5 Steps to Successfully Applying Penetrating Sealer to Cement Tile

By Bill Buyok, Avente Tile

Sealers for cement tile should be applied to protect the tile from water and staining; but, they can also be used to enhance or restore color. A color-enhancing sealer was used on this exterior cement tile walk, stair risers, and treads to protect them and brighten the colors.

Color-enhancing impregnating sealers are used to brighten cement tile colors,
especially exterior tiles subject to fading from the sun.

Sealers remain one of the most misunderstood and confusing steps of installing cement tile. The confusion comes from the different types of sealers (impregnating, topical, color enhancing), the nomenclature used (impregnating is the same as penetrating), and the dizzying number of manufacturers and specialized products offered.

With so many sealer options available, including finishing effects (gloss, satin, matte) and applications (outside sidewalk, inside bath, or pool sideboard), you are sure to get a different procedure from different people each time you ask. So, it's easy to understand why people get confused. It doesn't have to be confusing though. The goal of today's post and short video is to demystify the use of sealers when it comes to installing cement tile,

Step #1. Select a high-quality penetrating or impregnating sealer. You may use either a water-based or solvent-based sealer. Water-based sealers are slightly easier to apply and may provide better coverage protection because they aren't as deeply absorbed into the tile. Solvent-based sealers have a strong odor when applied and may provide longer protection, especially against water. I explain this thoroughly in a previous post, Sealing Cement Tile.

When selecting a sealer, make sure it's rated for where you are using the tile. Specifically ask if the sealer can be used for:

1. Indoor or outdoor applications
2. Floor or wall applications
3. Wet locations (pool or bath) or dry location (bedroom)

Step #2. Select a topical sealer if you want to provide additional finish effects to the tile. Penetrating sealers usually do not effect the finish of the tile because they work by impregnating the tile below the surface. Topical sealers create a barrier on the surface of the tile so that stains do not reach the cement. Topical sealers have different finishes that include shiny, satin and matte. Often, matte topical sealers are produced by adding a chemical that cuts the shine, but also weakens the sealer. Topical sealers are not generally recommended for exterior applications as radiant energy from the sun deteriorates them quickly. Topical sealers will wear over time and generally need to be reapplied more frequently that penetrating sealers.

Color-enhancing penetrating sealers can be used to enhance (brighten or darken) the colors of the cement tile. This is a good choice for exterior applications that are subject to fading from the sun.

Step #3. Test your sealer/sealer combination. Always test the final choice of your sealer or sealer combination. Simply apply to a test tile and make sure the desired finish is achieved without any adverse reactions.

Step #4. Clean the area to be sealed. Make sure the tiles to be sealed have been cleaned, all grout has been removed and the tiles are thoroughly dry. Start with a physical cleaning with a blower or broom. Then clean with a tile cleaner or mild detergent and rinse with water and a grout sponge. If the tile looks hazy or cloudy, clean again.

Step #5. Apply the sealer. Use a lamb's wool applicator, lint-free rag or paint brush. Generally, you'll want to apply three coats allowing the sealer to dry between each application. Make sure to apply generously; but, do not allow the sealer to pool, streak, or run.

Tile immediately after applying a color-enhancing sealer. As you can see, there are no pools of sealer or streaks in the sheen.

Cement Tile Crazing
Cement tile often exhibit "crazing" or fine, hairline cracks over time. This is not a defect and does represent any problem with the tile; however, it will be more apparent when the tiles are wet or when applying a sealer. The small cracks or branches show more on dark tiles and plain tiles. Don't panic or think you've done something wrong if you see this after applying a sealer or if the tiles get wet.

Cement tile crazing can be seen in the plain red stair tread.

Small fissures, or crazing, are more apparent on dark colors and when the tile is wet.

How to Apply a Penetrating Sealer to Cement Tile Video
This short video shows how to apply a penetrating sealer to unsealed and previously sealed cement tiles. This important part of the installation process protects cement tile from water and staining. I show how easy it is to apply a color-enhancing impregnating or penetrating sealer to a tile walk and patio. I also recommend products to use and where to get them. You can see for yourself, just how easy it is to apply a sealer.



These five simple steps will ensure success for every cement tile project you do. If you aren't sure about which sealer to choose or if you should apply a grout release. We can help! These handy guides will give you all the information you need to know!

