Besides beauty, tile and stone offer durability and richness. Whether it is used on floors, walls, backsplashes, or countertops, the choices are seemingly endless.

It has been said that Arcade Floors Carpet One offers one of the largest selections of ceramic tile and natural stone in the Baltimore area.

We are proud to represent manufacturers such as Dal Tile, American Olean, Mannington Porcelain, American Marazzi, Mohawk, Shaw and a number of imported lines.

Ceramic Tile

If you are looking for a formal, more refined look, we have it. If casual or more rustic is your style,
we have that too. Ceramic tile is a natural product. It is made of clay, shale, and other minerals. These are mixed with water to moisten them so they can be molded into specific shapes. In some cases, the tiles are fired and then a glaze (glass) is applied and they are fired again. In other cases, the glaze is applied and fired in one step.

While once expensive, Porcelain tiles have become very affordable. Porcelain tiles are made of finer clays and minerals and fired at higher temperatures creating a much denser tile. They have an absorption value of less than .5% and these tiles can be used both indoors and outdoors. When you visit our store, be sure to notice that our entire front walk is beautiful porcelain tile and it survived the 80” of snows during the winter of 2009-2010 quite well.

Grout

Grout is a type of mortar that is used to fill the spaces between ceramic tiles. Sanded Grout is usually used on floors when the spaces are greater than 1/8”. Unsanded Grout is usually for walls and on floors when the spaces are less that 1/8”. Epoxy Grout is used when it is important to limit moisture absorption. There is even Flexible Grout for areas that might experience some movement.

Colors in grout are boundless. You might choose a color that contrasts your tile. That makes both the tile and the grout stand out. Maybe you want a blended or seamless look and in that case, you would use a coordinating grout color. Medium colors are going to be the easiest to care for. White and very light grouts are going to be more difficult to keep clean and very dark grouts tend to fade and look splotchy over time. Sealing grout will definitely make it easier to keep clean and resist stains. If you desire, a special stain will allow you to change the color of your grout.

Natural Stone

Just as the name implies, these flooring products come to you exactly as they come out of God’s earth. Perhaps they are cut a little, polished a little, but the material is what it is…marble, granite, slate, travertine, or limestone.

Marble Classic styling that says you appreciate old world tastes such as those in Italy and Greece. Today, marble is used on floors, walls, backsplashes, and countertops. A relatively porous product, marble should be sealed when used on floors and countertops. From time to time, it needs to be honed and resealed.

Granite One of the most popular decorating products today for countertops and floors. Granite offers a wide variety of rich colors and interesting veining so that no two pieces or places look exactly alike. It is a low maintenance product so it makes an excellent choice.

Slate For a more rustic appearance, slate offers the look of strength and the choice of lots or little color. It can be cut in a variety of sizes or even laid in a random flagstone effect. Slate is perhaps the easiest of all natural stone to care for.

Limestone A warm appearance usually in a variety of beige colors. Limestone provides a very comfortable look and feel in bathroom and fireplaces. It is sensitive to acids so use in the kitchen should be limited.

Travertine Is usually quite rugged in its natural state so the larger pores are filled and the surface polished to create the look we find in older sophisticated buildings. It does require regular maintenance to retain its beauty.

Our Brands