Johnson Tiles have revamped their bathroom and kitchen tile range and introduced a new size to their extensive portfolio to meet the latest trends. Grouping the products into six themes that clearly classify the designs the portfolio captures the latest trends in interiors. The new 400mm x 150mm tiles reflect the trend for slimmer rectangular tiles which can be used in either landscape or portrait format.

Ceramic tiles are being used more in kitchen designs where they co-ordinate with the new colours and styles for worktops and fronts and with the growing requirements for products to be sustainable that ensures ceramic wall and floor tiles tick all the boxes. Although tiles have been used in kitchens for decades many designers have felt that the choice of designs has in the past been limited and square.

IDS’s Tuscan Elite engineered flooring with its Välinge drop loc system can be fitted 40% faster as a floating floor compared to a click or tongue and groove option, says exclusive UK distributor IDS. Simply dropped and locked into position, there is no forced locating of the joints using tapping blocks or hammers and it offers the flexibility as a floating or stick-down floor.

BAL White Star is a versatile, ready-mixed tile adhesive for internal walls. Easy to apply, it removes the need for battens to hold tiles in place while fixing. The smallest tub will tile a small kitchen splashback without waste, while the largest will cover a full 6.6 m2 of dry wall. It can be used for almost any commercial or domestic application indoors including showers, kitchens, bathrooms and wet rooms.

Craven Dunnill has announced the recent addition of several new ceramic tile ranges for walls and floors, which are both fashionable and selected for their broad appeal. The new Delft range of wall tiles has a refreshing, natural appeal with delicate, overlapping leaves strewn across the 600 x 300mm tiles.

RAK Ceramics has introduced two new 10x10 wall tile ranges. Ideal for kitchen and bathroom application, the new Tip Top and Lotus tile collections are available in a variety of shades, in the popular square format. Offered with a ceramic white body matt finish, RAK’s new Tip Top range includes fresh-toned white, grey, lemon, ivory and blue tile options.

Earlier this year PCH Ceramics secured the contract to tile the bathrooms in seven country properties in Sutton Coldfield. For the project Ultra Tile adhesives and grouts were chosen, based on previous good experiences with the products. The bathrooms included wetrooms and all tiles were purchased from Porcelanosa. Ultra Tile ProFlex SP in white was used to fix the tiles. A single part rapid set flexible adhesive, which is suitable for porcelain and natural stone tiles.

BAL Microflex is the perfect grout for walls in areas where anti-bacterial protection is a ‘must have’ property, especially in areas such as showers and swimming pools, which may be subject to a risk of black mould forming. BAL Microflex incorporates Microban, the patented anti-bacterial technology. Built-in at the point of manufacture, Microban becomes an intrinsic part of the product matrix and inhibits the growth of potentially harmful bacteria such as E.coli, Salmonella, Listeria and S.aureus.

Burlington has launched an exquisite range of square and strip tile mosaics to add further appeal to its range of interior and exterior stone products which offer the ultimate choice for wet rooms, bathrooms and swimming pools. The new mosaics are suitable for use on walls, floors and as edge or feature detailing and can be supplied in range of single colours or mixed stones.

There is no better tile adhesive for showers, swimming pools and other total immersion areas than BAL Rapidset Flexible. Professional tilers choose it for its flexibility, fast setting and because it is ready for grouting after just three hours. It is perfect for use with ceramic, porcelain and natural stone tiles including travertine. Being polymer-modified makes it ideal for applications subject to limited movement and vibration such as underfloor heating.

Showerwall is a 100% waterproof wall panelling range that’s fashionable, fast to fit and flexible for domestic and commercial projects. There are 24 designs reflecting the continued market trend for stones, marbles and granites together with contemporary neutral tones, plain colours and appealing surface textures. The large panel sizes offer an excellent alternative to tiling with the grout-free surface being aesthetically attractive and easier to clean and maintain on an ongoing basis.

Leading tile manufacturer and distributor, the CP Group, has launched its most extensive and comprehensive collection of wall tiles to date with the introduction of Cookhouse. With its wide ranging colour palette, interesting textures, shimmering accents, bold décors and variety of tile formats Cookhouse is an all-encompassing collection of kitchen wall tiles.

Bushboard has brought together a waterproof substrate, high pressure laminate and a bespoke glue system that can create a full wall-to-ceiling walk in shower area that is guaranteed to be as stylish as it is 100% waterproof. Nuance panelling is based on a patented substrate exclusive to Bushboard which is inherently 100% waterproof.

