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GIO_Thick 1.0

What’s In For Outside Design

As an alternative to natural stone and concrete, porcelain pavers are a big trend in outdoor design. Though porcelain tile options have long been available for outdoor use, these thick, high-tech pavers are made from the highest grade porcelain and are specifically designed for easy installation over a variety of foundations, including grass, sand, gravel, and standard mortar installations. Their precision sizing and uniformity make for easier and faster installation, plus they may be lighter in weight compared to natural stone.

Gio_Thick 1.0 Quartz Silver 24x24 Rectified

 

GIO_Thick 1.0 Installed over grass and gravel.

GIO_Thick 1.0 laid over grass and gravel

 

In addition to the easy and flexible installation, porcelain pavers are incredibly durable and easy to maintain.

  • The color will not fade in harsh sunlight or the most abusive weather.
  • The very dense surface allows for minimal moisture absorption, making them 100% frost resistant (they won’t freeze and crack in very cold weather).
  • They are impermeable, which means that de-icing salts can be used without damaging them.
  • They do not require sealing and are naturally resistant to stains and the growth of mold and moss.
  • Porcelain pavers are extremely easy to clean with a hose and standard household cleaners and, if necessary, low pressure washing systems.
  • Unlike concrete and stone, porcelain pavers have no efflorescence (a crystalline deposit of salts often seen on the surface that occurs when water leaves behind salt deposits).

Porcelain Pavers are also slip-resistant. Slip resistance is an important safety feature in outdoor environments, and even more so when it comes to areas prone to slipperiness, such as walkways near irrigation systems and swimming pool patios. Many natural stones won’t be slip-resistant unless a special finish is applied as a separate step after installation.

GIO is proud to offer a beautiful line of the highest quality porcelain pavers that are designed to withstand the most challenging of commercial environments. GIO_Thick 1.0 is a collection of 12mm thick pavers available in an extensive range of looks suit any design scheme. While we introduced this series a few years ago, we have recently added even more on-trend looks to the lineup. Here’s a look!

Natural Stone Looks

Natural stone looks include Limestone, Marble, Slate, and Flagstone in 24″ x 24″ rectified field tile and Sandstone in 18″ x 36″ rectified.

Concrete Looks

Our concrete paver lookalikes are available in four hues, 24″ x24″ rectified.

Quartz Looks

The quartz looks are available in four hues, two in 18″ x 36″ and two in 24″ x 24″. All are rectified.

Wood Looks

And last, but not least, the wood looks are available in a range of seven colors and sizes include 24″ x 24″, a6″ x32″ and 12″ x 48″, all rectified.

 

GIO_Thick 1.0 Special Accessories

Special accessories for our porcelain pavers include coping/stair treads, coping/stair tread corners, grip stair treads, pool grids, pool grid corners. Pedestal supports for raised laying are available in multiple heights (raised laying facilitates ease of care and maintenance for wiring and piping systems).

 

Questions About Porcelain Pavers?

Reach out to us anytime — we’re here for you!

honeycomb with bee

Hex Appeal: GIO Looks at Six-Sided Tile Style

Geometric shapes in interior design are a hot trend, and it’s no stretch to proclaim that the six-sided honeycomb-like hexagon has become the queen bee of all shapes, especially when it comes to ceramic tile. There’s something about the hex shape that designers love. In fact, there’s something about hexagons that most everyone loves. Here’s a look at some of the reasons and at how GIO Tile’s collections answer to the trend.

Orderliness

The precision and uniformity of the shapes slot together perfectly, appealing to the eye as well as our desire for symmetry. Quite simply, we are hardwired to organize chaos into order; thus, the symmetry of hex shapes satisfies those innate yearnings we may not even be aware of.

Back to Nature

snowflake, raft bubbles, turtle shell

The hexagon appears in nature over and over again, and is often referred to as “nature’s most perfect shape.”  Aside from the honeycomb, we have snowflakes, soap bubble rafts, and turtle shells, just to name a few. Hexagonal patterns are prevalent in nature due to their efficiency. In a hexagonal grid, each line is as short as it can possibly be if a large area is to be filled with the fewest number of hexagons. For bees, this means making honeycombs that hold the most amount of honey while using the least amount of wax.  For the same reasons the hexagon is found so often in nature, it’s a great surfacing solution because it covers the area better than any other shape.

Retro Appeal

When it comes to tile, hex shapes are not new; the classic pattern has been gracing bathroom floors and walls since the 19th century. The design of the small, one-inch tiles could be rather plain in all white or could contain a complex pattern of different colors and designs. Skilled tile setters often incorporated creative mosaic patterns ranging from simple to quite complex. If you have a vintage home, you will likely want to turn to a look that is in keeping with the home’s age, and small hex tiles will do just that. While the vintage shape has a quality that transcends time, it’s the new twists given to the standard that could be just the answer for turning a boring space into something special.

Hex_Frame

Offering the popular look of concrete this new hex tile line is a powerhouse tile collection! Play with five chic neutrals to create sassy, classy surfaces.

GIO Hex_Frame, Graphite 7x8 Hexagon Framed Decor
GIO Hex_Frame, Graphite 7×8 Hexagon Framed Decor

Hex_AG

Six sides in five colors to shape your modern design in hexagonal style!

Hex_AG by GIO porcelain tile in Dark Grey, White Argento-
GIO Hex_AG, Dark Grey, White, and Argento 9 7/16”x10 7/8” Hexagon.