Benefits of Pre-Sealing Cement Tile

Sealer Recommendations for Cement Tile

Designer Insights with Bill Buyok

By Tudor Davies, Terry's Fabrics

As you may know, Bill Buyok is the founder and owner of Avente Tile. He started the company as an online tile showroom and catalog so that hand-painted ceramic tiles and cement tiles are more easily and broadly available for others who share the same passion. Avente Tile's mission is to search the globe to find the finest and most extraordinary tiles for their customers while providing excellent service and product knowledge. With that in mind, here are the Designer Insights of Bill Buyok.

Editor's Note: Bill Buyok's Designer Insights were originally published Tuesday, May 19 on the Terry's Fabrics Blog by Tudor Davies. It's only one in a collection of Designer Insights compiled by Tudor and his team that profile designers and design enthusiasts. We're honored to have been included in this collection, and thank Terry's Fabrics for this opportunity. If you enjoy Bill's insights, then be sure to visit the Terry's Fabrics blog and peruse all of the Designer Insights.

The following transcript shows the interview questions and Bill's response to each.

1. In your own words, describe your unique style and creative aesthetic? I’m drawn to classic Spanish, Moroccan, and Italian designs, the nature-inspired design of the Arts & Crafts Movement, and a love for Hispano-Moresque design.
2. When starting a new project, what is your creative process? Listen to customers, understand their needs and wants. I start with facts, then develop the color scheme and apply pattern, motifs, accent colors and flourishes to establish design and personal style.
   
3. Out of the creative people you have worked with, who is it that you respect and admire the most? My customers, who include designers, architects, and residential customers, often envision something extraordinary, unique and bold. Our cement tiles allow customers to create designs and apply color to a pattern of their choice, allowing them to control the creative design process. Thus, the tile’s pattern and color have now been reinvented into something beautiful that I would have never imagined.
   
4. When looking for inspiration is there a particular thing you do to get inspired? During my early morning treks through Los Angeles neighborhoods, I find inspiration around me. I then turn those inspirations into design ideas that are unique, fun and useful.
   
5. What has brought you to this point in your career? And what is your advice for people looking to follow in your footsteps? Work hard, persevere, and do what you love! Every day presents its own unique challenges that you have to translate to opportunity. Never give up and always believe in yourself. Remember, it’s not how you handle the best days; but, how you handle the challenges and disappointments that really matter.

The Bellagio Resort: A Mosaic Tile Showcase

Image via Photographersnature.

Located in the southern part of the famous Las Vegas Strip, the Bellagio Resort Hotel has dominated its surroundings from the time it opened in 1998 with lush landscaping, classic architecture and elements, and a man-made, eight-acre lake reminiscent of Italy’s Lake Como.

With an original cost of $1.6 billion, this Italian-styled property by MGM Resorts International exudes charm, luxury, and aristocracy while simultaneously welcoming the masses into its ornate lobby.

Artist Dale Chihuly’s 2,000-piece “Fiori di Como” hand-blown glass sculpture comes to life above the Bellagio's lobby.

It’s within this lobby that Bellagio’s true form and nod to the artistic masters, new and old, come to fruition. From the moment guests walk into the lobby, eyes are first drawn to the artwork on the 18-ft ceiling. This is artist Dale Chihuly’s 2,000-piece “Fiori di Como” hand-blown glass sculpture comes to life. 

As beautiful and stately as the individual glass blossoms are, one’s eyes are then diverted to the intricate mosaic and stone tile work on the floors, walls, staircases and even ceilings – all thanks to the talented artisans of Italian mosaic manufacturer – Sicis.

Elegant mosaics and marble tiles adorn the reception area of the Bellagio's lobby.

Above the entrance/exit doors, lighting niches are further enhanced by detailed mosaics painstakingly applied by tile and stone masters.

From the lobby, guests and visitors are encouraged to stroll through the hotel’s famous Conservatory & Botanical Gardens. With glass ceilings measuring 50-feet high and a space measuring more than 13,500 square feet, the amount of foot traffic the lobby and the conservatory see on a yearly basis could easily surpass a million people!

The Bellagio's Conservatory & Botanical Gardens fully decorated for the summer season. 

This is one snail I wouldn't mind having in my garden!

Thousands of square feet of stone, mosaic tile, medallions by Italian manufacturer Sicis can be seen and appreciated throughout the Bellagio hotel and resort. Here are several mosaic stone and tile patterns seen in just the Conservatory and Botanical Garden area alone:

Intricate mosaic designs flow throughout the Bellagio's lobby and reception areas.

