For a welcoming, but tough and resilient floor covering, architects are taking more notice of natural tile, such as Sadlerstone concrete agglomerate tile manufactured in Australia, for its unique and innovative characteristics.
Sadlerstone tiles are a combination of natural materials using cement as the binder, producing a beautiful and durable material appropriate to a wide range of applications including floors and walls. The manufacturing process produces large and very dense slabs cut into standard tile sizes. The tiles are actually formed upside down because the pigment is finer and heavier than the cement itself.
Inside the form, pigment, aggregate and cement vibrate until the pigments reach the bottom, resulting in a chic engineered tile with a high resistance to abrasion and wear. In addition to the benefits provided by keeping the finest particles integral to the body of the tile is also the subtle, beautiful translucence apparent in the tiles and the tonal variation.
According to John Diaz of SpecCeramics, an industry leader recognized for providing high-quality tile products, Sadlerstone is a material that provides amazing color and tonal movement. The product is unique because of the aesthetics and the longevity. The tile feels good on your feet, and the more you walk on it, the more movement the tile gets. Over time, moisture and friction from constant walking will create a color variation on the concrete tile to give the tile a deeper, almost three-dimensional affect.
Just like your favorite leather coat, the color of a quality concrete tile gets richer looking with age and wear.
Carie Schelfhaudt works as public relations coordinator for Communicators International, Inc., a marketing communications firm in the heart of the Old Port, where she helps numerous clients in the tile and stone industries. She can be contacted at cschelfhaudt@yahoo.com.