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Find The Best Tile In Dallas

The best tile sources in Dallas and a wealth of advice and tips from the experts, including the hottest looks in tile.
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PIECEWORK: Mosaic tiles, which are all the rage, can be combined to create any pattern your heart desires.


The Perfect Tile

Tile is the building material. Here’s how to find the best in Dallas.

MAKE A STATEMENT: High-relief decorative tiles make a splash when used in a field of neutral tiles.

Whether you want Old World charm or an edgy contemporary look, designing with tile offers endless possibilities. But staring at displays of itty-bitty mosaic pieces and big squares of glass can overwhelm even the most savvy consumer. We’ve compiled a primer on tile to help you understand the practical and aesthetic factors that should influence your decision.

Seek Professional Help
First, be aggressive. Tap every resource. Designers, showroom managers, retailers, and installers have specialized knowledge about tile, from selection to installation.

Your best bet is to work with a designer. Designers know what looks good, what’s trendy, what’s timeless, and which installers are best. Color, scale, balance, and proportion are all key factors in good design. And these are things designers are trained to keep in mind at all times, says Sharon Flatley, ASID, CKD, of Flatley & Associates.

Many local showrooms have staff designers who will help you through the entire process. If the showroom doesn’t, then hire your own. Kristin Kitchens, French-Brown’s showroom manager, recommends contacting the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) for a list of candidates: For someone looking for a designer, the ASID is a great place to start. If you’re installing tile in the kitchen, you can feel quite comfortable entrusting the project to a certified kitchen designer (CKD).

Once you have a list of candidates, interview them, check their references, and ask to see examples of their work. Antique Floors sales manager Leanne Barker offers this tip for narrowing the field: The HBA’s Parade of Homes is a great place to spy on local designers work.

It’s always a good idea to go into a showroom or meeting with a designer with a good estimate of the square footage of your tiling project. With this information in hand, they will be much better equipped to make suggestions, establish a price range, and help you stay within your budget.

JUMBLE: Combine different shapes and colors to make your tile job unique.

Choices, Choices, Choices
Choosing your tile might be the hardest part of the project. The good news is that properly installed tile will outperform and outlast nearly any other product created for the same application. High-grade ceramic tile is extremely resistant to stains, scratches, and scorch marks, says Laura Skeeters of Daltile. And its non-porous nature makes it a great choice for bathrooms, laundry rooms, and kitchens.

The No. 1 rule in choosing tile is that the tile must be durable enough to stand up to its environment. Families with small children or pets should use more durable tile, such as unglazed ceramic or porcelain. Limestone is great for high-traffic areas and homes with children or pets, says Marketing Materials branch manager WaiLee Yee, ASID. It’s very durable and becomes even more beautiful with time and use. Areas that draw less traffic may be decorated with more delicate tile, such as hand-painted ceramics or relief tile.

Bring along samples of the color schemes in your home when visiting showrooms. Designer Kathie Benson of Kitchen Source, suggests pulling together all of the colors in a room. Build from one main source, and then pick up colors along the way, using them as an accent, she says. Throw pillows, fabric, or paint samples can help you choose the best color and texture of tile for the project. It also helps to bring photographs from magazines of tile applications you like.

The uniformity of color in a package of tile will affect price. A package of less expensive tiles will have a wider range of shades. More expensive tiles are sorted by shade and packaged and sold accordingly. Therefore, you’ll have more uniformity (if the tile is meant to have uniformity) in more expensive tiles than less expensive ones.

EYE CANDY: Why settle for an all-white kitchen? Tile allows you to showcase your own style.

Once you’ve narrowed the field to two or three choices, take home samples for a couple of days and place them where they will eventually be installed (countertop, backsplash, floor, etc.). See how the color, shape, and texture work with the rest of the room and your home. It’s very important to bring samples home because the lighting in your home can make colors appear different than they do in the showroom, says Import Stone’s Barbara Fitzgerald. For instance, if lighting is soft, blues and greens appear more washed out. If you have doubts about a tile after three days of living with it, eliminate it from your options.

Installation: The Home Stretch
Now that you’ve made your choice, entrust the final stages of your project to a proven installer, sit back, and enjoy the transformation.

