Tile Today #123

123

FULLY ENDORSED BY THE AUSTRALIAN TILE COUNCIL

LUXE CERAMICS: A FIRST GEN STORE

GLOBAL TILE DESIGNS TRENDS

|

F E AT U R E D P R O D U C T S

TILE IMPORTS FY23-24 |

TRADE FAIRS

|

INDUSTRY NEWS

123 CONTENTS

GLOBAL STYLE 7

Using the broad categories of Colour, Shape and Style, we provide an independently curated overview of major tile designs that emerged during 2024. It is based on the extensive show reports written by international correspondent Joe Simpson.

WATERPROOFING 19 The GAPP waterproofing course by Gripset can attribute part

of its success to the quality of its trainers. In this feature, we profile Stephen Grech from LRV8ed (Elevated Training) and a number of participants.

SHOWROOM 23 Luxe Ceramics – Tile Merchants & Renovation Specialists was

established just 12 years ago by Michael Benino and Vince Terribile. They look to the future with the same determination and persistence that got them started.

TILE IMPORTS 29 There was a four per cent increase in ceramic tile imports for

the last financial year (to 30 June 2024) over the previous financial year, according to Peter Halliday.

PRODUCT FOCUS: CUREFLEX SLR2000 32 The Cureflex SLR2000 waterproof membrane by Demtech is

CodeMark Certified and specifically designed for waterproofing internal and external under-tile applications.

BUILDING 34 The Victorian Building Authority has undergone a period of self-

examination, resulting in a resolution to remake itself, with new powers and responsibilities.

PRODUCT FOCUS: CONSOLIDATOR PLUS 38 Rockstar Sealing’s Consolidator Plus reduces salt-water

penetration, efflorescence and water borne staining.

WHAT YOU MISSED 38 If you missed any major stories in Tile Today’s e-newsletters,

we provide direct links to them on the website.

@tiletodaymagazine @tiletodaymagazine tile-today-magazine

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FO REWO R D

TILE TODAY In its current iteration, Tile Today is an online magazine, e-newsletter and very active website. In these digital formats, we have been able to publish a wide variety of content, from news items on waterproofing defects, statistics on building approvals and renovations as well top tile designs from around the world.

Next year, readers can expect even more including an expanded, spin-off edition of the popular Buying Guide for adhesives, waterproofing and grouts/sealants.

In this edition, we look at what significant tile designs were seen at Cevisama, Coverings and Cersaie. To make some sense out of all the products launched by manufacturers, we group them into Colour, Shape and Style.

We also continue to highlight notable businesses in the tile industry including Luxe Ceramics that operates out of Bibra Lake in Western Australia. It has achieved a lot in a relatively short amount of time and is led

by Michael Benino and Vince Terribile.

Proudly produced and distributed in Australia ELITE PUBLISHING CO PTY LTD ABN: 27 006 876 419 PO BOX 800, Templestowe, Victoria, Australia 3106 Ph: + 61 3 9890 0815 Fax: + 61 3 9890 0087 Email: info@elitepublishing.com.au Website: www.tiletodaydigital.com.au www.elitepublishing.com.au PUBLISHERS Georgia Glimour Michelle Cammiade EDITOR Betty Tanddo betty.tanddo@elitepublishing.com.au

GAPP training maintains its dominant position as the leading To read about Luxe Ceramics, go to page 23 course for waterproofing. Trainer Steven Grech explains his approach and participants discuss their experiences.

INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT Joe Simpson joe.simpson@elitepublishing.com.au

After a decade of worsening, unchecked scandals, and radical mismanagement by the state government, is the Victorian Building Authority finally on a better track?

Read more on page 34.

Scott Lewis scott@hnn.bz

To keep up to date on the latest news in the tile industry, just click here:

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123

FULLY ENDORSED BY THE AUSTRALIAN TILE COUNCIL

Betty Tanddo

ELITE PUBLISHING CO PTY LTD PUBLISHERS OF: Flooring Magazine, Tile Today Magazine, and Supplier Magazine.

FRONT COVER IMAGE Metal from ABK's Wide & Style is inspired by an industrial look, transforming a patchwork of corrugated sheets into a striking design element. This finish, with its rough and modern appearance, is ideal for spaces with a strong, dynamic character, such as lofts, offices, and commercial areas. The surface replicates the appearance of a metallic material, but with the practicality and durability of ceramics.

LUXE CERAMICS: A FIRST GEN STORE

Leading the Industry

Endorsed by Australian Tile Council www.australiantilecouncil.com.au

GLOBAL TILE DESIGNS TRENDS

|

F E AT U R E D P R O D U C T S

TILE IMPORTS FY23-24 |

TRADE FAIRS

|

INDUSTRY NEWS

ELITE PUBLISHING CO PTY LTD. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication maybe reproduced, transmitted or copied in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without the express prior written consent of Elite Publishing Co Pty Ltd. Viewpoints, opinions, claims, etc expressed in articles appearing in this publication are those of the authors. The Publishers accept no responsibility for the information supplied or for claims made by companies or their representatives regarding product performance, etc or for any errors, omissions, misplacement, alterations, or any subsequent changes, or for any consequences of reliance on this information or this publication.

Please note: Shade variation is an inherent feature of tile production. The Publisher is not liable for any discrepancy between images published in Tile Today and actual products.

Global

Style W

hat do “trends” mean, and do they really matter? The answer to that is quite nuanced — basically, there are trends, and then there are trends.

Tile Today’s international correspondent, Joe Simpson, is not only one of the top writers on the tile industry and tile design, he also hosts a great audio podcast on the tile industry, called “TileCast”. Recently, in the edition for Season 2, Episode 24 of 25 October 2024, Joe tackled just this problem.

As he relates, the issue is that there is a very broad base spectrum of commentary on all aspects of interior design, including tiles, and all this is pretty much (in Tile Today’s words, not Joe’s) so much meaningless chatter. To be fair, some of that chatter is produced by the tile industry itself. Note, for example, the embrace of the new “Tenniscore” style at Cersaie in 2024.

However, beyond that, there is also a serious level of commentary, which is much more informed about the tile industry itself, and acts as part of a feedback loop for it on a very deep level for both designers and manufacturers of tiles. In Joe’s words on TileCast:

Tile Today’s coverage of major tile shows. Click on an image to download each.

In my opinion, there are only a few experts capable of putting into actionable words, the fruits of this industry’s incredible design teams. I’m talking about Ryan Fasan for Ascer, Cristina Faedi for Confindustria Ceramica, a small selection of marketers from specific distributors, and retailers, plus a few trade associations.

It always used to amaze me when I sat down with one or two of these experts after a show.

We would each write down our 10 favourite new designs on a piece of paper, then turn them over, and compare our choices. I found it staggering that six or seven of the same designs would feature on every piece of paper. But that is because these people, like me, spend their working life looking at what tiles are coming onto the marketplace, analysing how they are going to be sold and used, and identifying the minute points of difference that make one tile stand out in a very crowded marketplace. tiletodaydigital.com.au | TILE TODAY #123 7

Joe goes on to say that there is some general industry trend analysis that is substantial, such as paint colour analysis by Dulux, Sherwin-Williams and Pantone. But the tile industry, he believes, is truly unique.

I do believe that the tile industry is unique. It is influenced by outside design forces, but it is driven by production technology.

That’s why tile design advanced in leaps and bounds following the widespread adoption of digital printing technology. This allowed photographic imagery to be translated onto tiles, made perfect facsimiles of natural materials like cement, marble, or wood so much easier, but also opened up possibility of new surface creations that were simply unthinkable 10 or 20 years ago.

At Tile Today, we thought it would be a good idea to go through Joe’s writing for 2024, across the three major tile exhibitions — Cevisama, Coverings and Cersaie — and look at the longitudinal trends that are emerging. What we’re looking for, however, is less the cutting edge of design — the rightful focus of attention for Joe and the cohort of other international experts — and more for broad, general trends which will likely start to show up in the higher end of the mass market for tiles.

