Choosing Your Kitchen Countertop Tile

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Kitchen countertops are the pride and joy of any great kitchen, which means picking the right countertop material, is an important task.  Asking yourself (or the cook of the family) some important questions will help in the search for the perfect countertop.   What is the priority in the kitchen; style, durability, usability, green factor or maintenance.  All of these items should go into choosing the correct countertop for your new kitchen.  Continue reading →

Turn Your Outdated Bathroom To Green!

With a few easy steps and updates, you can turn your old and outdated bathroom into a new and environmentally green one.  There are many ideas and products you can add to your bathroom to make it an Eco-Friendly part of your home.  In return, you will dramatically reduce water, reduce the chance of mold and mildew, and do your part in preserving our environment.  Continue reading →

Go Green: Tropical, Coconut Mosaic Tiles

Green Mondays by PlumbtileLet us introduce a very tropical product  tile. It gives your home a feeling of warmth, natural, elegance, stylish and yet very GREEN.  Mainly used in the commercial industry it is now making a breakthrough into the residential industry as more and more people want to make their home Eco-friendly with the warm, style of coconut mosaic tiles.

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Coconut mosaic tiles give you a more responsible choice in decorating walls, ceilings and floors while at the same time helping a greener environment by making use of otherwise wasted coconut-shell materials.  The coconut tiles will make any room in the home or business more sound proof also.  The natural coconut material will buffer sound so that the high traffic rooms of a bathroom and kitchen are much quieter.  The tiles are affordable also.  These tiles are not out of reach for the residential consumer.

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Coconut mosaic tiles are made of  coconut-shell chips. Our coconut chips are cut from natural coconut shells which are abundant and found in many parts of Indonesia.  By using coconut shell as tiles, we also could occupy at least 40 workers for the whole month.  Now, coconut mosaic tiles gives the answer for environment issue and fighting for the world’s poverty. We design and create the tiles which are ready to use and very easy to apply.

Five Elements is distributor that we work with here at Plumbtile.  If you would like more information you can view the coconut mosaic as well as other natural products they carry here.  Call for our Extreme Savings at 866-369-8180 and speak to one of our sales consultants.

Green Mondays: New Eco-friendly Materials

At Plumbtile, we like to research about the newest trends and news about green living and design. It is our advocacy to spread awareness about using sustainable, recyclable, and eco-friendly materials for the home.

ThisOldHouse came up with a list of new interior materials that are on trend and in the market. Here are some of them:

LEATHER TILES

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Even luxurious leather gets thrown away; scraps from furniture, shoe, car seat, and other tanneries eventually make their way to landfills.

The naturally sound-absorbent tiles install like cork or vinyl (preglued tiles are available). For care and upkeep of floor tiles, use a damp mop to clean them; wax them three times a year, or use a topical sealer once every five to 10 years. Wall tiles do not need wax or additional maintenance.

BIO-GLASS

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This luminescent material is 100% post-consumer recycled glass that’s heated and compressed to create solid-surfacing slabs. It contains no binders, colorants, fillers, or other admixtures, and has no off-gassing.

Sample shows slight markings from the bottom of a recycled beverage bottle. To enhance the upgrade, lighter colors can be underlit to make agglomeration markings stand out in dramatic fashion.

To find out more about going green and the use of renewable sources and materials, go to http://www.plumbtile.com/go-green.html or call 1-866-369-8180.

Green Mondays: Congrats to SURFACE for their Tremendous Recycling Efforts

It’s Green Monday once again! We especially love this day, and we always look forward to a week of awareness regarding our environment and news about the efforts of our industry partners and what they do to help. Last January 29-31, S2 partnered with Mountain Re-Source Center and Tile Partners for Humanity on a recycling initiative focused on post-show product donations. It was a tremendous success and we congratulate all the organizers and exhibitors for a job well done!

