BIG!

When I first began in the tile business back in 1980, floor tile was 8″
x 8″.

Ten years later when I built my first tile showroom, tile was
mostly 12″x12″ with the bigger tiles at 13″ x 13″.

In 2001, when I began Villagio, we made displays to fit 24″ x 24″, but the vast majority of
tile was 16″ or 18″ square.

24″ was available, but was mostly a novelty at the time, with few customers. Now we’re almost halfway through 2015.
Ultra-thin (1/8″+) porcelain panels up to 5’x10′ are available from almost all distributors. Requiring new cutting and handling equipment as well as special adhesives and specific installation techniques, ultra thin porcelain has been slow to catch on residentially. However, traditional porcelain tile has been growing to larger formats as well.
The best selling size by far is 12×24, but we are seeing tremendous interest in 18″x36″ and even 24″x48″. We have over 20 selections of each of those sizes on display in our showroom.

But the most dramatic has to be our piece of 48″x48″ porcelain tile (not ultra thin). 16sf in a single tile—amazing!

Why larger and larger tile? It’s quite simple: less grout joints and
unmatched elegance.

We have two installations of 24″ x 48″ in our showroom—you’ll be amazed how it works well even in smaller rooms.
Smaller rooms with less grout joints give a more sleek contemporary look.

IMG_1128 Villagio Tile and Stone IMG_1129

Formaldehyde Floors?

Like many of you, we at Villagio Tile and Stone have been shocked by the news that the country’s largest retailer of laminate wood flooring is being investigated for selling laminates with unacceptable levels of formaldehyde (See the story here).

However,  virtually all wood laminate flooring contains formaldehyde, no matter where it is purchased.  Basically, it’s not a question of “if” formaldehyde is present in laminates, but “how much”. The glue and resin that is used to bond pressed wood together contains formaldehyde gas.

There are federal and state guidelines as to what levels of formaldehyde are considered “safe”. Now I’m not sure how much formaldehyde gas the Fed says I can safely have in my home, but any gas that increases the risk of chronic respiratory irritation, asthma and cancer, I would want at zero.

Enter porcelain wood planks.

One of the many attributes of porcelain tile is…they’re inert!

Tile is not glued together, and no formaldehyde or toxic substances are used in production.  Porcelain is fired to over 2,000 F, burning off most impurities.  Porcelains do not contain or release toxins.

So, in addition to being water-PROOF, stain-PROOF, and termite-PROOF, we are now aware that porcelain woods are formaldehyde-FREE, providing a safe, beautiful option to laminated woods.

Stop by our Scottsdale Showroom to check out the newest 48″ porcelain wood planks, MAXIWOOD.

Maxiwood at Villagio Tile and Stone

Some Things Look Better Naked

There are some really authentic looking wood planks, but you’ll be impressed with the au natural look of Naked Wood Porcelain Planks, exclusively from Villagio.

It’s not enough to touch the face of Naked Wood, it’s only when you flip it around to it’s backside that you’ll be shocked to see it’s porcelain, not wood planking!

Knots, natural woodgrain, and the appearance of multiple widths. The only thing missing is that freshly sawn wood smell.

Just one of the brand spankin’ new product lines recently added to the Villagio showroom.

Come by our beautiful Scottsdale Airpark location and take a look.

 

Villagio Tile and Stone - Natural Wood

Villagio Tile and Stone - Natural Wood

Sub-Zero Wolf Remodels their Scottsdale Showroom

When SubZero Wolf began remodeling their Scottsdale Airpark showroom, Villagio was selected to provide the tile.  All of the tile surfaces were selected by Janet Brooks of Janet Brooks Design.

The tile work was installed in two stages. The first stage was replacing the existing flooring in the entry into their main cooking/meeting area along with back splash tile in several vignettes.  The Modero Grigio Wood-Look Plank 9″ x 36″ from Villagio was chosen for the flooring due to its warm gray/taupe colorations, large plank size and porcelain durability. This beautiful floor tile absolutely transformed the showroom.