You can listen to TileCast by clicking these links to Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Background In terms of Joe’s overall sense for all three of the exhibitions, there is a lingering sense of disappointment for 2024. Cevisama, Joe lamented, has declined from a growing centre of energy in the tile industry, to an event that simply cannot recreate that past enthusiasm. Coverings was more energetic, but still under-attended — partly, Joe suggests, because it moved from its previous location in Orlando, Florida to Atlanta, Georgia.

Cersaie retains its special place in the global tile industry, and it continues to show signs of real vitality. But, like everything else in the tile industry, it is struggling against global economic trends that are at the moment favouring productive capacity over sensible and thoughtful craft.

As Joe mentions regarding all three exhibitions, for 2024 there was an increased emphasis on what tile makers could do technically to increase the field of available options. While this is encouraging, it came at the cost of focus on the true design and artistry that goes into modern tiles.

In Tile Today’s view, that has been exacerbated by one of the ongoing central tensions in tile, which is how to cope with a world of rapidly changing fashions when you’re producing a product that will easily last for 25 years or more with only minimal maintenance?

Added to that is the need for European tile makers to find ways to differentiate themselves from the countries where the majority of tiles are manufactured globally, China and India.

Overview In what follows, we’ll be looking at style trends through the lens of Colour, Shape and Style.

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VIVE’s Radix line of tiles includes three variants on cotto. Featured here is Radix Mellow. Deeper shades are available in Radix Chipper and Radix Bold. The tiles are rated R11.

Colour 1.

2.

3.

1. ANTICHE FORNAC I D’AGOSTINO’s Capri collection’s I Faraglioni tile is based on the colour of the sea from which Faraglioni (coastal rock formations) emerge. 2. The TERRATINTA GROUP’s Savoir Faire Lagoon is one of eight colours in a collection that is a tribute to the past, blending tradition and craftsmanship. 3. ABK’s Wide & Style collction features Africa, which brings an explosion of vibrant colors and a dynamic pattern inspired by ethnic influences into contemporary settings.

4.

4. CERAMICHE REFIN’s Tamashi wood-inspired porcelain tiles show familiar black-and-white colours.

5. ABK STONE’s Black Passion FullVein3D graphically recreates, in perfect continuity, the veins of the stone surface, even within the entire thickness, just as in natural marble. 6. SERENISSIMA Italica collection in Terra Dolce. A large format cotto tile, certified to R11.

5.

6.

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Colour

One trend that was present at all three major exhibitions was cotto (a terracotta-ish range of soft colours), especially the lighter hues. Joe points out that this is moving in to replace the common, cooler grey and greige tones.

Another common trend, which did shift between events, was the predominance of greens, along with some blues. For Cevisama, Joe refers to a “deep, resonant green”, that were power and solid, with “a clear Victorian influence”. At Coverings the greens were in the “seaweed, moss, or dark fern area”. Joe also remarked on the blue accent colours at Coverings, which were in the royal, navy and midnight blue area. For Cersaie, Joe pointed out cobalt and other, deeper blues. In fact, the emerging palette was more complex for this exhibition in general:

1.

2.

Accent colours such as cobalt blue and moss green remained dominant, while deeper blues, burgundy reds, and mustard yellows began to emerge. Classic black-and-white combinations and soft earth tones were also prominent, although new tiles in violet and purple hues were scarce.

3.

4.

1. BARDELLI Colorama in Verde. 2. CIR’s City. 3.

MONOPOLE’s Cerdena. 4. APE Genuine Emerald.

tiletodaydigital.com.au | TILE TODAY #123 11

Shape The main shape that showed up at all three events was fluted tiles. Joe described these tiles at Cersaie: Fluted finishes — both stone-effect and wood-effects — remain very popular. Many of the leading tile brands showed fluted designs featuring a repeating pattern of narrow surface ridges, providing the tiles with a three-dimensional effect and allowing light and shadow to enhance the character of the wall. The spacing between the ribs can differ, ranging from broader gaps to narrower sections, and this also applies to colour and surface texture.

1.

These were combined with wood-effect tiles to produce a unique look. At Cevisama: [Fluting was] seen on wood-effect tiles, to create soft routed and sanded looks, or to emulate something like the wooden deck of a yacht.

Fluting was also used to add visual interest to stone-effect and marble tiles, with echoes of carved columns, or church panelling.

At Coverings this trend was further extended, according to Joe:

2.

When it comes to wood-effect tiles, the current trend is towards fluted forms which look as though they were created by a router, or strip patterns/decking effects that would look completely at home on a luxury yacht. These new wood-effect tiles are finding their way into unusual areas of the home, such as shower enclosures. This is because these tiles have a very naturalistic and warm look as well as great textual appeal.

There was also a continued evolution of more exotic shapes. At Cevisama, Joe commented on the “collections featuring interlocking star, cross and dart forms”. For Coverings the range extended: “As well as the standard square and rectangular floor tiles, we were seeing ... star shapes, crosses, hexagons, and other interlocking pieces.” And at Cersaie: “Additional shapes, like kite and oval combinations, have joined star, cross, and picket pieces in the portfolios of the true experts in decorative small format tiles”.

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3.

1. WOW DESIGN Spike Bars collection is a bias reconfiguring of its previous Sweet Bars collection.

2. ANTICHE FORNACI D’AGOSTINO’s Isola collection. 3. CERASARDA’s Sardinia collection highlights a modern use of hexagonal tiles.

PRISSMACER Nantes collection features wood-effect tiles with 3D ribs, providing a routered wood aspect to the tiles. Top is Nantes Fuoco, bottom Nantes Natura.

Shape 1.

2.

3.

1.,2., & 3.: NATUCER’s MY U DELUXE line of fluted tiles. 1. MY U DELUXE SNOW combined with MY U DELUXE GREY-BLACK 2. MY U DELUXE CLAY LINE. According to NATUCER: Each piece features a meticulously crafted design that adds depth and texture, creating a three-dimensional visual impact. The invisible assembly of the pieces, achieved through extrusion, allows for precise and elegant joining.

4.

4. PORTOBELLO Mood Wall collection in Concreto Dobraduras Mix. 5. NATUCER’s Petra collection comes in a range of shapes. 6. WOW DESIGN Faces collection comes in nine colours.

5.

6.

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Style Even in what he has regarded as something of an “off” year for style and design, Joe was able to find hot-spots of innovation and new thinking. One area that seemed a theme through the events was a “composite” look in tiles. At Cevisama, he remarked: We are also seeing more designs that fuse different natural influences into a single coherent design. Typical examples include stone-concrete composites, plaster-timber, and wood and stone fusions. Marble-effects are found paired with glass, granite, resin, or other materials.

1.

This carried through to Coverings as well: [A] second trend is composite materiality. This combines the qualities of resin and concrete to create a whole new material category. The surface has just enough texture to elevate it beyond a plain painted wall.

Cersaie also featured cement-stone composites, but was a more subdued trend there. One trend that was most prominent at Coverings was terrazzo effects.

2.

The next trend is really a continuation, rather than being new. Terrazzo-effect tiles have been around for at least 10-15 years now, but every time you think this design direction is running out of steam it reinvents itself and comes back stronger. That was certainly the case this year.

We saw a raft of new colourways, Ceppo de Gris imitations, reclaimed-effect stracciatella designs, and both bold and tiny inclusions, as well as terrazzo-effects in many formats and sizes.

This was also at Cersaie, as well as Cevisama: Larger wall and floor tiles featured stone effects influenced by the surface patterns of Ceppo de Gres, or terrazzo effects with pale inclusions.

At Coverings there was also a notable outbreak of 1970s nostalgia: The final trend identified at the show is where the tile industry meets Austin Powers. There are a lot of tiles that can only be described as “groovy” man. I’m talking about strong 1970s shapes such as curves and arches, colours like browns and burnt oranges, and the kind of designs that would have graced a student’s Athena poster 50 years ago.

3.