FAUS has introduced FAUS BLUE - a high grade moisture-resistant flooring using a low swelling HDF (high density fibreboard) base with twice the dimensional stability of other water-resistant boards and three times more resistant to moisture than standard boards.

For a David Lloyd health and fitness club that required sub-floor preparation in several areas before tiling, contractor V Tiles applied Ultra Floor’s Level IT one HDB and Level IT super30 - rapid setting, polymer modified and protein free.

Glasen, exclusively distributed in the UK by David Clouting, is an innovative interior film developed by LG to be laminated onto the back of a glass sheet to provide the ultimate high gloss finish - both in looks and surface performance.

Bamboo flooring from IDS’s Tuscan range ticks all the boxes for bathroom floorcovering combining natural materials, high performance and eco-credentials.

Bamboo’s natural product characteristics make it very hard-wearing and water-resistant, coping easily with moisture and spillages making it ideal for bathrooms when installed and sealed according to manufacturers guidelines. Bamboo grass grows in abundance naturally and quickly and is entirely self-generating, while at the same time being very panda-friendly as it is their main food source.

"At present, sales for natural stone flooring are steadily increasing. I believe the reason for this is that people want their investment to last and not only will natural stone last a lifetime, but also, it looks beautiful too.

For over half a century, ARDEX’s comprehensive range of Floor and Wall Tiling Adhesives and Grouts has been meeting the needs of specifiers and tiling professionals, ensuring complete peace of mind with any tiling installation.

Ceramic tiles have a relatively long expected lifespan so maybe it’s not surprising that white is the most popular choice. However, the range of whites available is quite extensive including many size options, surface structures and a variety of textured prints. The most recent developments include lustres, sparkles, raised prints and micro textures, all of which add to the surface dynamic.

The latest innovative shower and wet room products from Schlüter Systems has opened up the market for creative installations. Stunning, curved walls, enticing circular shower bases and jewel-like, glittering accent walls are some of the latest ideas on display, for the trade to emulate, at Craven Dunnill’s Bridgnorth showroom.

The challenge of how to achieve growth, at a time when virtually everyone in the country is being ‘squeezed’ in one way or another, is a taxing one for many in the tiling sector. It has never been more important to be in touch with your marketplace, listen to what your customers have to say and respond with a tailored offering.

A limited period promotion for the Buxton range of wall tiles is being run by British Ceramic Tile within their distributors and retailers.

The 10% off promotion applicable to the wall tiles only is effective from the beginning of March to the end of May 2011.

Tile Depot, the UK’s largest independent tile and stone retailer, has held the cost of home improvements with 2011 tiles and tiling products at 2010 pre-VAT hike prices until the end of its winter sale.

Tile Depot will pay the additional VAT on everything sold throughout January and until the end of its sale so customers make double savings, bagging an extra bargain when purchasing sale items with up to 50% off a large selection of ceramic and porcelain tiles as well as trims and tiling tools.

Entering its 20th year in 2011, Camglass is an established importer and distributor of tiles, sanitaryware and glass.

Exclusively manufactured for Camglass, and launched earlier in 2010, the Norra range in glazed porcelain has proved to be hugely successful. Available in four colours, white, bone, grey and black with a lappato finish, the semi-polished tile comes in 33x66, 42.5x42.5 and an interesting 100x50 and 100x25.

The latest range to be launched by CP Group is Pure - a timeless collection of pristine white tiles with breathtaking decors. It covers the complete design spectrum from bold graphics to elegant florals, sophisticated stripes to decorative text, adding depth and interest to a simple colour scheme.

As part of its dynamic corporate development strategy, stone engineers, Cumbria-based Burlington, has increased the availability and accessibility of its natural stone product offering with the introduction of a standard/off-the-shelf range of floor and wall tiles.

For over half a century, ARDEX’s comprehensive range of Floor and Wall Tiling Adhesives and Grouts has been meeting the needs of specifiers and tiling professionals, ensuring complete peace of mind with any tiling installation.

From the round log to the machined profile is the motto on the John Boddy Timber literature and website, ensuring that the quality end matched PTG hardwood flooring offered by the company has the best pedigree on several levels.

Night back slate from FAUS is one of several laminate floor designs that faithfully replicate the richness of natural stone and the elegance of ceramic and marble tiling in both look and feel.

The realistic appearance of the flooring is achieved by the application of cutting edge Registered Embossing technology which is particularly evident in the grouting effect between stone slabs or tiles.

Professional ceramic wall and floor tiler Mark Briars recently tiled an area of 240m² using Ultra Tile ProGrip HG. He had a contract to fulfill which involved completing 12 kitchen and bathroom installations within a week.

