Here is a little background information for those wanting to know about the raw materials that go in to the making of our Cork Mosaic Tiles. Our Cork comes from the Cork oak tree which is a slow growing tree that can live for up to 200 years. During this time, cork producers may strip a trees outer bark close to 16 times in a Cork tree’s lifetime. The first harvest only occurs when the tree is 25 years old and then every 9 years after that.

The bark is stripped off the tree by highly skilled workers using special axes. This is a traditional manual skill that dates back hundreds of years. Cork is harvested on a sustainable basis and does not harm the tree in any way. The bark grows back completely and takes on a smoother texture after each harvest.

The cork raw material is used primarily by the wine industry and any material beyond what are used by the wine industry is used to make products like our Cork mosaic tiles. The cork tiles have a pretty interesting background and it is fun to share the story with our clients and friends.

Order your cork mosaic tiles sample today so you can see first hand how beautiful this material looks when viewed up close and personal.

We had a question the other day from a customer and it was a good question about our Cork tiles. She wanted to know if she could use our Cork tiles in a bathroom along with a floor warming system that she is also considering installing.

Our recommendation is to use Hydronic Radiant Subfloor heating which are basically water tubes under the floor. When used with our cork mosaic tiles we will offer a warranty on such an installation as long as the installer follows all manufacturer installation instructions. If using the electric floor mats as your system of choice we will not warrant any installation using these products. The reason is that the electric floor mats can get very hot very fast which is not kind to wood and cork products. Hydronic subfloor heating allows a gradual and steady transfer of heat which is much kinder to any flooring materials.

For more information on this topic we recommend you speak to several dealers for each type of sub floor warming products and make your own informed decision once all information is understood. Whatever your choice, try to move quickly since winter will be here before you can blink an eye.

Give us a call or send us an email if we can answer any questions or provide more information.

We wanted to take today’s post to wish all of our customers, friends, visitors, and everyone else a wonderful 4th of July with family and friends. What a great weekend to take time away from work and our busy schedules to barbeque, play baseball, and go for a swim at the beach, the lake, or in the family or neighborhood pool.

And if you are anywhere near the town of Bristol, Rhode Island be sure to stop in for the oldest continuous Fourth of July celebration in the U.S. The town of Bristol has hosted a parade and community celebration since 1785 commemorating the Independence of the United States from Great Britain.

Whatever you decide to do, be safe and have a wonderful time with each and every one of your family and friends.

Have summer memories of big surf, sand, sea and fun family times at your favorite beach in your head this time of year? Well take a look at this Florida house designed by Totems Inc to mimic canoe and ship hulls using glue-laminated pine beams to bring the warmth and richness of wood to the interior.

In flood and hurricane prone Florida this house has steel pilings sunk directly into the ground to prevent root-system damage and provide support if the lower level is flooded. The simple main floor plan consists of a single bedroom, bathroom, living area and kitchenette, with a cozy bedroom resting above.

We simply love the design and the look of this home and think that this would be an excellent place to spend some quality time by the water.

For us it seems like the US economic news goes in 3 month cycles from good to bad to I can’t tell what is going on out there! The current 3 month cycle is spinning sideways now with unemployment numbers last week showing signs of distress. The housing market seems to be endlessly sputtering along with no clear end in sight to the weakness that has been pervasive in housing for the past several years. There may be light at the end of the tunnel however and now may be a good time to jump in to the market if you have been on the sidelines.

There was a good article in this weekends Wall Street Journal titled “Why It’s Time to Buy” that really made a strong case for why the long term case for homeownership may never look better than now. For those sitting on the fence, market forces might be cresting at just the right time making now potentially a great time to jump in to the market.

Interest rates remain low and home prices are at levels that are difficult to make a case of going much lower. The Wall Street Journal points out smartly that while home prices fell by 7.5% in April over the same period a year earlier, if you exclude distressed sales, prices were off just 0.5%. The article goes on to say that if you are in a market that isn’t battered by foreclosures, you may be close to a bottom already.

Further data from the article show that in markets like Dallas and Washington DC where employment has been strong over the past 12 – 18 months, home prices have remained stable and Washington DC was even the only marked tracked by the Case-Schiller Real Estate index that saw a rise in home prices both on a month to month and year over year basis.

Housing economists seem to think that the foreclosure mess will start to clear up by 2013 and at that time normal housing market drivers will start to take over and return the market back to a normal functioning market. If potential buyers wait that long to “time” and enter the housing market that may just be too late to get the best combination of competitive interest rate and a good price on a house.

Interesting data to ponder really and it will be a learning experience for all to see how the market plays out as foreclosures start to dwindle.

Our Founder Steve Khan has been invited to appear as a guest on the House Talk Radio Show on 960 am KKNT hosted by Warren Raisanen tomorrow morning. Warren’s House Talk Radio show starts at 8:00 a.m. and Steve will be on the show from 9 a.m. – 10 a.m.