Hex_Leonis

Bring rays of delight to floors and walls with this customizably cool collection of hexagonal porcelain tiles, offered in four versatile hues.

HEX_LEONIS floor and wall tile-cropped
GIO Hex_Leonis, Blue 7 x 8

Marmi_Trend

Lush interpretations of beloved marbles featuring sexy hexes as well as 3D linear decos, and more– elegant and edgy for both floors or walls.

GIO Marmi_Trend, Statuary Hex Field Tile
GIO Marmi_Trend, Statuary Hex Field Tile

Geometry Hex

Go modern or retro with this classic porcelain tile offered in a range of urban colors.

Geometry Hex Collection, 2x2 Arctic White Unglazed & Black Unglazed
Geometry Hex Collection, 2×2 Arctic White Unglazed & Black Unglazed

Pietra Marmi

Mesh mounted natural marble mosaics, available in a range of polished and honed shapes, including the beloved hex.

GIO Pietra Marmi, Verona Polished Hexagon Mosaic
GIO Pietra Marmi, Verona Polished Hexagon Mosaic

 

 

Whether you are going for a truly authentic, vintage feel or looking for a more modern take on the classic hex, GIO offers a range of hexagonal tile options to transform your commercial designs. Here at GIO, we not only know tile, but we also deeply understand the needs of interior designers, architects, and commercial product specifiers. Turn to us for the latest solutions in architectural surfacing for your projects. We’re here to work with you!

hex tiles

Commercial Flooring Isn’t Boring!

There was a time in the not-too-distant past that the number one requirement for commercial flooring was durability. As for the look, most commercial flooring was generally inconspicuous, with muted tones and little pattern – not exactly what one would call exciting. But commercial interior design today isn’t just about choosing functional materials that can withstand heavy use. It’s also about creating a comfortable, inviting environment and projecting a cohesive image that can positively affect the overall mood of those inside it.

Thanks to ever-improving technologies in the tile industry, as well as exciting new ways of thinking about design, commercial interiors no longer have to sacrifice beauty and style in favor of durability. Here’s a look at some current tile trends that are definitely not boring!

Bigger is Better

While 12” x 24”  and 24” x 24” tile sizes have long been the norm, porcelain tiles just keep getting bigger. 24” by 48” planks (and even larger) are hugely popular and answer to the demand for tile that can handle spaciousness without making the flooring or walls look too busy. Using bigger tiles will also reduce the number of grout lines for a more seamless look. 

Many  GIO porcelain tile collections are available in indulgently large sizes. Shown here are (left) Tribeca and (right) Veneto in 24″ x 48″.

vento-tribeca

GIO_Thin 5.5 porcelain panels come in sizes as large as 39″ x 118.″ Gio_thin composite

Geometric Shapes

Geometric shapes, including the timeless hexagon, emerged as a strong trend a few years ago and have remained very popular. Whether large or small, geometric forms are very flexible and can greatly impact the feel, tone, and texture of a space.

Geometry Options offers geometrically superlative selections for your every design whimsy. Shapes include hex, penny round, octagon, lantern, basketweave, and pinwheel.

 

geometry Options

 

Explore all our hexagon-shaped tile collections on our website here.

hex tiles

Patterned Tile

Patterned tiles bring character and pizzaz to commercial and residential spaces. Today’s floor tile designs feature exciting and bold patterns that are being used in new ways to create stunning interior design schemes. Whether you specify Moroccan-inspired tiles, Victorian, or modern geometric, the key to working with patterned tiles is to allow the floor to take the limelight. Check out our patterned, encaustic-look Vintage collection.

GIO Vintage Vecchio Room Scene

Wood-looks

Porcelain wood-look tiles are a boon to commercial environments where the style of wood flooring is desired.  Thanks to the leaps and bounds made in print technology in recent years, and the choice of wood-look over real wood for a commercial environment is practically a no-brainer. With all the fabulous options available, you definitely do not have to trade high style for practical flooring that can take a beating. Click here for a look at all our fabulous wood look collections.

GIO wood-looks

 

Modern and Sleek

Sleek elements, meaning smooth and polished, go hand in hand with modern design.  And sleek, modern design is the name of the game in many commercial design areas today, especially in high-end retail and hospitality. Clean and serene, sleek and modern design is elegant and sophisticated in its simplicity.

 

GIO_Thin 5.5 in “Statuary Marble” offers a perfectly sleek backdrop for this modern setting.

 

GIO_Thin 5.5 in "Statuary Marble"
GIO_Thin 5.5 in “Statuary Marble” offers a perfectly sleek backdrop for this modern setting.

Cement Inspired Looks

For the rugged elegance of concrete without the stains, scratches, and headaches of concrete installation, turn to cement-inspired porcelain for your commercial projects. Ardeisa, Athena, Fusion, Progetto, and Veneto offer concrete visuals in a durable, easy-to-maintain porcelain stoneware body.

porcelain tile with cement concrete visuals

Chromatic Design

Color can tell a story, and our new Colori porcelain tile collection is here to tell yours. Check out the ultimate palette with a spectrum of options for commercial spaces.

Colori floor tile, Red 24x24 Matte Rectified

 

 

GIO brings you a carefully curated, on-trend selection of tile and stone products developed expressly for your commercial design projects. Each color, size, texture, and detail you see on our website has been hand-picked from global sources based on our laser-focused knowledge of what you need to take your designs not just from good to great—but from great to extraordinary. Contact us anytime — we’re here to work with you!