ALL ABOUT FLOORS

continued from page 59

EXCELLENCE

The highest levels
of achievement,
professionalism,
and experience.

Exceprional
service,
integritti, and
performance from
the areas leading
real estate
professionals

11.

fughest regard
towards
the satisfaction
of [lour wants
and needs.

TAKE
A STEP
ABOVE
THE
CROWD!

RFi5I1®

ANDREW [IINDY] COLLINS

HONER OWNER

68 • FALL 1992 • STYLE

Excellence,
Inc.
7091 Orchard Lake Rd., W. Bloomfield

539-3700

12 inch square tiles are popular, many
stores also sell 16 and 20 inch tiles as
well. And size is only part of the story.
Tile comes in a staggering array of col-
or as well. Tile is available in almost any
color or pattern imaginable from fuch-
sia to flower patterns to art deco styles.
Texture can also be important in
choosing tiles. Not everything is smooth.
For more adventurous shoppers, Hast-
ings manufactures tiles that have a
wavy, undulating texture. Other tiles
have slight ridges and bumps like snake-
skin.
And, of course, for a slightly rough
looking floor, you might want to look at
terra cotta tiles from either Mexico or
Italy. These tiles, which come in col-
ors ranging from pink to chocolate, can
give a kitchen or foyer a Southwestern
feel.
Desert tones, like terra cotta and teal,
come in all sizes. And they come with a
stain that subdues the color to a softer
look and feel, almost like pink, but so
that the terra cotta still comes through.
Five years ago, workmen had to seal
the tiles to preserve them after they laid
the floor. The process, which had to be
repeated three times, required three full
days to complete. Now, terra cotta tiles
can be sealed before they are put in
place, a change which makes them no
more expensive than many other types
of tile. Old fashioned linoleum, a blend
of cork, wood and linseed oil has been
largely replaced by stain-resistant vinyl
tiles, but it is still available at some re-
tail stores.
For those who find ceramic tile too
hard to walk on or too cold, vinyl re-
mains a viable option on kitchen and
foyer floors. If you want a low mainte-
nance, economical floor, vinyl is still a
good choice. Usually, vinyl floors are
easier and cheaper to repair than ce-
ramic floors.
Four U.S, companies, Armstrong,
Congoleum, Tarkett and Mannington
manufacture vinyl in a wide variety of
patterns. There are vinyl imitations of
marble, terra cotta and granite on the
market. However, traditional vinyl in
colors like white, beige and gray remain
the most popular choices.
In contrast to well-established vinyl