1. Stonecrete from AZTECA. 2. EQUIPE Vitral.

3. VERDE 1991 Cosmopolitan.

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CERCOM’s Cosmo stone look tiles feature glazed porcelain stoneware with a coloured body. The finish of each tile of the Cosmo collection contains synchronised reflections that fit in smoothly with the graphics. Top image features Comet Cream, bottom image is Darkside.

Style

Dazed & Glazed tiles illustrated the 1960s/1970s revival. The tiles are made by fusing a thin veneer of glass onto a ceramic tile surface. Each tile pattern is individually designed and handmade. They are designed for use in public spaces such as airports, libraries and music venues, as well as residential spaces.

1.

1. Fondovalle Dream Navy Blue. 2. In Contro by Cercom is an exacting exploration of a classic stone: travertine. 3. Vives’ Stravaganza collection shown in Niza, porcelain large format terrazzo effect tile

2.

3. tiletodaydigital.com.au | TILE TODAY #123 17

OK O B W O N K O O OW N WB O K N O K O B OO W B O K N W O O K O N B O K O W B O OO N W B O K N W O O K O OOK N K NOW BOO OOK NOW B W BOOK NOW B O K OO N W O B O K O N W B O O K O W N B O OO N W B BOOK NOW! O K N W O O K O W BOOK N OK NOW BOO BOOK NOW B W BOOK NO O K SESSIONS FILLING FAST O N W O B O K O N W B O O K O W N B O OO N W B O K N W O O K O W BOOK N OK NOW BOO BOOK NOW B W BOOK NO O O W N B O K N W O O K O N B OO W B O W N O K BOOK N OK NOW BOO O NOW B PART 1

WHAT YOU’LL GAIN COMPLETING GAPP

THEORY CONTENT 2 Afternoon sessions Waterproofing of internal & external wet areas Covers Australian standards Business growth & profitability

Expert knowledge: On how to apply Gripset systems, to build your confidence for all internal and external applications

PART 2

Extended 15-Year Warranty on Gripset systems when through exclusive stepby-step installation specs.

HANDS ON TRAINING Face to face hands on Gripset product application Small class sizes for individual support & guidance Leave feeling confident to put your skills into practice at future jobs Ongoing assistance & support

MEET YOUR TRAINER Yandi has over 20 years experience as a tiler and waterproofer, spending the last 9 years as a full time trainer. Yandi's passion to drive improvement within the industry, paired with his knowledge and experience, promises to deliver you an informative and advantaged training experience.

Ongoing discounts on Gripset Products through GAPP Resellers, ensuring the best price with a GAPP card.

Direct Technical Support from Gripset, providing peace of mind on challenging projects.

Business Listing on Gripset’s “Find a GAPP Contractor” page, boosting visibility for new projects.

www.gripset.com/training visit for for more info

K W K W

WAT E R P R OOFING

GAPP Waterproofing Training with Stephen Grech

Stephen Grech from LRV8ed Training (pronounced “elevated”) is not just passionate about waterproofing. As a trainer, he believes most people working in construction have good intentions and want to do things correctly — despite some negative perceptions of the industry.

S

tephen had a circular pathway as a trainer specialising in waterproofing.

He worked for his father’s bathroom and kitchen renovation business when he was young. After completing university, he found himself in a corporate environment. That lasted about a decade before Stephen decided he wanted to return to construction.

This led to him launching LRV8ed Training, which he set up specifically to train people in waterproofing best practices.

For Stephen, the most common challenge for participants coming in to do training face is the trepidation of being in a classroom. He said: “Unfortunately, it’s difficult for a lot of waterproofers in the sense that many of them don’t have positive experiences in the classroom and, for many of them, English can be their second language. So I can appreciate it’s quite frightening for them to kind of come in and actually do training.”

The other main challenge is reading.

Stephen explains: “Most people in construction don’t like reading, and that’s a massive problem because how do we install our waterproofing systems correctly if we don’t read how they’re meant to be installed?”

To view a video interview with Stephen Grech, click on image above.

These challenges are addressed head on, and participants learn key skills about waterproofing products as part of this training program. Stephen said: “GAPP Training is going to take you through all the systems that Gripset have.

What is challenging for practitioners using any range of system is their knowledge of all the different products.

“So when you come in to do the one day training, what we focus on is a lot of the sheet systems, because there is a little bit of a fear about using sheet systems.

We focus on sheet applications, but we also focus on the key fundamentals of waterproofing.

“Obviously, we talk a bit about substrates, the priming applications, and then we really do get into the actual applications of the different systems. There’s quite a range of sheet systems where you’ve got two-part cementitious … and throughout that day you will really get full hands-on training with these systems.”

Stephen gets a lot of satisfaction as a trainer from seeing participants become more self-assured when they complete the GAPP training. He said: “For me, [what’s satisfying] is just

watching students come in, watch their confidence grow and really see that they have the thirst for knowledge. So I often see that they come in, they might do a one day training course or session, they might do the GAPP for the day. Then they usually want to find out how they can do more training and why do they want to do that? Because they want to actually be better.

“You can see, even in one day, their confidence grow. When this happens, I notice they feel even more motivated to get out into industry and try these systems. That’s really what it’s all about, because having knowledge of the different systems that are available, it’s only going to make the practitioners’ businesses better. “[Having] more products in your repertoire of products that you choose from is going to make you a waterproofer who can offer more solutions to your customers.

And if your business can offer more services and products, then that’s just going to make you, as a waterproofing practitioner, better and your business stronger.”

Motivation to learn

More importantly, Stephen believes the main motivation for participants undergoing training is simply to do better.

“I genuinely find that most people in our industry, if they are making mistakes — because we all make mistakes — it’s not because they’re intentionally making a mistake, it’s probably because they don’t know they’re making it … When they’re aware of that and know how to install these systems, I can see their confidence grow and they go out into industry probably happier. And if you’re happier, you’re probably going to do a better application.

“You’re learning from maybe people who have more experience or have current knowledge. So that’s, I think, important. We need to change that attitude in our industry.

About the 20 year, I often hear about the 20 year guy. He is been out on the tools for 20 years and never had a failure. It’s really interesting because for me, the guys who I see as the leaders in our industry, they will all say they’ve made mistakes and they’ve done things that probably aren’t the right way to do it, but that’s how we learn. We learn the hard way. Sometimes we learn through those errors, so hopefully they’re not significant errors, but we all make mistakes and we learn from them.”

It’s being part of a positive change in the industry. He explains further: “Anyone who’s involved in waterproofing knows there’s a massive problem with defects across Australia. In our industry, we need to fix that problem through education and training. We have practitioners out there that are applying systems and often they don’t really know how they should be installing them. It’s not necessarily their fault. Often, I find it’s purely because they don’t know any better.

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Michael Bui, Bui Domestic Builder

Why sign up: I signed up just to give myself confidence that if I engaged a subcontractor to do a particular job, that it’s been applied and done properly. Favourite part: My favourite part would be how it’s applied properly. I’m one of those people that don’t like to use or do things that I am not comfortable with. So the fact that I came here and I was shown how to apply the products properly, it gave me a lot of confidence. What did you learn: I learned that there was a lot of products available out there for various situations, and it’s not a one size fits all. Would you recommend: I would highly recommend it. Seeing that there’s a lot of water damage in building construction, I would highly recommend people empower themselves, learn about the products that are available, and especially how to apply them properly.

Dermot Gleeson, Damp & Mould Control

Thoughts on course: I thought it was a great course. I really liked the practical nature, so within 15, 20 minutes we’re out of our seats working on product, so enjoyable.

Favourite part: It was definitely playing with the sheet membranes. Learning about the different membranes.

Would you recommend: Yes, anyone has any interaction with waterproofing, you don’t have to be a waterproofer.

Great for waterproofers. If you are a builder, a site supervisor, anyone to do with wet area construction, tilers, plasterers, any wet area construction. This is a very good course.

Robert Farrugia, Custome Home Renovations

Thoughts on course: Really informative. The trainers knew exactly what they were talking about, quite passionate about their work, and it just shows through the training. Would you recommend: Anyone wanting to learn how to do waterproofing properly, it’s definitely worthwhile.