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With 82 participating exhibitors, Hanley Wood Exhibitions is very satisfied with the growth of this initiative and could not have had such vast success without the help of Freeman, United Services, and Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

Mountain Re-Source Center solicited all S2exhibitors prior to and during the show. The participating exhibitors were very generous, offering thousands of square feet of material which filled seven 53-foot semi-trailers to capacity, more than doubling the donations from last year’s inaugural initiative. The loads were delivered to River Valley Community Outreach Center in Gridley, California, Central West Virginia Outreach Center in Gassaway, West Virginia and Las Vegas Habitat for Humanity in Las Vegas, Nevada to serve multiple families and community improvement efforts presently underway.

S2 exhibitors graciously participated in this significant and impactful program. Companies of all sizes actively participated with some of the major donations coming from:

Beaulieu (9,000 square feet of carpet and padding)
Mannington Mills (9,000 square feet of flooring)
Home Legend (5,400 square feet of flooring)
Nature Flooring (3,500 square feet of flooring)
U.S. Floors (2,500 square feet of flooring)
Max Windsor (2,500 square feet of flooring)
IVC US, Inc. (2,500 square feet of flooring)
Johnson Hardwood (2,250 square feet of flooring)

Full article and photos courtesy of Floor Trends Mag</span?

We hope this starts a trend for exhibitors everywhere around the world. Congratulations to SURFACES!

Green Mondays: The Natural Comforts of Cork and Leather Tiles

Green Mondays by PlumbtileIf you’re looking for warm, cushioning tile, think cork. Soft like suede, it has wonderful insulating qualities and resiliency of easy-to-clean surface of wood or tile; plus luxurious appeal from its earthy colors and rich visual texture. Made from tree bark, it’s also a natural and renewable resource, so it’s environmentally friendly.

The material is waterproof (think of the cork in a bottle), and the natural waxy substance inherent in cork, called suberin, makes it mold and mildew resistant, too. If someone in your family suffers from allergies, a cork floor could provide a soft and warm alternative to allergen-collecting carpet. Being waterproof it can also go in rooms such as bathrooms and saunas. Cork is even naturally flame-resistant also. And it’s acoustically insulating properties — shhh, it’s quiet — will take the clatter out of noisy traffic. To view a picture of cork tile for walls in a kitchen by Five Elements go here.

Five Elements also carries Leather Flooring that is truly beautiful.  Leather flooring is durable, looks incredible in most interior settings, and is very supple. Interior leather flooring is extremely comfortable on your feet and also provides heat insulation benefits. Leather in general has a very elegant look, a wonderful aroma, and is naturally lustrous.

At Plumbtile Architectural Bath & Tile Specialists we carry a large selection of green tile products for walls and floors from several different companies. Whatever your design needs are; we can help you.  Call us at 1-866-369-8180 to speak with a Sales Consultant and ask about our Free Shipping.

Let's Go Organic…in the Kitchen

Green Mondays by PlumbtileIt’s Green Monday once again!

We will never get tired of spreading awareness about our environment as well as providing our readers with the latest trends in green design.

Do you know what 2013 will bring to the world of kitchen design? Organic. That’s right, warm, earthy gourmet spaces. Mixing wood, slate, stone, and other rustic materials with industrial pieces.

Terry Mulligan of Yahoo gives us the latest trend in kitchen design:

Earthy Colors

Greens, blues, grays, browns, yellows, reds — these colors will be making a grand appearance in kitchens across the country. Whether on painted, weathered cabinets or handmade, upcycled tile, earthen colors will warm up our cooking spaces like never before. All shades are fair game, unless they glow neon. Stick to what you find in nature, and you’ll be right in style.

Organic Wood Cabinets

Instead of traditionally styled, stained, and glazed cabinets with fancy millwork, look for a more understated display of rustic wood on cabinet surfaces. Spalted maple or natural birch drawer fronts will be mixed with clean, industrial-styled cabinet doors and brushed stainless steel. And this year, austere shaker cabinets will be reinvented in many ways. It will be a welcome, yet unusual departure from the kitchens of the last 10 years.

