The International Surface Event (TISE) is the largest North American floor covering, stone and tile industry event, which has been operating for more than 30 years. This year’s edition was held from January 27 to 30 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV, where it welcomed hundreds of exhibitors and tens of thousands of attendees.
Buyers, specifiers and influencers from the U.S. and countries all over the world attend TISE each year to purchase products, gain design and trend inspiration, and develop their business strategies for the upcoming year. There were a lot of unique moments, finds and adventures all over the show floor. Exhibitors’ spaces were packed with opportunities to demo and touch-feel products. Small lounge areas also offered intimate opportunities to learn from associations and brands.
“We are so excited to be able to celebrate another incredible event with the industry for TISE 2020,” said show director, Dana Hicks. “The show floor was busy, busy, busy all three days of the event. Everyone we spoke to — from the exhibitors, associations and attendees — were all amazed at the amount of people, the quality of the connections, the products they were discovering and the education offerings. It was just an incredible event that brought the whole industry together once again.”
Next year’s edition is also gearing up to be one for the books, according to Hicks. “We had companies not currently exhibiting for TISE 2020 also come to the sales office and inquire to book for the following year, which is a testament to the strength in attendance and the positive experience from the show floor,” he added. “They don’t wat to miss out on in the upcoming years. In addition, many of the TISE 2020 exhibitors booked larger spaces for 2021.”
While next year’s edition is already looking promising, this year’s interactive event was a great way to kick off the year. Head to the next page to check out some of the newest tile products I observed on the show floor.
The next edition of TISE is scheduled to take place from January 25 to 28, 2021, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV. For more information, visit www.intlsurfaceevent.com.
American Olean
Rochester is a new glazed porcelain and ceramic tile collection, which is inspired by natural stone. With a smooth, yet slightly rugged texture, the porcelain tiles come in three different shades — White, Gray and Beige — and are suitable for any residential or commercial setting. The glazed ceramic tiles in the collection, which are available in the same three shades, are also offered in three hexagon mosaic options, and are suitable for any wall applications.
Arizona Tile
Chymia is a rectified glazed porcelain. Created in collaboration with an art studio, Chymia is a mixture of various graphic design elements, while using the two extremes of black and white. Patterns of light and shadow are created by using various symbols and textures.
Custom Building Products
In addition to refreshing its grout palette with eight new colors, Custom also found a way to make the grout, Polyblend, even better. Polyblend Plus has brighter, enhanced color and is more efflorescence-resistant than its predecessor without compromising the durability professionals expect from the proven Polyblend product. Available in sanded and non-sanded versions, Polyblend Plus accommodates joints up to 1/8 inch (3mm) and meets ANSI A118.7.
www.custombuildingproducts.com
Chameleon Power
Chameleon Power, a leader in photographic visualization tools to the tile and stone arena, offers the ultimate tool suite for tile dealers and consumers. The RoomVision tool includes Chameleon’s proprietary photographic room visualizer, auto-masking photo upload tool and unique color helpers for simplifying tile selection. RoomVision is integrated into the dealer’s site and accessible by tile buyers.
Daltile
RevoTile is a revolutionary, patented, porcelain tile floating floor system that installs two times faster than traditional tile. RevoTile installs in just three easy steps: place underlayment (no mortar required), click tiles together and grout immediately. So easy anyone can do it. RevoTile is a genuine Daltile porcelain tile offered in 26 gorgeous marble, wood, stone and concrete looks, and three standard sizes — 12 x 24, 6 x 24 and 6 x 36 inches.
Emser Tile
Geometry™ is a new glazed porcelain tile collection from Emser Tile, which is offered in a standard 10- x 10-inch format. Shades of blue and gray are used to concoct four different geometric patterns — Atom, Cube, Frame and Petal — that feature a unique, leather-like texture and sheen.
iQ Power Tools
The iQ426 HEPA Dust Extraction Vacuum is engineered to meet OSHA’s silica dust requirements for working in construction applications. What makes it truly unique is the airflow tuned cyclone technology. Less than 1% of the dust ever reaches the filter. The iQ426 features a 10-gallon or 50-pound dust containment tub with an optional dust containment bag system. It comes with an array of nozzle accessories and a heavy duty cart.
James Hardie
HardieBacker® Cement Board with HydroDefense™ Technology provides the unmatched strength, ease of use and excellent tile adhesion, now with a waterproof composition throughout the board. Passing the ANSI A118.10 test for waterproofness, this innovative cement backer board delivers a high-performance product that is easy to use.
Landmark Ceramics
Bluestone Design Project is a premium line inspired by the finest Pennsylvania native bluestone. It is a highly versatile tile collection with infinite combinations of colors, sizes, trim pieces and finishes, designed to meet the demands of total look outdoor projects. Bluestone Design Project also revisits the prestigious tumbled design, breathing new life into a historical pattern and cobblestone variant.
Laticrete
Spectralock® 1 is a pre-mixed, stain-proof grout that has the performance of an epoxy. This product offers superior strength at 3,500 PSI, the ability to be submerged and an extremely fast curing rate. The grout also provides exceptional versatility and excellent color consistency, even with the most demanding applications. The stain-proof formula is available in a wide variety of colors and is easy to use.
MAPEI
MAPEI introduces the Mapeheat family of products, featuring electric floor heating technology from nVent Nuheat. This easy-to-install, versatile, advanced technology is suitable for use with tile and stone, laminate, engineered wood and luxury vinyl tile/plank floors. Products include the pre-wired Mapeheat Mat; uncoupling, crack-isolation and waterproofing Mapeheat Membrane; Mapeheat Cable, available in 120 V and 240 V; and Mapeheat thermostats (available in three formats).
