Sybarite

Trying to find tile for our kitchen backsplash to add a touch of retro. Been to a dozen tile places and can't find anything but "Tuscan" and glass. Does anyone know where to shop for ceramic or porcelain tile in retro colors in Houston?

I have heard John Calarco was more reasonable than marble life. Got any pics of your project?

As for Fritz tile, I saw it put into that big mod house on Santa Elena in Glenbrook and it looks really good.

You're right, Calarco gave me a lower bid, but I can't bring myself to call it reasonable. The rehab is scheduled to begin mid-January, and I plan to photograph the before, during and after work for posting here.

I just bought a '63 ranch with 1500 square feet of terrazzo. A 3 x 7 foot section was removed, and some genius nailed carpet tack strips into the terrazzo along nearly the entire perimeter of the house, leaving divots in the flooring when yet another genius pried up the tack strips.

I contacted every terrazzo company in town to do the repairs. A few firms were willing to grind and polish, but only two would even discuss repair and new pour for residential work. Both companies seemed quite experienced and came to my house and gave me estimates. The estimates were extremely high, several times more than the same footage of the best solid hardwoods money can buy. One guy said that to install the terrazzo I have in a new house would run $60,000 to $80,000 today!

I'm going to pony up the bucks for the repairs since my only other choice is to live with the damaged floors. (Not that I'd even consider doing so, but removing the existing terrazzo is nearly as expensive as pouring it.) Aside from cost, something to consider is maintenance. Even with sealer, these floors chemically react with acid just like marble. Spill a soda, fruit juice, pet urine, and you may have a stain that can't be removed even with grinding. I've also been told that I need to spend $100 to $300 yearly if I want to keep the floors sealed, smooth and glossy.

Another consideration is value. Sadly, most house buyers (unless they're mod lovers) do not appreciate the value of poured terrazzo. When and if you sell your house, you are unlikely to recover your investment. Don't get me wrong, I love my terrazzo, but there is a definite down side.

If you decide to proceed, the two terrazzo guys I contacted were:

Jerry at MarbleLife 713-528-7787

John Calarco 832-671-8298

I have plans to remodel my '63 ranch kitchen sometime in the nebulous future. One of the options I'm considering is laboratory countertop material. I think it would look great on some Danish-style cabinets, and it's hard to imagine anything more durable. Several companies will create the lab countertops to your specs (including rounded edges and under-mounting for sinks), and my initial research suggests that the cost compares favorably to synthetic stone products like Silestone. Of course, this option precludes the shiny McMansion wet-look granite finish, but I like the flat black look. If you're at all interested, Google "lab countertops" for several providers.