Classic and timeless stone mosaics patterns happily reside alongside the floral motifs.

Glistening mosaic stones form floral focal points throughout the Bellagio's lobby  and conservatory.

Mosaic floral bouquet in the conservatory.

Detailed view of the mosaic floral bouquet.

And this is where artistry, talent and experience are integral to a long-lasting and successful installation. With hundreds of thousands of casual visitors coming into the Bellagio’s lobby, wearing everything from flip-flops to stilettos, the role of the highly experienced stone and tile installer becomes even more imperative. With so much at stake, lippage or uneven tiles, are hazards that no hospitality facility can ever afford to overlook or tolerate.

Interlaced mosaic stone borders gracefully accentuate the Bellagio's solid marble floors.

Hotel lobbies, such as the Bellagio’s, have steadily evolved from an area where people merely check in our out of rooms to that of a public living room where all guests are welcomed on a grand level. 

Therefore, it’s on this social platform where the master tile and stone artisans’ of Las Vegas-based Carrara Marble Company of America (the stone and tile contractors for Bellagio) proved vital in presenting the hotel’s first impression to newcomers. 

Do you appreciate the level of hospitality and artistry that hotels and resorts now offer? Have you ever been drawn to a destination because of the variety of tile and stone installations? I'd love to hear your story if you have! 

Coverings 2013 Floors Attendees with New Tile, Stone Designs

Coverings 2013 lived up to, and exceeded, all expectations as THE Ultimate Tile + Stone Experience. The four-day event, which concluded last week, was set in Atlanta for the first time in the show’s history. With that, more than 900 exhibitors from over 50 countries packed the aisles of the Georgia World Congress Center with the latest, most innovative stone and tile products.

If that weren’t enough, the organizers of Coverings also offered a wide-ranging conference program comprising more than 70 informative seminars and demonstration sessions targeting every segment of the industry, all free of charge, and many with CEU credits. Session topics included Social Media, design, exterior façades, stone fabrication, installation methods, and more. There was definitely something for everyone, and everyone was definitely engaged!

Of course, Coverings and its exhibitors have always aimed to please their attendees. This edition of the show did that, and more, with everything from micro-mosaics to large-format tiles. Texture was definitely a trend this year, as was the vast selection of attention-grabbing vibrant colors, or the subtle statement of shapely white tiles. Here’s just a sampling of what was available on the show floor. I’ll delve deeper into patterns, textures and sizes in future posts, so enjoy these beauties in the meantime.

Porcelain tile that mimics polished stone from Fiandre Architectural Surfaces.

The Shizen collection from Bedrosians Tile and Stone.

Coatings by Sandberg features an aviation industry inspired coating.

New shapes and textures from Interceramic.

LATICRETE International, Inc.'s Strata_Mat Uncoupling Membrane

Galala dimensional stone from Marmi Natural Stone.

Handmade cement tile by Tiles Couture.

Within the last couple of years, and more so for the 2013 edition of the show, Coverings stepped up its efforts with its social media presence. As a result, the indisputable nerve center of the show was Coverings Central. This interactive and vibrant area was strategically located on the show floor. Home to many Quick Fire sessions that addressed both social media and complementary industry topics, these 20-minute sessions highlighted the synergy between the tile and stone industries and social media. It went above and beyond its purpose by engaging attendees within the various Social Media channels, as well as helping those who needed a bit of help in getting started.

Coverings Central, the show's social media hub.

Now, what would Coverings be if it weren’t for the beautiful tile and stone designs? More importantly, what would those products be without proper installation? Here are a couple of places where design and installation was the belle of the ball!

Installation Design Showcase: Now this was the place to be if you wanted to see masterpiece-worthy collaborations between NTCA Five Star contractors and Atlanta-area design firms. These partnerships produced beautiful designs and with highly skilled installation techniques. This year’s vignettes include a bar/lounge, hotel lobby, inpatient room in a women’s birthing center, and a master bathroom – all created, from start to finish, right on the show floor.

Installation Design Showcase: Bar/Lounge. Image courtesy of Coverings.

Installation Design Showcase: Bar/Lounge

Design Firm/Designers: Margaret Nysewander, LEED AP, ASD Inc., and Michael Neiswander

Installer: Rimrock Designs, Inc.

Installation Design Showcase: Hotel Lobby. Image courtesy of Coverings.

