Happy New Year Everyone. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Enzo Faienza and it’s my pleasure to write my first blog of the year. 

One of my main task at Universal is purchasing of the new lines and seeing what the future trends are going to bring. The ceramic tile industry has changed since I began in the industry over 25 years ago. Back then most tile was still being produced on a monocottura (single fired clay body) The technology of the glazing was also much different and if you looked at the tile closely you could see the screening from the glazing on the end of the tile. 

Fast forward 25 years and through the development of new digital technology along with porcelain body tile the look and trends have changed dramatically. The porcelain body give you a stronger body tile and are much more durable and in many instances can go out in the New England cold. The digital glazing has made it so the tile itself comes “Alive” and you can see great depth and character in the design.

“You can put a real hardwood plank next to a porcelain tile plank and you can’t tell the difference”

For instance the new styles and trends have brought wood looking series such as our Unicom Oak series to look just like hardwood. You can put a real hardwood plank next to a porcelain tile plank and you can’t tell the difference. The main difference is the tile has basically no upkeep other than washing it. It’s great if you have pets and you don’t have to worry about them scratching the floor. 

“Now Trending: Marble, Slate and Natural Stone looking tiles..”

Another trend that is very popular right now is the marble, slate and natural stone looking tiles. These series come with a complete package with a variety of sizes. One thing I can say for sure is the sizing of the tiles are getting larger and larger. Going back to my first days in the business the main size was a “12×12” for a floor tile. Now the trends are going up and up and the “12×24” have now become a very popular size with the “24×24” right behind it. I can tell you from being at the tile shows many of the manufactures are going even bigger with “36×48” sizing. They look beautiful and what you get is a large tile with less grout joints. I know that size won’t work for some of your smaller spaces but in a nice large room it will look so beautiful and look like one slab of tile. We just sold a job like this using our Mariner “18×36” Rialto Series in the polished finished. I can’t wait to see the pictures of this project when it’s done, I will make sure it’s posted to our website and Facebook page.

“Price ranges that will fit ALL budgets”

Remember, no matter what your project is, our staff at Universal Tile in Hartford is ready to assist you in any way we can. We have a very large selection and price ranges that will fit all budgets. Don’t forget to also check out our new “Value Added Center” You can find some really great tiles for a great price.