Looking
Good From The Ground Up
The holidays are fast approaching and guests
are sure to follow. You want your home to look good, to look special -
from the ground up. Unique tile flooring can help make that happen, according
to Jeff Matthews, the operations manager of West Florida Distributors
in Sarasota.
“Every room could (or perhaps) should have a different floor,” says Matthews. “Marble, ceramic, stone, porcelain or combinations of materials can be incorporated to help bring that room alive and to give it a personality of its own.”
Coming to West Florida Distributors from California with a strong background in construction engineering management, Matthews points to upcoming trends in flooring that include porcelain and mosaic tile, as well as glass accents between rooms, and LED lighting marking pathways.
Although the initial cost and professional installation of tile may be higher than many other floor coverings, because of its durability, it is considered by most to be the least expensive in the long run.
A wonderful addition to any home, whether inside or out, tile comes in a wide assortment of types and finishes. For instance, glazed ceramic tiles are available in a plethora of colors and glaze options. You can get tiles that are glossy, satin, matte, or even coated with a dull glaze. Unglazed ceramic tiles, when formed, naturally take on the color of the clay from which they were created. However, if the tile is not the desired color, it can be colored with pigment prior to firing. Stone tiles or slabs, such as marble and granite, are the color that nature intended them to be. No pigments are added to color them.
West Florida Distributors’ good reputation has grown due to their policy of maintaining a full inventory and a same-day delivery service to both contractors and the general public alike. The company stocks flooring materials from all over the world, filling its 100,000 square foot Sarasota warehouse with more than $4 million dollars in inventory. A pioneer in the tile business since the 1950's, the company is now part of the H.S.K. Industries Group of companies with locations in Tampa, Orlando, Miami, Nashville, Memphis and Chicago.
The folks at West Florida Distributors have an abundance of information to share with customers including how to install new tiles, tools needed for the job, where tile originates, and how tiles are produced. They are happy to share such information with their customers.
WEST
FLORIDA DISTRIBUTORS
4500 Carmichael Avenue
Sarasota, FL 34234
941 355-2703 or 800 226-9434
Written by R.P. Joseph
Photography
by West Florida Distributors
