Should I Use Marble Tile or Porcelain Tile?

If you love the look of natural stone and have done a recent renovation you surely battled the question of whether to actually use natural stone or go with a porcelain tile that looks like natural stone.  My simple answer is, 'Do you mind putting in some elbow grease twice a year?' Perhaps my longer answer will help clarify my simple answer.

Marble, is a natural stone, by nature it's porous and will absorb the environment.  Because of this feature it is recommended to put a sealant on the marble twice a year to prevent staining and even dulling of the beautiful marble.  For those that love the look I often suggest finding a use in a low traffic area so you can enjoy the look while decreasing the chances of it staining or dulling.

Enter porcelain tile looking marble.  It's more durable, easy maintenance because it is not porous like natural stone and therefore less likely to stain, and can be used outdoors and in high traffic areas because of this feature.   It comes in a matte, semi-polished and polished look to accommodate all design needs and like it's natural counterpart is offered in all the various sizes.

So knowing this why would you ever use marble?  The answer is quite simple because nature never makes 2 tiles the same and therefore provides a uniqueness that porcelain can't replicate.

Having said that porcelain can be done up to mimic the look very well, so if you decide on porcelain keep the following in mind:

• PEI (Porcelain Enamel Institute) Rating will help you know the quality of the porcelain. A '0' rating is very thin and should only be used on walls.  A rating of '5' is your thickest most   durable rating and is a great choice for high traffic areas.
  
• Rectified Edge - all this means is the tile is cut more precisely making sure all the tiles are of equivalent size. This allows you to use smaller grout joints < 1/8" because you do not have to compensate for irregular sized tiles.  It creates a better visual as the tile almost appears as one sheet. Plus less grout in my mind is always better.  

REAL EXAMPLES OF PORCELAIN LOOKING MARBLE.

Is all Bamboo Flooring Created Equal?

Bamboo is bamboo right? It comes in a natural shade and is installed like a solid hardwood floor? 

When it comes to bamboo there are over 1500 species. One of the hardest species that can be found in good bamboo flooring is called Moso. When harvested right it has a greater compressive strength than concrete but the key is the reliability that the manufacturing process is being followed. Bamboo does indeed grow quickly, 4' in 48 hours and up to 80' feet within 2 months. However time is needed for the walls to thicken and this maturity takes 5.5 to 6 years to occur before it can be harvested for flooring. The Moso species at this point is 160% harder than oak.

From a design stand point you can choose from the classic bamboo looks with a vertical or flattened style or you can choose a hardwood look alike grain pattern to satisfy the need for a rich colour or other variation. Bamboo is also now getting on trend and offering a wire brush finish which has gained popularity in recent years.

Available as a solid floor or engineered floor bamboo allows for great flexibility in where it can be installed both in residential and commercial applications.  Cement floors in your basement or high traffic areas are perfectly suited for bamboo.

Our suggestion is simple, research the company prior to purchasing a bamboo floor to see if they discuss their harvesting methods, the type of bamboo species they harvest and then see if they offer the design that's right for you and your budget.  

And for all us green thumbs out there it certainly does make for a good environmentally friendly story and has been used in many notable installations with this very fact in mind.

Bamboo Ideabook.

I want the comfort of Carpet but the durability of a hard surface floor!

Our answer to this question use to be, 'Well you have to decide what's more important to you, the comfort of carpet or the peace of mind you get with a hard surface product.' Or we would throw out the option, 'You can always put down the hard surface floor and then cover the area where you want comfort with an area rug.' Well those two responses still hold a lot of truth a new product has entered the flooring world that might change some customers minds when it comes to wanting comfort and sustainability. I don't often get too excited about new products, typically manufacturers go on a strong marketing campaign and build products up as the latest and greatest, sometimes it hits i.e Luxury Vinyl Plank and sometimes it comes and goes and we forget it existed i.e Edge Tile. What makes it different for me this time is the product, carpet, has obviously been around for a long time and they have just added a technology to the backing that is all too important for many consumers. The line is called Tigress H20, it is a Shaw Industries product and I'm certain you can find it under other names in the market but that is our exclusive brand with our Carpet One affiliation. So how is Tigressá™ H2O carpet the perfect choice for any room in your home? Well it won't fulfill all design needs but the looks and colours are a plenty and if you want it to be any of the following things it's definitely worth exploring.

