafted waterjet mosaics. From fresh takes on classic shapes like hexagon and arabesque to charming floral motifs and retro-

revived patterns, these inspirational looks give backsplashes, walls, and floors signature style.

SIGNATURESTYLE

LA FLEUR

BIANCO

QUATREFOIL

BLANCO LYNX

CARRARA WHITE

ELLIPSIS

CARRARA WHITE

FACETED

BIANCO GRIDWORK

WHITE QUARRY

SAVONA

DANZA ARABESQUEROYAL LINK

BIANCO STARLITE

DANZA ARABESQUE

MSISURFACES.COM

SLABS & COUNTERTOPSPORCELAIN & CERAMIC

LUXURY VINYL TILEHARDSCAPES

NATURAL STONEDECORATIVE ACCENTS

Let's get started.

A revolutionary hybrid-technology adhesive for gauged porcelain tile

There is a revolution in tile technology. MAPEI’s new ready-to-use, hybrid-polymer-based adhesive,

Ultrabond ECO GPT, combines cutting-edge chemistry with the latest tile technology to create a

time-saving and labor-saving necessity for GPT installation.

Hybrid advantages include:

• Labor savings: Ready to use

• No waste: Apply to the backs of tile only

• Non-sag, but adjustable with a window of 30 minutes

• Strong bond with flexibility

• Extended open time of 30 to 45 minutes

• Cleanability: Easy to clean off tile surface in wet or dried state

• Easy to trowel

This hybrid fusion of chemistry and technology is also eco-friendly. Low in VOCs, Ultrabond ECO GPT can be

applied in confined spaces and carries several industry sustainability certifications.

Join the hybrid installation revolution. For more details on Ultrabond ECO GPT, visit www.mapei.us.

4 www.tile-magazine.com I October 2020

ON THE COVER: Brooklyn-based

interior designer-turned-tile artist,

Allison Eden of Allison Eden Studios,

recently created a larger-than-life

high heel display for Bloomingdale’s

in New York, NY. The shoe, which

stands 6-feet-high and stretches

11-feet-long, is the centerpiece of the

display, featuring more than a dozen

diff erent-colored tiles in diff erent

shapes and sizes.

Features

8 Contractor Spotlight

10 Product Showcase: Radiant Heating

14 A Striking Entry

17 High-Class Mosaics

21 Installation Case Study: A Bronx Mural Tale

24 Installation Case Study: Bringing the Outside In

28 Mid-Century Modernization

34 Technical Focus: Uncoupling Membranes for Electric

Floor Heating Installations Under Tile

38 Technical Focus: The Right Grout in the Right Place?

42 Technical Focus: A New Type of Electric Floor

Heating System

Departments

5 Editorial

6 Industry News

46 Featured Product

46 Calendar

TILE Magazine Vol. 17, Issue 7 (ISSN: Digital 2329-2911) is published 8 times annually, Jan/Feb, Mar, Apr/May, Jun, Jul/Aug, Sep, Oct, and

Nov/Dec by BNP Media II, L.L.C., 2401 W. Big Beaver Rd., Suite 700, Troy, MI 48084-3333. Telephone: (248) 362-3700, Fax: (248) 362-0317.

Copyright 2020, by BNP Media II, L.L.C. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without

the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations. Change of address: Send old address

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or service, please contact Customer Service at: Phone: (800) 952-6643 Fax: (847) 763-9538.

Magazine

October 2020

Vol. 17, No. 7

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17

34

October 2020

Magazine


Mosaic Tile Designs

Radiant Heating

October 2020 I www.tile-magazine.com 5

Editorial

Jumping into Fall

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TILE®

It seems like summer flew by, but doesn’t it always? Although it’s one of the most admired seasons by many, I am among the group of people that welcomes fall with open arms.

While putting together this issue, I came across a befitting quote from American author, Stanley Horowitz: “Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting, and autumn a mosaic of them all.” In this edition, we have a focus

on “mosaic tile designs,” which have been a popular form of tilework for thousands of years.

While traditional mosaics clad walls, floors and even ceilings, modern-day artists have ventured outside the box, creating unique mosaic tile designs on different types of surfaces. New York-based artist, Allison Eden, recently created a larger-than-life high heel for a display at Bloomindale’s in Manhattan, which defies the traditional rules of mosaics. Standing 6-feet-tall and stretching 11-feet-long, the shoe features more than one dozen different-colored, handmade tiles in a variety of shapes and sizes. Learn more about how Eden and her in-house design team devised this design on pg. 17.

Not too far away, in Bronx, NY, an incredibly detailed mosaic mural was designed for a public school, which pays homage to the local animals and plants. Long Island City-based tile installer, NY Tilemakers, helped this art piece come to life, with the use of hundreds of handmade clay tiles, which were created using a silkscreen printing process. Flip over to pg. 21 to read about this seasonal mosaic.

In addition to mosaic tile designs, we also discuss radiant heating in this edition, which is a popular trend in the tile industry as of late. Heating tiled floors have become all the rave, especially as the temperatures begin to drop. Through various technical focuses by industry professionals, discover more about these types of systems, how they operate and where they can be applied. And don’t forget to check out a range of new radiant heating products that are currently available on the market, which can be viewed on pg. 10.

Sincerely,

Heather Fiore, Editor


Coverings 2021 Rock Star

Nominations Now Open

ARLINGTON, VA — The Coverings Rock Stars, an Emerging Leaders Program, honors the best and brightest young talent in the tile and stone industry. Since its conception, the program has recognized dozens of young leaders who have connected at Coverings through mentorship and networking opportunities. The program underscores Coverings’ mission to support the growth and success of the industry by recognizing top-notch talent and fostering networking and educational opportunities.

Rock Stars are nominated by industry leaders. Eligible nominees must be 35 years old or younger and be employed within one of the following professions: architect, designer, distributor, retailer, contractor/installer, fabricator, specifier, trade association or manufacturer in order to quality.

The deadline for submissions is Friday, December 18. To make a nomination, visit https://taffyevents.formstack.com/ forms/2021_rock_star.

Winners will be announced in early spring 2021.

The 2021 Coverings Installation & Design

(CID) Awards Now Accepting Submissions

ARLINGTON, VA — The 2021 CID Awards portal is now open. Showcase your best tile and stone projects from the last two years. Enter your change to win $2,000 and have your projects featured on the Coverings website, social channels and onsite at Coverings 2021, which is scheduled to take place in April 2021 in Orlando, FL.

There is no cost to enter and multiple entries are encouraged. The deadline to submit is

Friday, December 18. To submit, visit https://www.abstractscorecard.com/cfp/submit/login.asp?EventKey=CUOHLUQW.

Winners will be announced in early spring 2021.

Registration Opens for 2021 Kitchen &

Bath Industry Show (KBIS)

HACKETTSTOWN, NJ — Registration is now open for the 2021 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS). The annual event, which is owned by the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), is the largest North American trade destination for kitchen and bath industry professionals. It, along with the International Builders’ Show (IBS), is one of the pillars for the annual three-day event known as Design & Construction Week. The show is scheduled to take place from February 9 to 11, 2021, in Orlando, FL.

Along with the show come new challenges and health and safety protocols, but also a desire to create the extraordinary KBIS experience the design and construction industry has come to expect. For 2021, this includes the integration of both onsite and online programming. Attendees who register for KBIS receive their onsite expo pass and automatically gain exclusive access to an expanded digital KBIS experience that includes virtual access to exhibitors, as well as a mix of live and recorded video panels, discussions and CEUs.

“Throughout the last six months, this pandemic has demonstrated the resilience and importance of what we do. Homes became sanctuaries, kitchens transformed into home offices and virtual schools and our bathrooms were the retreat we needed to get away from it all. People began to rethink how they live. As an industry, we have a unique opportunity to impact lasting change,” said Suzie Williford, NKBA chief strategy officer and executive vice president

INDUSTRY

NEWS


of industry relations. “KBIS brings so much opportunity to discover new brands, new products, new trends and new people. Part of the magic of this show is the networking and the conversations that happen — even in masks — among people who are passionate about kitchen and bath design.”

The Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) is the host site for the 2021 show and was one of the first facilities in the country to receive the Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC) Star™ accreditation on outbreak prevention, response and recovery. Since receiving this distinction, the OCCC has instituted the industry’s highest standards for cleaning and disinfecting.

“We want to assure our attendees they can register for KBIS with confidence. We are taking the necessary steps to produce a show experience that maintains their health and safety, as well as continues to excite and inspire them,” said Amy Hornby, KBIS show director. “Critical to this has been keeping an open dialogue with all of our show partners and exhibitors to continuously evaluate all possible scenarios.”

Onsite safety measures at KBIS will include one-way traffic aisles, contactless registration with remote badging and enhanced cleaning protocols. All attendees will also be required to wear masks inside the OCCC and practice social distancing. A complete detailed list of precautionary measures being implemented for the show can be found in the Emerald Preparedness, Prevention & Response Plan on KBIS.com.

