HOW TO DESIGN

Considering there are thousands of books, periodicals and videos on designing, we want to narrow this to provide DESIGN TIPS and INSIGHT into the ADEX Products.

1. General rule of designing with ADEX ----You are only limited by your imagination

2. Design is personal and beauty is in the eye of the beholder

3. Color is the first and most important decision:

   • Do I want a neutral background?

   • Do I want a focal point of color to guide you through a room?

4. All ADEX product lines are designed as Collections in that they are coordinated ensembles of colors, shapes and decorative options to take the stress out of design decisions.

5. Design Elements & Options are abundant. Do I want to create subtle interest such as a wall with dimensional decorative components of borders, chair rail moldings, etc? Or do I want to use the tile size and shape to create designs from simple squares turned on a diagonal, a rectangular to be used as a  classic brick pattern or to create a herringbone pattern or a symmetrical vertical stacking of the tile to give a very new & minimalistic feeling to the room?

6. The Finishing Touches. Do I want a truly, finely finished wall with all the trims and finished looks of a fine piece of cabinetry or finished trims in the home  such as the wonderful options in crafted wooden base boards, crown moldings and inserts? ADEX offers and prides itself in providing these finer touches of detail that means so much. Starting at the base and working up the wall.

7. ADEX is a color Integrated Company throughout its various Collections of tiles. Do you want a truly color coordinated room from floor to wall? For example, our whites are the same white throughout each series and may differ only due to finish as the reflectivity of light effects color. The NERI Collection White (solid bright glaze finish) is the same as the CITY Collection White (solid bright glaze finish) and the same as our HAMPTON   Collection White (crackled glaze) and the same as the LOFT Collection White (matte glaze finish) and the same as our FLOOR Collection Tile White (semi-matte glaze finish).

   NOTE: this is an extremely useful tool when mixing and matching products and still retaining the integrity of the color family.

8. Where to Use” our tiles is available in the ADEX USA Color, Style & Design Solutions Catalog on page 39 under PRODUCT GUIDELINES.

9. For additional Design Ideas, please review our GALLERY in this site as well as the ADEX USA Catalog an the ART OF TILE MERCHANDISING SOLUTIONS catalog which shows various combinations of products by Collection.

HOW TO INSTALL:

The Installation of your tile will have a lasting effect on your application. If installed and maintained properly, it will retain its original look and ambiance for years to come. All things in life need a good foundation or whatever is built is questionable at best. For the installation of our tiles, we defer to the experts in our industry and their published Installation Methods. The publication is from the TILE COUNCIL OF AMERICA, 2010 TCA Handbook for Ceramic Tile Installation as well as American National Standard Specifications for the Installation of Ceramic Tile - ANSI A108, A118, and A136 Material and Installation Standards - Version 2010.1.

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT:

It is always advisable and necessary to properly maintain a product so it retains its original look and feel. General Cleaning on all surfaces of our tiles should be done on a regular routine using non-abrasive cleaners. For anything beyond this, you need to consult a local tile dealer for specific products they carry for that purpose.

Sealing a tile and the grout are optional in most cases but for the crackled glazes it is a must. The crackle glazed tiles (Hampton and Artisan Collections) need to be sealed with a penetrating sealer, before and after grouting. This is a critical step when the tile is to be used in an area exposed to water or it is grouted with contrasting colored grout. In wet areas, it is suggested to reapply the sealer as needed.