•Waterproof •Kid Proof •Pet Proof
Liquids will not soak through to the cushion or floor beneath. The 100% thermoplastic commercial-grade backing provides a barrier that prevents liquids from soaking into the carpet padding and subfloor.  So now you can easily clean the entire spill and not worry about it reappearing from the pad or subfloor. 

•Gold and Platinum Level Warranties
Both feature life-of-the-floor guarantee for installation and stain resistance.

To see a demonstration of this product in action watch Scott Hill from Main Floor Covering Carpet One in Royal Oak.

View how this carpet looks in various room scenes on our Pinterest page.

Wall Tile Trends

 
There is a growing trend, with the advancement in tile design today, that has people putting wall tile in many areas of their home, the traditional tile in the bathroom certainly, but also the newest trend of creating statement walls within their homes.  Of course, you have to look at this as a long term endeavour as ceramic will not be as easily changed out as slapping on a new coat of paint, or tearing down old wall paper for new.  With that said if it's shine, shimmer or a fresh look that you want this might be something for you to look into to.

Some popular choices we see in wall tile today:

Big and White - some of this is plain white tile,  mostly in gloss, and some will mimic a marble or travertine in white typically gloss as well, but it creates a clean, simple look that really stands out.

Subway Tile - while this type of tile has been around a long time the look has added a few new offerings, bright colours are ever present in a gloss or matte finish and they offer the style with a bevelled design which is quite stunning.

12 x 24 Tile - this tile design is the popular choice in flooring these days but it has made it's way to the walls as well.  Stacked, in either horizontal or vertical, is the popular choice it's a great look but also easier for the installers to keep level as doing a brick pattern is quite challenging with the 24" length.

Wood Tile - we have seen this done with real hardwood lately as well, which is stunning in it's own right, however in areas of the home where moisture (i.e. bathroom) or heat (i.e. fireplace) comes into play the hardwood look ceramic fills in nicely.

Texture, Texture and more Texture: this has been the biggest development with wave designs, striations and simple grooves designed into the tile, white again is popular creating a more subtle look as to not overwhelm but the look is fantastic, though I could be bias we just put a wave texture design into our bathroom, I love it!

Mosaic Accents:  while certainly some are doing entire walls in a mosaic, with glass being the most popular, we are seeing more designs built in where a strip of mosaics will be built in with a larger tile creating a focal point within a focal point so to speak.  Glass mosaics, metal penny rounds and Morracan symbols are gaining traction.

Ledgestone: this has been popular for a while now, you have probably seen it in many restaurants or retail outlets but the number of looks has certainly increased and it is stunning especially when paired with a fireplace.

Visit our Pinterest board to gain more ideas and insight into the world of wall tile.
http://www.pinterest.com/gabrielebrands/wall-tile-ideas/

Note from our installers: ceramic tile glue is typically better to work with than standard tile mortar for wall installations. It's easier to get the tile to stick immediately and

it will prevent less movement and therefore less chance of cracking in the future.

Flooring Trends for 2015

We've welcomed in the New Year and hopefully you survived the much welcomed home invasion from all your friends and families or perhaps you were lucky enough to be the invader this holiday season.  If you are like me this is a time I start to think a lot about change, usually the how much gym time thought comes about which usually doesn't go all that well, but more so I start thinking about changes around me and that means HGTV, renovations thoughts and Pinterest searches abound.  But I thought I would provide some insight into the world of flooring and the trends that they are telling us to be mindful of this year and for the most part I would say they are trends we had seen in the ladder part of 2014.

To see examples of any of these trends below click on the link to our Pinterest Board below and decide for yourself if these trends are a good fit for you.
http://www.pinterest.com/gabrielebrands/


HARDWOOD:

According to the World Floor Covering Association engineered hardwood took over solid hardwood in terms of sales in 2014 and they see that trend continuing as people turn to wanting wider planks and longer boards.  Engineered hardwood is more structurally stable when it comes to these two features in hardwood.  The good news is they are typically easier to  install especially as more products become available as floating installations.  The other trend they mention is that lighter tones was the choice in many executive homes last year and that tends to become inspiration as many of these installations become the magazine shot or focal point on many Pinterest pages and home shows. 

VINYL:

The change over from sheet vinyl to luxury vinyl tile and plank has been quit drastic in our area. The installation is easier as many styles are offered in a click but also it more often can go over an existing floor where a sheet product would require a new subfloor for installation. The looks are quite realistic in either a wood or ceramic look and the durability on the surface is great and it's ability to survive a flood make it quite appealing in basement applications.


