Welch Tile Finishes Terrazzo Project in Pocatello Idaho

01/26/2011 By Leave a Comment

January 2011, I traveled to Idaho for our final walk through and punch list with Layton Construction Company.  Welch Tile started this project in July 2010, our workforce installed over 13,000 square feet of epoxy terrazzo floor and 1,800 lineal feet of poured in place base.  The five different colors encompass arcs and radiuses with areas highlighted with 1/8” strips laid in a diagonal pattern. As you view the pictures and see the final results, I want to personally thank the men who spent several months away from their families. Welch has performed work in areas all over North America but not nearly to the time & extent of this project. 

Portneuf Medical Center is "a renown health care system of hospitals, clinics and doctors that provide a full range of medical services."  This $150 million facility has 187 beds throughout the 297,500 square foot building, 37,000 square feet of that was renovated.  To catch up on previous stories from Portneuf Medical Center, flip through the construction photos and stay up to date on their progress check out their Facebook Page.

Welch Tile is proud to have been a part of this exciting project so far from home.  We enjoyed learning about the Idaho landscape that is much different than Michigan’s. We met some great people who made it a joy to work with.  I can only hope we made an impact on the project and people of Pocatello, showing them the work ethics and personality of our company and West Michigan community.

Thank you,

Daniel Jay Welch
 We’d also like to invite you to our Facebook Page to browse through more pictures of our trip to Idaho.

 

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Finish Home Improvements Before Graduation Openhouses Start

01/13/2011 By Leave a Comment
Graduation is creeping up fast.  Yes, it may only be January but once you dive into your projects you’ll wish you would have started them earlier.  So get a jump start on your home improvements now, and let us help.  We would like to send our recognition out to the parents of all the 2011 graduates, whether they are graduating high school or college, by giving them a 15% discount on materials.  This discount will be running now thru April 30th, 2011, just mention this blog. 
 
If you’re feeling overwhelmed with other projects or just don’t think your up to par on your DIY, we’d be more than happy to install your tile backsplash, tile floor, or countertops.  With two designers in the showroom and 34 Certified Tile Installers, we have a lot to offer.  Our designers can help with making proper selections, coordinating materials with existing surroundings, and help with pattern ideas and layouts.  Then, if you’d like us to install, the designers hand off the project to an estimator.  They oversee the project from there making sure it gets done right.  When making selections bring in everything you can; a cabinet door, paint colors, fabrics, pictures of the house and pictures of the room you plan to update.  This all will help you and the designer narrow down the selections in the showroom.  That way, the ones you bring home to see in your home’s lighting will already be coordinating with the other materials in the room.
 
Below are pictures of a local residential kitchen remodel that we did recently.  By replacing their countertop, backsplash and window they updated the look of their kitchen in just a few easy steps. 
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For Best Results, Hire a Certifed Tile Installer

12/23/2010 By 1 Comment
Welch Tile employs 34 Certified Tile Installers as of today, December 23, 2010.  Dan Welch and Tyler Nequist were the first in the nation to become certified back in 2008 and we have been passing our installers through ever since.  The CTEF ended the year certifying tile installers at Daltile in Grand Rapids, bringing the total of Certified Tile Installers to 500 in the nation.  Welch Tile supports the CTEF because it is the only way of validating skills in this trade.  Word of mouth plays a big part when a client is choosing both their materials and installers.  Having certified installers will give piece of mind to our clients, they will know that they are getting top quality installations.  At first, some of our installers were apprehensive about testing.  Now that they have finished the two day test, they have a better understanding of how important it is to validate their skills and knowledge in the trade. 
 
Part of our crew was working at Ravenna Schools when a local marketing designer, Mike Farrar, took the photos for the CTEF brochure below.  Pictured on the second page, bottom left corner are just five of our crew members.  From left to right: Tony, Pete, Nate, Jesse, and Mark.  Brian is also pictured on the second page, very right hand side.  Brian has been with Welch Tile since April 1997.  He was also one of the first installers to become certified and now teaches CTEF classes.
 
For any further information please feel free to post a question or visit the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation website.

 

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Greenville’s “Mini-Museum”

11/30/2010 By Leave a Comment
Welch Tile just finished up a project in the Greenville bike path tunnel under M-57 directly in front of Meijer.  The Fred Meijer Flat River Trail circles the City of Greenville and the tunnel will provide a safe and accessible connection between the north and south ends of the trail under M-57.
 
The City of Greenville received grant monies along with some generous private funding for the project which is intended to provide universal accessibility in the area.  The mini-museum will provide continuing education with the mural tiles being supplied by art students from different age groups including elementary, middle and high school, community college and adults.  The W.K. Kellogg Foundation awarded a grant to the Greenville Area Community Foundation to develop the concept for the Museum exhibit.  Larry Hutchinson consulted on the project and the City of Greenville was also heavily involved.  Tunnel sections were precast concrete delivered to site and set in place.  Normally theses tunnels are just used as a watershed, to our knowledge tile has not been set on these types of walls.  Walls were flattened, waterproofed and precast was cut to achieve a straight line.  The tiles are actually set 4" out of level from one end of the 100′ tunnel to the other.  Field tile was grouted with epoxy grout and the murals were grout bagged with sanded grout, a technique usually done by a stone mason.  The whole project took about 1-1/2 work weeks to complete.  You may notice in some pictures that next to each of the four tiled murals there is an opening.  The opening will be filled with plastic laminate graphic panels which will be installed by Welch Tile when they are produced. 
 
