Tile shown: Ogee Drop in Calcite Gloss; Image: Shooting LA
Ordering and installing handmade tile is a little different than going to your local home improvement store and buying tile. Once you order your handmade tile here are a number factors that need to be considered before beginning installation. Below are the top four pieces of advice we give to our customers everyday before they begin their handmade Fireclay Tile installation.
1.) Hire an installer who has worked with handmade tile before
Handmade tile is beautiful and made to last a lifetime, but with such special product comes more experience and patience with installation. There will always be variation in size and color, and intricate installations. Therefore we always recommend working with a tile installer who has had experience installing handmade tile. Remember when we talked about what to look for when hiring a tile installer? Add this requirement to the list.
You should also make sure your installer reads the installation guide we ship with every order before installing our tile. Our installation guides provide detailed information that is specific to installing each Fireclay product. Even if your installer has worked with handmade tile before they may not have worked with Fireclay Tile. Reading over this guide will help prevent any mistakes during installation.
Tile Shown: 3 x 6 Calcite Gloss; Handpainted pattern shown: Isosceles in the Cool Motif; Image: Jenny Nelson Photography
2.) Don't schedule a tile installer before you receive your tile and check to make sure everything is there
This brings us to our next point, always and we mean ALWAYS wait to schedule your installer until you receive your Tile order and are able to check to make sure it is all there. Remodels have many moving pieces, which means that something like not having countertops installed could delay the tile installation. Similarly not having all of your tile onsite will cause your tile installer headaches. We work hard to ship every order on time, but freight carriers can run into their own delays due to weather, or shipping mishaps. Waiting to recieve your order before scheduling installation will not only keep your installer happy, but also save you money, time, and probably a headache.
Tile shown: 6" Triangles in Frost, Rosemary and Salton Sea.
3.) Handmade Tile is perfectly imperfect
If you're looking for perfectly straight, streamlined tile, Handmade tile might not be for you. We literally make everything by hand here at Fireclay, from the original sketch, to the materials we source, to the final product, every individual order is carefully crafted from our hands to yours. This means that variation in size, shape and color is natural.
You should also keep in mind that the samples you order will not be exactly the same as the final product you receive. This is because each batch of tile is different from the next, and color variation will always occur. You can learn more about color variation on our Celebrate Variation Blog.
Tile shown: 2 x 4 in Daffodil; Image: White Preston
4.) Our tile is made to order
Every tile at Fireclay is made to order, we don't keep any stock. This is why we often have longer lead times than you will see from companies selling mass produced tiles. This is also important to keep in mind when it comes to installation because you need to plan your project accordingly. Check your square-footage to make sure you ordered enough. because our tile is made to order you always want to avoid re-orders. Re-orders often end up costing extra money and time, and because there is variation in our handmade tile, a new batch may be slightly different than your original order.
Tile Shown: Ogee Drop in Lagoon; Image: Malcolm Fearon, Bliss Images
Ready to order your handmade tile? Order color samples now. Need some help? Simply call, chat, or fill out our Design Assistance Form and one of our talented Design Consultants will get back to you shortly.