CARPET/AREA RUGS:

Soft surface use like carpet has definitely decreased in homes with the rise of hard surface products but there's still a place in many homes where they want the cozy feeling or where we are concerned of noise bouncing off all the hard surfaces, or where we want our kids to play.  The trend in carpet is toward the use of pattern in it's design, it gives the floor some dimension while maintaining the cozy feel.  When it comes to wanting to mix the hard surface with an area rug the trend predicted this year is a touch of blue.  Designers are wanting a little mix of blue to enhance the mood without overwhelming the entire space with blue. 


CERAMIC/PORCELAIN TILE

This product has probably seen the most drastic change in design and that trend seems to be continuing.  We are still seeing the larger tiles dominate the market, in fact it's almost impossible to find a 12" x 12" tile anymore.  The real push has been with hardwood look ceramic and the looks have become incredibly real especially with old world or aged wood looks.  Centura Distributors have also informed us of a trend toward hexatile, designers are loving the bold architectural statement that this type of tile shape brings to a room.


COLOURS:
As far as colour for 2015, no matter which type of flooring you decide is right for your lifestyle, the design world much like the entertainment world is talking about 'Shades of Grey'.   Check out this great read from Farrow & Ball, 'Decorating Trends 2015' and notice with their paint colours trends the floor is typically a grey.  http://us.farrow-ball.com/trends-2015/content/fcp-content

Building a shower? Don't forget the Water-Proofing!

You've probably spent countless hours perusing Pinterest and Houzz looking for that inspiration in creating a beautiful tiled shower,
the trend is hot and as you've noticed the looks have become incredible! But remember to protect the look you've created and put lots of thought into the moisture control behind the design.  If you ask any of our installers what their biggest challenge is they will certainly tell you, shower installations.  We have had the unfortunate task of tearing out beautiful showers that people have done because poor design underneath the tile led to leakage and eventual mold growth and depending on the time frame even deterioration of the wall and floor frames.

The two most common errors are:
1) Pan liners are installed directly on the flat sub-floor of the shower, and even though a tiled layer looks impenetrable to water it isn't and what happens is the water penetrates into the mortar bed and becomes saturated because the pan liner is flat and isn't draining.
2) The pan liner is penetrated with nails when fastened to backer board, again this slight piercing allows water to reach the backer board and leads to rotting, mold growth etc.

To avoid either of these situations the best installation method is to use a bonded waterproof membrane system.  This preparation of the shower provides a tight sealed system and prevents a lot of moisture issues in the long run.  In a simple step by step explanation what is done is:
1) A mortar base is put right on the subfloor with appropriate sloping.
2) Solid backing is put up on the wall sections (i.e. cement board)
3) Then using thin-set mortar we apply a waterproof membrane over all these areas, walls and floor, and tie it back into the drain.
4) This waterproof membrane then allows for us to install the tile directly on to it and prevents any penetration of water to reach the mortar base or backer walls.

Sounds simple right?  Well in actuality it is, however, much care is taken throughout this process especially in the corner area applications.  Also key to this system is not using a traditional drain.  Traditional drains are designed to clamp to liners underneath the mortar base and the waterproof membrane we just installed was applied on top.  Drains have been created for this system specifically which allows a flange to bond tightly with the waterproof membrane, so again any moisture that penetrates the tile will lead back down the drain.

If you are a 'Do-it yourselfer' check out the video link below before you begin and take the time to make sure your beautifully designed shower will last a long time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy1pMQ3zQLw&index=1&list=PLEFjeySFJM-BspBTwTTFSTOd7box6T-In

How to determine quality with laminate flooring?

Laminate flooring has been around for almost 15 years and manufacturers continue to improve on the look and feel of this type of flooring but the question we often hear is, 'How do I know a quality laminate over a cheaper laminate?'

This is where some assumptions are made that thicker is always better, it is often thought that laminates that are 12mm will be better than 8mm laminate, which is the measure of the entire thickness of the board.  For a basic overview, laminates primarily consist of a high resolution picture called the decorative layer, with a protective layer covering the picture for protection and a backer board underneath on which the decorative layer is printed.

