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Shape Of You A PR IL 2018 | 29 Hard Surface Flooring Maintenance is top of mind when it comes to hard surface flooring by LAURIE JONES I n the world of hard surface flooring, trends are constantly changing – colours range from muted to bold, sizes and shapes are evolving, or regressing to past trends. Flesher Marble & Tile provides a variety of options for hard surface flooring for both contractors and homeowners. "Our primary customer base is commercial contractors who constantly deal with specifications," says Brent Fisher, general manager. "We get a set of drawings, plans and specifications that dictate to us what the designers have selected for the project, and we comply with what they are looking for." Fisher says the lighter, neutral tones are the most popular choices these days for tiles. The beiges seem to be waning and grey colours are taking over. "The formats are still growing in size. The movement is towards bigger is better. The most popular used to be a 24 inch by 24 inch tile, but now they are double that size with 24 inches by 48 inches, which is common. Also popular are the 32 inch by 32 inch, and 36 inch by 36 inch. The larger format with less grout joints and a more monolithic appearance is what is trending today." He adds another trend that is happening is the shape of tiles. For years the rect- angular design has been the most popular, but things are reversing back to the square tiles. "Designers are looking for 32 inch by 32 inch, 36 inch by 36 inch, and I wouldn't doubt that four foot by four foot pieces will be coming into popularity soon. Again, this is a movement to have less grout lines and easier to maintain." Ames Tile & Stone is on track with one of the latest trends in hard surface – ter- razzo design. "Our line called Autore turns the spotlight onto the old Venetian terrazzo floors with a new technology that makes the marble aggregates pop out in a six-colour palette in a porcelain body," says Connie Barillari, product specialist. "Autore's sizes ranges from 12 inch by 24 inch to 48 inch by 48 inch, in matte and polished finishes. Two types of decor are available: one in funky 1970's geometric designs, and the other in an old world, worn-out colourful encaustic look reminiscent of Moroccan patterns. Poured terrazzo is very costly to install, so having a porcelain tile for a fraction of the cost for this type of look is very attractive in the design world." Barillari says another trend is texture. "Ames is introducing a line called Nextone in a four-marble design that has a beautiful overlay in three different contemporary patterns. The line is available in three sizes from 12 inch by 24 inch to 24 inch by 48 inch. Another option is our distinctive distressed metallic design; and our line called Tube resonates this look. The corten colour depicts flashed rusted weathering steel that is very commonly used in architecture." S T U C K O N Y O U Mapei's Planitop 330 Fast is a quick-setting, polymer-modified, fibre-reinforced cementitious rendering, patching and levelling mortar. "It can be applied from 1∕8-inch to 1¼-inch in thickness in a single coat," says J.D. Eckmire, sales director, Western Canada. "Planitop 330 Fast can be used for ramping, smoothing and lev- elling clean, interior and exterior concrete, and screed floor substrates to prepare them for installing ceramic, stone or waterproofing systems." Eliminating the need for a latex additive, Planitop 330 Fast only needs to be mixed with water to produce a non-sagging mortar that bonds directly to the sub- strate, readying it for tile installation in as little as 90 minutes. "Because Planitop 330 Fast provides a superior flat finish, it produces an excellent substrate for the installation of thin tile and gauged porcelain tile panels," says Eckmire. Planitop Capri from Ames Tile & Stone. Large format tiles from Flesher Marble & Tile. Planitop 330 Fast application from Mapei Inc. Stylish drain solutions from Schluter Systems. 330 Fast has the added environmental benefit of having been verified "Red List Free" per the most current Red List on the Living Building Challenge website. Schluter Systems is adding smart home technology to its award winning Ditra-Heat electric floor warming system with a new Wi-Fi thermostat that allows the system to be controlled from anywhere, at any time. The touchscreen on the thermostat features an intuitive and interactive colour display screen that provides quick access to system settings and features. "This new product is a great fit with the overall move to smarter homes," says Dale Kempster, technical director with Schluter Systems. "Homeowners are using technology to keep informed about what is happening in their home when they are not there, so they can actually control certain systems so the home operates more efficiently. We've come out with some new drain grates that we believe architects and designers will want to recommend to their clients." Schluter has launched a series of new shower drain grates with brand new designs that fit into a virtually invisible frame, resulting in a stylish and truly seamless look for shower floors. Three new grate designs are available for both the standard four-inch square point drains, and for Schluter's linear drains in lengths from 20 inch to 48 inch. Maxxon knows that in multifamily renovation projects, hard surface flooring solutions are being used more frequently in place of carpet to extend the life of the floor. Flooring, like luxury vinyl tile (LVT), provides durability with modern visual appeal but also creates a new set of challenges related to acoustics. Carpet offers the benefit of excellent impact sound control (IIC).

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