Manufacturer: Ann Sacks Performance: Indoor installations only; 18 colors Price Range: $$$ Applications: The Blake Studios collection tiles are 11” x 11” units comprising three organic designs, all handmade. Clay is draped over spacers to create the undulating effect; tiles curve downward for easy grouting. www.annsacks.com (SNAP #77)
Recent, exciting developments like bacteria-killing, photocatalytic ceramic tile and new large-format setting techniques (see The Bigger the Tile, The Bigger the Challenge, below) are really the exceptions, not the rule. When it comes to tile and stone, centuries of artisanry and eons of geological formation enlighten our project specs. The sculptural, lush “Dahlia” tiles by Ann Sacks, for example, seem like something never before seen (left), but in fact they’re made by hand using the 800-year-old German and Italian technique sgraffito, in which a surface layer is cut away to expose a different-colored background. Even our green ideas are retreads, such as recycled porcelain and faux finishes that simulate rare stones. Thin-stone veneers, such as marble or granite backed by reinforcing materials, have a shorter history of application, but they reflect an ancient art: making the most of nature’s precious beauty.
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Able Was I Manufacturer: Bisazza Performance: ISO resistant to frost, chemicals, thermal shock Price range: $$$ Applications: The L’Elba mosaic tile line includes green and olive green tiles in footsquare sheets for floor and wall applications, including living spaces, bathrooms, kitchens, pools, and spas. Sheets run about $30 each, retail. Matching-colored epoxy grout available. |
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Spanish Rustic Manufacturer: Terracota Pavimentos de Gres (Tile of Spain) Performance: 18” x 13” and 9” x 13” sizes Price range: $$$ Applications: The Rustics line features small rectangles and large chamfered rectangular tiles, as well as decorative tiles with hieroglyphs and Egyptian motifs in its Nilo (Nile) line. |
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Oceans of Color Manufacturer: Porcelanosa Performance: Tolerance +/- 0.1–0.3% per ISO 10545-2 Price range: $$ Applications: The Eidos ceramic wall tile measures 8’’ x 12’’, but its multi-hued squares give the illusion of being a true mosaic. Reduces installation labor for commercial washrooms and bathrooms. Colors include gray, amber, and Oceano (blue, pictured). |
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Thin-Sliced Domestic Stone Manufacturer: Krukowski Stone Co. Performance: Thin veneers weigh 10-15 lbs./sq. ft. Price range: $$ Applications: Earn LEED points for regional materials and recycled content with sawn natural stones in brushed, polished, and honed finishes. Includes thin veneers 3/4’’-thick and up with matching keystone, trim stone, sill, and hearthstone pieces. Shown at St. Clare’s Hospital, by HGA Architects and Engineers. |
Courtney Miller
Principal Designer, Contemporary Design Interiors, Aurora, Colo. "When contemplating the use of faux stone to adorn interior spaces, one should consider the use of faux-stone wallpaper or wall coverings, which simulate the texture and appearance of natural stone. Ideal for large or expansive spaces where the cost of real stone is prohibitive, it’s an excellent material to use to produce luxurious interiors. It’s also available in intricate patterns that are not replicable in physical reality." |
Linton D. Stables III, CSI,
CCS, LEED AP
Senior Associate, Perkins Eastman, New York City "Tiles are usually not the source of problems: Most tile is not structural, so it’s not going to bridge over gaps or irregularities in the substrate. Many owners see sealers as some sort of panacea. Sealers are a maintenance product, and while we now specify them as a kind of ‘starter installation,’ sealers need to be reapplied to grout on a regular basis. Likewise, epoxy grout is often seen as a remedy, and it is not. " |
Robert Puleo,
Associate IIDA
Associate Partner, Director of Interiors, MVE & Partners, Irvine, Calif. "New texture options from European tile sources come with a few caveats. First, be careful to work with correct dimensions. A tile represented as 12’’ x 12’’ may in fact be 30 x 30 centimeters. Also, ask if the tile is rectified; if the tile dimensions are actual, not nominal; and if different tile sizes in the same pattern align with one another. Finally, verify that all the trim pieces actually match the face tile." |
 Big and Bold: Large-format tiles from European makers like Emilceramica demand attentive installation. Photo: Emilceramica |
For successful tile installations, following long-established ANSI standards should make life easy, right? Not always, says Stephanie Samulski, project manager for the Tile Council of North America, based in Anderson, S.C. (TCNA). “Most architects know about the standards, but they don’t always trickle down to the job site, where there have been lots of installation issues,” she explains. The potential for defects grows larger as tile size does, adds Samulski, who devotes time to a new installer certification program: “The biggest thing right now is large-format tile, and how to arrive at a flat installation.”
A FEW KEY POINTS:
Standard Deviations?
TCNA edicts and ANSI standard A108/A118/A136.1, Specifications for the Installation of Ceramic Tile, are the main prerequisites. Architects should study them – and review with the trades.
Living large.
When choosing large-format tile, the main challenge is lippage, or uneven tile edges. To beat the rap, tighten the substrate tolerance from 1/4’’ per 10’ to 1/8’’.
Bedding to win.
Lack of thin-set adhesive mortar can leave you with cracked tiles and poor bonding. Tell installers to back-butter with extra thin-set and use larger notch trowel sizes for larger tiles.
Curing the problem.
The bigger the stone slab or tile, the longer the required cure time. The bare minimum is seven days at 70°F; if it’s cooler or humidity is high, it takes longer. And for large-format porcelain, even more time is needed.
Additional information for this article provided by Laticrete.
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