Incentives

“To ease the planning process, we are also providing attendees with additional promotions,” Hornby said. “We’ve extended our attendee refund policy through January and have established an incentive with our hotel partner, OnPeak, to allow people to cancel a hotel room reservation up to 72 hours before they arrive without risk of penalties.”

Educational Opportunities

Education is a core component of KBIS. For 2021, the NKBA has implemented Voices from the Industry 2.0 This year, there are 60 educational programs to choose from in a variety of formats ranging from presentations, extended workshops, in-depth professional development courses and featured speakers. Programs have been divided into six categories: Grow Your Business, Kitchen & Bath Specialty Training, Design, Management, Customer Service and Building & Remodeling. Each program is eligible for CEUs. When registering for the show, attendees can add a three-day conference pass to their registration to participate in as many programs as they like.

Programs

To continue to bring new and interesting brands and design inspiration to the show, KBIS has also created a partnership with ICFF, which was forced to cancel its trade fair in the spring, to create the ICFF Pavilion at KBIS. The pavilion will include a curated showcase of new-to-KBIS brands that specialize in contemporary design.

Other popular returning show programs include daily panels from industry thought leaders on the KBIS NeXT Stage and the Best of KBIS Awards. Additional initiatives will be announced over the coming months.

Register now for KBIS 2021 and be a part of this extraordinary event. TILE

For daily news updates on

industry happenings and events,

visit www.tile-magazine.com/

breakingnews.


Jonathan Stanton

In this edition, we sat down with

Jonathan Stanton, owner of Jonathan

Stanton Tile, Inc. in Louisville, KY.

TILE: How did you first get involved in the

tile industry? Please explain a little bit

more about yourself. Are you a company

owner? If so, what were some reasons for

starting your own business?

Stanton: I’ve been in the tile industry in Louisville, KY (Kentuckiana) pretty much my whole life. In fact, I’ve never had any other job besides cutting Mrs. Shirley’s lawn as a teenager. As a second-generation tile professional, I’ve been blessed beyond words as to how good this industry has been to me. My dad, Ralph, owned Stanton Tile for nearly four decades and retired in good health just a few years ago. Growing up as a kid, I worked every summer and countless weekends learning the trade from a true master. I graduated from Murray State University with a BS in Business in 2000. As business partners, my dad and I shared different visions and goals, and by 2002, I ventured out on my own and started Jonathan Stanton, Inc. (JSI). Although it was a stressful time for both me and my dad, I was able to stay connected with my dad as a subcontractor for a year or so while we both transitioned ourselves. I look back at that volatile time and now see my decision benefiting my relationship with my dad. Today, we play golf, have dinners

and even share some vacations together. In fact, I talk to my dad nearly every single day. We have many hilarious jobsite moments and we love our time together. God’s nudge to start my own company and his direction with paving my path gave me a chance to grow my relationship with my dad. Like I said, I’m blessed beyond words.

TILE: Has the tile industry changed much

since you first started? If so, in what ways?

Stanton: The only constant about the tile industry over the last few decades is that it’s certain to evolve. I’ve had to learn about foam shower systems, linear drains, heated floors and how to install porcelain panels over 10-feet-long. Change is an understatement. I remember my dad carrying a notebook and pen, using an atlas to find hidden streets and communication was either in person or a call back from a phone booth as he glanced at his pager. Change is good — in fact it’s necessary. Installation methods have evolved along with design, tools and even how we market ourselves with websites and social media. It’s common for me to let go of some clients while also picking up new ones. Staying engaged with the trends and accepting change has been a necessity to staying relevant in this industry.

Contractor Spotlight


TILE: Is there a particular job you’ve

completed that stands out? Why?

Stanton: I’ve had so many great jobs over the

years and it’s hard to pick even a few that are

favorites. I don’t really have favorite jobs so

much as favorite moments -- like the time I

let a little girl put her hand print in the loose

mortar and set her own tile and the time I

got to remodel two bathrooms for a family

going through a rough time. I cherish the

moments more than the actual jobs.

TILE: What are some common issues you

have to deal with on the job site? How do

you overcome them?

Stanton: There are so many issues and

challenges to overcome as a tile professional.

Starting out, my difficulties were with tough

tile layouts/patterns and even job bidding.

Today, I struggle with keeping my crew’s

moral high, work/life balance, delegation and

communication. I’ve learned to trust my guys

in leadership positions, but also be present

and active on my jobsites. Good paperwork

and keeping my clients informed while also

keeping my guys up-to-date with all the

job details on a daily basis is a way I keep

problems from occurring. Typically when there

is an issue somewhere, it’s because there was

a breakdown in communication and a detail

got left out.

TILE: What are some steps you take to

educate your customers about their tile

installation before you begin?

Stanton: The number one thing to do to

ensure a successful outcome on a job is to

go over every detail possible with a client

beforehand. A client should know exactly

what shower system is being used, what the

drain looks like, the size and location of the

shower niche, grout line spacing, type of

thinset and grout being used and so forth.

Even where to set up a wet saw, where to

clean out buckets and an estimated schedule.

I even like to discuss product warranties

and show where they can view product

specifications online.

TILE: If you could lend any advice to

professionals just beginning their careers,

what would it be?

Stanton: I have some decent advice to the

men and women out there that are eager

to getting in the tile trade. I would always

recommend working for some years with

a reputable tile professional. I had my dad

and it’s an incredible education being able

to lean over the shoulder of one of the best

in the industry and ask questions. Another

piece of advice is to be ready for long work

days/weeks and establish a strong work

ethic early on. When I first started, 60-80

hour work weeks were a common thing. It

takes a crazy amount of effort to get your

company off the ground. Today, I still work

50-60 hours a week, but only because I’m

having fun. But of all the things I can advise,

be kind, pleasant to deal with, smile and

engaging. People want to do business with

positive people. And I can assure you, your

attitude will follow you home to your family.

I wish all of you success and happiness and

I hope to get a chance to meet some of you

whether on social media platforms or at a

Coverings convention. TILE

If you or anyone you know is interested in being featured

in a future edition of the “Contractor Spotlight,” please email

Heather Fiore at [email protected].


Designers and homeowners can finally match the floor heat thermostat in their homes to their overall design scheme, instead of dealing with the drab, white plastic eyesore. Luxestat’s matte black and satin nickel decorative thermostat covers are made of .8-mm-thick steel with hand-polished and welded corners, so it perfectly matches the other metallic finishes found in your home. The covers are compatible with most vertical-oriented touchscreen floor heat thermostats such as Nuheat, Schluter and SunTouch.

WWW.LUXESTAT.COM

Laticrete offers the Strata_Heat™ electric radiant floor heating system, which includes the Strata_Heat Thermal Pack, a heat-conductive thinset additive that utilizes Thermal Diffusion Technology™. The technology uniformly distributes heat through the adhesive to eliminate cold spots and quickly achieve the desired floor temperature. The system also includes the Strata_Heat high-performance floor heating wire, uncoupling mat and Wi-Fi-enabled thermostat. The advanced system transfers heat faster than standard floor heating products on the market to reduce energy costs and provide customers with the most customizable floor heating experience imaginable.

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FLOOR-HEATING/STRATA_HEAT

LevelQuik® RS Self-Leveling Underlayment from Custom Building Products flattens substrates to meet the stringent requirements of large-format tile and stone installations. These materials have a maximum allowable

substrate variation of 1/8 inch

in 10 inches and 1/16 inch in 24 inches. LevelQuik offers exceptional flow retention while consistent hydration delivers a smooth surface and superior crack resistance. A rapid-setting formula with high, early strength accepts tile in as little as four hours for fast-track projects. LevelQuik may be poured from a

feather edge up to 1 1/2 inches per lift and can achieve an extra heavy duty service rating for high-impact commercial applications.

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The Flexbone® Heat Membrane from Ardex is a three-in-one (heating/uncoupling/waterproofing) in-floor heating system with a unique, thoughtful design for easier prefill, better heat conductivity and minimal memory. Flexbone Heat Cables are engineered for maximum energy efficiency, safety and ease of installation. Wider spacing and the ability to do long runs uses less cable and delivers faster warming with less energy usage. Three thermostat models are available, including a WiFi-enabled option. Flexbone complete system solutions are backed by a comprehensive warranty.

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Product

Showcase


The luxury of floor warming can now extend right into tiled showers. Schluter-Systems’ Ditra-Heat Installation Handbook now includes a detail for installing and waterproofing Ditra-Heat on shower floors. By using a dedicated heating cable inside the shower area and completing required waterproofing steps using the Kerdi waterproofing system over the floor warming system, the shower floor can be warmed just like any other tiled floor. Installers should heed specific details around curbs, drains and corners. Approval must be verified by the appropriate local authority.

WWW.SCHLUTER.COM

The ultimate versatility in tile underlayment has arrived. Prova Flex-Heat® is a multi-functional tile underlayment featuring a deep-groove design suitable for multiple thicknesses of heating cables. The exclusive Vapor Management System and Shear Stress Control® system provide unsurpassed quality in anti-fracture and uncoupling that is designed to outperform the competition. Step onto a finished tiled floor and rest assured that the warmth and durability of the tile installation will last for years to come.