Installation Design Showcase: Hotel Lobby

Design Firm/Designers: Foreman Rogers, ASID, IIDA, tvsdesign, and Allison Isaacs, AIA tvsdesign

Installer: Rod Owen, C.C. Owen Tile Company, Inc.

SCAD Tiled Bench Exhibit: Coverings teamed up with the Interior Design Department at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) where through a 10-week course, talented students learned how to design and tile six benches. These gorgeous benches were displayed for all the attendees to see as they passed through Halls B and C. After Coverings, the benches were moved to their permanent locations on the SCAD campus.

Students of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) created tile benches.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this brief glimpse of what Coverings 2013 offered. With so many new installation products, as well as new tile and stone designs unveiled at the show, I’ll be highlighting something new in future blog posts.

Lastly, did you know that plans are already underway for Coverings 2014? It’s already set for April 29-May 2, 2014, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas. Make sure to include the show in your 2014 plans!

Coverings is sponsored by several associations, including Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA), Tile of Spain/Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturer's Association (ASCER), Ceramics of Italy/Confindustria Ceramica, National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) and The Tile Council of North America (TCNA). The show is managed by National Trade Productions.

For additional information, please visit www.coverings.com, or contact National Trade Productions, Coverings Show Management at 703-706-8257. 

NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, all images are the property of Arpi Nalbandian. Please contact her if you would like to use these images.

Coverings 2013 Set to Dazzle with Trend-Setting Styles, Educational Opportunities

With its eye towards the future, Coverings 2013 has remained steadfast in its quest to provide the best possible experience for the attendees of its annual tile and stone trade fair and expo. Set for April 29 to May 2 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Coverings is prepared to help its attendees tackle real-world installation situations, preview the latest in tile and stone designs and products from global providers, and help attendees utilize their time and efforts within various social media platforms. It’s this dedication to innovation and resourcefulness that continue to drive the success of Coverings and make it a must-attend annual event. 

Once again, Coverings will be host to hundreds of exhibitors, distributors, retailers, fabricators, contractors, specifiers, architectural and design professionals. The four-day exposition serves as a valuable resource for continuing education within all segments of the industry. There are more than 70 informative, accredited seminars and live demonstration sessions offered throughout the show, all of which are free of charge, thanks to several sponsors, including Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA), Tile of Spain/Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturer's Association (ASCER), Ceramics of Italy/Confindustria Ceramica, National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) and The Tile Council of North America (TCNA).

Coverings 2013 Highlights

There’s always so much to see and do while at the show that it can be overwhelming for first-time attendees or the veteran show goer. By all means, pace yourself and wear comfortable shoes so you can fully grasp and enjoy all that Coverings offers you. Here's just a sampling of what I have on my not-to-be-missed agenda for this year’s event:

Tile of Spain Pavilion: More than 40 ceramic and stone manufacturers from Spain will showcase some of their most advanced ceramic tile technology and breathtaking design choices. Guests will experience cutting-edge technology, sustainable design and diverse architectural solutions from leading Spain tile manufacturers. To get started on the Spanish tile journey, first visit the Tile of Spain booth (#3309), located in the center of the pavilion, where you’ll find a variety of literature, including directories of the “must-see” Spanish tile exhibitors at Coverings. You can find a preview of the 43 Spanish tile and stone manufacturers participating in the Spanish Pavilion.

Illusion by Onix Mosaico.

Ribadeo from Vives Ceramica.

Tile of Italy Pavilion: The 3,000-square-foot Piazza Ceramica (Booth #2231) designed by e+i studio, will once again be in the heart of the Italian Pavilion. Serving as the main information point and gathering space, the pavilion will be surrounded by displays from dozens of Italian tile brands. The Ceramics of Italy booth will feature a popular café and coffee bar, offering authentic Italian cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and afternoon aperitivos every day of the show. The Piazza also serves as your starting point to viewing Italian tile collections and design trends from nearly 50 Ceramic Tiles of Italy exhibitors.

Diamond from Gardenia Orchidea

Frame designed by Studio FM for Ceramiche Refin

Installation Design Showcase: This is the place where attendees can observe masterpiece-worthy collaborations between NTCA Five Star contractors and Atlanta-area design firms. These partnerships produce beautiful designs and highly skilled installation techniques. This year’s vignettes include a bar/lounge, hotel lobby, inpatient room in a women’s birthing center and a master bathroom being created from inception to completion right on the show floor. 