There is a lot more information on this project.  The Daily News wrote an article on the project called "WATCH: Tunnel tiles being installed" which also has a video clip.  If you would like to see pictures of the Greenville community making the tiles, see the finished tiles before they were installed and find out more on what went into this project go to the Greenville "Access to Recreation" Tunnel Mural and Exhibits Facebook page.
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Getting Cold Feet? Heat Your Floors With Nuheat!

11/24/2010 By Leave a Comment
No, I’m not talking about on or before your wedding day.  I’m talking about when you are walking across your floor; whether it’s tile, stone, laminate or an engineered wood you might notice that your cold feet are making your entire body cold.  Do you immediately put slippers on when you come into your house because your feet get cold?  When you step into your shower, does the cold floor send a chill down your spine?  This can all change by installing a mat underneath your tile or stone, etc.
 
Nuheat has been around for a while and is the leading manufacture of electric radiant floor heating systems.  Mats are often used on the bathroom floor so when you step out of the warm shower your feet will stay warm and you stay comfortable.  Now they have a mat that can be installed in showers, so you will no longer have to step onto a cold shower floor!  The mats have a few different thermostat options, two of which are programmable.  Just program the thermostat to come on a little before your normal "wake up and get ready time" and you will walk onto a warm bathroom floor, and then have it set to shut off when you are normally done getting ready or are going to be gone.  But remember, you don’t have to stop with your bathroom – just think of how nice it would be to walk around your house without getting cold feet or having to wear bulky slippers all the time! 
 
To learn more about Nuheat and using it as a heat source follow this link: Nuheat as a heat source.  This link also has useful tools, such as operating cost calculator and BTU output calculator.
  
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Niches – Not Just For Showers!

11/10/2010 By Leave a Comment
Niches come in different shapes and sizes.  They are most commonly found in showers, however that is not the only place they can be used.  In showers, they are a nice replacement for the traditional ceramic soap dishes because they fit into the wall which allows for more elbow room.  Everything from razors to the largest shampoo and conditioner bottles will fit in a niche – depending on which one is selected.  Some other possibilities, keeping within the bathroom, would be to hold everyday use toiletries or just for some extra storage.  For easy access, they are best placed by sinks or toilets.  If a cleaner and more organized look is desired, put items in a basket that would fit into the niche.  Another great place for these - The Kitchen. Niches can showcase spices, oils, wine bottles, and other decor or they can be very functional if used to keep all the most used items in close reach (without cluttering up the counter top).  For more information including sizes, shapes, and pricing stop into our Kent City showroom!

 

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Concrete Countertops

11/02/2010 By Leave a Comment
The possibilities are almost endless with concrete, with different colors and different aggregates you can personalize your top to make it look rustic, modern or anywhere in between.  Whether you want your kitchen counters done, a bathroom vanity, tabletop, desktop, fireplace surround, or even a sink, you can have a one of a kind piece. 
 
Below are just a handful of the samples that we have available.  We also have the different colors and sizes of aggregates that you can pick and choose from at our Kent City showroom, so stop in and check them out!!
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Before & After Pictures of Marcelo’s Kitchen

10/29/2010 By 1 Comment
After working with Marcelo on our website, we had the pleasure of helping him update his kitchen.  We replaced his plain white countertop with a very rich colored natural stone.  The color of the cabinets, walls and even the chairs are all brought out in the stone, tying everything together.  NEXT, a backsplash!
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New Look Coming to Bathrooms – Linear Drains!

10/25/2010 By 1 Comment
The linear drain systems that are now coming out, allow for large format tiles to be installed in showers and bathroom floors because they only need a single slope.  Before these types of systems were available, a 3" x 3" tile or smaller was recommended to accommodate the slopes to a center drain.  These new drains will forever change the look of tiled showers.  Leave us a comment if you would like to know more about sizes, styles, and finishes that are available. 

 

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Welch Donates to the Symphony Show House

09/02/2010 By
Welch Tile had the pleasure to work with designers Anna Donahue and Roberta Lathrop on this entryway for the Symphony Show House in East Grand Rapids.
For more information on the Wilcox Estate along with historic photos click here.  If you would like to see a few more photos of the updated estate and news article clippings from the Show House event click here.
 
If you would like more information on the designers that worked on this project you can go directly to their websites just click on the following links:  Anna Donahue or  Roberta Lathrop
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Ceramic Tile Education Foundation

09/02/2010 By Leave a Comment
CTEF – Twenty three of our installers are certified and more on thier way.  Brian, pictured to the below in "The Tile Letter", was one of the first to become certified and now teaches CTEF classes.
 
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Spa at Coverings 2010

09/02/2010 By Leave a Comment
Coverings 2010 was held in Orlando Florida at the Orange County Convention Center.  This was the shows premier event to bring designers in to see the new tile products.  Along with the designers, there were tile manufactures, distributors, installers, architects and anyone else that is involved in the fabrication and installation of tile and stone. 
 
The entire process took 5 days from start to finish.  We worked along side other certified installers, some of which are pictured in the gallery below.  Day one, the backer board and the floor tile was installed.  Day two, the 4×12 wall tile was installed and the wave mural that was designed by Nieto Design Group, Inc was laid out on the wall.  Day three, the glass wall was installed.  Day four was spent grouting and day five it was complete for showing.
 
Welch invested $5,000.00 to support the growth of the ceramic tile industry by offering this installation at no cost.  The labor included was 140 man hours, not including the countless hours in pre construction to coordinate all efforts such as tools, tile, sundrys and everything else it took to pull off this first ever design showcase.
 
The following companies are pictured in the gallery below: Artcraft Granite Marble & Tile; Cox Tile, Inc; David Allen Company, Inc; and Neuse Tile Service, Inc.
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