WWW.PROVAPRODUCTS.COM

Prodeso® Heat Grip XL System from Progress Profiles is the revolutionary electrical heating system for floors and coverings that provides warmth only where desired in few minutes; it’s a cost-effective, time- and energy-saving solution. The uncoupling and waterproofing polypropylene membrane is designed with rounded, square-shaped reliefs that hold the Prodeso Heat Grip Cable. The heating cable, with its new 6.5 mm diameter, is provided with many electrical resistors connected in parallel. In case of cable damage, only the involved resistor stops, not interrupting the heating transmission of the entire system.

WWW.PROGRESSPROFILES.COM/EN/

PRODESO-HEAT-GRIP-SYSTEM

MAPEI’s Mapeheat family offers comprehensive radiant floor heating solutions. This easy-to-install, versatile, advanced technology is suitable for use with tile and stone, luxury vinyl tile/plank and more. Components include the Mapeheat Membrane, Mapeheat Cable (available in 120 V and 240 V) and Mapeheat thermostats (available in three formats). MAPEI also offers free training to become a registered Mapeheat Pro Installer. Upon successful completion of training, receive benefits, including an installer registration number, a listing on MAPEI’s website and the ability to offer added warranty coverage.

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AND-SOLUTIONS/LINES/MAPEHEAT-

FLOOR-HEATING-SYSTEMS

RADIANT HEATING


SmartServices for Radiant Heating from WarmlyYours. WarmlyYours knows that not everyone is an expert in electric floor heating, which is why they developed a line of services meant to ensure your next radiant heating project is a success. WarmlyYours offers a range of services, including options for before (project measuring), during (onsite installation or remote install supervision with a smartphone) and after (troubleshooting) your project. In addition to helping directly with your install, these services also allow the company’s Radiant Experts to help train you and your team to eventually become certified WarmlyYours installers.

WWW.WARMLYYOURS.COM/SMART-SERVICES

The Schönox HPS ComfortSafe radiant warmth and moisture reduction layer, designed for residential or commercial installations, is ideal for any floor where warmth and surface moisture reduction is desired. Each kit comes with an easy-install ComfortSafe mat and a step-by-step installation manual. Pair with any Schönox cement-based, synthetic gypsum-based or hybrid active-dry, technology-based self-leveler on various substrates. HPS ComfortSafe guarantees fast and direct surface heating of areas. It operates at maximum steady state temperatures for commercial installations by using a programmable power-timer on/off switch. Residential systems are controlled using a thermostat and floor sensors.

HTTPS://HPSUBFLOORS.COM/PORTFOLIO-

ITEMS/SCHONOX-HPS-COMFORTSAFE/

The wedi building panel PreLine is a fully prepared building board element for easy installation of hot water heating systems. Factory integrated recesses allow for quick and safe installation of water pipes, whilst strong insulation properties of the material itself prevent heat escaping to the ground, thus promoting a balanced heat distribution across the entire space. Adhesion of the wedi PreLine elements to the screed floor and backfilling of the pipe ducts is done very simply with the appropriate tile adhesive (recommendation: thinset mortar). It truly is the perfect element for quick and waterproof implementation of underfloor heating systems.

HTTPS://BIT.LY/2QGKP9T

SunTouch WarmWire provides an easy, affordable underfloor heating solution to add warmth and comfort to any space. WarmWire is safe to use for installation over plywood, backerboard and concrete slabs. Available in various lengths and voltage options, WarmWire is easy to install and is easily controlled by SunTouch’s Connect Wi-Fi Thermostat with the Watts Hope App.

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Product

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A strikingentry

A custom floor mosaic was created for the lobby floors of The Rodney, a 17-story, multi-family, luxurious high-rise in Portland, OR. Photos courtesy of Shelsi Lindquist Photography


For the entryway and lobby in The Rodney, an upscale apartment building in downtown Portland, OR, a custom

mosaic was created using Italian ceramic tiles

by Heather Fiore

The Pearl District is an area of downtown Portland, OR, formerly occupied by warehouses, light industry and railroad classification yards, which is now known for its

shopping, art galleries and upscale businesses and residences. Located at 14th Avenue and NW Glisan Street, is The Rodney, a 17-story, multi-family, luxurious high-rise, which features an incredibly unique floor mosaic using ceramic tiles from Appiani.

Stretching from the entryway to the elevator lobby, the detailed mosaic was created using a custom-made pattern from Appiani’s Open Space collection, which was designed by local design firm, Vida Design.

“The goal for the design was to provide a ‘wow’ moment when potential residents and guests enter the building,” said Sheena Brittingham, principal and director of design at Vida Design. “The name we gave to the interior design vision was ‘classic edge,’ which is inspired by classic interior design you would see in older historic buildings, but given a new/fresh perspective. We wanted to blend the history of Portland into the design and what better way than by a mosaic inlay floor.”

Upon entering The Rodney, you are greeted by a “tile entry mat” that reads “Portland” in all caps, which is indicative of the local product of the building, according to Brittingham. “We are a Portland-based design firm and we wanted our love and pride for our great city to show,” the designer explained. “Our client was very involved

with the approval process. We used our SketchUp rendering tools to represent multiple versions of the tile design and had mock-ups made in different color combinations, which we shared with the client. At one point, the tile was going to be mostly blue, and after seeing the options, ultimately the group preferred the more neutral combination of white, black and warm gray.”

The customized pattern, which resembles an older-style area rug, was crafted using three colors from Appiani’s Open Space collection — Blackite, Calcite and Vanadio — in a matte finish. Around 380 square feet of the 1/2- x 1/2-inch tiles set on 12- x 23-inch sheets were chosen for their slip resistance, durability, color options and customizability.

“Prior to choosing to work with Appiani tile, we were considering using Puzzle by Mutina,” Brittingham said. “We chose to change directions due to concerns with the thickness of that product and potential for dust to show on the solid colors of that tile. We are so happy we changed directions.”

The soft- and neutral-toned tile from Appiani, which creates a “dynamic, interesting motif,” was supplied by Statements Tile and Stone in Portland, OR. “My favorite thing about it is that it’s incredibly durable and functional,” Brittingham said. “I don’t think we could’ve achieved the same aesthetic using any other product. The size and sheen of Appiani mosaics are so unique.”

Although the design of the building took around two years to complete, the tile


Upon entering the complex, you are greeted by a tiled mat that reads “Portland” in all caps, which is indicative of the local product of the building.

installation only took two weeks. “We had very detailed drawings that we provided to the installer and Appiani did an amazing job mapping out and numbering the pattern to make the installation very straightforward and smooth,” Brittingham said. “We visited the site a few times during the installation process, mainly because we were so excited to see it going in.”

Since the project’s completion, it has received an extremely position reaction, according to Brittingham, and was also awarded the very first People’s Choice Award at the 2020 Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition. “The Rodney really stands

The Rodney

Portland, OR

Architect/Designer: Vida Design, Portland, OR

Tile Supplier: Statements Tile and Stone,

Portland, OR (Appiani’s Open space collection)

out in the Portland multi-family housing market and we couldn’t be happier with the outcome,” Brittingham said. TILE


Eclectic interior designer and tile artist, Allison Eden, created an 11- x 6-foot tiled high heel for a Bloomingdale’s display in New York City. Photos courtesy of Allison Eden Studios

High-class mosaics

Brooklyn-based interior designer-turned-tile artist,

Allison Eden, has been crafting custom mosaic tile designs for

the last 27 years, including a larger-than-life high heel display,

which was recently placed in Bloomingdale’s in Manhattan

by Heather Fiore


The larger-than-life design features more than a dozen different-colored tiles in various shapes and sizes.

All of tiles were handmade and installed by Eden’s in-house design team.

In the early 1990s, Allison Eden was attending the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), majoring in fashion, when she discovered her true love for interior

design. After school one day, she was walking through Greenwich Village and stumbled across a quirky store selling all things glass, from lamps to wall fixtures, when her creative juices began flowing.

“I walked in and bought a couple of things, one of which I thought would be beautiful as a wallpaper or on a wall,” Eden explained. “This was about 30 years ago, when nobody was doing glass work. I had this vision that this glass piece would be really beautiful as a mosaic on a wall. I glued it onto a board and walked into a tile store, showed them my idea and they loved it. They asked me to do a vignette, so I did, and that’s when it all began.”

After such success with her first tile job, Eden was inspired to open her own tile studio after she graduated FIT to try her hand in the tile trade. “I took ads out in the yellow pages and everything,” she said. “I marketed myself as an interior designer and

fashioner designer, who did tilework. Soon after, I got a call from a local Burger King, which was opening a restaurant in three weeks and needed to do a Brazilian wave-tiled floor. After that job, I figured I could do anything.”

After discovering her true passion for tilework, Eden opened her own studio in Brooklyn, NY. “At a tradeshow, I made a tiled table for an insurance exhibitor, and from that job, I got the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, which needed 60 tiled tables,” she said. “We would come in when the building closed at night and we would make the tables in the stairwells.