Wood, Stone, or Tile Counters

Granite may not be the material of choice for countertops anymore. Wood and stone like slate should dominate — then add tile tops and backsplashes with a handmade look and feel. It’s all about color and textures that make you feel at home and comfortable this year.

Materials in Their Natural Form

Anywhere you can use materials in their natural form, it’s time to do so. Exposed beams on walls and ceilings will add a rural touch in some kitchens. Wood counters will sport natural, unfinished edges in their shift to a more organic style.

Rustic Floors

Rustic floors will be the rage. Reclaimed wood or polished concrete with amazing stain work will pull the other organic elements of the room together. Slate floors will also be in demand over highly polished marble or tile. Yet even in their natural form, these floors will still be a work of art. Artisans will be lending their expertise to make them part of a unique and extraordinary kitchen design statement.

At Plumbtile, the leader in all things bathroom and kitchen design related products, we have a wide array of green products from counters, faucets, and even tiles that are that are made from renewable resources that have none to minimal impact on our environment.

Let’s GO GREEN in 2013!

PlumbTile features the largest collection of premium brand names including Alno, Jado, Hansgrohe, Herbeau, Phylrich, California Faucets, KWC, Newport Brass, Toto, Ginger, Americh & Zuma Tubs, Hastings, Sugatsune, Classic Brass & more.

Green Monday: Designing an Eco-Friendly Bathroom

Green Mondays by Plumbtile

What does “eco-friendly” mean to you?  Does it mean that you conserve water?  Does it mean that you bring nature into your bathroom by using natural products?  Here at Plumbtile we are able to design a bathroom for your home where you can enjoy the natural look of stone and tile while conserving water and electricity through luxury fixtures.

Ceramic Tile Trends - Coconut Skin ChocolateBring nature into your bathroom with natural tile products.  We work with 70 manufacturers that carry tile in cork, coconut, recycled leather, IPE Hardwood, Italian Marble, Israeli Limestone, Jerusalem Stone and other hi-quality natural stones.

You can easily conserve water by installing a Luxury Low Flow Showerhead.  Moen has a beautiful selection that is also economical on our website. Choosing a showerhead with a pause feature can save you gallons of water.

Mico - Provincial Thermostatic Tub & Shower /Shower HeadConserving electricity is possible through a Provincial Thermostatic Tub & Shower Head made by Mico.  Thermostatic shower valves regulate the temperature of the water within one half of a degree of the desired temperature.  You can also install a Tankless Water Heater and save reheating 30 – 40gallons of water all day.

We have many more ideas for designing your Eco-Friendly Bathroom at our Go Green – Energy and Water Saving page. Right now we are offering Free Shipping!  To speak with a Sales Consultant please call 1-866-369-8180.

Green Mondays: Afford More Luxury with a Low-Flow Luxury Showerhead

Green Mondays by Plumbtile

Having a Low-Flow Luxury Showerhead in your bathroom from Plumbtile will save you gallons of water which means it will also save you a lot of money.  Many of us don’t think about the money we spend when we are standing in the shower trying to get ready for our day.  You would be surprised to know that for every 5 minutes you stand there you are using the same amount of energy as a 60 Watt light bulb uses in in 14 hours.  Shocking huh?

The EPA has developed a “Water Sense” program which will is currently working on efficiency standard for the Low-Flow Showerhead.  The EPA states that it takes seven and a half years for the average American residence to use the same amount of water that flows over the Niagara Falls in one second (750,000 gallons).  That is approximately 100,000 gallons a year.  Each time you take a shower you use 10-25 gallons.  A Low-Flow Showerhead only uses 2.5 to 1.5 Gallons per Minute as compared to the 7 Gallons Per Minute of a standard old showerhead.  You can easily see how a simple step as changing your showerhead can really change your water bill.  With that kind of savings you can afford a bit of luxury.

