Award

OCTOBER 2015 | 41 Tiles Higham adds: "It would appear that what was old is new again, and geometry is again reshaping tile design. Mix in some interesting finishes and today's technical advances in quality, and it's an exciting time for everyone!" Cement-look floor tiles are another out-of-the-box direction for the industry. "Cement floors don't have that unfinished, cold, grey look anymore, you can have just about any colour and any texture with cement-look floor tiles," says Michael Kuch, Daltile branch manager in Concord, Ontario. "One of our favourites is the new series Cotto Contempo, a glazed porcelain tile that looks equally great in an urban loft as it does on a patio. The large format tiles add a modern flair that you can install on walls, floors and countertops." The cement-look tiles are available in various sizes and in four colours includ- ing white, reddish-brown and grey tones with high shade variation. The moisture absorption rate is less than 0.5 per cent so the moisture problem that comes with cement is nearly eliminated. "Cotto Contempo is versatile enough for light commercial and regular commer- cial applications too," says Kuch. "It brings a trendy feel to a commercial environ- ment while remaining tough enough to handle all kinds of foot traffic. Cement-look tiles are an enduring, fashion-forward statement with subtle colour, tone and tex- ture nuances crafted to complement any interior environment." N E W S TA N D A R D S The Terrazzo Tile & Marble Association of Canada (TTMAC) is moving forward with its revised and updated 03 90 00 Tile Installation Manual, due to go to print in August for the 2015-17 edition. "In process is an update of our Terrazzo standards guide, which we plan to release in the fall of 2015," says Duigan Mitchell, president. "Our Hard Surfaces maintenance guide is being worked on now, so we expect to release it in early 2016." Mitchell says the TTMAC Toronto office is certified to conduct the recently intro- duced Dynamic Coefficient of Friction (DCOF) testing on slip resistance, and with the liability around slip fall accidents, this has been an active service the associa- tion provides. "Our experienced team of infield inspectors provide professional site inspections. The Universal Floor Tester is a unique machine. It is a redesign of the Robinson type Floor Tester and is capable of carrying out the test for an ASTM C-627 designation. The ASTM test is designed to verify the suitability of a flooring system for a particular type of installation." The TTMAC team presented a variety of professional technical and trends semi- nars at the 2015 Tech Expo in Vancouver. "After the success there, we are in the process of rolling this program out to major centres across Canada in the fall of 2015 and spring of 2016," says Mitchell. S T I C K A R O U N D Schluter Systems now offers a product that has double the number of cable lengths available for the DITRA-HEAT floor warming system. "The DITRA-HEAT system is unique because the heating cables are easily snapped into place on top of the uncou- pling mat with no clips or fasteners," says Dale Kempster, technical director, Canada. "The system launched just over one year ago with 17 different cable lengths to accommodate a wide range of project sizes," he says. "There are now 34 cable lengths to choose from: 17 for 120-volt circuits and 17 for 240-volt circuits. The additional cable lengths fill in gaps between the previous lengths so it is even easier to pick the right length of cable to suit the area to be warmed on any tiled floor." The new lengths include cables that can be used in a space as small as 10.7 square feet, so the floor of a very small bathroom, powder room, or entryway can be easily warmed with the system. DITRA-HEAT floor warming system from Schluter Systems.

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