“From there, I learned that people really liked glass and I loved it, so I learned how to cut it by hand,” the designer went on to explain. “We don’t use any machinery to create our tiles; we do it all by hand. I absolutely love my medium. I love cutting it. I think the colors are brilliant.”


A custom logo was created for the bottom of the high heel, where a typical brand is placed on a real shoe.

The shoe took around two months to complete.

Now, about 30 years later, Eden owns and operates Allison Eden Studios in Brooklyn, NY, one of the country’s leading glass tile suppliers for commercial and interior decor. Her in-house design team, which creates and installs all of the custom-made mosaics, has more than 40 years of collective experience, creating unique tile patterns and artwork for a wide range of projects.

With around 90 customized tile patterns readily available for install, Eden is continuously devising new tile designs to offer her clients. “I love creating new things,” she said. “I’m in 500 tile stores throughout the country and all of them have different patterns. I try to offer a variation. We manufacturer and source everything made in the U.S. — nothing comes from anywhere else. We’re very proud of that. It’s sad to say we’re one of the only ones left.

“I’m always trying to change things and make them different and fun,” she added. “So crazy so no one wants to replicate them.”

With an eclectic design portfolio, Eden lands a lot of interesting jobs, including one of her most recent ventures in downtown Manhattan, where she was enlisted to create a larger-than-life high heel replica for a Bloomindale’s display. “My friend owns Urban Bling, which customizes shoes, handbags and other accessories,” she said. “I paint the shoes to the colors I want and she bedazzles them with crystals. So I said, ‘Why don’t we do a high heel with crystals and matching handbag?’ I made it for Bloomingdale’s and then they said they wanted to carry a line of shoes to go with my mosaic.”

The tiled high heel, which stands 6-feet-high and stretches 11-feet-long, is the centerpiece of the display, featuring more than a dozen different-colored tiles in various shapes and sizes. “It took around two months to complete (six to eight weeks). I was trying to work on it when I could, piece by piece,” Eden said. “I


“They are so supportive of me. They are wonderful,” Allison Eden said of Bloomingdale’s. “I thank them every single day. They want to keep New York art alive.”

Eden, above, has since been asked to create other mosaic displays for Bloomingdale’s, including a Tom Ford perfume bottle. “I love what I do,” she said. “I think that tile is an art in itself.”

covered the inside with my fabric. We also have fabric, carpeting and wallpaper now, which are digitally printed versions of my mosaics. I take pics of my mosaics and turn them into fabric.”

When designs are three-dimensional, Eden explained how they take longer to create than regular mosaics, but this particular project didn’t present any unusual challenges. “It was perfect, very easy going,” she said.

Since the high heel’s completion, Bloomingdale’s was in such awe that they had Eden and her team create another art piece for the perfume department. “I did a huge perfume bottle, which stands 10-feet-tall,” she said. “It’s a replica of Tom Ford’s perfume — four sides of diamonds — in the entryway to the store. It was the very first piece that they brought through the front door. It was a big deal because nothing has ever come through the front door in the history of Bloomingdale’s.

“They are so supportive of me. They are wonderful,” the designer continued. “I thank them every single day. They want to keep New York art alive. It’s hard being an artist. Even in the tile business, it’s not steady because everything is so up and down now.”

Although the tile business has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, Eden remains optimistic, with unique jobs still coming her way. “They’re [Bloomingdale’s] always giving me projects, mostly in New York because it’s the flagship store,” she said. “I do their Christmas windows, too. I love what I do. I think that tile is an art in itself.” TILE

Bloomingdale’s

New York, NY

Tile Designer/Supplier/Installer: Allison Eden

Studios, Brooklyn, NY


For Public School #46 in Bronx, NY, a mosaic mural was recently created to pay homage to the local area, featuring an array of native plants, animals and insects. Photos courtesy of NY Tilemakers

InstallationCase Study

A Bronx mural taleA mosaic mural entitled, “We Are The Bronx,”

was created for Public School #46 in Bronx, NY, which highlights local plants, animals and insects

by Heather Fiore

Public School #46, otherwise known as The Edgar Allan Poe Literacy Development School, is located in Bronx, NY. The

elementary school is committed to guiding its students to become high-level readers, writers and critical thinkers, while preparing them to the best of their ability to attend college and become career-ready.

For the main hallway, a mosaic mural was recently created to pay homage to the local area, featuring an array of native plants, animals and insects. Local tile installer, NY Tilemakers in Long Island City, was enlisted to help bring the mural to life.

The 27-foot-long, 7-foot-high mural, which was designed with the help of Cleveland-based artist, Jim Drain, features hundreds of handmade tiles in a variety of colors. “Jim Drain was the winner of a design competition for the mural for this school,” said Andru Eron, owner of NY Tilemakers. “David Allyn, a Providence-based silkscreen artist, was hired by Jim Drain to assist with the silkscreen printing process. Together, they made the screens (one for each color, etc.) and applied underglaze to the tiles that we made.

“We made all of the tiles from moist clay,” Eron went on to say. “Some of the tiles were made in the shapes of the animals and plants. We glazed all of those, in various colors, as directed by the artist.”

The mural, which is entitled, “We Are The Bronx,” is separated into two visual planes, according to Drain. “‘We Are The Bronx’ places Bronx plants and animals front-and-center while finding places of synthesis within the urban

fabric,” he said. “There are two visual planes to the mural: in the foreground are insects, birds and plants, and in the background, a woven pattern divided thematically creates a second narrative. The four themes in the background are winter, spring, aquatic and autumn.”

Every tile in the mural was handmade using silkscreen printing. “The foreground motifs are glazed mosaics; the background is made with a process in which each color is printed onto the tile and then glazed with a clear finish,” Drain explained. “The printing process is the same as one would print t-shirts or wallpaper, but instead of using ink, underglaze — a liquid, color clay or slip — passes through a stencil burned into a mesh screen. The title of the mural reflects how the Bronx, as both an urban and natural habitat, is one to recognize, honor and maintain.”


The mural is separated into four themes: winter, spring (shown), aquatic and autumn.

The aquatic theme’s background is a repeating series of aquatic species.

environments, sometimes pushing leaves through layers of snow. In the foreground, the historic green fence leads to a wading great blue heron. An eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly leads the viewer to a central paper birch trunk where a male red-bellied woodpecker pauses mid-peck.”

For the third section, a water theme was created, with a significant baby blue background color. “Here, the background is a repeating series of aquatic species: a spotted turtle, a northern spotted salamander, a dragonfly, a blue back herring, northern krill, an oyster and an American eel,” Drain detailed. “The foreground elements feature seeding milkweed pods. A loosened seed floats beyond the mother Canadian goose, completing the sub-narrative about milkweed’s growing cycle. A zebra butterfly flutters near the birch leaves cascading down, the leaves changing from green to golden.”

The four themes are distinctively separated, with intricate designs crafted for each. “In the first section, blossoming common milkweed is being canoodled by a monarch caterpillar and both are placed in front of a stone wall with an extending green fence,” the artist said. “It is based on Bronx historic fences similar to ones found in the New York Botanical Garden, the Valentine-Varian House or at St. James’ Episcopal Church. Honey bees congregate near a buckeye butterfly. The winter background pattern is a crisscrossing mix of boot-steps, animal tracks and tire tracks.

“The second background is a repeating series of spring flora and fauna: a chipmunk pauses in thought and a robin lands on a cherry tree blossom, skunk cabbage and bright red winterberries still populate,” he went on to say. “Typically, seeing the robin typically means that spring is near. Also, the skunk cabbage is often the first plant to appear in more marshy


The fourth and final autumnal scene features a stairway with a raccoon sitting above a wall of vines nestled in a bedrock outcropping similar to one found on Marion Avenue.

The fourth and final autumnal scene, which concludes the mural, incorporates colors and creatures of that season. “There is a stairway with a raccoon sitting above a wall of vines nestled in a bedrock outcropping similar to one found on Marion Avenue,” Drain said. “A second group of honeybees lead beyond the wall’s frame with two goslings close behind their mother goose. In the background imagery, a squirrel is paused with an acorn held in its grasp. Maple seeds and a variety of leaves — sugar maple, dogwood, oak and sumac — are changing to autumnal colors.”

Once the printed tiles were created by Drain and Allyn, they were shipped to Long Island City for Eron and his team to add finishing touches to and install. “We applied coats of clear glaze to all of the tiles and then they were all fired again in our kilns,” Eron said.

The entire mosaic was numbered so the installers could easily piece together each tile in the way they were supposed to be. USG Corporation’s Durock Brand Cement Board with EdgeGuard was applied prior to the installation to prevent crumbling and provide a water-durable and mold-resistant substrate. “We also had to tape the seams and embed the fiber-tape

with the appropriate Custom Building Products’ adhesive,” Eron added.

Three installers from NY Tilemakers completed the installation in about one week. “The artist and the New York City School Construction Authority staff thought that this was the most successful and original process of any recent mural,” Eron said.