Newport Brass - Showerhead 12 Inch Dia.Making this transition is simple.  At Plumbtile we have shower fixtures from over thirty name brand bath and shower manufacturers.  Low-flow showerheads are simple to install.  Our luxury styles even include flow-adjusting dials and a pause button, which allows you to pause to lather up, and then return to the same temperature and pressure.  That small pause is an energy saving device that makes the new shower head even more beneficial.

Moen - One-Function 7 Inch Diameter ShowerheadYou don’t have to sacrifice on looks either.  Moen has a simple One Function 7 inch Dimension Showerhead that would fit in any bathroom design.  If you are looking for the pause button feature then the 2 function 9 inch Diameter Showerhead is a beautiful option.  It is also available in 5 color choices: Brushed Bronze, Brushed Chrome, Brushed Nickel, Chrome and Oil Rubbed Bronze.  Looking for the rainfall feeling in your shower then you may like Newport Brass 12 inch showerhead.  Finally, if you are looking for a Lifetime Warranty on finish and function then Jado Luxury Showerheads is a brand that offers affordability with the Lifetime Warranty.

Here at Plumbtile we want to help you live a greener life.  Whichever showerhead you choose, you will be making a positive green decision that will benefit your household and the world.  Whatever the cost is to replace your showerheads, it will pay for itself in as little as a month.  Please call us with any questions you may have and make sure to sign up for the newsletter so that you can receive rebates, exclusive discounts, sales and previews of new products.

Go Green While Getting Clean

Green Mondays by PlumbtilePlumbtile is doing back-to-back posts today as we declare that all the Mondays of 2013 be Green! That’s right! We want to do our part in helping save our planet. Our goal is to help spread consciousness and awareness about our responsibility to our environment.

Going green in your home décor can help reduce the negative impact on our planet. Starting with a small space such as the bathroom can open up a new world of design possibilities to update your home and help better the earth both at the same time.

Waste Not, Want Not

Toilets are usually the biggest water wasters in a home, consuming about 27% of the home’s total water. Installing a dual flush toilet that uses two flush buttons, one for light work and one for heavy work, can help conserve up to 17,000 gallons of water per year. The dollar savings you may experience from changing to this type of toilet design could average around $50 or more.

Kohler - Purist(R) single function Katalyst showerheadShowers also use an abundance of water, averaging around 15% to 20% of the total water usage in a home. Most shower heads have a flow rate of 1 to 2.5 gallons of water per minute. Low flow shower heads have a flow rate of 1.6 to 2 gallons per minute and can save a substantial amount of water. Some may worry that lower flow means less power and ability to clean adequately. Rest assured as there are many powerful low flow shower head options available that can give you the best of both worlds.

Quite a lot of energy is used to heat the water used in a home. A way to reduce the amount of energy used would be to sufficiently insulate accessible water pipes in your bathroom. Also, many water heaters are set to heat water to 140 degrees. By turning down the setting to 120 degrees you will help cut down on your total energy usage.

Let There Be (Green) Light

Kohler - Purist(R) single sconceLighting choices can become overwhelming when converting your bathroom to the green way. The latest bathroom remodel lighting trend consists of using LED fixtures. LED lighting options last 15 to 20 years and consume only 2 to 15 watts, which is extremely economical.

Air Circulation

It is important to circulate the air in your bathroom so that moisture, odors and mold spores do not become an issue. Exhaust ventilator fans can reduce these potential problems. Some fan systems include heated air. When this is the case, using a heat exchange ventilator will help conserve energy. These particular systems work by heating the incoming air with the outgoing air.

Jazz Things Up with Glass

You don’t have to lose your eclectic style when going green. Consider choosing recycled glass tiles to make your new eco-friendly bathroom as unique as you are. Not only do they offer beauty and color, glass tiles are particularly easy to maintain and are very durable. Friendly Plumbtile representatives can assist you by suggesting other eco-friendly ways to remodel your home and reduce the footprint left on our environment.