Two new series - Earth & Vitality We've just brought into stock two more great porcelain floor tiles. Both are fantastic replications of natural stone, but require less maintenance.


The first series is Earth from Santagostino. Replicating the look of natural slate, this series has three colors, Autumn, Kashmir & Sunray. We are stocking this series in 12"x12", 18"x18", 2"x2" mosaics, a cool staggered listel and battiscopa trim.


The next series we are stocking is Vitality from Panaria. This series replicates the look of natural limestone and is produced with a new digital technology that makes this series a standout. Three colors, Earth, Wind & Fire are stocked in 18"x18", 9"x18", 3"x3" mosaics, and battiscopa trim.

Stop by one of our showrooms to see these two new great lines!

Labels: backsplash tile, bathroom tile, ceramic tile, floor tile, kitchen tile, limestone, porcelain, slate

  ¶ 9:56 AM Links to this post

  Need help installing Ditra? Check out this great video from Schulter with tips on installing Ditra.

Labels: ceramic tile, ditra, installation, membrane, schulter, uncoupling, waterproofing

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  Kate-Lo Tile & Stone celebrates its 35th anniversary A new year is a time of reflection and renewal. It is a time when we fondly remember the past and look forward to the days ahead. 2009 is especially sentimental for Kate-Lo Tile & Stone as we embark on our 35th anniversary.

In 1964, Kate-Lo was formed as a Minnesota corporation by a group of private investors in the construction industry. The name Kate-Lo came from combining the first names of two partners wives, Kathleen (Kate) and Lois.

Within a year, Bill LeVahn joined Kate-Lo, with the intention to import and sell Japanese ceramic tile to distributors. Operations moved to Bill's home in Robbinsdale, MN, where it would remain until 1974. During this time, distribution was increased from three states to twenty.

Kate-Lo Minnesota was incorporated in 1974 with 13 employees to distribute tile and related products locally. They moved their warehouse and corporate headquarters to Brooklyn Park that same year. The emphasis was placed on providing beautiful showrooms and large stocking inventories for the local construction industry. In the coming years, they would expand their operations to include showrooms throughout the Twin Cities Metro. The employees bought out the original investors with an employee stock ownership plan in 1987.

Four years later, Olympia Tile, one of the largest tile distributors in North America, purchased Kate-Lo from the employees. This was a fantastic opportunity for Kate-Lo to expand not only its product line, but also its reputation in the U.S. market.

In the last decade, we have opened new branches in Des Moines, Iowa and Omaha, Nebraska. We continue to have several showrooms in the Metro, including Plymouth, Burnsville and Oakdale including an Outlet Center located in our Headquarters in Plymouth.

During the past 35 years, we have seen many changes. The sheer scope and breadth of tile that is available from around the world has changed dramatically, due to ever-evolving technologies in the tile industry. There have been times when we have seen economic downturns to booming construction business. It has been an honor to be a respected leader in our industry and to be a key service partner for our clients.

Here's looking to the next 35 years.

Labels: anniversary, ceramic tile, kate lo, kate-lo, katelo, stone

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  Kate-Lo Tile & Stone Review - Winter 2009 Check out the Winter 2009 edition of the Kate-Lo Tile & Stone Review.

Looking for the past issue? We have those too!

Labels: ceramic tile, kate-lo, newsletter, review, stone

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  Is it 'green' or greenwashing? Greenwashing is a term that has been used for over twenty years to deceive consumers into thinking a product is more 'environmentally friendly' than what it really is or what a company's environmental practices really are. Tile is indisputably 'green' in nature, because it is made from minerals, stones and clays from the earth, however, greenwashing still runs rampant through the tile industry. While there have been many successes in the tile industry, environmental claims have been over stated. The most common forms of greenwashing in the tile industry are:

* Inflated recycled content claims without proof.
* Inaccurate information about the manufacturing process.
* Claims that products are LEED approved or recycled without independant certification.

It's important to understand projects, not products, are LEED certified. You need to ask critical questions to ascertain the true eco value of the material.

* Most importantly, is the product independently certified by a third party?
* What is the origin of the raw materials in the tile?
* Does the manufacturer use renewable energy sources? What are their conservation practices?
* What air quality emissions are produced in the manufacture of the tile? Does it have VOCs?
* Do they reclaim any waste material?
* What is the actual recycled content percentage? Is it post-industrial or post-consumer?
* Where is the tile produced and how far does it travel to get to its final installation destination?

Third party verification is the most transparent way to prove a tile's 'green-ness.' These are companies such as Greenguard, Veritas, Greenseal and Scientific Certification Systems. Aside from providing a contribution to the quality of life, verification assures that products are made with resources that have been carefully managed, gives you the personal knowledge that you're doing the right thing. It is important to understand that green building projects have direct & indirect liability based on product selection and without diligence the project certification can be compromised. With all the certified eco-friendly products offered at Kate-Lo Tile & Stone, there is no need to compromise your project's integrity with products that are questionable. Call your sales rep today to find out more about these products.

Labels: ceramic tile, environment, environmentally friendly, green, green building, greenwashing, recycled

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  Color Blox EC from Crossville

Labels: ceramic tile, crossville, green, porcelain, recycled

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  Kate-Lo introduces Green Tech from Ergon

Kate-Lo Tile & Stone is please to announce the addition of Ergon's new line of porcelain tile called Green Tech. Made from 40% post-industrial recycled material, this product has been independantly certified and contributes to satisfying MR 4.1 & MR 4.2 LEED Green Building rating system. As with all Ergon products, this series features their consistent high-quality and an unsurpassed beauty.

Please contact your sales rep at Kate-Lo Tile & Stone for more information.

Labels: ceramic tile, certification, ergon, green, green building, greentech, leed, porcelain, post industrial, pre consumer, recycled, third party

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  Shade Variation in Porcelain and Ceramic Tile Did you know that the tile industry has a standard it uses to determine the shade variation of man-made tile? Man-made tile has the ability to be nearly as random as a natural product or very consistent from piece to piece. Here is a quick chart to help you understand shade variation.

Labels: ceramic tile, color variation, porcelain tile, shade variation, variation

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