Marazzi
A bold metallic wall tile, GeoMetal™ stands out with its three-dimensional structures in 6 x 6 inches, a hexagon mosaic and harlequin mosaic. GeoMetal makes a statement with metallic tones, including Champagne Gold, Gunmetal, Bronze and Nickel. Pattern designs in geometric, floret and ornament lend rich textures to any space. A special blend of materials gives the authentic look of metal, while giving GeoMetal the durability to be installed in wet areas.
Mediterranea
Mediterranea has fused two essential designer colors — black and white — in a unique and creative way to create a new porcelain tile collection, Inkwell. Working with these two core colors, Mediterranea has leveraged its Dynamic HD Imaging® technology to vividly display black-and-white stone graphics on a 6- x 36-inch porcelain tile. The result is a carefully blended look found only in the rarest of stones — perfect for designer-oriented floors and walls.
www.mediterranea-usa.com/inkwell.html
Merkrete
725 Dustless is a premium grade, polymer-modified LHT mortar for installing large and heavy porcelain, ceramic tile and natural stone on walls or floors in either commercial or residential applications. Its innovative Dustless Technology produces approximately 80% less dust than ordinary thinsets, and is designed to promote cleaner working conditions and reduce mess.
Milestone
Rock Salt is a new porcelain tile collection, with a stone-look inspired by salt block cooking that takes place in kitchens in Italy. Shades of gray and specks of white create intricate veins, which highlight the wear-and-tear of these natural materials over time. A slight texture and sheen was added for a bit of visual contrast.
M-D Building Products, Inc.
Prova Pan-Multi® system is a pan and complimentary extension kit that is great for curbed or curbless shower installations. The prefabricated sloped pan is ideal for accessibility needs or open concept aesthetics. The modular system allows for flexibility to create large square or rectangular shower bases. There are endless design and size possibilities with the Prova Pan-Multi system.
NAC Products
ECB® crack isolation membrane protects the finished floor by reducing reflective cracking and delamination between the substrate and floor surface, protecting for up to 3/8 inch lateral substrate movement. ECB® can be installed over wood or concrete and is a perfect application for malls, airports, apartments, condominiums, high-rise office buildings and any installations that require crack protection.
Pearl Abrasive
The VX5WV™ from Pearl Abrasive is a 5-inch, portable handheld saw for use on all tile, natural stone and masonry. Good for wet or dry applications, the VX5WV is equipped with a water hose system with a control valve, as well as a vacuum port and blade guard cover for dust control. With a side handle for additional support, the saw also has a powerful 11 amps motor, over 4cm depth of cut, a built-in adjustable guide to allow cutting any angle between 0 and 45 degrees, and a one-year limited warranty.
QFloors
QFloors released its 100% browser-based cloud software, QPro POS+. Priced at only $50 per month (plus a one-time set up fee of $500), the software can be used on any device, and offers easy drag-and-drop navigation. It can be used alone or alongside accounting software like QuickBooks. QPro POS+ streamlines and manages inventory, sales orders, job costing, purchase orders, and commission/labor/sales tax reporting.
Rubi Tools
The Slab Trans Professional Heavy Duty by Rubi Tools is a new lifter and transporter for large-format tiles up to 150 x 67 inches, which requires at least two people to operate. Composed of an aluminum profile with great structural strength, the lifter has increased load capacity, with the ability to load up to 309 pounds. It includes six, 8-inch vacuum suction cups and is easy to assemble and disassemble. The Slabs Trans is also retractable from 165 cm (65 inches) to 320 cm (126 inches).
Schluter-Systems
Schluter-Systems’ popular Trendline textured finishes will now also be applied to the 4-inch square Kerdi-Drain-Styles series of shower drain grates and Schluter®-Shelf shower shelves. The same highly durable powder coating procedure used to apply these finishes to Schluter profiles is now being used on the drain grates and shower shelves. In total, six different finishes are available on profiles, grates and shelves. The finishes include matte black, matte white, stone grey, greige, cream and bronze.
SomerTile
Inspired by comic book-like patterns, the Bombato Decor York ceramic wall tile features 12 different designs randomly scattered throughout each case that can be casually mixed and matched. This unique 5 7/8- x 5 7/8-inch tile will add a bold, intriguing touch to any space. It features a smooth, satin finish, which is ideal for indoor wall installations, including backsplashes, bathrooms and fireplaces.
Stonepeak
StonePeak’s signature gauged porcelain tile panel collection, Plane 2.0, was showcased in a new marble-inspired look, Statuario Vero. The 60- x 120-inch, 1/4-inch-thick porcelain panels in Plane 2.0 are lightweight, making them perfect for an endless variety of projects. The collection mixes 14 stunning colors, including six newly released colors, with the excellent properties of porcelain, allowing for maximum design flexibility in both commercial and residential settings. Imagine the possibilities.
Wagner Meters
The Rapid RH product line is a fast, cost-effective way to meet ASTM F2170, the standard for in situ relative humidity (RH) testing of concrete floor slabs. Now, thanks to a recent update in the standard, the mandatory wait before obtaining official RH test results is only 24 hours, rather than 72 hours as required by other moisture tests. This significant reduction in wait time allows you to take action on RH test results a full two days earlier than the ASTM F2170 standard previously allowed.
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