Ask for consistently sized tiles. Ceramic tile is fired in a kiln and then cooled at varying degrees of temperature and humidity, which can cause the tiles to vary in size, sometimes by a 1/4-inch or more. Accept nothing more than an 1/8-inch margin of difference.

Most tile manufacturers and retailers do not offer installation, so it’s up to you to choose your own contractor. Do ask your retailer for suggestions, though, as most keep a list of qualified tile contractors for their clients varied needs. Designers usually have a list of their own tried-and-true contractors.

Grout is usually an afterthought, but it should be carefully considered, as it can change the appearance of a tile job “for good or bad. Grout should complement the tile you’re using, as well as the surrounding dcor of the room. You want grout to disappear. You don’t want it to be the focus of the floor, Barbara says. The tile should make the statement, so choose a grout with subtle tones that will blend in.

Today grout comes with mold-resistant chemicals that keep it from staining and molding; however, sealing is always a good idea. Be sure to ask your installer if sealing the tile is included in the estimate.

Don’t throw away those leftover tiles when the installation is complete. If you ever need to replace a few tiles, says Kathie, it can be extremely difficult to buy a new tile that perfectly matches the existing because tile is produced in runs. Wrap the extra tiles in a little tissue paper to protect their surface, and store them in a labeled box in the garage or attic. If you’re feeling inspired, you can always use a few of those leftover tiles to create a perfectly coordinated mosaic accent piece.

TRENDS
We asked local designers and tile distributors to tell us about the hottest looks in tile.

Copy Cats: many manufacturers now produce tile that resembles natural stone, giving you the look and durability of stone without the hefty price tag.

Salvage: install antique terra-cotta tiles pulled from older English homes, barns, and buildings, where they were used as insulation.

Old Masters: choose hand-painted tiles from factories in England, Spain, and Italy that have been manufacturing tile for more than 300 years.

Nostalgia: re-create the look of kitchens and baths from the 30s, 40s, and 50s.

Leather Fetish: for something different, but oh-so-Texan, tile your walls or floors with leather. The more you abuse them, the better they’ll look.

Oh, Drama: pair a neutral ceramic stone with heavy-relief decorative tiles to turn an average wall into a work of art, or piece mosaic tiles together to create a beautiful mural.

Mix and Match: ceramic tile and natural stone combinations are hot.

Bejeweled: semiprecious stones used as mosaic tiles. We’ve seen mother of pearl, malachite, amethyst, and tiger’s eye.

Glass Act: art-glass tiles make a statement. Tempered-glass tiles can be used to preserve and display mementos (recipes, old love letters, botanicals) under glass. Glass mosaic tiles add shimmer and life to any installation.

Heavy Metal: metal accent tiles bring warmth and a sense of luxury to tilescapes.

Size Matters: extra-large (up to 24-inch) floor tiles add interest.

Distressed: crackle glazes give tile a glass or aged look.

Wall Art: tile sconces can be used for floral arrangements or lighting.

Old Favorite: Saltillo tile is back.

Get Graphic: don’t be afraid of geometric and linear patterns.

Sources: French-Brown, Daltile Tile & Stone Gallery, Edelman Leather, Ann Sacks, Antique Floors, and Flatley & Associates.

DETAIL WORK: Take advantage of decorative tiles to finish edges and create clean transitions between materials.

TILE LINGO

Base: flared-base tile used to finish off the bottom row of wall tiles.

Break strength: a measure of how much weight the tile can support. Floor tiles break strength should be greater than 250 pounds.

Bullnose: a rounded-edge tile. A single-edged bullnose tile is used to top off a wall, such as a bathtub surround or the edge of a countertop. A double-out bullnose has two rounded edges for finishing corners.

Coefficient of Friction (COF): a slip-resistance rating, from 0 to 1. Tile in high-traffic or wet areas should have a higher rating. Tiles rated .6 and higher are considered slip-resistant.

Glazed Ceramic: glaze is applied to the top of clay tiles and baked on, giving the tile a shiny appearance. Glazed tiles are available in unlimited colors, designs, and finishes, from high-gloss to matte to slip-resistant. The color or finish on the tile doesn’t go all the way through, so chips will be visible. Glazed tiles are ideal for walls, backsplashes, or any area that isn’t frequently used.

