Skyrocketing natural-gas prices and the Russia-Ukraine war are causing problems in European tile manufacturing, including porcelain slab. Energy costs should a concern much closer to home, too.

The best of natural stone is celebrated with the 2021 Pinnacle Awards. Also, U.S. hard surfaces imports recorded a banner year in 2021, and standards are still vague on thicker porcelain-slab installations.

Can machines fill today’s labor gap in fabricator backshops? Also, dealing with a small town’s Zoomtown boom times, and more on the Natural Stone Foundation.

What’s the future of granite? We asked several designers, distributors and quarriers. Also, a Toronto coffee shop goes all in with travertine.

Deciding what to throw and what to keep in the collection of remnants out back. Also, a look at U.S. hard-surface imports mid-year.

Fighting a mysterious substance on a marble monument with lasers.; also, Coverings notes some of the best work worldwide in stone and tile.

Presetting CNC tooling may be that little bit extra to boost productivity; also, the Natural Stone Institute’s 2020 Pinnacle Awards shows that there are things to remember from last year.

Presetting CNC tooling may be that little bit extra to boost productivity; also, the Natural Stone Institute’s 2020 Pinnacle Awards shows that there are things to remember from last year.

There’s a boom in U.S. production of quartz surfaces; and, the market went way down and way UP for natural stone in 2020.

The OK and not-so-OK uses of <1cm porcelain slabs; making sure that water hits the right spots when fabricating to stave off silicosis.