Paolo Civitarese, Jobs by Design

Why sign up: Because you can always learn more, and for me, it’s always wanting to learn more and becoming better at what I do. Thoughts on course: I thought it was a great day. Also, the preceding, which involved two days or two nights of online training, really brought a lot of pieces together, which I understood, but also brought a lot more clarity. Would you recommend: One hundred percent. Definitely value for money. Really good support from the guys and everyone involved, so very pleased.

“We must have more of a focus on training and upskilling. Just because you’ve been waterproofing maybe for one year or two years or five years, it doesn’t mean you don’t need training. This ties back to who you are networking with. It’s important that you are learning from other people…

“Through training, we can meet other people and ask them, ‘What mistakes have you made? And we’ll try and learn from their mistakes’.”

The network advantage

Stephen has a Facebook group, Waterproofing Industry Network, as a way of sharing his content and staying up to date with the latest waterproofing techniques and products.

“Engaging and networking is important. Even myself, I seek training myself because I like to learn. When I’m doing that training, I’m meeting other people and they’re usually specialists in that space, and then I can learn from them.

It’s important that you’re not always the smartest person in the room. I genuinely try and be in a room with people who know more than me because that’s how I’m going to learn from them.”

According to Stephen, Gripset differentiates itself by prioritising training for the industry. He said: “I think that’s the key to success. If I’m going to install a system and I’m not a hundred percent sure how it should be done, I should be able to contact that manufacturer and talk to someone in technical and they support me and give me good advice. It’s not just about selling a product, it’s about giving good advice and providing a solution for the waterproofing practitioner. If a manufacturer can do that, that’s going to go a long way to building great relationships with waterproofers who are using the systems.”

In the end, this initiative by Gripset is all about enabling continuous learning.

Where 30 years ago, after you completed an apprenticeship, you could learn all you needed through more experience.

Today’s new products, latest techniques and changing building requirements means everyone has to think about constant reskilling. While it is something of a challenge, for those who accept the challenge there are considerable benefits to be gained.

For more information on Gripset, click n on the image below.

Aaron Baldwin Thoughts on course: It was really good. The instructor was really knowledgeable, the guys from Gripset were open to questions and there a lot of good information that I was able to pick up at the course. What did you learn: Heaps of things. Obviously with the Standard changes at the moment and the NCC [National Construction Code], so just picked a few of the boys’ brains on those changes.

Laurence Edwards, Edwards Renovations

Thoughts on course: I found the course to be good, very informative, a great range of products to use, and I that it was in-depth training and guidance on how to use the products.

What did you learn: The techniques in using the product.

There’s just a few little details that I picked up, which was good.

Peter Civitarese, Jobs by Design

Why sign up: To get trained by professionals in their product is invaluable. So it’s money well worth invested is how I saw it. It’s a small investment, but it then gives you the right outcome. Favourite part: How it was broken up into setting up a base and then just building up from that.

What did you learn: A lot. The purpose of attending the course was to upskill even further. I thought I had some good knowledge, but attending the Gripset course just took it to another level. So I’m just really keen now to get to the next job.Would you recommend: I was told about this beforehand and I thought, yeah sure. But after attending, absolutely. You would need to attend. You can’t go past it.

And having seen the Gripset system and experienced it, absolutely fantastic. It’s at another level.

Matthew McLellan, McLellan Built

Thoughts on course: The trainers all seem very passionate about what they’re doing and very eager to answer questions, and we all come from different trades, so it was just good. Get amongst all the boys.

tiletodaydigital.com.au | TILE TODAY #123 21

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SHOWROOM

Luxe Ceramics: Non-traditional excellence Tradition has its advantages — and also its disadvantages. As Luxe Ceramics, a first gen tile store has found out, building relationships from scratch is hard, but worth it. Over 12 years they've gone from one shipping container to a booming store stocking tiles and reno suppliers — but they're still building the business.

M

ichael Benino and Vince Terribile of Luxe Ceramics – Tile Merchants & Renovation Specialists feel like they are still in startup territory much of the time. That's despite the business they founded celebrated its 12th anniversary earlier in 2024. It's not new, but compared to those tile retailers established back in the sixties and seventies, it's just getting started.

When Tile Today talked to Luxe Ceramics, directors Vince and Michael had just returned from Cersaie in Italy, a trip they take every year. Both agree they saw more earthy tones and texture this year. Micheal said: “A lot more of the textured series are coming through. It's good for a bit of a change. I think that it will work quite well for shop fitters, the shopfront market.”

Vince believes terracotta continues to make comeback, and he saw a lot of blue and green coloured tiles as well.

While in Cersaie, Michael and Vince found another supplier to work with after initially meeting with them in 2023 before the fair.

Micheal said:

“It's a new supplier that we're bringing on board. They’ve got some great panelling products and other feature products.

We’ve already placed a couple of container orders with them.”

The conversation about Cersaie soon led to one about how they started Luxe Ceramics.

Their story is not about inheritance but about actively choosing to be part of the tile industry, and by extension, the building and renovations market.

Origin story The connection with the tile industry began when Michael worked at his uncle’s tile shop after he finished high school. After another four years, he became a concreter with his own business, which he ran for 14 years.

During that time, there was an opportunity for Michael and Vince — who was working as an electrician — to visit an international tile fair together, and they began importing tiles.

To get started, they made use of a network of clients and builders they knew were interested in a new supplier of tiles. Michael said:

“I was working out of my father-in-law's backyard with a container of tiles, and we'd just go around with storyboards to try and sell some for projects.”

This soon turned into their first tile store or “the tiniest showroom next to a train track” as described

by Josephine, Vince’s wife.

By then Josephine had joined the business. She remains the key manager who looks after finance and administration at Luxe Ceramics. Her background is in mining, in a treasury-type role.

However, she has also studied interior design, which gives her a great combination of experience and knowledge. Josephine also oversees social media marketing for the business.

The business expanded into renovations when they received a lot of requests from clients who could not get trades to work on their projects. As Michael puts it: “We thought it was probably a good idea to start getting bathroom products in the shop, tapware, kitchen cabinetry, and just offer that as a service, so they deal with one company from start to finish.” tiletodaydigital.com.au | TILE TODAY #123 23

SHOWROOM Suppliers As anyone in the tile industry with a showroom knows, relationships with suppliers are essential especially for a first-generation style store like Luxe Ceramics, according to Michael. He said: “Most of our competitors are second and third generation stores, and a lot of those relationships are already stitched up. So it was really great to meet a new supplier [at Cersaie] who was not going with anyone here. We have some exclusivity and that should work in well for us.”

In the beginning, Luxe Ceramics started with just one supplier and continuously added to its network. Michael explains: “We started with one Italian tile rep from my uncle’s shop that I dealt with

back in the day, and then he recommended us to a few others which grew to increase our supplier base.”

Both Michael and Vince travelled to trade fairs in Asia and Europe to source more suppliers.

Currently, Michael said Luxe Ceramics is bolstering its relationships with European manufacturers because prices have made them more accessible in the past seven or eight years, and they want to emphasise the quality they provide.

Josephine added: “There's definitely more demand at the higher end of the market. At the moment, people who are renovating to stay and have the cash to do so, are pushing for a better-quality product.”

For Michael, he tries to see as many reps as he can to find products that can provide a competitive advantage or strong point of Michael Benino

“We really drive into our team that customer service costs us nothing, to really go that extra mile. The positive feedback we get from a lot of our clientele is about the after-service and the service we provide on-site as well as the communication.”

difference. He explains: “I don’t say 'no' to anybody. I meet with everybody because a person could offer you something different. You've got to just be open. Everyone's busy. I understand, but you don’t know where opportunities arise from.

That might be one product that is something new. You've got to give everyone a chance…

“A lot of second or third generations stores, they've been there for a long time. They've got their customer base, and they sell what they sell. We have to be innovative to capture a new client base.”

