At Coverings Connected in April 2020, we virtually honored 12 outstanding projects that demonstrated spectacular craftsmanship and creativity in the use of tile & stone. This week we’re putting the spotlight on the Residential Stone Installation winner.
Residential Stone Installation Winner
Portland White House
Columbia River Tile & Stone Inc.
Portland, OR
Situated in Portland’s North East Historic Irvington District, Portland’s White House was built as a summer home in 1911 by Robert Lytle, a wealthy lumber baron. The house was billed as the most expensive home built in the district for the period. This Greek Revival Mansion is one of the Rose City’s most luxurious and elegant historic homes.
We were brought in to renovate the eleven bathrooms, kitchen floor, and main fireplace. The tile in these areas was primarily original, although some renovations were done in the 80’s and 90’s. There were some failures with cracked tiles and grout that were observed at the initial visit. The most recent renovations tried following the original plan of construction but fell short on execution.
After demolition was completed by us, we quickly realized the complexity of the project ahead of us. The original construction was built with a 2” layer of light weight mortar between the joists that had been hatched to a point. On top of that was an additional 1 .” of traditional deck mud. We came up with a plan by consulting with individuals that have seen this type of construction before.
We also took great care in planning the layout of each area. The shower wall tile continued throughout the rest of each bathroom wall as wainscoting and was also used on the floor as a 6” border which encompassed the 2” hex tile. With all of these components coming together, it was critical that the layout was well planned out. By utilizing resources like the NTCA and following industry standards we delivered a finished product that was a fitting compliment to this beautiful historic home.
Do you have a recently completed project that features innovative design and installation of tile & stone? Consider entering it to the 2021 CID Awards – the submission portal will open this fall.