“Each panel is in dialogue with the next, and together, the four panels allow for interwoven narratives that both highlight the amazing array of animals and plants native to the Bronx, as well as highlights seasonal progressions,” Drain said. “‘We Are The Bronx’ contains a plethora of life, allowing for multiple readings, discoveries and connections to happen slowly over time.” TILE

Public School #46

Bronx, NY

Artists/Tile Designers: Jim Drain, Cleveland, OH;

David Allyn, Providence, RI

Tile Supplier/Installer: NY Tilemakers, Long

Island City, NY

Installation Products: Custom Building Products,

Huntington Beach, CA (adhesive); USG

Corporation, Chicago, IL (Durock Brand Cement

Board with EdgeGuard)

USG Corporation’s Durock Brand Cement Board with EdgeGuard was applied prior to the installation to prevent crumbling and provide a water-durable and mold-resistant substrate. “We also had to tape the seams and embed the fiber-tape with the appropriate Custom Building Products’ adhesive,” said Andru Eron, owner of NY Tilemakers.


Tile artist, Katia McGuirk, crafted hundreds of different-shaped tiles in a variety of colors to create intricate wall mosaics in her friend’s home office and corresponding bathroom. Photos courtesy of Katia McGuirk Tile Co.

InstallationCase Study

Bringing the Outside in

Pennsylvania-based tile artist, Katia McGuirk, was enlisted to create a one-of-a-kind mosaic design for a friend’s riverside home, which was

inspired by the surrounding landscape

by Heather Fiore


The murals were inspired by the neighboring Delaware River, featuring native animals, plants and insects.

A heron is the highlight of one of the main walls.

Katia McGuirk is one of 15 children. Growing up on her family’s farm in Maryland, she was always up to her

knees in mud. When she was 12 years old, she found her love for clay, when her mother enlisted her in a sculpting class. From there, she went on to study ceramics at Rhode Island School of Design, after which she began making tiles and renovating houses in Newport, RI.

Over the last 35 years, McGuirk has significantly grown her business — Katia McGuirk Tile Co., otherwise known as KatiaTiles — by designing, manufacturing and installing handmade tile nationally. As an artist-in-residence, she creates indoor- and outdoor-built murals. She also teaches ceramic and mosaic-making in various schools and communities, where she instills the importance of art in the younger generation.

Growing up in such a large family, nothing got wasted, which is a concept she has applied to her tilework ever since. “I repurpose and reuse everything that I can,” she said.

When it comes to her tilework, McGuirk explained how public art is, and has always been, near and dear to her heart. “It’s always been about the storytelling aspect for me,” she said.

In addition to her artistry and teaching, she works with underserved youth in North Philadelphia in areas where houses have been condemned, replacing these neglected, dilapidated areas with outdoor public artworks. “Ironically, when you have to engage the public in public art, it’s twice as hard,” she explained. “You have to accept it looks just as it is.”

In 2012, McGuirk added to her impressive resume by joining The Tile Heritage Foundation, a national organization that has preserved and protected the nation’s tile surfaces, practices and history since 1876, where she serves as a director.

As a practicing studio artist, McGuirk regularly exhibits her ceramic sculptures in solo and group shows in local galleries and museums, including Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle, Philadephia’s Magic Gardens and The Clay Rat.

Earlier this year, McGuirk was enlisted by a close friend of hers, who bought a vernacular


Carefully patterned trees and other animals take the forefront in other areas.

McGuirk utilized tile remnants from various other projects, which were repurposed to create a one-of-a-kind design.

house built by a stone mason, to create a tile mosaic on the ground floor of the riverside home. The facade of the house features an eclectic arrangement of stones from the neighboring Delaware River, placed randomly on the exterior of the home. “Ceramic art, to me, is close to creation, a magical alchemy combining the four elements: earth, air, fire and water,” McGuirk said. “We landed on migration for the design inspiration. I tied the inside of the home to the outside — a very eclectic, artistic exterior. I needed to make the outside match the inside.”

Entrusted with the design, McGuirk immediately began creating the tiles for the mosaic in her studio in Doylestown, PA. “I began making the tiles, one by one, carving into wet clay in my studio, glazing and firing the ceramic tiles,” the artist explained. “I began drawing cartoon mockups of all of the walls. I thought about the story, a story of migration. This is the story of the owner and all the

worlds that he inhabits, each distinctly different, from Hong Kong to Prague, from Pennsylvania to L.A. The lush natural beauty of a small Pennsylvania river town is what surrounded his river house and I was interested in echoing that. I emptied my tile boneyard of mostly every tile that had ‘collected me’ and hauled it over to the jobsite.”

From her collection of unused tiles, McGuirk crafted hundreds of different-shaped tiles in a variety of colors for the walls of her friend’s home office and corresponding bathroom. “I set up my saws, broke out my nippers, pulled out my glass cutter and began harvesting my repurposed tiles,” she said. “I started each day walking the banks of the Delaware River and ended each day walking the banks of the Delaware River until the river ran through me and onto the wall.

“I began sorting through and collating tiles, stone and glass, combining the rich textures and tones into tapestries surrounding


my handmade tile elements,” she went on to say. “I gave myself the freedom to jump from wall to wall, paying close attention to the flow and the intersections. Eventually, the man cave began to come alive.”

One of her favorite parts of the project, which ironically presented the largest challenge, was the 15-inch x 6-foot backlit panel that was crafted using stained glass. “I cut out panels, put stained glass in the inserts and then backlit it,” McGuirk detailed. “This was the biggest challenge because it was a first for me. I was inspired to try my hand at setting tiles and stained glass on a thick Plexiglass panel and then backlighting it. I am pleased with the result when it is backlit or not. The scene depicts the Delaware River as seen from his yard, so it is a window, but not a window.

“Another challenge I experienced was a familiar painter’s dilemma, knowing when the painting is finished,” McGuirk continued. “What I was experiencing was a feeling that I was painting with tile and what tile would be the last one I would stick on the wall. Now, he wants me

Private Residence

Point Pleasant, PA

Tile Designer/Supplier/Installer: Katia McGuirk

Tile Co. (KatiaTiles), Doylestown, PA

to come to Prague to do a mural there.”The end result is a truly one-of-a-kind

home office, with everything from intricately patterned trees and herons to the client’s company logo, encrusted in tile. “At one point, I thought of it as more of an art environment, rather than just an install,” McGuirk said.

Aside from the local recognition the mosaic has received, it was also awarded a 2020 Coverings Installation & Design (CID) Award in the “Special Recognition: Artistic” category. “With the COVID-19 lockdown, you’re inside and people are feeling the nature deficit. I’m more inspired now than ever,” McGuirk said. “Artists are instrumental in helping understand and interpret chaos in these difficult times of uncertainty.” TILE


MID-CENTURY

MODERNIZATION

An outdated home in Bel Air, CA, which was built in the 1960s, was recently rebuilt by local designer and builder, David Griffin, who worked diligently to create a more modern, contemporary aesthetic using a range of Italian tile and stone. Photo courtesy of Mike McNamara

For the reconstruction of a 1960s home in Bel Air, CA, a local contractor incorporated a range of modern touches, which are

complemented by contemporary and eclectic Italian tile finishes

by Heather Fiore

Bel Air is by far the wealthiest and

most well-known neighborhood within

Los Angeles County, CA. Situated in

the foothills of the Santa Monica

Mountains, about 12 miles west of downtown

Los Angeles, the neighborhood features older-

style architecture, with some homes that

are still standing from the time they were

constructed in the early 1920s.

One of these homes, which dates back

to the early 1960s, was recently rebuilt by

local designer and builder, David Griffin, who


For the flooring throughout the kitchen, Griffin opted for a striking, wood-inspired porcelain tile from La Fabbrica’s Kauri collection in the dark gray color, “Victoria Tech.” Just over 700 square feet of the diagonally patterned tile was utilized in a 24- x 48-inch format, which provides a nice complement to the massive white marble countertop on the island that stretches almost the entire length of the kitchen. Photo courtesy of Marc Boileau

worked diligently to create a more modern, contemporary aesthetic.

“My client inherited his parents’ 1960’s Bel Air home, which had not been remodeled for decades. The spacious home sits on a 22,000-square-foot lot and was in a complete state of disrepair, so I gutted the home, inside and out,” said Griffin, founder of Complete Access, Inc. in Los Angeles, CA. “The results had to be stunning and uncompromising. It was vital that we brought to market an

inviting home; and in this regard, my client and I worked together to design and rebuild to appeal to an array of discerning buyers. As the intention was to sell the home upon completion, we worked hard to ensure that overall, we incorporated gender-neutral elements and colors. We focused on color, clean lines, function, quality appliances, fixtures, lighting and other superlative elements to create a home with a wonderful flow, especially for grand entertaining.”


While the original home had “decent bones,” according to Griffin, it was outdated and needed a complete overhaul to meet today’s modernized design standards. “It was dark and dingy, choppy and absolutely unappealing,” the designer said. “Everything from the roof to the sewer pipes had to be replaced, so we stripped it. The original kitchen was especially cluttered, extremely dysfunctional and more befitting to a two-bedroom apartment than a luxury estate.”