While maintaining long established relationships across generations requires a lot of skill and experience, starting afresh is a real challenge. The vast majority of supplier relationships at Luxe Ceramics started with Michael and Vince. As Michael said: “I suppose that's what gives us the drive to succeed because we've put our life on the line basically when we started 12, 13 years ago, and it's been great. I absolutely love it every day. It's the best thing we've ever done.”

over their keys and we would give back a kitchen or a bathroom.

“We developed a team behind the scenes that carry out all that work and it comes from all the contacts they've made over the years and choosing all the good tradesmen who can stick to schedules. And that's how we pivoted our business into the renovation market. It was already happening before COVID. And since COVID, it has grown more, I guess also because we are delivering and the word of mouth around that.

“And at the same time, that

meant we needed to change our showroom because we couldn't just offer tiles anymore. Now we have ABI Interiors, Seima, Momo Handles, Linkware, Polytec, Laminex, Qstone, Caesarstone and more.

“Our showroom is predominantly tile, but we also have a section where customers can choose everything else needed for renovation.”

Michael sees the market in the following way: “For us, the renovation side of the market has gone ‘crazy’. I believe a lot of people, with the

Renovations Looking to the local building and renovations market, Josephine said the owners' history plays an important part in how the business effectively pivoted to becoming renovation specialists.

“Michael and Vince come from a construction background.

Combined, they had 35 plus years’ experience in construction, and the tile importing was a side hustle that took over their lives.

“We had people buying tiles and the question was always: Do you have a tiler? Do you know who could do my renovation? Do you know a plumber?

“Vince and Michael know a lot of builders, plumbers, electricians from their time in the construction industry. We saw that clients wanted to take on these projects ... they wanted to renovate, but they didn't know how to go about it. So we started providing a service that involved handing tiletodaydigital.com.au | TILE TODAY #123 25

SHOWROOM cost of living, the cost of housing and the cost of moving, are sticking where they are.

“We've had two or three clients this year in the last couple of months who were going to sell and move on, but instead they said we like the area, we like the size of the house and the block, so they're just fixing up what they've got.

And a lot of them are doing a whole house renovation. Many are gutting the entire house and re-starting again.

“And for next year, we've got quite a few jobs booked in already [in October], which doesn't usually happen this early. It usually happens in mid-November or mid-December.

We started booking projects for January, February, March two months ago. So the renovation market is huge at the moment and increasing.”

plumber etc., and they often give it to the cheapest price. We use the same guys every time, day in day out, for every job.

“They know the way we operate, they know what we expect from them. And that's all sort of keeps us slightly ahead of the game because they know the way we work and how we are. We don't chop and change.

Customer service is something else that Michael believes helps to differentiate the store. He said: “We really drive into our team that customer service costs us

One stop shop Luxe Ceramics have created a location in the Perth suburb of Bibra Lake in WA, where people can spend a Saturday morning designing a bathroom or kitchen, according to Josephine.

She said: “That's why we've made sure that all our consultants are qualified, experienced interior designers. This helps a DIYer know there is someone who can actually help them choose tiles because they can feel so overwhelmed by the idea that they have to make a lot of decisions for a new kitchen or bathroom. They’re getting the best advice on how to bring their vision to life.”

Vince adds that the trades that Luxe Ceramics work with have been very consistent from the start. This is very helpful with the project management services it offers. He said: “The trades that we use are pretty much from day one, we've always used the same trades.

There's a lot of renovation companies out there that will have three or four different trades for an electrician, 26 | TILE TODAY #123 | tiletodaydigital.com.au

(l&r) Vince Terribile and Michael Benino

(l&r) Kim, Orla, Josephine, Jasmine

nothing, to really go that extra mile. The positive feedback we get from a lot of our clientele is about the after-service and the service we provide on-site as well as the communication. We're very open when we're running our renovations. The clients have a full calendar for the month or up to six weeks, however long the renovation is going for, but they're aware of what's happening every day.

“That's what our customers love. They know exactly what's happening every day … You're dealing with a smaller team,

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but you're dealing with one that has a strong focus on customer service.”

Future plans After celebrating its 12th anniversary earlier this year, Luxe Ceramics wants to continue to build its reputation for tiles and renovations. Josephine said: “People often suggest we should open another store north of the river. But we want to be in control and the buck stops with Vince and Michael. They want to keep an eye on everything.

“We could say we'd love to

have 10 stores, and it sounds like we don't want to grow but we will grow in terms of what we're selling. There will be growth happening in broadening what we offer.”

In addition to DIY customers, Luxe Ceramics has commercial and retail clients and is involved in high-end housing projects and custom builds.

Rather than expanding outward, the business is looking at extending in a vertical way and achieving balanced growth across all the sectors it is currently serving. n

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OUR MISSION: Tile Today has a unique outlook on the tile industry, as we cater for all sectors. That includes tilers, tile retailers, designers, architects, specifiers, service providers, tile distributors and tile manufacturers. We’re a one-stop resource for tile industry information. OUR GOAL: We seek to provide accurate, up-to-date information that is actionable by readers, whether it’s a better way to lay tiles in a specific situation, the latest tile releases, or emerging trends at events.

NEWS + ANALYSIS

Tile Today’s QUARTERLY MAGAZINE continues the tradition established over 30 years of providing information via feature articles, columns, reviews and news about topical matters related to the tile industry.

We profile the people, products and processes that help drive development and innovation in the industry, while featuring some of the best aesthetic uses of tiles.

The launch of the Tile Today WEBSITE a year ago has enabled us to increase the amount of information we provide to the industry. We’re now able to update readers more frequently, and to provide easily shareable resources.

Both desktop- and mobile-friendly, it’s now possible to read Tile Today virtually anywhere.

The Tile Today E-NEWSLETTER helps to link you to important news in the tile industry. It provides a condensed overview with links to online articles so you can choose how you are kept up-to-date.

T I LE I MPORTS

Ceramic tile imports increase in 2023-2024

Peter Halliday writes that based on recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), ceramic tile imports for the last financial year (to 30 June 2024) totalled 43,216,070 square metres. This was a four per cent increase over the previous financial year.

T

he Australian customs value was AUD529,329,591, a 6.9 per cent increase over the previous financial year (see Fig.1).

Approximately 88 per cent of all tiles sold in Australia are imported.

In the last financial year, 64 per cent of all tile imports could be classified as porcelain, having a declared water absorption below 0.5 per cent.

Unfortunately, the global harmonised tariff structure does not break down imports by different sizes, so we cannot see the quantity of extra-large format porcelain tiles and slabs that are now being imported.

Whilst 64 per cent or 27.67 million square metres of all tiles imported had a water absorption rating of 0.5 per cent or below, a further 16.8 per cent of imports had a water absorption rating of between 0.6 and 10 per cent. Tiles with a water absorption above 10 per cent, typically wall tiles and terracotta, made up a further 15.8 per cent of total imports. Other import categories included mosaic and finishing tiles (step treads, pool copings etc) which accounted for 1.7 per cent of total imports each.

The Australian dollar traded lower

against major trading currencies during the 2023-2024 financial year compared with the previous financial year. The Australian Dollar to the US Dollar (USD) fell from an average of 0.6733 to 0.6555 while the AUD to Euro fell from an average of 0.6435 in 2022-2023 to 0.6060 in the 2023-2024 financial year. The average Australian customs value of imports per square

metre increased from AUD11.93 in 2022-2023 to AUD12.25 in 2023-2024.

A summary table of imports by country of origin for the last financial year is shown in Fig.2. Imports from China rose by seven per cent to 32.65 million square metres. This increased China’s share of Australian imports from 73.8 to 75.6 per cent of the total.

