Builders Create More Design Options by Combining Old and New Technologies.

"A tile installation gives a uniqueness to a home, and the permanence of the tile is something that a lot of customers are looking for," explains CTIOA Inc.'s Gray LaFortune. "Now we're beginning to see tiles being used as surfacing throughout the ground floor of a home. We see border patterns integrated into designs, and the cutting and finishing of tile to create mosaics and reliefs."

WATER JETS: COST-EFFICIENT DETAILING

About two years ago, the process of using waterjet cutting machines to create custom tile designs started becoming popular in custom homes, according to Harri Aalto, co-owner of Creative Edge Corp., the largest waterjet fabricator in the world. The company uses a cutting machine that combines hard-surface materials, such as granite, marble and porcelain, into innovative designs for floors, walls and backsplashes.

"The material holds up the in the same way that stone holds up," says Aalto. "The floor is stronger because it is epoxied together-it's virtually indestructible." Aalto says cost ranges from $20-$80 per sq. ft. for cutting of material and assembly, depending upon the material and the time allowed.

TILE SIZES AND TYPES: BASIC GUIDELINES

Large-format tiles range in dimensions from 8"x8" to 2'x3', and are most often used on floors or walls. Some companies, such as Spain's Grespania, offer oversized floor and wall tile with matching width measurements. Quarry tile comes either glazed or unglazed, and generally measures 6"x6" or 4"x8". Mosaics run in small sizes, up to about 2-1/4" square, available either glazed or unglazed. Standard wall tile usually comes with an assortment of trim pieces. When installing this type of tile, explains Daniels, "you need to be concerned with size and flatness, because wall tile is normally set with a small grout joint-whereas floor tile tends to be spaced out a little more, and it has better flexibility to tolerate size variations."

CRAFTED BY HAND

Handmade tiles come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and feature both hand-painted and hand-carved designs. Because of the labor involved, these tiles can escalate to about three times the price of commercial tile. Kevin Garber, owner of Fishing Creek Studios in St. Louis, Missouri, produces hand-carved pieces that serve as backsplashes, fireplace facades and floor inserts, at a cost anywhere from $2-$500 per sq. ft., depending on the intricacy of the carving and size. Smashing Tiles, a company located in New York City, makes prefabricated mosaic tile. They also offer an accessory line, which is displayed on their Web site.■