Glazed Porcelain: similar to glazed ceramic tiles, glazed porcelain tiles also come in a variety of colors and sizes and also show chips and stains.

Monocottura: Italian word meaning single-fired and the process in which tile is shaped, glazed, and fired in one step, dramatically speeding up production and costing costs. This method gives tiles a denser body and harder glaze.

Natural Stone: slate, marble, soapstone, granite, travertine, or limestone cut into thin pieces and installed on floors, walls, showers, and counters. A popular, high-end option.

PEI Rating: a measure of wear resistance. The Porcelain Enamel Institute (PEI) abrasion test rates wear resistance from Class 1 to Class 4+. Class 1 tiles are fragile and should only be considered for wall applications. Tiles with a Class 4+ rating can be used in commercial applications.

Quarry: any tile made from a mixture of clays. Quarry tiles are not glazed. If left unsealed, they stain easily, but because the color goes all the way through, chips are not as noticeable.

Saltillo: the most popular handmade terra-cotta tile. Made in Mexico, Saltillo tiles have a rustic appearance, varying widely in size, shade, and texture.

Terra-cotta: a hard-baked clay tile of variable color, often used on floors.

Terrazzo: a surface made with a mixture of marble chips and cement, which is then ground smooth.

Trim: special tiles used in creating borders and accents. Most tile lines also have trim pieces for finishing corners and edges.

Tumbled: also called rustic. Tumbling creates an aged look. If the material isn’t a true natural stone, tumbled tile is manufactured to have a textured surface that mimics stone.

Unglazed: thicker and denser than glazed tiles. Their colors run throughout the entire clay body. Although the color ranges are limited to the colors of the clay, these tiles are suited for extra-heavy commercial applications. Apply a sealer to unglazed tiles to prevent staining and moisture intake.

Water-absorption Percentages: tiles are rated nonvitreous (absorbs more than 7 percent water), semivitreous (3 to 7 percent), vitreous (.5 to 3 percent), or impervious (less than .5 percent). Nonvitreous tiles are not a good choice for wet locations.

Wear Rating: a rating of a glaze’s durability, from 0 (decorative) to 5 (heavy-duty). Tiles rated 3 or higher are suitable for floors.

SPLISH SPLASH: Natural stone is a beautiful choice for showers.

BEST OF THE BEST
Each of these showrooms offers a wide range of tile selections from traditional to contemporary in design and in materials from stone to leather giving you incredible design flexibility.

Ann Sacks
1621 Oak Lawn Ave., Ste. B. 214-742-8453. www.annsacks.com.

Antique Floors
1221 Dragon St. 214-760-9330. To the trade only.

Daltile Tile & Stone Gallery
2320 LBJ Fwy., Ste. 100. 972-484-0334. www.daltile.com. Showroom is open to the public, but sales are to the trade only.

Expo Design
13900 Dallas Pkwy. 972-934-2900; 600 Accent Dr., Plano. 972-633-6500; 7901 Grapevine Hwy., North Richland Hills. 817-581-2400. www.expo.com.

Edelman Leather
1025 N. Stemmons, Ste. 710. 214-637-0519 or 214-743-6666. www.edelmanleather.com.
To the trade only.

French-Brown
7007 Greenville Ave. 214-363-4341. www.french-brown.com.

The Great Indoors
5000 Alpha Rd. 214-764-1000; 3865 S. Cooper St., Arlington. 817-472-1300. www.thegreatindoors.com.

Horizon Italian Tile
1400 Turtle Creek Blvd., Ste. 149. 214-741-4447. www.horizontile.com.

Import Stone
11639 Emerald St., Ste. 400. 214-256-9700.

International Bath and Tile
1025 N. Stemmons, Ste. 610. 214-747-9080.

Materials Marketing
1626 Hi Line Dr., Ste. A. 214-752-4226. www.materials-marketing.com. To the trade only.

Roma Tile
3201 W. Pioneer Pkwy., Arlington. 817-801-6714; 5204 Airport Fwy., Fort Worth. 817-831-3851.

Walker Zanger
11550 Newberry St. 972-481-3900. www.walkerzanger.com.

Waterworks
8416 Preston Rd. 469-232-9962. www.waterworks.com.

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