Avente Tile Blog

There is a great deal of confusion and a bit of mystery about the difference between encaustic tiles, encaustic cement tiles, and concrete tiles. While it may seem like a trivial point or an exercise in semantics, it's important to know the difference between these two types of tiles, and where you can and should not use them. This journey starts with understanding the differences in how the tile are manufactured and ends with you being pleased with your purchase by finding the right look and tile for the job.    Encaustic and Cement Tiles Differ in How They are...

Efflorescence is a physical phenomenon that occurs with concrete in the presence of water. The discussion is slightly technical; however, it's easy to understand and should be considered required reading if have concrete tile or are considering it for an upcoming project. It is important you understand what efflorescence is, where it comes from, why it occurs and how to remove it or stop it. Efflorescence occurs with all concrete; however, the problem is primarily associated with decorated or pigmented concrete because it changes the color and appearance of the tile.    What is Efflorescence? Efflorescence is a powdery substance...

Our Whimsical Animal tiles provide a fun accent when combined with brightly colored plain tiles in this utility room. In fact, I'd venture to say that these hand-painted tiles, each unique and individual as the animals they depict, make laundry less of a chore.   All of the images were provided by Avente Tile Customer, Mary M., from Murphy, Oregon. After she received her tiles and completed the installation, she was kind enough to send us these images and an email showing her appreciation. In the email, Mary stated, "Thank you for your help with the purchase of our Whimsical...

The Royal eatery, situated in a historic Washington, D.C. area, uses three different color blends of Hexagon cement tiles. One color group with contrasting light and dark warm tones is used for an accent wall by the bar. A warm blend of different red colors is found in the men's bathroom and assorted grey scale colors provide a neutral palette for the women's bathroom.   Arabesque is a unique line of Spanish tiles that can be used as pavers, flooring tile, or for wall coverings. The collection pays homage to a deeply rooted and rich heritage of traditional Moorish and...

As another year draws to a close, I always like to take stock of what tiles were top-sellers at Avente Tile. This informal review of the year's top selling tiles provides some insight into trends. In this year's list, you'll find that cement tiles dominate the sales including many popular stocked designs like Cuban Heritage Design 110-2B. Hexagon formats made an appearance this year and some of our ever-popular Spanish ceramic tiles continue to hold the limelight since started many years ago. Avente Tile will be closed Wednesday, Dec. 30 - Friday, Jan. 1 for the New Year's Holiday. We'll...