Warren’s House Talk show has been on the air for more than 10 years now and he is a fixture in the local Phoenix Remodeling community. Warren owns a company based in Phoenix called Trades Unlimited which provides a variety of remodeling and renovation services such as Kitchen and Bath remodeling as well as roofing and window replacement.

Tune in Saturday morning to listen to Steve and Warren talk about AnchorBayTile products and the latest trends in tile and stone.

We honor and pay the utmost respect to our US soldiers who have served our country with pride and dignity. We will never forget those soldiers who have died while serving in the United States military.

For families around the country enjoy this day to spend with family and friends. Take advantage of the time to get out and do something fun among the many celebrations taking place in communities across the country. Here is a list of some of the celebrations taking place in our nations capital.

With summer fast approaching water use for most families will go up significantly especially on the outside of the home. The typical family of four uses an average of 400 gallons of water every day with some areas of the country being even higher than that.

There are many things that the typical family can do to conserve water. While many of these items we might find ourselves doing on a daily basis, there are some that we just don’t think about and it helps to be reminded sometimes of what we can do to cut back on our water usage.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a Water Sense program where they offer tips on Water Efficiency and Water Conservation. There are also tips on the EPA Water Sense area of the website that point out different products a family can use to conserve water in the home.

Have a look at some of the water conservation tips and pass them along to friends and family so we all can do our part this summer to conserve water. The average household spends about $500 per year on its water bill but could save about $170 per year by retrofitting with water efficient fixtures and incorporating water saving practices.

We all know how well the pairing of PB & J goes? By most accounts we think that whoever put the two together can confidently say that the experiment was a success. We have our own version of PB & J and that would be subway tile and hexagon tile.

Those who own Bungalow or Cottage homes or homes from the Arts & Crafts era know this combination well. The subway tile, hexagon tile combination was a popular one in homes in the early 1900’s as well as homes built in the 1950’s and 1960’s. In the last ten years or so give or take a year here or a year there, the subway tile, hexagon tile look has caught steam again and there appears to be no slowing this train down.

Check out our Cottage Lane subway tiles or our Cardiff Crackle glaze subway tiles both of which are available in a 3” x 6” or a 2” x 4” size and each is in stock and ready for shipment. Order these tiles together with our Classic Hexagon Porcelain un-glazed tiles which are available in either a White or a Black color. These tiles are also in stock and are ready for immediate shipment.

We know that you will be pleased with the quality of each of our tile collections and once installed the compliments from friends and family will come fast and frequent.

Hopefully you are not one of the millions of Americans who spent this past weekend sifting through receipts and statements in order to finish and file your IRS tax returns by the Monday deadline. It always amazes me how many folks wait until the last minute given how long the lines are on the final day of each tax season.

Looking at tax day from another angle, doesn’t it make you take a financial snapshot of your family’s finances in order to look at where you are and where you want to be? I think that all of us in some form or another do that and end up either with a smile or sadly, a frown. Given the tough economy over the past several years things have understandably been difficult for most Americans and we all have had to work much harder just to keep up.

We here at ABT do not claim to be economists or a financial advisor in any way but we believe given the industry that we are in that we have a unique vantage point on some historical truths that apply today as well as they did in the past.

* Investing in your personal residence is one of the smartest investments that one can make with their money. In this regard we have all learned that building a McMansion or over-improving a home for what would be considered “normal” for your neighborhood doesn’t work for any one in any location. But for those with money to burn, have at it and this article doesn’t apply to you anyway. But for the rest of us, we need to stay focused and be mindful of the improvements we choose to make in our homes to ensure that we are making smart choices.

* Clearly define our motivation for making any home improvements. There are generally two motivations present for those renovating a home and it helps to know which one that you fall in to. The first is the financial motivation that was most prevalent for Americans in the early part of the 2,000 years during the housing boom. Then there is today’s primary motivator which is the desire to add functional improvements to a home to make it more livable for a family that has decided they will be in their home for many years to come.

* Pay for any improvements with cash whenever possible. This mostly applies to smaller improvement projects under $5,000 and is smart advice for families to follow in most cases. Not all projects are going to hit the $5,000 plateau and most will be in the $500 – $2,500 range, especially when you can do much of the work yourself. Tiling a kitchen backsplash depending on the size of the backsplash will routinely be under $1,000 and is one of the most visually appealing upgrades that can be done when improving a kitchen. Choose projects that meet some of the following criteria:

* smart, impactful upgrades that are manageable in both time and budget
* projects that are not to expensive where the lower cost projects are also easy to
budget and save for
* projects that will bring enjoyment for the family living in the home.

These are some of the time-tested truths that we believe apply as much today as they did when your parents were deciding what to do with their tax refund. In most cases, we believe you can never go wrong making wise decisions on select improvements to your home.