The Right Tile For Your Project
Hi Everyone, we are proud to announce we are working to make content for our You Tube page with videos for Installation Guide Lines, Pattern Generators, New Products, & More.
As we work on those we would like to share our Time Lapse of our Mosa Shapes Installation at the Design Studio. If you are interested in Shapes contact sales@knoxtile.com for more info.
The knoxtile family is proud to formally introduce everyone to our latest addition to the family, Inax. For the past 96 years, Inax has been designing and manufacturing ceramic tiles in Japan. Their designs are inspired with a balance of spirit from their cultural, which embraces nature, and with eye on progress in manufacturing and design style.
Inax tile’s beginnings started with the manufacturing of Terracotta tiles for the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Japan. The architect Frank Lloyd Wright, wanted something unique and distinct to the Japanese Culture. He found that in the city of Tokoname, Japan which is famous for its pottery. There he partnered with father and son team, Hatsunojo Ina and his son Chozaburo Ina. They designed and experimented with how to produce 2.5 Million plus tiles, all while keeping keeping a high level of constancy in hues and physical appearance. With the success of this production and innovation Inax was born. 96 years later that same spirit of culture and progress is part of the DNA of Inax. If you would like to dive deeper in to the History of Inax Click Here
Starting in September, we will be stocking 5 Series. Sentousai, Madoka, Homura, Yuki Border, & Format Mix. We will be adding another two other series later this 4th quarter, Biyusai & Yohen Border. These two series will be front faced mounted, so they can be used in pool applications. EXPLORE THE SERIES
Take a look at the Inax BROCHURE and let us know what samples will work for your project. Even if it is not a series we are stocking we can provide you with samples. In addition to your sample request we will include a Free Inax Tile Coaster. (While supplies last)
Picking a pool tile can be a fun experience when working with people who know pool tiles. Yet, you cannot just pick any tile and put it on a pool. A pool tile must be able to endure constant water exposure /submersion, extreme weather swings both Hot & Cold, flexibility for ground shifting, and pool chemicals while still contributing to the overall design. This is why it is important to ensure that the tile you have selected has been rated for outdoor installation and is not intended for interior projects only.
Both Glass and Porcelain Tiles are excellent materials that can be used in Pools. You can even use them together! We use Mosa Porcelain Planks with Interstyle Glass inserts on water lines, spas, and water walls to bring Vibrant Colors, Depth, and personality to your pool. All knoxtile pool tiles (glass & porcelain) meet freeze/thaw requirements as recommended for outdoor use. knoxtile Glass and Porcelain pool tiles are vitreous, meaning they absorb less than 3% water, which helps in preventing cracking of the tile as temperatures change as well as making them easier to clean. Back painted or film coated glass tiles are beautiful but are suited for interior installations only. Prolonged exposure to the elements as well as water in a submerged application can begin to deteriorate the film or paint. When using glass tiles for outdoor installations look for annealed glass with high fired glazes.
Ground shifting is just a part of geology. There is nothing you can do to prevent it from happening. Some pool builders will not use a piece of glass bigger than 1”x1” or porcelain larger than a 6”x6” as they expect anything bigger will crack when the ground shifts. However, as seen in the below image you can use larger Glass Tiles on Pools, even long 24″ Porcelain tiles. You just need the correct anti-fracture membrane.
In addition to an anti-fracture membrane, it is also important to have glass that has been annealed. During production the glass will go through an annealing kiln which will bring the temperature of the glass down slowly alleviating the internal stress of the glass. This is important for several reasons. First, it makes the glass more durable if cutting is needed for installation as a piece of glass with a lot of internal stress will fissure and crack under pressure. This also applies to ground shifting, the less internal stress, the less likely the glass will crack as the pool flexes and constricts with ground movement. Lastly, annealing helps with the prevention of temperature shock cracking. Glass sitting in the hot sun all day then getting splashed with cold water can crack if not properly annealed.
The below pool uses 2”x12” Interstyle Glass in an offset custom blend. Talk to your pool builder about which anti-fracture membrane will be right for your project.
It is important to keep your pool healthy and clean. To do so you have to add chemicals to kill off the bacteria and algae. So how do these chemicals react with knoxtile Glass & Porcelain tiles? They don’t. As Glass Tiles are non-porous and due to the density of our Porcelain pool tiles, they do not absorb the chemicals that cause discoloration or cause any chemical reactions. With natural stone materials you must seal them regularly to prevent chemical staining. Knoxtile Glass & Porcelain tiles are an easy to clean pool tile option.
However, not all glass is created equally. Low quality glass can have a High Iron or Soda Ash content which will react with Chlorine leaving it subject to etching. All knoxtile Pool Glass Tile is highly refined (no etching here!), annealed glass making it a great option for your pool project.
