If necessity is the mother of invention, then Josef Erlebach’s onetime dilemma might just end up being a boon to the tile industry. Josef tried to find some back-lit tiles from all his distributors, wholesalers, specialty stores, and lighting stores all over the world. The search yielded disappointing results; there were no satisfactory products on the market. In the end, Josef was forced to create his own back-lit tiles. Josef based his criteria on a tile setter’s experience and a homeowner’s budget. The main consideration was the ease of installation with a possibility of retrofitting to an existing tile job – challenging because the thickness of the backlit tile has to be very close to that of the surrounding tile. No need for elaborate wiring and long pre-planning. The second most important consideration was the light and color output of the light through translucent stone or glass tile. Third, the affordability for almost any homeowner.

Erlebach went to the drawing board and came up with several prototypes before realizing the solution had been in front of him all along: The perfect lighting source was the backlights used for electronic devices! Then it was just a matter of choosing the right dimensions for the accent tiles, cutting the stone to the right measurements, adjusting the thickness and attaching all this to the lighting panel. The idea was to provide two looks in one, the look of a custom-designed tile pattern with accent pieces when not lit; but one that, when illuminated, would change the entire character of a room and provide that much-needed light at night.

It was a labor-intensive endeavor that took many months before coming to fruition and setting the stage for Tile on Fire, the Frisco-based company that is illuminating kitchen backsplashes, showers, stair risers and other darkened spaces where subtle light can change the atmosphere of any room with the warmth of soothing greens, blues and whites or more bold reds and contemporary colors. The possible combinations of different colored lights, color filters and stones is almost unlimited. The outcome of Josef ’s invention is a self-standing unit that serves as an inconspicuous accent tile when not lit and transforms into lighted accent tiles when controlled by a light switch, a timer, a dimmer or a remote control device. The units are sealed three times so they remain waterproof and can burn constantly for a long time. Quite simply, they are affordable, amazing, easy to install and no inspection is needed due to the low-voltage system. “People always go, ’Wow,” but for some it’s really difficult to imagine how it’s going to look in their house,” says Erlebach. “ en, when they see the finished product, they’re completely dazzled.”

Tile on Fire is based on Josef ’s theory that customers should have a guide through the maze of tile materials, shapes, sizes, finishes, accents and, most importantly, receive the correct installation! Rather than pushing a customer to a particular stock item without consideration for the final look of the job, Tile on Fire uses at least seven distributors and a variety of specialty stores to provide customers with a product they can be delighted with and of which the company can be proud! Tile on Fire is rapidly gaining the acclaim of those who can envision the beauty of back-lit onyx and marble in their custom home, or might want to duplicate some of the designs featured in numerous 2007 Parade of Homes entries. The Frisco showroom also features a complete selection of natural stone and porcelain tiles, slates, travertines, limestones, marbles and granite, and all the functions, uses, applications and embellishments are made understandable through Erlebach’s knowledge gleaned from more than 18 years of experience in the tile industry. Erlebach has a patent on the technology for the back-lit tile and is working with other companies to further promote his concept.

Tile on Fire is also proud to represent Nesko Stone Image Inc. in Summit, Eagle and Grand counties. Bringing technology, vision and ingenuity to the custom home industry, Nesko Stone can now provide homeowners with a new process that enables full-slab shower installations in one day’s time. Combining the work of three trades and condensing it into one full-service, one-stop-shop, owner Marek Skovranek has revolutionized a formerly tedious process into an easy, convenient and cost-effective way of outfitting a custom bathroom with full slabs of any one of 100 types of stone on walls, sans the grout. The final product comes pre-fabricated from Nesko Stone’s Denver plant and holes for fixtures and plumbing can be cut on site. By following a new process for which he is applying for a design copyright and patent, Skovranek is shaving off the time, expense and scheduling of stone fabricator, drywall installer and tile setter.

Nesko Stone merely provides the general contractor with the appropriate specifications for framing the shower niche, and with short notice, the shower can be fully installed from framework to finish in one day. The calming effect of warm rock slabs conveys an image of elegance and luxury, but without enormous expense. The full slab showers and Nesko’s full array of stone countertops, vanities, bars and tabletops, are being sold by Tile on Fire in Frisco.