With an overarching goal to transform the home and grounds into an “enclave befitting the area,” Griffin set out to create a magnificent home, uncompromising when it came to quality and artistry, which was completed with the use of various upscale additions, including a variety of Italian tile employed throughout the main living areas and bathrooms.

“Quite clearly, I was charged with delivering a home that stood apart from the other high-end properties for sale to high-expectation homebuyers wanting to live in the affluent

Bel Air community,” Griffin said. “We delivered a masterpiece that turns heads. The kitchen is clearly the crown jewel.”

For the new 652-square-foot kitchen, which more than doubled in size from its original 276-square-foot layout, Griffin focused on opening up the cramped space. “This was achieved by incorporating the adjoining, open, double carport space into the new layout, resulting in a chef’s kitchen, which features an abundance of storage, bistro seating for six at an island, a connecting kitchen lounge and a seamless flow onto the adjoining, outdoor dining terrace,” he said.

For the flooring throughout the kitchen, Griffin opted for a striking, wood-inspired porcelain tile from La Fabbrica’s Kauri collection in the dark gray color, “Victoria Tech.” Just over 700 square feet of the diagonally patterned tile was utilized in a 24- x 48-inch format, which provides a nice complement to the massive white marble countertop on the island that stretches almost the entire length of the kitchen.

For the 652-square-foot kitchen, which more than doubled in size from its original 276-square-foot layout, Griffin focused on opening up the cramped space. “This was achieved by incorporating the adjoining, open, double carport space into the new layout, resulting in a chef’s kitchen, which features an abundance of storage, bistro seating for six at an island, a connecting kitchen lounge and a seamless flow onto the adjoining, outdoor dining terrace,” he said. Photo courtesy of Marc Boileau


Nearby the kitchen, in the office bathroom, different variations of porcelain and ceramic tile were used on the main floor and in the shower. For the main flooring, 50 square feet of ceramic tile from Mirage’s Ruche collection was utilized. The 5- x 4 1/4-inch, honeycomb-style hexagonal tiles, which incorporate matte, glossy and metallic finishes, add an interesting textural finish to the floor. Photo courtesy of Mike McNamara

“To bring as much light into the enlarged kitchen, we kept the skylight, and widened and made taller the kitchen entry, which we dressed with synchronized, etched-glass entry doors,” Griffin said. “We added new windows and installed two sets of floor-to-ceiling tri-fold doors, leading to the adjoining patio.”

Nearby the kitchen, in the office bathroom, different variations of porcelain and ceramic tile were used on the main floor and in the shower. For the main flooring, 50 square feet of ceramic tile from Mirage’s Ruche collection was utilized. The 5- x 4 1/4-inch, honeycomb-style hexagonal tiles, which incorporate matte, glossy and metallic finishes, add an interesting textural finish to the floor. The “Noir” color was selected, which features shades of black, gray and silver. A smaller hexagonal tile was continued into the shower on the floor and ceiling; around 18 square feet of the 1 1/2-inch glossy tiles were implemented in solid back, with minimal white grout joints. On the shower walls, 80 square feet of Iris Ceramica and Diesel Living’s Shades of Blinds collection was used. The 4- x 12-inch porcelain tiles, which emulate closed vertical blinds with light peeking through, were utilized in “Black” with a glossy finish to complement the other glossy tiles in the bathroom.

On the other side of the kitchen, at the far right end of the home, penny round circular tiles were utilized on the floors of the exterior pool shower and adjoining bathroom. A customized pattern was designed in the indoor bathroom to complement the pedestal sink cut from a solid block of marble. “I wanted continuity between the outdoor shower and the pool bathroom, hence the similar floor tile — the Salluto glass collection, Penny Circle Series, in ‘Whisper White’ outside flowing into the ‘Grey Spring’ color on the floor inside the bathroom with adjoining changing room,” Griffin said.

Customized glass tile is also featured on the wall of the outdoor pool shower. A 60s-inspired mosaic was constructed using 12 3/4- x 12 5/8-inch glass tiles from Oceanside Glass & Tile’s Devotion collection.

A custom color combination was created with Devotion’s swank pattern. “The glass tile for the outdoor shower backsplash is an homage to the home’s 1960’s vintage,” Griffin said.

The 4,316-square-foot home also features an extensive range of natural stone tile, which was used for the flooring, walls and shower elements in the entryway, hallways, master


bathrooms, powder room and second floor bathroom. Various types of Italian marble were used in different colors to tie all of the spaces together and create a cohesive design throughout the home.

Stylistically, the elements must be complementary, while at the same time each must make their own statement. Careful thought was given to the tile selections for every space to create wonderful ‘moments’ and the ‘wow’ factor a home of this level commands.”

With such an extensive project, the redesign and rebuild took about two years to complete. “Preliminary discussions about design and budget began in the last quarter of 2017,” the designer said. “We actually broke ground on May 1, 2018, and the project was completed in August 2019.”

Since the home’s completion, it has received great praise from the owner and visitors alike. “People have been extremely complimentary,” Griffin said. “They admire the overall look, the attention to detail, the quality, unique elements, high-end finishes, indoor-outdoor floor, harmony and lighting.” TILE

Private Residence

Bel Air, CA

Designer/Builder: Complete

Access, Inc., Los Angeles, CA

Tile Supplier: Westside Tile &

Stone, Beverley Hills, CA (La

Fabbrica’s Kauri collection,

Mirage’s Ruche collection,

Iris Ceramica and Diesel

Living’s Shades of Blinds

collection, Oceanside Glass

& Tile’s Devotion collection)

“With each of my design/build projects, I strive for a uniformity with distinction,” Griffin explained. “For example, all wall and ceiling paint throughout the home is a Benjamin Moore ‘white.’

• 80% LESS DUST

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• USES LESS WATER

Introducing the new, less messy, family of tile setting mortars from Merkrete featuring patented DLT™ DUSTLESS

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www.merkrete.com


Technical

Focus

Uncoupling Membranes for Electric Floor Heating Installations Under Tileby Julia Billen, president, owner and co-founder of WarmlyYours Radiant Heating

Dating back to the days of the Roman hypocausts, tile has always been the most commonly heated floor covering

because of how inherently chilly tile floors can be and the room types where tile is often used (kitchens and bathrooms). In fact, tile is such a commonly heated flooring material that it made up 87.9% of the floors that WarmlyYours heated in 2019.

Perhaps the most evident trend that we’ve noticed in radiant heating over the last couple

of years has been the emerging prevalence of combining an uncoupling membrane with electric floor heating cable for installation under tile floors. From WarmlyYours’ sales data, uncoupling membranes went from 31% of floor heating underlayment sales in 2016 (when WarmlyYours first introduced our membrane) to over 69% in 2019.

It seems that this trend extends throughout the industry as a whole for electric radiant heating installations under tile. Currently, there

An uncoupling membrane protects the tile floor because it allows a small degree of movement dif-ferential between the substrate and the floor covering. The growth in popularity, amongst both homeowners and professional installers, for using uncoupling membranes for heated tile floors is due primarily to the benefits this combination provides. Photos courtesy of WarmlyYours Radiant Heating


are many different uncoupling membranes for electric floor heating that are produced by a variety of manufacturers, but nearly all of the membranes share some key characteristics such as impermeability, formed channels for holding the heating cable and some way for attaching the membrane to the subfloor (this is commonly a fleece-type material adhered to the underside of the membrane that creates a secure attachment between the membrane itself and the subfloor with the use of thinset).

The growth in popularity, amongst both homeowners and professional installers, for using uncoupling membranes for heated tile floors is due primarily to the benefits this combination provides.

Uncoupling

The tile and the substrate it’s installed upon are essentially two distinct layers in a floor. This means that these two surfaces will have different rates of expansion and contraction. The tile is, by nature, a thinner and more fragile material than most substrates (whether it’s a concrete slab or even a wooden subfloor affixed to joists). So when there’s foundational movement in the building or a discrepancy in the expansion or contraction rates between the subfloor and the floor covering, a floor that has the tile directly adhered to the subfloor will see the floor covering fail in the form of popped or cracked tiles.

A good analogy might be if you’ve ever had mud dry on your skin. While you’re sitting perfectly still, there are no issues and the mud is a relatively smooth surface. But once you start to move your body around, the mud begins to crack and flake off.

An uncoupling membrane protects the tile floor because it allows a small degree of movement differential between the substrate and the floor covering. This is typically accomplished by adhering the uncoupling membrane directly to the subfloor. Then the tiles are “attached” to the membrane with thinset — except the tiles aren’t really attached, but are rather “floating” in dovetail-shaped reliefs in the membrane itself. This keeps the tile securely in place on the floor

while still allowing for some small degree of movement between the substrate and the floor covering, which ultimately protects the tile.