Choosing the right pool tile can be a daunting and overwhelming experience. There are so many options, so many colors, will this match my coping, will this go with my overall design direction. That is why it is important to work with a pool builder that understands you and your vision. They are there to guide you and help narrow down the selections, and point you to appropriate materials for your pool. knoxtile has been working with both commercial and residential pool builders for the last 30 years. Whether your design is simple and elegant or vibrant and artistic we are here to provide you and your pool builder with pool tiles that will both stand up to the elements and bring your pool vision to life.
LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION: CHECK OUT OUR BISAZZA POOL MURAL
Mosa’s latest series Classics Tide offers an artisanal hand crafted look while still keeping the straight clean edges Mosa is known for. This unique series will be available to ship out the first week of July, and samples are available to ship out of Dallas starting today. The new 8 colors are serene white, blush, sage, blue mist, fog grey, charcoal grey, bone and rust. These 4×8 tiles be used in a single color or mix the colors. Either way results in a rich assortment of Depth and Range of colors in each tile.
“Bring a touch of classic to a contemporary look with our new collection: Classics Tide. Crafted using an artisanal-style glazing technique, the poured glaze, which is molten glass, allows the glaze to pool and ebb as it flows over the tile. The result mimics a hand-pressed clay body, with subtle movement and variation resulting in lighter and darker shades across the tile surface. This creates a vibrant, warm and textural appeal similar to hand-made tile.”
Mosa – Classics Tide
While the majority of us are working from home, we are having to utilize the tools that are available to us. It can be difficult to find inspiration when we are so far removed from our workspaces and coworkers. While we all have used Render Generators before, they are becoming a more valuable tool today. Explore any of the below programs to take the exciting step of creating a vision of your own!
The Mosa Generator keeps on getting better. Over the past several years Mosa keeps updating and adding features to their Pattern Generator. Start by setting up an account which will allow you save your work by project as well download/upload your creations as needed. Once signed in, choose between Wall Tile (Ceramic) or Floor Tile (Porcelain). You can even narrow it down further by texture, sizes, colors, and even series. In the selected pattern, the generator will then only allow you to use compatible materials in available colors and sizes. This takes the stress out of ensuring your tiles will work together – no picking something that doesn’t exist or using tiles with different thicknesses. For our example we will use pattern PT2028. It consists of 2,4,6 x 24. As you can see below in the first photo the pattern PT2028 is all color 264, we easily can transform it into the colors we want by simply clicking on the color or the add tile button.
You can also change the sizing of the area your project requires by clicking and dragging the red box or by clicking on the selection button to edit the length and height. Be sure to save your project to be easily returned to at any time. Also make note of the pattern number which you can use in your specification. Now you can export into a compatible AUTODESK Rivet, SketchUp, Vectorworks, ARCHICAD, or JPG file. You can even print or save Tile Instructions explaining the pattern and percentages needed! There are plenty of tools available to help realize your Mosa design. Check out the Instruction Video for a quick walk through of the program and contact us if you need any assistance. The Mosa Generator is a great tool to get you started in selecting Mosa for your project. After you come up with your creation contact us for samples.
Interstyle’s Configurator is a fun and easy to use generator that can help you narrow down the selection choices fast and easy. With 240+ Colors, sizes from 1×1 to 8×12, 4 finishes for every color, and pre-made patterns you could spend all day exploring the possibilities. To start just pick a color, a finish, and what percentage you want for that color then press the Create! button. You even have the option of selecting an area like a Wall, Pool, Kitchen or Bathroom. Save to .PNG and upload into your drawings. Make note of the recipe, if a blend was used, and add it to your specification or send it to us. We will create a project file with your recipe to ensure the correct information and pricing is provided to contractors while keeping your specification intact. We made this render in less than a minute, just think of all that you could create in 30 minutes to an hour.
The configurator will provide MSRP pricing, but you can contact us for project pricing, samples and current production time frames.
The Bisazza App is an interactive generator, that lets you make blends, graduating patterns, and decorations. Pick the size you want, then either a color group or individual colors. Enter in your percentages for each, then click Calculate. Once you get the blend you want, go to the Tools tab and download the texture if you want to import it into your software, or click the print option to get a more detailed explanation of your blend. Send your creation to us using the “Send To” option which generates a file for Bisazza Production that ensures material is produced exactly as you have designed it. We can keep it on file for when it is time to order and have a note of the recipe to provide accurate pricing to contractors. Additionally, this generator works great on IPads!
Technology has come a long way and provided us with tools that are great for working in today’s environment. All these generators are a great first step to get started on your project. If you are not seeing a generator for the material you are looking for or want to tweak something you did on the generator, just send us a request on the sample request form, and we will make a render for you. While the generators are a great tool, varying screens will show colors differently. That’s why the next step is getting physical samples to notice the subtle variations or current production color. So let us know what samples you are need and how we can help!