So what should you look for?
1) All reputable manufacturer's will put their product through a Taber test which accelerates years of wear on the product and measures until the decorative layer gets damaged.  This result will provide an AC rating, the higher the number of cycles during the test the higher the AC rating.  The scale is AC1 (Low Traffic) to AC5 (Heavy Commercial Traffic), so ask for the AC rating and determine if your room is a low-mid or high traffic area.

2) Next ask what the backer board is made of, just because a product is 12mm if the backer board is made of MDF the product won't be as good when it comes to impact resistance. In areas like kitchens where heavy pots/pans may fall be sure to get a product with a HDF (High Density Fiberboard) even if it is 8mm/10mm it will be better than a 12mm MDF product when it comes to impact resistance.

Having considered those two questions it's important to note that a thicker laminate with a HDF core and high AC rating will provide the following advantages over a thinner laminate:

• It will be better to install on floors that have minor subfloor deviations.
• It provides better sound acoustics because it is heavier and sits down on the floor better and because sound doesn't travel as well through the thicker material.

After that it all comes down to look and feel.  As mentioned earlier manufacturers and the high definition printers available to them are able to print very realistic looks as the decorative layers and this will be obvious as you look through the various products on the market.

For those looking for commercial solutions check out some case studies in various applications:
http://www.armstrong.com/commflooringna/article21448.html

Solid Hardwood or Engineered Hardwood what's the right choice for me?

Posted by Pat Gabriele, Flooring Consultant

When customers come in looking for hardwood and they haven't been in the market for a while it's common for them to already have the vision of the 3/4" thick solid hardwood that dominated the flooring industry for so many years.  While this still holds a place in the realm of flooring the most popular trend is towards engineered hardwood.  But I know when I show the engineered product the majority of the time I'm going to hear, "That isn't real hardwood!"  I always get a laugh out of it but I understand it's not what you envisioned hardwood to be. 
Engineered hardwood offers you the following advantage:

1. It is used in areas that are not appropriate for solid hardwood.  A good example is in a basement where the wood has to be glued or in a area that has too much humidity and would cause your floor to expand and contract leaving you with cupping or boards that come apart.
2. Engineered hardwoods are made by gluing many layers of wood together in opposite directions to make them very stable this allows them to be made in the more popular 5" widths and even the growing trend of 7" and 8" widths , a wide plank solid hardwood will often cup at the ends over time. 
3. Engineered hardwood is also being constructed on Uniclic systems, the same systems used on cork or laminate floors, this allows you to float the floor over cement, it's an easier and quicker installation, and also allows for easier board repair should you need it in the future. Also you can move-it and re-use it for those of us that make redecorating a common practice. 

Some concerns about Engineered Hardwood:

1. The biggest concern we come across is that engineered hardwood is often less thick than traditional solid hardwood which if you are transitioning to a ceramic floor then you have a height difference but know there are engineered products coming to market that are 3/4" thick that allows for a nice seamless transition to a higher adjacent floor.  
2. Can it be refinished?  Solid hardwood has the advantage that it can be sanded down and refinished up to 3 times where most engineered floors can only be done once. 

In the end they both solid and engineered hardwood offer enduring beauty with a wide selection of wood species and stains to satisfy your design wants, just remember to narrow your choice by first thinking of the installation environment of your floor.

Looking for some design tips using hardwood visit the link below:
http://www.torlys.com/hardwood/décor-tips

Laminate in the Bathroom?

Laminate has been a popular choice of flooring for many years now, one because of the price point for product and installation, two because of the low maintenance but now most of all because of the greatly improved looks and feels that manufacturers have been able to produce.  But the statement I often get is, " I can't put that in a bathroom because of the moisture can I?"   In fact, when installed properly this flooring can be used in your bathrooms but the following care must be taken:

1) Like all things, not all laminate is created equal be sure to research the locking system and choose a manufacturers with quality click system, this will make sure the joints do not pull apart allowing moisture underneath.

2) A Silicone sealant should be used along the perimeter of the room to prevent moisture from getting in the necessary expansion gap needed for the floor.

3) The toilet will need to be removed, the floor will be installed around the flange with a 3/8" expansion gap that should be filled with silicone as well and the toilet can be set back down over the laminate for a good, clean look. Care needs to be taken not to pin the toilet to the laminate when reinstalling.

Now, we still prefer to recommend a luxury vinyl tile, sheet vinyl or ceramic when we install a bathroom but if you fall in love with a laminate floor that work's with everything you are doing in your home, just know it can be done.