As a result, many new and exciting trim pieceshave been engineered to function as chair-rail units to perform in this type of installation. A tile project such as this can take place in virtually any room of the house. And this process can incorporate tiles as large as 24 inches square.

You may think you've covered every possible area of residential ceramic tile application. But if you attend the Coverings '98 expo (April 21-24 in Orlando), you'll see an array of products and applications that truly boggles the mind. Every year that I attend, I see not only new and exciting products, but also new and exciting ways in which to use them. I see applications that I would never imagine. It's worth the trip to the show for that reason alone.■

About the Author. Ron Treister, the author of this exclusive column on ceramic and natural stone, is owner of Communicators International Ltd., a marketing communications firm with offices in Cape Elizabeth, ME. Ron has created advertising, sales promotion material, publicity campaigns, identity programs and more for all segments of the ceramic industry. If you have any questions or comments for Ron, he can be reached at (207) 767-6550.

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Can you imagine a beach house clad entirely in brightly colored ceramic tile? Wouldn't it make sense to have an application such as this, considering the amount of sand, wet bathing suits, sodden towels and sticky sun-tan lotion containers which continually create messy conditions? A single wet mopping would provide ample clean up so that the house would be spotless in time for cocktail hour. (And then if drinks were spilled, the same easy clean-up regimen would take place!)

How about ceramic tile in a glass-enclosed sunroom, resplendent with all kinds of indoor plants? Quality ceramic tile will not fade, and today's grouts (especially those made with 100% epoxy solids) do not discolor. Both stand up to water better than any other man-made surfacing material. Concerned about sliding those huge potted ficus trees back and forth across the floor? No problem. Even those ceramic tiles produced solely for "Class II residential applications" are durable enough for the toughest home installations.

Using floor tile on walls is a technique that's very new to this country. To maintain a consistent look, the use of many floor tiles is being extended to adjacent vertical surfaces.