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It should be noted that importing tile for an individual home or condo is just not worth the hassle. You’ll pay half the price for the tile, but by the time you pay for customs brokerage, ocean and domistic shipping, warehousing, and other misc fees, you’ll have lost far more than you gained. Also, you can never really trust an overseas factory in the same way that you can trust an American business.

Scams run wild in the overseas tile world, so this service is certainly a good way to avoid unscrupulous factories, because ImportGenius lets you analyze their export history and correspond with other American companies that buy from said factory.  The genius search engine allows you to analyze ocean containers brought into the United States.  If you search for “tile” you are rewarded with a massive list of tile imports, along with data about both the supplier and the importer.  This is a quick way to find new providers, as well as to find out who other tile importers around the country are buying from.  I’ve attached a screen shot of a basic search I ran for “travertine tile”.   Of course, there is a lot more you can do with the tool.  For example, I noticed that tile imports really spiked during certain months of the year, and crashed in others.  Areas hit hardest by the real estate crash have the most noticeable decline in tile import activity.  I also used Import Genius to find a supplier of a new style of noche dark travertine that has become increasingly popular in Florida.
 

Import Genius Screenshot

The Babylonians and Islamic empires soon to adopted the technique of using ceramic tile art to decorate mosques and depict religious scriptures. By the 13th century almost every European church was paved in delicately hand crafted ceramic floor coverings. As time went on and tastes evolved the wealthy and eccentric began requesting lavishly glazed tiles to adorn their establishments with aristocratic style. The tile industry flourished, and the art of using ceramic and stone tiling to beautify floors and add creative elements to both interior and exterior wall structures became a right of passage for the prosperous. Lower class families often attempted to mimic the intricate designs and textures or expensive tiles in their own handcrafted designs.

By the turn of the 16th century the wide spread popularity of tile had made it’s way to Spain, where some of the most extravagant hand crafted tile art from that era can still be viewed today.

The industrial revolution of the late 1800’s can be attributed to the large success of tile in Britain. The tradition of using tile as a decorative building material, or to add elegance and splendor to seemingly ordinary architecture is predominately European in origin, and quickly became a custom that people the world over soon adopted.

American tile makers sought to emulate the success of the British tile industry, but American made tile of the time was never as desirable as the English imports. By the end of the 19th century handcrafted tiles were used extensively to adorn walls as décor and to beautify the interior of fireplaces.

As society became more hygiene conscious and the desire for artistic home décor progressed, home owners began using ceramic tiles in their kitchens and bathrooms. The sanitary capabilities of glazed tiles made them an ideal choice for floor and wall coverings in frequently visited public locales such as subway stations, restaurants and healthcare facilities.

Today decorative and duel purpose tile can be seen everywhere. Glazed ceramic tile provide an easy-to-clean decorative medium for kitchen and bathroom floors and walls. Impressive and strategically placed tile add an artistic flare to shower walls, and garden walkways and patios are never been more breath taking than they are when bedecked with inviting and stylish stone tiling.

Here are a few images of their tile in action:

Mosaic Glass Tile Backsplash

Mosaic Glass Tile in World Map

Mosaic Glass Tile in Restaurant

Check out some pictures of their work below:

Rectangular Tiles

Tile Bathroom Idea

Tile Backsplash

Trikeenan Tileworks has been manufacturing tile in the United States for two decades. With manufacturing plants in the northeast and an international distribution network, they have been setting trends in the tile industry for years. Starbucks recently chose them to create tile backsplashes in many of their stores. Visit their site at www.trikeenan.com to learn more, and view photographs of their work below:

Green Tile Backsplash

Gray Tile Backsplash

Steam Shower

Envy Walk-in Bathtubs

Everyone knows that home design is about comfort and convenience. Safety, however, is often overlooked. Falling is a leading cause of death, and most falls in the house occur in the bathroom. In addition to non-slip tile solutions, we suggest walk-in bathtubs when remodeling or building a home for an elderly or disabled individual. Eliminate all of the dangers associated with stepping in and out of a bathtub by installing a bathtub with a door in it. Envy walk-in tubs website offers a good video that shows both the benefits of a walk-in tub, and clever integration with travertine style to add a look of style and comfort.