Ready mixed adhesive ProGrip HG is specially formulated with non-slip, high grab properties and is suitable for intermittently wet conditions. Mark had used the product before and was extremely confident in its ability to do the job to his satisfaction and in the timeframe required.

Offering a premium specification in engineered flooring, Tuscan Elite boasts two unique advantages which add a new dimension.

Elite features a lacquered finish, air-dried for 48 hours. During this process, the stain and lacquer penetrate into the surface finish of the board giving a more natural, less processed look and a more pleasing aesthetic.

Situated on the edge of Dartmoor National Park in Devon, where tile manufacturing has taken place for well over a century, British Ceramic Tile is now a market leading, 24/7 manufacturing operation. Following a multi-million pound investment programme, British Ceramic Tile now combines the very best of British design with quality, value and a serious approach to social and environmental responsibilities.

With the focus on sustainability, specifiers and installers need to know which products will help them to achieve the environmental targets for new and refurbished buildings. Johnson Tiles have introduced several products recently which are sustainable and which contain up to 40% recycled content within the tile body.

Change is a good thing so they say but over the last three years the pressures in the market have resulted in so many changes in a very short timescale that the industry is much different than it was. One of the major changes faced by specifiers and installers alike is the requirement for installations to meet all the regulatory changes in Building Regulations whilst offering the home buyer the bathroom or kitchen that they aspire to and are affordable without compromise to the overall quality.

By popular demand, Tile Depot is pleased to have introduced to its portfolio a selection of grouts, adhesives and sealants by World renowned brand, Mapei.

Tile Depot – the UK’s largest independent tile and stone retailer – stocks a massive choice of ceramic, porcelain and natural stone tiles and now provides a selection of the highly regarded Mapei grouts, adhesives and sealants including Primer G for improved bonding; Keraquick, the high performance, rapid set flexible adhesive for ceramic tiles and stone; Adesilex P10, the white cementitious adhesive for glass, ceramic and marble mosaic tiles; and UltraMastic III, the super-white, ready-to-use paste adhesive for ceramic tiles on walls and floors; as well as Mapesil AC silicone sealant and Ultracolour Plus grouts in Jasmine, Beige, White, Cement Grey and Black.

The newly upgraded Tuscan flooring range exclusively distributed by IDS offers an additional 24 effects including a new product category. Tuscan Elite features a lacquered finish, air-dried for 48 hours to give a more natural look and a more pleasing aesthetic. Tested to Europeans standards EN13329 and EN 02409 respectively, the AD48 lacquer is proven to be more abrasion and scratch-resistant than conventional oil finishes.

Competitively priced glass mosaics, in a myriad of colours and glazes, are radically changing the kitchen tile market. Once used sparingly in thin strips sandwiched between plain filed tiles, they now provide exciting options for entire splashbacks and feature walls.

The Creative Colours range of ceramic tiles from British Ceramic Tile is an inspiring collection of 148x148mm wall tiles with a gloss finish, and is available in a spectrum of colours from the subtle Nutmeg Speckle and bright Cornflower to zesty Marmalade and warm Poppy.

RAK Ceramics is one of the world’s leading suppliers of high quality ceramic and porcelain tiles, sanitaryware and fireclay kitchen sinks. We provide solutions for all types of projects and applications and have a successful track record in supplying tiles for major construction projects such as Wembley and the O2 arena.

Manufactured without wood components while still harnessing the beauty of real wood, Aqua-Step 100% waterproof laminate flooring from IDS does not contain formaldehyde or PCP and is easily cleaned with water and mild soap.

Trends in ceramic tiles are driven by two main factors - home fashion and technical advancements which increase the scope of what’s possible in special effects. Recently we’ve seen metallic glazes, raised prints, sparkle effects - all of which play with surface reflection, giving shimmering finishes which seem to change under different lighting conditions.

APL Interiors are completing tiling en suite bathrooms in a multi-million pound renovation project The Strand Palace hotel in London using Ultra Tile ProGrip HG and ProRapid RS.

ARDEX UK, manufacturers of high performance tiling and flooring products, have launched ARDEX FLOOR LEVEL, a new Under-Tile Levelling and Smoothing Compound for Floors that has been specifically developed for the tiling market.

Craven Dunnill has launched its new, Renaissance catalogue complete with 31 new wall and floor tile collections. With 200 pages, and featuring high quality, lifestyle and close-up photography, it represents invaluable marketing support to Retailers and persuasive inspiration to the would-be purchaser.