The total Australian customs value

FIG.3 TOP CERAMIC TILE SOURCE COUNTRIES

Based on ABS data

FIG.1 CERAMIC TILE IMPORTS 12 MONTH ROLLING HISTORY - JUNE 2014 TO JUNE 2024

Based on ABS data tiletodaydigital.com.au | TILE TODAY #123 29

FIG.2 AUSTRALIAN CERAMIC TILE IMPORTS 2023-2024

Country of Origin

Albania Australia^ Bangladesh Belgium Brazil Canada China* Czechia Egypt France Germany Greece Hong Kong** Hungary India Indonesia Iran Italy Japan Jordan Korea, Rep. (Sth) Lebanon Malaysia Mexico Morocco Netherlands New Zealand Oman Poland Portugal Romania Saudi Arabia Serbia Singapore South Africa South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Taiwan Thailand Turkiye UAE UK USA Vietnam

New South Wales

Northern Queensland Territory

15 6 41,533 1,290 11,845,370

South Australia

Tasmania

1,025 4,637

7,220,609

1,818,782

9,575 40,022

1,155 3,879

4,684

1,555

92

189,471 6,973

702,131 40,646

3,674 14,409

158,062 35,600

1,283,089 115,634

7,135

466,798 17,906

4,336

169,349 1,269 1,044

109,654 8,875 63 79,248 3

36,937 76,844

4,121 14,622

37%

11,306

3,308

2,220 6,648

238,225

1%

302 269,413 64,104 488 52,373 55,266 1,407 254,582

8,807,691

20%

20 532,288 9,464 9 832,206 227,188 1 992 1,700 333,260 6,108 6 35,811 27,764

668

Western Australia 10 1,391

18,537 1,320 2,409,007 2,829 399 2,848

425,979 31,778 471,292 4,061

53,166 121 1 231 2 5,081

1,547

22

1,334 12 1,044,405 73,063 1,046 39,846 19,299 63,327 17,794 7,001 218,063

78,367

10 51

9,090,279 8 1,202 29,738 466

18,476 169,689 3,442 16,912 4,106 280 423 350 21,871 200

Victoria 65

21,628

Grand Total 15,801,804 State Share

Declared Destination State

8,338

5,321

598,925 4,034

153,705 280,473 17,928 14,956

1,680

205,225 6,531 9,478 287 362 140,279

0%

28%

1,344 8,042 5 66,352

2,189,062

5%

102,588 12,132,181

119 11 49,277

3,944,520 9%

Total Australian SQM 10 1,471 1,025 6 123,272 2,611 32,650,362 9,802 8 17,014 76,488 466 1,647 20 1,931,789 144,894 72 3,154,390 364,792 1 19,468 1,700 808,166 4,831 24,065 4,343 292 423 36,161 66,740 200 1,547 22 1,334 12 302 2,083,415 421,675 1,534 316,716 96,052 83,067 18,205 8,780 736,881

Customs Value (AUD)

$1,800 $28,959 $37,770 $2,723 $1,901,111 $50,331 $322,162,720 $124,371 $2,904 $1,129,164 $2,840,480 $50,555 $52,833 $1,667 $14,773,641 $1,401,474 $24,501 $90,752,571 $5,185,172 $1,076 $212,900 $2,185 $7,283,935 $77,377 $1,892,795 $216,555 $6,165 $24,426 $48,158 $1,411,072 $12,005 $26,143 $1,209 $7,326 $3,291 $8,448 $62,897,378 $4,293,349 $67,358 $2,287,403 $1,517,901 $1,135,343 $109,548 $188,919 $5,072,579

43,216,071 $529,329,591 100%

Based on ABS data ^ Re-imports *excludes SARs and Taiwan ** SAR of China of Chinese imports rose by 11.7 per cent and averaged AUD9.87 per square metre.

Imports from Italy fell by 13.2 per cent while the Australian customs value from Italy fell by 7.9 per cent to average AUD28.77. Imports from Italy made up 7.3 per cent of the total, down from 8.7 per cent in the previous financial year.

30 | TILE TODAY #123 | tiletodaydigital.com.au

The recent ABS data shows imports from Spain increased for the financial year by 2 per cent, while the value increased by a surprising 19.2 per cent. These figures will be normally reviewed in the next report. According to ABS data, the average Australian customs value for Spanish tiles rose to AUD30.19, surpassing the average import price from Italy for the first

time. Spanish tiles made up 4.8 per cent of total imports in 2023-2024.

Imports from India rose 31 per cent last financial year, and made up 4.5 per cent of total imports, up from 3.6 per cent in the previous financial year. The Australian customs value of Indian tiles rose by 24.1 per cent over the previous financial year and averaged AUD7.65, down from

FIG.4 STATE SHARE OF CERAMIC TILE IMPORTS

Declared Destination State Financial Year State Total % of annual total State Total % of annual total State Total % of annual total State Total % of annual total State Total % of annual total

2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24

New South Wales (inc ACT)

Northern Territory Queensland

South Australia

Tasmania

Victoria

221,068 1% 358,272 1% 395,051 1% 286,746 1% 238,225 1%

2,084,898 5% 2,280,103 5% 1,859,885 4% 1,665,793 4% 2,189,062 5%

224,454 1% 218,872 0% 165,530 0% 111,992 0% 102,588 0%

10,948,933 27% 11,433,566 26% 11,073,592 26% 11,559,367 28% 12,132,181 28%

15,509,131 39% 16,684,646 38% 16,072,873 38% 16,140,245 39% 15,801,804 37%

AUD8.07 per square metre in 2022-2023.

The long downward trend of imports from Malaysia stopped, with import quantities largely unchanged from previous financial year. Malaysian imports made up 1.9 per cent of the total imports quantity while the Australian customs value rose 0.5 per cent.

Imports from Vietnam continued to

7,704,671 19% 9,559,133 22% 8,684,349 21% 8,539,141 21% 8,807,691 20%

Based on ABS data

rise, increasing 34 per cent in quantity and 29.4 per cent in customs value in 2023-2024. Vietnam made up 1.7 per cent of total imports and remains the sixth largest source of imported tiles to Australia. The average Australian customs value per square metre from Vietnam fell to AUD6.88.

The history of imports from the top five source countries is shown in Fig.3.

% change Western Combined SQM to Australia Total SQM Previous Year

3,178,153 39,871,308 8% 100% 3,701,476 44,236,070 8% 100% 3,934,130 42,185,411 9% 100% 3,231,560 41,534,845 8% 100% 3,944,520 43,216,071 9% 100%

-5%

11% -5% -2% 4%

The declared destination state for all imports over the last five years is shown in Fig.4. n

Peter Halliday has a career-long involvement in product design, manufacture, import and distribution of ceramic tiles, natural stone and glass mosaics.

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ureflex SLR2000 waterproof membrane is a class III membrane that complies with the AS/NZS 4858:2004 and exceeds the AS3740 requirements set out under “Waterproofing Wet Areas in Residential Buildings” codes.

With strong adhesion properties to various substrates, including concrete, cement render, plasterboard sheets, and masonry, this solvent-free membrane remains extremely flexible after curing because it has superior Flexible Elastomeric Properties (FEP).

Developed with technologically advanced polymer structures, it is easy to apply and provides great coverage.

Cureflex SLR2000 is the ideal solution for working on projects that require fast recoating and tiling.

It’s efficient curing process enables quick turnaround times without sacrificing quality.

Not only does this Class III Membrane comply with AS/ NZS 4858:2004 for “Wet Area Membranes”, it also exceeds the standards set out under AS3740:2004 for “Waterproofing Domestic Wet Areas”.

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When fully cured, the unique formulation also provides an excellent compatible surface for bonding with other construction materials such as tile adhesives (Cureflex® TX88 Tile Adhesive), screeds (SD35 Premix Screed), SG40 Self Leveller and renders.

It is ready for immediate use and suitable for internal and external under-tile applications on both domestic and commercial projects.

Cureflex SLR2000 waterproof membrane is easily identifiable by its vibrant violet colour. It is CodeMark Certified under certificate number CM20304.

32 | TILE TODAY #123 | tiletodaydigital.com.au

About CodeMark The CodeMark Certification Scheme is a voluntary third-party building product certification scheme, administered by the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB).

CodeMark came about because of the need to establish a set of shared standards with New Zealand, as the building markets between that country and Australia became increasingly integrated during the 2000s. The original scheme, with that goal in mind, was established in 2008.

That shifted radically in 2016. At that time the ABCB came up with a new set of CodeMark scheme rules designed specifically for Australia,

and CodeMark New Zealand began operating independently.

