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OCTOBER 2018 | 23 Tiles The top tiles trends of 2018 and beyond by LAURIE JONES W ith the new releases from tile manufacturers and suppliers, designers, architects, builders, and consumers will have a wide variety of products to create unique wall and floors this coming season. Ames Tile & Stone now offers tiles that feature geometric patterns and 3D lines that are available in colours ranging from greys to soft pastels, each of which can be mixed and matched. "One of our new glazed ceramic lines is called Trapez, with trapezoid patterns," says Connie Barillari, director of product marketing and education. "The nine-inch by four- inch tiles are nine-millimetres thick and come in Trapezoid Matte and Trapezoid Gloss finishes." Another option that showcases a geometric design is the Chalk series. "The Chalk tiles come in a variety of colours including greys, which are still popular, and a selection of muted colours," says Barillari. "They can be installed on both walls and floors in bathrooms, steam showers, feature walls, indoor or outdoor, and endless options for commercial applications." She adds that an actual 3D look can be achieved with Ames Bristol and Hudson lines. "These have silky glazes in matte or gloss finish. Designers can assemble their own designs with the tile and really create a statement on projects." Another popular line for 2018 is Ottocento. "This is a beautiful product with vintage designs on the tiles," Barillari explains. "It's becoming increasingly popular to see patterns on the floor for a retro, vin- tage, or old world look." Ames has long been known for options in natu- ral stone tile designs in porcelain tile, including the Portraits line, which offers seven different stone designs from all over the world. "Each product comes with a story about what part of the world it is from," she says. I N G O O D C O M P A N Y The Terrazzo, Tile and Marble Association of Canada (TTMAC) is continuing to produce exciting educa- tional material that will be beneficial to members of the construction and building industries. "Our new online training based on our 093000 Manual for contractors and architects will be available by December 2018 and it is going to be a game changer for us in terms of what we can offer to people in the industry," says Stone Tile's Bill Wright, president of the TTMAC. "The long-term goal is to also incorpo- rate some hands-on training in conjunction with the online information. But for now we're starting with web-based training. We are also in the process of cre- ating a new fabricator's manual for producing tile and stone for countertops and other installations." Wright says the program will have multiple mod- ules so people can take them all, or just the ones that are applicable to their job, or something they are inter- ested in learning more about. "Each module comes with a certificate of completion after the test so people can gauge how they are progressing through the informa- tion," he says. "Through these programs we're trying to set a higher bar for professionalism in the tile world for training and education, which would be beneficial for everyone, including new builds and renovation work." The TTMAC also has a new membership man- ager, Marianna Pisani. "Pisani is contacting existing members and she also works with new members, or people who are interested in becoming members and getting them involved," he says. Beyond instruction material, the TTMAC offers a number of services that continue to be popular. "Our inspection committee does on-site inspections across the country, and we also do tests in our lab in Toronto. We offer the Dynamic Coefficient of Friction test as well as the Robinson Floor test for ASTM C-627 designation for hard surfaces." S TAY I N C O N T R O L Mapei has added Ultracolor Plus FA to its tile-and-stone grout offerings. The use of a fine aggregate in rapid- setting Ultracolor Plus FA makes it an all-in-one grout replacement for both sanded and unsanded grout. Ultracolor Plus FA is specially formulated with Mapei's High-Hydrated Cement Technology (HCT) to eliminate the common problems related to Portland- cement grout, such as colour consistency and efflorescence. This new grout also has the added ben- efit of DropEffect technology, which reduces surface absorption to help repel water, dirt, and grime from penetrating grout joints. "Ultracolor Plus FA is easy to install and stain-resis- tant, does not require a sealer and is available in all 40 colours of the new Mapei colour palette," says David Mowery, Mapei Tile and Stone installation systems business manager for Color Products & UltraCare. In addition, Ultracolor Plus FA is formulated with 10 percent recycled content, meeting the ANSI A138.1 specification for the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) Green Squared certification. It also carries the ISO 13007 classification CG2WAF – a cementitious grout (CG) that is improved (2), has reduced water absorption (W) and exhibits high abrasion resistance (A). When the challenge is to quickly render a wall or floor flat and smooth for the installation of large-for- mat tile and large thin-gauged tile panels, the solution may be Mapei's Planitop 330 Fast – a quick-setting, polymer-modified, fibre-reinforced cementitious rendering, patching, and levelling mortar for interior Forms Of Expression Trapez glazed ceramic gloss tiles from Ames Tile & Stone. Rapid-setting Ultracolor Plus FA from Mapei.

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