Crack Isolation

Another common cause of tile floor failure is due to the formation of cracks in the subfloor, which “telegraph” upwards into the floor covering. This commonly occurs on concrete subfloors, which had an improper moisture content prior to the floor installation. The water in the concrete can expand or contract causing fractures to form and because the slab has significantly more mass than the tile floor, it’s the floor covering that has to give. This can also occur from substantial foundational movement in the form of “settling” if it’s severe enough to cause the slab to crack.

An uncoupling membrane is able to protect the tile floor covering to some extent by both absorbing and dissipating some of the force generated by the crack over a wider surface than a single tile. However, this type of protection does have practical limitations.

Waterproofing

One of the reasons that tile is such a popular choice for bathrooms and kitchens has to do with its water resistance. And bathrooms end up being extremely popular locations for floor

Currently, there are many different uncoupling membranes for electric floor heating that are produced by a variety of manufacturers, but nearly all of the membranes share some key characteristics such as impermeability, formed channels for holding the heating cable and some way for attaching the membrane to the subfloor. WarmlyYours’ Prodeso Uncoupling Membrane is used with the TempZone electric floor heating cable.


heating systems (about 61.2% of all rooms heated by WarmlyYours in 2019 were some form of a bathroom). However, the grout lines and perimeter seams in a tile installation can still allow water to seep into the subfloor where it can cause rot for wood substrates or mildew formation in concrete subfloors.

The impermeable nature of most uncoupling membranes makes them well suited to waterproofing your subfloor but they must be used with additional accessories. These typically come in the form of a polyethylene fleece “tape” that can be used with thinset (similar to how drywall tape is used with drywall mud) to create a watertight seal between both adjoining sheets of the membrane and the perimeter joints where the membrane meets the wall. There’s even pre-formed inside and outside corner pieces made of the same material as the tape for added convenience.

Speed of Installation

Perhaps the most pronounced benefit of using uncoupling membranes for the installation

It is essential to check the thinset coverage beneath the Prodeso Uncoupling Membrane to ensure good adhesion to the subfloor before completing an installation.

WarmlyYours’ Prodeso Uncoupling Mem-brane and TempZone floor heating cable can be installed in dry and wet areas, including showers (shown above).


About the AuthorJulia Billen is the president,

owner and co-founder of

WarmlyYours Radiant Heating.

For over 20 years, she has been

at the forefront of innovation

for the radiant heating industry.

Billen is an active member of several governing

committees and panels for the industry, including

the UL Standards Committee, the US Technical

Advisory Group, the Flooring Technical Standards

and Issues panel and many more. She can be

reached at [email protected].

of electric floor heating cables is the increased speed of installation compared to the traditional method of installation. In the traditional method, an installer would need to adhere the heating rolls (or mats/cables) to the subfloor and then embed the heating elements in either self-leveling compound or thinset. The installer would then have to wait for this embedded layer to cure before installing the finished tile floor covering, which could greatly extend the project timelines.

With an uncoupling membrane, the installer is able to use thinset to adhere the membrane to the subfloor. Then, they can snap the heating cable into the channels in the membrane and can work from the membrane’s clean surface as they back-butter the tiles to install them. This method allows for most installations to be completed in just a single day.

There are, of course, other benefits to using an uncoupling membrane with heating cables in heated tile floor installations, but this article

has covered the primary ones. We fully expect to see continued growth in the popularity of the combination of uncoupling membranes with heating cables for the foreseeable future — particularly as more and more installers become familiar with this combination. TILE

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Technical

Focus

The Right Grout in the Right Place?by Will White, director of technical communications and training for Custom Building Products

Filing a Construction Complaint is the last

thing anyone involved wants to think about

after completion of — or worse yet — during

the project. As with all trade work, expectations

and performance in workmanship and materials

can be challenging and have different meanings

for the different stakeholders of each job. During

the design phases of a project, even the best

efforts often overlook the most appropriate tile

grout for the assembly. Unfortunately, when it

comes to tile installations, grout callbacks are on

the top of the list.

How does an architect or tile contractor select

the right type of tile grout for a project? The

design team or owner can pick colors to enhance

or complement the tile palette, but will just any

grout perform long-term under the conditions

experienced within the facility? Of course, tile

contractors typically want a grout that has ample

working time in various conditions, fills joints

easily and completely, dries fast and cleans up

with the least amount of time and effort.

What does the owner or designer want? Maybe

no grout at all, but realistically, grout is abso-

Choosing the right type of grout is essential to the success of any tile installation. Photos courtesy of Custom Building Products


lutely necessary for many reasons — not least of which is a smooth surface. For instance, not all tile is absolutely uniform in size from one piece to another, so there are allowable variations found in the American National Standards Institute’s (ANSI) Specification for Ceramic Tile (ANSI A137.1 for caliber ranges). Allowances are more than just tile size; variations include allowable edge warp-age, wedging and diagonal warpage based on the tile types such as glazed wall tiles, pressed floor tile, quarry tile, calibrated and rectified porcelain tile. Along with tile type considerations also come modular size considerations; a larger tile may have more allowance than smaller-format tiles.

The tile contractor also has to work with “allowable” variations in subsurface/substrate flatness that he/she intends to install tile over. These are relevant to tile size and specifics can be found in ANSI A108.02, section 4, general requirements for tile installations. Taking all the above variations into consideration, the requirement that the tile contractor produce a smooth, flat, beautiful and durable tile installation is not a small request nor an easy task.

Grout materials provide a means for the tile mechanic in the setting process to adjust the tile layout to accommodate size variations and warpage to a given degree. Grout joint size

itself can also be adjusted to help with tile size variations. Pattern adjustments and grout will assist in reducing lippage between tile courses when tile warpage is on the high end of the allowable range.

Tile expands and contracts based on moisture and temperatures — that’s right, even porcelain tile. In fact, all building materials experience co-efficient of thermal expansion based on expo-sures to moisture and heat. That means interior spaces with direct sunlight, exteriors and mate-rials in wet areas will see the most movement. The American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) test method ASTM C372 {- 4°F /-20°C to 212°F/100°C} measures linear thermal expan-sion of modular tile bodies and provides impor-tant data for specifying tile usage on projects.

Grout will assist in minor amounts of movement resulting in compression and contraction between tiles during these cycles. Remember, designed movement joints are required in the assembly and provide the primary means of managing these thermal cycles along with an appropriate permanently flexible sealant. Movement joint guidelines can be found in Tile Council of North America’s (TCNA) Handbook for Ceramic, Glass, and Stone Tile Installation, detail EJ 171.


What are the top complaints of grout? Efflorescence and color shading are the always at the top of this list. But why?

ANSI A118.6. Standard cement grouts are still the most commonly used materials on the market. They are easy to mix, apply and clean. Portland cement grouts have been around for many years and worked very well with older-style tile bodies that had an absorption value. The absorption rate of the tile actually assisted in drying times of the Portland cement grouts, even with the larger joint sizes of the time. Because the joints were drying faster from absorption, color consistency wasn’t too much of an issue.

As tile technologies evolved, tile bodies became less and less absorptive, until we reached the porcelain tiles of today that have 0.5% absorption or less and are categorized as “impervious.” That’s great for stain protection and durability of the tile, but it really creates a problem for standard Portland cement grouts that relied on tile absorption to dry quickly, which is what locked in pigments to create color consistency. These delayed drying times, along with wash water, can create the whitish layer we all know as efflorescence. This is actually the migration of minerals from the components within the Portland cement. While this grout

category is the least expensive, it carries a risk of potential efflorescence and color variations and is one of the lower performing grouts available.

An ANSI A118.7 lower-performing cement grout has the advantage of being ready for light foot traffic the same day. Its high, early strength and low water absorption are key in allowing this rapid return to service. The nature of these products prevents the long-term emergence of efflorescence and does not rely on assistance in absorption from tile for drying.

Why are contractors and designers switching to high-performance cement grouts? The answer is obvious: low to no call backs due to their calcium aluminate base and chemistries that are compatible with today’s porcelain tile characteristics. There has been a significant wave of “at-home” designers that are looking at their space with a more critical eye. The long-lasting nature of a grout installation causes this particular aspect to rise to their attention. With high-performance cement grouts comes a detectable advantage in vivid color consistency that can live on through a series of design changes.

Not every type of grout is designed to meet the unique requirements of a project. It is important to evaluate the needs of a project based on the type of facility and the service demands affecting


About the AuthorWill White is director of

technical communications and

training for Custom Building

Products. He is a member of

the National Tile Contractors

Association, Tile Council of

North America, Materials & Methods standards

Association and committee member of ANSI.

the tiling system. Best practices for grout choice also consider the maintenance of the tile assembly. Tile selection, waterproofing, crack isolation membranes and mortar should all be selected using the same process.

The TCNA has created a “Grout Selection Guide” and “Floor Tiling Guide” based on performance level requirements in a selection table, which can be found in the TCNA Handbook. This allows all parties involved to make materials decision based on the facility type, best installation methods and appropriate materials accordingly.

On the previous page is a performance require-ment chart based on ANSI standards for each grout showing eight grout choices with nine options. You can clearly see the differences in chemical makeup, strengths and expected performance.