In 2021 the Australian Federal Government introduced rule and regulation-making powers to strengthen the existing CodeMark scheme, through the Building (Building Products and Methods, Modular Components, and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2021 (the Amendment Act 2021). This included new criteria for the accreditation and registration of product certification bodies and registration requirements for product certificates. The Building (Product Certification) Regulations 2022 were made on 7 June 2022 and came into force on 7 September 2022.

Today CodeMark supports the use of new or innovative building products in specified circumstances in Australia, by providing a nationally accepted process for demonstrating compliance with the National Construction Code (NCC).

Demtech Australia Demtech was established in 2008 as a solution-based manufacturer in Dandenong South (VIC) making products that combine advanced design qualities with excellent

performance for the building and construction industry. Demtech has maintained long lasting client relationships by always striving to do their best for them.

As a local manufacturer, it supports the continuous growth of the industry, both nationally and internationally by designing and manufacturing new and ground-breaking solutions. It creates high quality and innovative solutions for indoor and outdoor wet areas, general water drainage, waterproofing, balcony systems and much more.

Research and development

lie at the heart of its operations.

The business is also committed to creating sustainable products for the construction industry.

For more information on Cureflex SLR2000, go to the datasheet at this link: https://demtech.com.au/wpcontent/uploads/2024/06/SLR2000_ TDS_V4.pdf Cureflex SLR2000 is also features in the Tile Today Waterproofing Buying Guide here: https://tiletodaydigital.com.au/ waterproofing n

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BU I LDIN G

Will the VBA ever make it to “compliant”?

After a decade of worsening, unchecked scandals, and radical mismanagement by the state government, is the Victorian Building Authority finally on a better track?

T

he Victorian Building Authority, in the wake of recent scandals, has set out to revitalise itself.

While promising to improve its current practices, and to become more "consumer-centric" rather than "industry-centric", the end diagnosis is that it simply can't do the job it needs to do in its current form.

As a result, it is set to amalgamate with several other Victorian government entities to form a superorganisation, which might have a better chance at holding back the wave of dodgy builders that have entered the industry.

For tilers that means increased awareness that their work — especially if they are engaged in any form of drainage or waterproofing — will undergo increased scrutiny. Hopefully this will also mean a reduction in those cases where builders ask tilers to "cut corners" on work such as dodgy apartment builds.

SOCIAL MEDIA PRESSURE "Non-compliant!" "It's a complete schmozzle!"

If those phrases don't make you crack a smile, then mate, you're not keeping up with your basic Tik-Tok. Following on (somewhat) from the success of some private building inspectors in the US who popularised their reviews of new house builds in states such as Arizona on Tik-Tok and YouTube, Australia has spun up its own generation of truly unique home inspection Tik-Tok and YouTube creators.

Chief amongst these is the very funny (but also very serious) home inspector Zeher Khalil, you can access his YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@ Siteinspections Dressed in what seems like a mixture between riot cop, special forces and work overalls, Mr Khalil enthusiastically and entertainingly uncovers the shoddy work that has 34 | TILE TODAY #123 | tiletodaydigital.com.au

Mr Khalil's videos are state building inspectors, particularly those from the Victorian Building Authority (VBA).

His videos show him standing in front of some near ruin of construction, wondering just how some state authority could have certified the build. Those laments have not, apparently, gone unnoticed either, with the VBA motivated to explore on some (but not all) of those featured.

THE VICTORIAN BUILDING AUTHORITY MEA CULPA Andrew Golle is one of Australia's most respected waterproofing experts become more commonplace since around 2018 or so.

Be warned, though, as some of what Melbourne-based Mr Khalil does uncover is truly alarming. For example, the use of China-sourced steel framing that is painted to look like Bluescope's Truecore, broken trusses on new homes, a peculiar ongoing inability to get roof drainage right, and some truly dodgy waterproofing jobs.

Aside from that, however, Mr Khalil does produce some very good serious content that is available on the YouTube. In one video about waterproofing there is a particular a focus on that quiet nightmare for many tilers, waterproofing outdoor balconies on medium- to high-rise dwelling construction. This features Andrew Golle, who is a member of Master Builders, HIA, Australian Institute of Waterproofing, and the QMBA Renovation and Technical Committee. He also represents Master Builders National on the review of Australian Standard AS 3958.1 – 2007 (Guide to the Installation of Ceramic Tiles). https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=RgIOFSOmlZs One common focus for many of

Which brings us to a recent publication from the VBA entitled "Victorian Building Authority — The Case for Transformation", authored

by Bronwyn Weir and Frances Hall of the independent firm Weir Legal & Consulting.

That the VBA has been problematic for over a decade is hardly an industry secret. According to the Executive Summary in the report: "The building industry has been the subject of negative commentary for some time. Confidence in the industry has been affected by reports about combustible cladding, the Porter Davis collapse, mouldy and defective homes and high rates of building practitioner insolvency. There have also been reports about poor culture within the VBA and its lack of effectiveness, with many consumers and practitioners unhappy with their interactions with the VBA. "The Government publicly expressed concerns about the VBA in early 2023 and in July 2023 the VBA Board appointed a new CEO, Anna Conin. In March 2024, the state minister responsible, Victorian Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny dissolved the VBA Board and appointed Anna Cronin as the sole Commissioner and CEO." Those changes led to Ms Conin appointing Weir to produce this report, with a focus on seven cases/ complaints which demonstrate

The "Tik-Tok" inspector, Zeher Khalil hosts an entertaining and very informative YouTube channel.

the extent of the VBA's utter incompetence in the past. As the executive summary states: "It is important that this report acknowledges very clearly the dreadful experience these complainants have had in their interactions with the building industry, the VBA and the legal system. Each and every one of them has suffered and continues to suffer severe financial, emotional and physical distress. Every aspect of their lives has been negatively impacted.

They have watched their savings or superannuation be replaced with debts they cannot bear. The families and friends of these people have been called on for financial and emotional support, extending the impacts of defective building work and buildings well beyond the complainants in our case studies."

Going into detail for the seven case studies is not necessary, but they do make harrowing reading.

One of the stand-out elements is that there is one builder responsible for cases 2, 3 and 4 — which shows the importance of acting faster than a two- or three-year delay in banning a builder. There are allegations not only of sheer incompetence, but also collusion between various parties to the disadvantage of the owners of the properties.

In terms of VBA incompetence, the following is part of the report into case study 6: "The complainant in case study 6 is one of 33 apartment owners. The owners first came to the VBA about defects in their 33-unit development in late 2014. They had just moved in.

Twelve months later, despite the VBA not having undertaken any inspection of the site, the owners were told by the VBA their complaint had not

been substantiated. Six months later, Council issued an Emergency Order and Building Notice because one of the balconies showed signs of imminent collapse. In late 2018, the site was assessed as part of the statewide cladding audit program which led to the issuing of a second Emergency Order just before Christmas."

So first, based one assumes on some previously unknown form of compliance seance, the VBA determines there is nothing wrong with the building. Then the balconies start to collapse. And then an emergency order is announced. That is a pattern that repeats in different ways throughout all seven cases.

To summarise this report's criticism regarding the conduct of many relevant building surveyors (RBSs): • They failed to oversee mandatory inspections.

• They manipulated the staging of building permits to suit the builder's requirements.

• They failed to provide copies of inspection reports after being requested to do so, despite an obligation to comply with these requests.

• One of the most substantial, to quote: "Exercising their enforcement powers against owners, but not against builders. For multiple sites, rather than issuing a DTF [Direction to Fix] to the builder, the RBS did not take enforcement action on more significant non-compliances, even where the owners had raised concerns with them on multiple occasions. Only after the building contract was terminated and the builder had left the site did the RBS issue a building notice to the owners which identified non-compliances

and required their rectification. The reticence of the RBS to inspect more promptly and issue a DTF against the builder is concerning."