For Coverings 2012, Foreman Rogers, senior designer from tvsdesign in Atlanta, designed this boutique guest room. Image courtesy of Coverings.

SCAD Tiled Bench Exhibit: Coverings teamed up with the Interior Design Department at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) where through a 10-week course, students learned how to design and tile six benches. These benches will be displayed at Coverings, after the show, be permanently located on the SCAD campus.

Coverings Central: This interactive and vibrant area, located on the show floor, will be home to many Quick Fire sessions addressing both social media and complementary industry topics. Located in booth 6457, these 20-minute sessions are designed to highlight the synergy between the tile and stone industries and social media. Within Coverings Central, attendees can also check their email in the Internet Café, get a photo taken in the Coverings 2014 photo booth with Las Vegas showgirls, view the PROJECT: Green display, relax at the bar, and so much more! 

Must See Tile Products at Coverings

As the largest and most-attended show for the U.S. tile and stone industries, it’s important that manufacturers get a head-start on new designs and materials to debut their latest creations in time for Coverings. With that in mind, here is just a sampling of the newly unveiled collections and series you’ll be able to see and touch at the show.

Pulling inspiration from fashion, Jorge Aguayo hopes to have you on, "Pins & Needles." The handcrafted collection of fabric-inspired field tiles and trims are all made of cast cement and marble dust. They come with an exhaustive color palette, too. "Pins & Needles" takes its romantic yet edgy cue from the fashion trend of combining lace with textured fabrics. The complete collection will be on display during Coverings at Wholesale Tile by Aguayo's booth (#7941).

Pins & Needles is a handcrafted fabric-inspired collection of textured cement tile by Wholesale Tile by Aguayo.

The Manhattan Collection from Bedrosians. Image via Bedrosians.

The Alhambra series from Kalebodur. Image via Kale Seramik.

SistemC CITTA Wall Tile by Marazzi Architectural. Image via Marazzi Architectural.

Crossville's Virtue Porcelain Tile Collection. 

The Riva Del Mar Collection by Country Floors. Image via Country Floors.

For additional information, list of exhibitors, a comprehensive session schedule, and more, please visit www.coverings.com, or contact National Trade Productions, Coverings Show Management, 703-706-8257. I'll see you there!

Avente Tile Owner Selected to Participate in Coverings Discussion

As the founder and owner of Avente Tile, I take great pride in offering each of my clients a diverse and unique professional experience. Since it's inception in 2003, Avente Tile's online tile showroom has sold hand-painted ceramic tile, handmade cement tile, and artisan tiles through various channels of the internet, including our website, this blog, Facebook, Twitter, Houzz, guest posts, and most importantly, word of mouth and repeat business.

So imagine my excitement when I was selected to participate as a panelist in an educational session for tile and stone professionals, Selling Tile: The Internet, the Industry & the Consumer, during Coverings 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. The interactive panel discussion, scheduled for May 1 at 3:15 PM, is designed to show how the internet is influencing the sale of tile to the consumer. From strict sale policies, to reduced prices and no sales tax, the internet has created a new frontier for the industry to navigate.

At Coverings 2012, Bill Buyok shares tips on How a Social Media Presence Improves Retail Sales

I’m honored to share the unique perspectives and practices that can lead others to success when it comes to creating a brand and online presence. I started Avente Tile as an online tile showroom and catalog - to make hand-painted ceramic tiles and cement tiles broadly available for others who share the same passion. The internet excels at bringing unusual and divergent communities together. From the day I started the company, I’ve found acceptance and demand for this niche product.

Further, I’ll be sharing the discussion floor with three additional panelists. The discussion will be led by Christine Whittemore of Simple Marketing Now. Christine encourages the use of content marketing including blogs and other inbound digital marketing and social media to add value to your company and message. I met Christine at a Coverings tweet-up almost four years ago. I’ll focus on the virtual showroom perspective and provide tips for more effective web sites and how to determine if an online catalog or e-commerce solution might be right for you. I'll also discuss how Social Media and blogging can save you time and may help bring customers to your virtual or brick-and-mortar store.