Grout joint sizes have gotten much smaller over the years. Based on surveys, the average size is now only 1/8 inch. For a small joint, used with larger popular tile sizes of 12 x 24 inches and larger, the average project now requires 75% less grout than it would have used just

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10 years ago. So, I strongly recommend that you don’t cut costs on the second thing the customer will see when they look at the finished flooring. It pays to use the best grout option available to satisfy the client and ensure long-term floor system performance. Additionally, consult with the grout materials manufacturer to help specify the right grout in the right place and make sure they will back up the installation with a project warranty. TILE


Technical

Focus

A New Type of Electric Floor Heating Systemby Cory Rundle, owner of HeatBoard Systems LLC

Adding heat to a tile installation is getting easier and easier. Yet, there are still some issues these well-known

heat systems have not solved. The main issue is “heatsink.” Heatsinks have been used in computers to lower the temperature of a CPU by using a medium or material to draw the heat away. In a typical tile installation, the concrete slab or the wood substrate draws heat energy away from the tile. The thermostat is fighting heatsink by increasing energy to heat the tile to the desired temperature. Some

savvy installers and homeowners recognize the issue and use products such as Cerazorb or cork underlayment. These are good options, but are costly and require additional time to install. One company has ingeniously added a layer of material beneath the membrane to insulate heatsink. Unfortunately, the insulation properties are too low to make a big difference. An effective solution was yet to be determined until now.

My name is Cory Rundle. I have been in the tile industry for 25 years, including sales and

HeatBoard is an insulated tile backerboard that is pre-grooved for electric resistance heat cable. Photos courtesy of HeatBoard Systems


installation. I have developed an insulated tile backerboard that is pre-grooved for electric resistance heat cable. I call it HeatBoard. The core is made of Polyiso, which has the highest insulation value per cubic inch of any known building material used today. Fiberglass facers are added to the core for strength and has properties to allow modified thinset to cure properly. This board has a Robinson floor test rating of “light commercial traffic.” The dimensions of the board are .47-inch-thick by 30- x 36-inch manageable panels. HeatBoard can be installed directly to a concrete slab or approved wood substrate. The patent is still pending on HeatBoard.

In early 2016, I was searching wedi’s website for information on Wedi Board. I noticed wedi was using a 2-inch-thick EPS foam board with grooves for flexible pipe using hydronics to heat tile. I wondered if that would work with electric heat. I researched the effects of heat cable on different types of foam core boards. After three years of testing, I developed a heated floor product that does not require self-level or heavy screed and heats tile up to 4.5 times faster. I began testing HeatBoard in the field in 2017 and started selling HeatBoard at a local tile store in 2018. The feedback was very encouraging. Contractors love HeatBoard because they do not have to screed a smooth layer of mortar. Most contractors also know the headaches that self-leveling compounds can cause.

I once had a bathroom tile job that was on the upper floor of an old house. I did not have the perimeter sealed well enough, so the self-level leaked down through the door casing of the lower dining room. The self-level continued to the basement floor. Replacing and repairing the old door casing and hardwood floors of that job left a sour taste in my mouth for decades about self-level. The contractors that use HeatBoard are excited and have regained confidence in installing

heated floors. Homeowners are impressed with how efficient the system is. They can heat their tile floor at a fraction of the cost of their past installations. I have a mock-up installation of HeatBoard that has been running non-stop for four years. For the month of August last year, my energy cost was $2.36. For the month of March this year, my cost was $4.13.

Last Christmas, I installed 300 square feet of HeatBoard in an enclosed sunroom. This was not in a conditioned space so the homeowner needed to use this system as supplement heat for the room. She had existing wall unit electric heaters that were loud, smelly and expensive to run. I installed the HeatBoard with a modified thinset mortar, Ardex X77, leaving a gap between the boards for

The heating cable is placed into the grooves in the desired heat areas.


expansion and additional space for the heat

cable. I ran the cable into the grooves in the

desired heat areas. I chiseled a 3- x 3-inch

pocket between two heat cables for the sensor

wires and ran the lead cable up the wall for

the thermostat. HeatBoard cuts with a utility

About the AuthorCory Rundle is a product

developer and owner of

HeatBoard Systems LLC in

Kingsport, TN. He has been in

the flooring industry for 25 years,

including sales and installation.

The heating cable stays snug and protected in the grooves.

knife and is easy to notch or chisel additional

grooves as needed. The HeatBoard panels lay

flush and offer a smooth surface to install tile.

Using the flat edge of my trowel, I skimcoated

thinset over the cables and installed tile.

The homeowner sent pictures of herself

enjoying the warm, quiet space. She is so grateful

she did not have to use those loud, smelly wall

units any longer. And the dogs love it, too.

HeatBoard may be purchased at your local

tile store, from your tile installer or directly

from www.heatboardsystems.com. TILE

Stay up to date with valuable training materials for tile professionals from TILE Magazine

Contact Katie to order: 248-244-1275 or [email protected] shop online at www.tile-magazine.com/books

A.

B.

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D.

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A. Designing and Living with Glass Tiles: Inspiration for Home and Garden - $24.99A wide variety of tile patterns, finishes, textures, sizes, and shapes are available. See the latest tiles from

leading design and manufacturing firms, including Orsoni Smalti Venezianna, Sicis, Adagio Art Glass, Ann

Sacks, Dolce Glass Tile, Mixed-Up-Mosaics, and Ultraglas Tile, to name just a few. This book is a fantastic

reference for architects, designers and homeowners.

B. Ceramic Art Tile for the Home - $29.95This book is a wonderful introduction to art tile, loaded with ideas and resources that will charm and inspire.

Hundreds of breathtaking photographs of installations in and out of the home show the work of today’s

leading contemporary tile artists. Insightful text guides readers to an informed appreciation of this timeless

art and its marvelous suitability for all areas of the home.

C. Dimension Stone Design Manual, 8.0 with AutoCAD - $349.00The newly revised Version 8.0 of the Dimension Stone Design Manual is the stone industry’s single-source

reference for dimensional stone design and construction facts and details. Contents include a new Restoration

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D. ANSI A108, A118, And A136 American National Standard Specifications For The Installation Of Ceramic Tile March 2019 - $64.95These voluntary standards define the installation of ceramic tile as well as the test methods and physical

properties for ceramic tile installation materials. They are intended to serve as a guide to the general

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Magazine

THERE’S MORE TO AT…EXPLORE

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Mysa WiFi Programmable Thermostat by WarmlyYours

WarmlyYours recently expanded its line of

radiant heating controls by adding a WiFi-

enabled thermostat designed to work with

your favorite home automation systems. The

Mysa WiFi Programmable Thermostat was

launched by WarmlyYours, an electric radiant

heating manufacturer, to serve as a new home

automation-friendly control option for both

electric floor heating and hardwired radiant

heating panels. The Mysa WiFi is compatible

with nearly every home automation system,

including Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant,

Apple Home Kit, IFTTT and SmartThings.

The Mysa WiFi Thermostat has a minimalist

design with an LED dot-matrix display with

FEATURED

PRODUCT

WWW.WARMLYYOURS.COM/EN-US

capacitive touch-

sensitive buttons

for intuitive

operation. It

also allows a

user to control

their radiant heating system remotely with

their smart device. The user-friendly app

includes the option to create your own

custom heating schedule or to select a default

Energy Star schedule to help save on energy

use. Additionally, the app includes features

like energy charting, which allows you to

monitor where and when energy is used, and

geofencing, which will turn your system on and

off based on your phone’s location to prevent

unnecessary energy use when you’re not home.

Calendar of Events

For an even more complete

calendar of industry events, visit

www.tile-magazine.com/events.

Virtual Total Solutions PlusOctober 26 to 30, 2020

HTTPS://TOTALSOLUTIONSPLUS2020.PATHABLE.CO

Cevisama 2021February 8 to 12, 2021

Feria Valencia

Valencia, Spain

HTTPS://CEVISAMA.FERIAVALENCIA.COM/EN

The Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) 2021February 9 to 11, 2021

Orange County Convention Center

Orlando, FL

WWW.KBIS.COM

Coverings 2021April 13 to 16, 2021

Orange County Convention Center

Orlando, FL

WWW.COVERINGS.COM

NeoCon 2021June 14 to 16, 2021

The Mart

Chicago, IL

WWW.NEOCON.COM

The International Surface Event 2021June 16 to 18, 2021

Mandalay Bay Convention Center

Las Vegas, NV

WWW.INTLSURFACEEVENT.COM

Visit TECspecialty.com

They mean nothing in the real world. What you need are proven products that save you time and

money. Like TEC® Ultimate 6 Plus Mortar. It offers extended open time and rapid setting features

that allow grouting in 6 hours. And, it can be used on 98% of tile jobs. So, you can handle your tile

installations with more ease. No stress. No sag. No slump. No bull. Contact your local sales rep to

request a demo.

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mosaic - bowe client.com : welcome to bowe client.com · 2020. 10. 5. · quot author, stanley horo...

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