By specifying porcelain planks rather than wood planks, Janet provided Subzero Wolf with flooring that is impact resistant, nearly scratch proof, stain-proof, completely water proof and an easy to clean surface. Porcelain planking is ideally suited for both a commercial or residential setting.

A few months later, SubzeroWolf decided it was time to use Modero Grigio porcelain planks in virtually the entire showroom. Today, there is a continuous wood plank flooring look that creates a warm, harmonious look. The bonus is that by replacing multiple floors with a single floor tile, there is a feeling that the showroom is much, much larger than it was previously.

Next time you’re in the Subzero Wolf showroom, be sure to take a look at the floor and vignette displays provided by Villagio.

Villagio Tile and Stone - Wolf Subzer

Villagio Tile and Stone - Wolf Subzer

Villagio Tile and Stone - Wolf Subzer

Villagio Tile and Stone - Wolf Subzer

The Dirt on Cleaning Porcelain Tile

You bought porcelain tile for many reasons.  One reason is cleaning. Porcelain tile  has an impervious surface that is both easy to clean AND easy to keep clean. But that’s not been your experience. Your tile looked dull and lifeless right after it was initially installed. It not only shows footprints, it seems to actually pull the dirt off the bottom of your shoes.

You’ve tried everything—tile cleaners, deep cleaners, bleach, ammonia, soft scrub…..no change. You’re disappointed in your tile and swear your next floor will be hardwood.

WAIT! Before you convince yourself to install a wood floor with the Good Termite-Keeping Seal of Approval, the problem isn’t your tile floor—it’s what’s ON your tile. Specifically, what’s on the face of your tile that you really CAN’T see…until it gets dirty.

What’s in the face can be one or more of any number of things: ALL are easily remedied. Here they are in order of most common issues regarding issues on NEW installations:

PROBLEM: Grout haze.

WHY: The last cleaning during installation may not have removed all the grout from the face of your tile.

RESOLUTION: clean with acid-based tile cleaner made specifically to remove grout film. All big box home improvement stores and tile distributors will have a specifically formulated cleaner that will have printed right on the label that is will remove grout haze.

IMPORTANT: Follow manufacturers instructions to the letter, after all, this is acid and precautions must be taken. At Villagio, we stock Stone Tech RESTORE ACIDIC CLEANER.

 

PROBLEM: Latex Film/other coatings.

WHY: Latex is in most grout today. It makes your grout dense and hard.However,it can be difficult to remove at installation and the film is virtually invisible. Also, if there was a coating or sealer used on your tile before,mourning or after installation it may still be present.

RESOLUTION: Strip the sealer off using a product specifically made for tile surfaces. Villagio recommends Stone Tech HD COATING STRIPPER.

 

PROBLEM: Nano Sealers applied to the face of the tile at the tile factory.

WHY: Nano Sealers penetrate the small micro-pores of certain types of porcelain tile. They are absolutely invisible to the naked eye.

RESOLUTION: Nano removers are typically abrasive cream cleaners utilizing microscopic particles that penetrate micropores. Certain scrubs are like the nuclear bombs of the tile industry and will also remove sealers, coatings, and haze from the face of tiles and stone. Custom Building Products manufactures both Aqua Mix Nano Scrub and TileLab Nano Clean.

 

CONCLUSION

It’s NOT your tile that is hard to keep clean, it is what is ON your tile that is causing the problem. The solution is both quick AND easy by using the products listed above. It cannot be stressed enough that safety us a legit concern and manufacturer  instructions must be followed. ALWAYS DO A SMALL, OUT OF THE WAY, TEST AREA FIRST.

Your tile is both EASY TO CLEAN AND EASY TO KEEP,CLEAN. Just get that yucky stuff off the face of your tile and your floor will brighter, more beautiful and way easier to keep that way.