Additionally, I am honored to share the stage with two panelists, who are also from Southern California. Steve Slutzah, President/CEO, of Westside Tile and Stone, Inc. in Canoga Park, CA, and Beverly Hills, CA. Westside Tile and Stone is one of the premier tile stores in Southern California. I met Steve several years ago while attending an educational session at Coverings. Also on the panel is Tom Carr of Pan American Ceramics, Inc., who'll represent the distributor perspective. Pan American Ceramics, Inc. is an importer, exporter and distributor of ceramic and porcelain floor, wall and counter tiles, as well as glass and stone mosaics. Rounding out the list is Dave Milanowycz, Director of Sales for Independent Distribution for Florida Tile. Dave will share some of the unique challenges, benefits and insight that the internet poses to the manufacturer, distributor, and retail chain.

Last year, during Coverings 2012, I gave a short, informal presentation and shared tips on How a Social Media Presence Improves Retail Sales. It was a great opportunity to provide insight and hear the struggles that folks face everyday. I've been attending Coverings for over a decade now. It's a yearly pilgrimage for me, and it's the one trade show I never miss. Besides discovering what is new in the world of tile, the event allows me to develop existing relationships, build new ones and gain valuable business insight. If you are a tile and stone professional, it's essential to you and your business to attend Coverings.

I hope to see you at the panel discussion, and I'm eager to have you share your thoughts and insights as well.

Creative floor tiling

It's a bit of a story to this tile project as this section of the floor has been concrete for a few years. I've been a builder and blogger for some time now and we have a home on Cupid's Cay, Eleuthera, Bahamas that we work on every year. There are many more posts to read all dealing with your home on my blog, The Building Blox. Now you know the story about builders finishing their own homes right?

Well this year we decided we would tackle this floor when we returned but there were complications that worked out for the best. We went to the tile store that we had purchased from here in Eleuthera and they no longer carried the same tiles that we had used so it was decision time. We looked through the offerings and due to the increased cost we settled on a beige color tile and got 6 boxes, which worked out to 48 tiles that were each 18" x 18". Now how to make 48 tiles cover the area that we had? I thought about it for a day or so and did an experiment to see if it was going to work. It looked great!

Now once the decision was made I had to start the layout and plan on the concrete floor for how the tiles were to be spaced so that they looked like the design that I had made.

Once that was determined it was time spread out the thin set and lay the tile with the appropriate row spacing.  Now the reason that I did the large tile rows first was so that I would have the level in between to gauge the height of the pieces that I would be adding after.  This way I could determine if they were above or below the tile height and adjust them according.  Some of the thinner pieces needed a bit more thin set to bring them up to the tile height and some pieces had to be shaved on the tile saw because they were too thick.

The outer edge band is made by breaking up tile that we had. The tile store also gave us a box that had been broken to use, which was really nice of them.

As I started down the rows it was very much like making a puzzle.  Over the years we have collected pieces of glass, broken plates, bottle bottoms and a slew of random things on our beach walks and now was the time to use them.  We used everything we had but had run out so we had to make a trip to the north where we knew a beach that would have a new supply and Success! 

The stick you see in the above photo was used to make sure that the pieces were at the right height between the two tiles.

I also added in some blue that I cut out of bottles that I had been saving. The blue around the floor really catches your eye. Any guesses on what bottle they come from?

Luckily for me, throughout the project I had professional supervision. Here she's checking to make sure the thinset is the right consistency!

Broken tile, plates, found tile pieces, bottle bottoms and more all became part of the floor.

The finished floor.

So with a bit of creative thinking a floor that stands out from the rest and also uses a great many recycled pieces was made. The other thing that I didn't mention was that other than my labor this floor cost $200.00 to do. I can honestly say it was a great project and fun to do.

As to the degree of difficulty and if you should attempt something like this? I believe that a person with good DIY skills and/or someone that has done previous tile work could undertake a project like this. The key is of course having the knowledge of how to do it and just as importantly taking the time to plan it out and the patience to make the puzzle work.

Let me know what you think. Like it or not so much? Would you consider undertaking a project like this?

If you hadn't already guessed, the blue bottle pieces are from Bombay Blue Sapphire Gin that I cut with the tile saw.

A short post script.

When I first thought about doing this a good friend, Paul Anater, said it was very similar to what is done in Spain called Trencadis.

Trencadís (Catalan pronunciation: [tɾəŋkəˈðis]) is a type of mosaic used in Catalan modernism, created from broken tile shards. The technique is also called pique assiette. This mosaic is done using broken pieces of ceramic, like tiles and dinnerware

Although its a similar style, I adapted it to the materials I could find here on the island or more accurately, could find on our beach walks. Duel purpose walks- treasures and exercise!