In line with this, what is perhaps the most relevant and important statement in the report is this, point 16.7, contained in Part C, titled "The VBA's handling of the complaints": "The culture at the organisation was focussed on practitioners, not on consumers and was risk averse, which resulted in an overly legalistic and defensive approach to carrying out of its functions including the investigation and discipline of practitioners. The VBA staff were working with poor IT systems and did not feel properly supported or managed in their roles. When combined with a significant backlog of complaints, this led to an approach where the procedures adopted were aimed at closing complaints and keeping investigations narrowly focussed wherever possible, to get through the workload."

In short, the VBA neglected its external responsibilities and became focused instead on its internal requirements. The bureaucracy functioned to sustain itself, rather than to meet the needs of the people paying for homes to be built.

We can't say with complete certainty that this applies to the VBA, but what typically happens in similar situation with government departments, is that faced with a lack of funds, instead of directing their services to the most vulnerable, they instead direct those funds to least vulnerable, who are capable of fighting back. It is possible that to "stay out of trouble", they might cave into developers with big budgets and lawyers on call, while ignoring the plight of small homeowners whose limited budgets are already stressed to afford building a home in the first place.

FUTURE PROMISES While this report is a litany of every problem you can imagine being developed in a state government authority, its positive side is that it does indicate some intent to change things for the better — why else the title "A Case for Transformation"? The following are some of the suggest improvements contained in the document.

Complaints "The VBA is in the process of implementing a new end-to-end complaint management system which will be applied to each complaint and be accessible to all staff. The system is tiletodaydigital.com.au | TILE TODAY #123 35

designed to provide for complainants to lodge a single complaint which can be updated and added to."

Technical assessments of building work "The VBA recognises the need to increase its inspections, audit and compliance activity. In its 2023/24 budget, Government allocated $63 million for building reform, which included significant funding for the VBA. A significant component of this funding is to be directed to more ‘boots on the ground’."

Prosecution of registered practitioners "The VBA is close to finalising a new Prosecutions Policy. This new approach will involve greater use of all the VBA enforcement tools, including prosecutions. It provides that the VBA prefers to use the disciplinary process for registered builder, but it will consider prosecution instead or as well, if appropriate. The policy says the VBA may also seek an injunction to secure remedial or rectification outcomes, where feasible and to complement disciplinary action or prosecution."

Interactions with complainants "The new Regulatory Policy Statement makes it clear that the VBA aims to be consumer centric. The VBA says this has been made clear to staff in management directions and in training. The VBA has created new policies on the management of complaints about practitioners and about the VBA. It also has a new VBA Services Charter which sets out service commitments and service standards. Staff have been trained on these documents and new procedures for interacting with complaints are being implemented."

Recommendations "The Case for Transformation" includes a list of 20 recommendations. The most significant from the perspective of builders are: R2: The VBA should be given powers to issue infringement notices to a builder who does not call for an inspection when required (section 33) or fails to comply with a DTF and/ or to suspend a builder’s registration until they do comply.

R5: Instead of permit documents being lodged with local councils, the Act should be amended to provide for building permit documents to 36 | TILE TODAY #123 | tiletodaydigital.com.au

“Frame not quite reaching the floor? Just slip a bit of chipboard under it — she'll be right.” One of Zeher Khalil's discoveries during the inspection of a property for the owner. be lodged in a digital portal with the VBA. Councils can be given access to documents for buildings in their municipality. This will require resources to develop the IT systems required for these lodgements.

R6: Amendments should be made to require developers to notify the VBA at least 6 months before they intend to seek an OP [Occupancy Permit]. The VBA can then conduct audits of high risk sites and issue DTFs if required.

The VBA should be given powers to prohibit the issuing of an occupancy permit until serious defects are rectified.

R7: The VBA should be given powers to order a builder or developer to return to a building to rectify defects after an OP has been issued.

For residential buildings this should be confined to rectification of serious defects such as structural, waterproofing and fire safety defects, balconies, wet areas, roofing or facades.

R8: The government should consider statutory mechanisms to ensure that the related entities or directors of builders or developers who become insolvent can be held liable for the defective work of the failed company.

R15: The VBA and the SBS should develop guidance on the use of staged building permits aimed at ensuring they are not issued to enable builders to avoid responsibilities or because documentation is yet to be properly developed.

R20: To improve consumer

protections, that the disciplinary process in the Act be reviewed and reforms be considered to facilitate a more robust process for testing evidence and assertions made by the practitioner in response to the show cause notice.

A NEW AUTHORITY The next stage for the VBA will be to merge into the Building and Plumbing Commission. This will integrate the VBA, Domestic Building Dispute Resolution Victoria (DBDRV) and VMIA’s Domestic Building Insurance (DBI) functions into a single entity.

According to the Minister Kilkenny: "For the first time, the Regulator will bring together all aspects of building quality control – regulation, insurance and dispute resolution – into a single agency.

"Currently, the regulator can only direct builders to fix substandard work before occupants move in. Under new rules the Building & Plumbing Commission will be able to direct to fix work not just before move-in day – but beyond. The Government will work with industry to define the eligible time period.

"New powers will also enable the watchdog to stop apartments with serious defects from being sold, as well as increased reporting requirements before occupancy certificates are signed off on new builds."

This is scheduled to occur in 2025 — which likely means March 2026, given past performance. n

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Flood apply the product using an acetone-resistant sprayer. Apply generously so that the surfaces are 38 | TILE TODAY #123 | tiletodaydigital.com.au

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About Rockstar Sealing Rockstar Sealing is based in the Melbourne suburb of Mordialloc and run by husband-and-wife team Blake and Gabrielle Dowe. The business was featured earlier this year in Tile Today’s online magazine. Read more at the link: https://tiletoday.au/issues/tt121.pdf

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Australian Tile Council

What you might have missed on Tile Today Digital If you missed a number of stories that were featured in Tile Today’s recent e-newsletters, here is an overview on a few of them and some useful links that will take you directly to the story page.

New products: Subways and Wellness

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The Atmosphere Zellige subway range, exclusive to Beaumont Tiles, evokes a vintage and handmade feel with its textured surface and colour selection. Wellness by WOW is designed for swimming pools and wet areas.

Clear Software

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Sartoria launches Maximalista

Gripset

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Crafted in a 5x40cm format size, the Maximalista collection from Sartoria redefines some of the classic parameters of ceramic wall coverings by creating 3D drapes that are reminiscent of mouldings in architectural decorations.

RLA Polymers

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Tile start-up gets NAB backing

GET YOUR DIGITAL COPY OF TILE TODAY MAGAZINE FULLY ENDORSED BY THE AUSTRALIAN

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Noveco Surfaces turns glass from old wine bottles into on-trend tiles. It is targeting the benchtop market for growth and received backing from NAB. The company uses a patented technology from UNSW's Sustainable Materials Research & Technology Centre. https://tiletoday.au/articleGeneral/2024-36-1725411210900-004/general

Producer Price Index for ceramic tiles Ceramic tile prices continue to grow, according to the ABS. However the rate slowed for June quarter 2024. Waterproofing material prices seem to have stabilised. An increase in the exchange rate for the AUD may see ceramic tile prices further stabilise through to 2025. https://tiletoday.au/articleGeneral/2024-36-1725411210901-005/general

TILE COUNCIL

Equipe Cerámicas launches electric kiln Equipe Cerámicas recently presented its 100% electric kiln at its facilities in Onda, Castelloón Spain. The new electric kiln mainly uses energy from renewable sources and is expected to save 1.500 tons of CO2 emissions per year.

LUXE CERAMICS: A FIRST GEN STORE

https://tiletoday.au/articleGeneral/2024-38-1726453243853-002/general

Building approvals: A shift to taller apartment buildings TILE IMPORTS FY23-24

GLOBAL TILE DESIGNS TRENDS

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F E AT U R E D P R O D U C T S

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TRADE FAIRS

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Bigger is better in apartment building approvals, according to the ABS. While overall apartment approvals declined in the 12 months to July 2024, those for buildings over eight storeys declined less. https://tiletoday.au/articleGeneral/2024-38-1726453243855-005/general

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