fornace brioni + cristina celestino | traditional cotto variegato 09 | tavella (8x16)

do i need to seal fornace brioni terracotta tiles?

fornace brioni + cristina celestino terracotta tiles are extremely porous and must be sealed before grouting and as the final step of installation in order maintain their appearance and avoid staining.

for exterior sealing, clé recommends stonetech heavy duty exterior sealer from laticrete.

for all other sealing and protecting, clé recommends stonetech bulletproof sealer from laticrete.

for more information about sealing please see our casale rustico material guidelines.

do you offer trim for your fornace brioni terracotta tile?

at clé we follow the international model of no trim and highly recommend our clients to do the same. below are the trim alternatives we recommend for this collection.

- if your project needs to turn a corner either inwardly or outwardly, mitering the tiles to meet seamlessly in a corner gives it the cleanest, crafted finish.
- another way to complete your tiling is to run a bead of caulk or grout along the exposed tile edge.
- like with any of our tiles, you can also build out the sheetrock so that the surface of the finished sheetrock is flush with the surface of the tile.

for more detailed recommendations about trim, please see our trim guide.

how do i take care of my fornace brioni terracotta tiles?

over time, a natural patina will occur on floors as they are maintained and naturally wear.

mild, pH neutral soaps should be sufficient for most cleaning—test before general use. for all other maintenance, clé recommends laticrete cleaning products.

see our fornace brioni terracotta installation & maintenance guides for more information.

what type of finish should i expect with this collection?

our fornace brioni + cristina celestino terracotta floor and wall tiles are porous and unglazed. the surface of bibiena, tivoli, cotto variegato, and capriccio is honed with slight texture variation, whereas the listellos are unfinished with medium texture variation. 

how much variation should i expect?

tiles may be exposed to moisture and/or condensation during production or shipping which may affect the color of the tiles once received.  setting tiles out to dry prior to installation will return return the color to normal.   

due to the natural materials and production process of fornace brioni + cirstina celestino terracotta there will be degrees of variation in color, shade and size in your order, therefore it is important to blend the tiles from all boxes once they arrive and place them in their installation area to ensure you have the layout you want before installing.  

variation and imperfection ratings:

for color variation, tivoli, bibiena, listellos and capriccio are rated 'level 3 medium', and cotto variegatos 'level 4 heavy'. listellos are rated 'level 3 medium' for texture variation whereas the rest of the tiles are rated 'level 2 slight'. size variation rating for all these tiles is 'level 3 heavy'.

see illustrations in the technical specifications section above, and read more about the ratings in our tile variation & imperfections guide.

how will my fornace brioni terracotta samples compare to my actual order?

as noted in the variation and add on orders sections of our faq, due to the handmade craftsmanship of our tiles and the variety of materials used, there will be degrees of variation in color, shade, size and texture across production lots or batches. this means that your sample may not be a perfect match with your actual order, and that your add-on order may not be a perfect match to either.

what should i expect with my order of fornace brioni + clé traditional cotto tile?

 efflorescence (salt deposits appearing as a white residue) is a normal occurrence in terracotta, and can be removed.

-store your terracotta tiles in a cool, dry place to prevent moisture build which can lead to efflorescence and other issues.  
-if efflorescence is present, have your installer do a quick sanding with an orbital sander and 120 grit sandpaper before sealing the tiles. 
-additionally, stonetech restore acidic cleaner can also be used to remove efflorescence.  

see the “sealing, maintenance, and care” section of our fornace brioni + clé traditional cotto material guidelines for more information.  

why do you suggest i order at least 15% more than my measurements?

industry standard suggests adding at least 15% overage due to tile cuts, potential shipping breakage, or future repairs.

for more information related to ordering and shipping, please be sure to visit our shipping and returns and delivery information resource pages.

is grouting required? 

for dry applications, where the installation is purely decorative, it is not necessary to grout fornace brioni + cristina celestino terracotta tiles, however it is necessary for floor, exterior, and wet applications (shower, sink backsplash). if your installation requires grout, we recommended using a non-pigmented cementitious sanded grout and  a grout bag to fill the joints due to the shape and depth of the tile.
fornace brioni + cristina celestino terracotta tiles are extremely porous and must be sealed before grouting and as the final step of installation in order maintain their appearance and avoid staining.

what grout joint size should i use?

note that our piece per square foot calculations for bibiena, cotto tivoli, capriccio and our cotto variegato tavellas incorporate a ⅜” grout joint, as well as 1/4" grout joint for cotto listellos. should your project require a smaller joint, keep in mind that additional tiles will need to be ordered as our checkout calculations are all based on the below pieces per square foot:
bibiena - 2.31 pieces per square foot when incorporating a ⅜” grout joint
cotto tivoli - overall square footage of 8.9 per 24 piece bundle when incorporating a ⅜” grout joint
cotto variegato tavellas - 1.09 pieces per square foot when incorporating a ⅜” grout joint
capriccio - overall square footage of 22 per 70 piece bundle when incorporating a ⅜" grout joint
cotto listellos - 5 pieces per square foot when incorporating a 1/4" grout joint
here are the pieces per square foot when no grout joint is taken into account:
bibiena - 2.42 pieces per square foot
cotto tivoli - overall square footage of 8.5 per 24 piece bundle
cotto variegato tavellas - 1.13 pieces per square foot
capriccio - overall square footage of 20.4 per 70 piece bundle
cotto listellos - 5.33 pieces per square foot
what grout type and colors do you recommend?

clé recommends using mortar and non-pigmented cementitious grout that comply with the ANSI A118 and/or ISO 13007 classifications suitable for your project. Please consult with your installation professional to make these determinations. 

grout color selection is always up to our client and/or their design professional. however, clé is often asked for our opinion on best grout selections for our tiles. and due to the large array of grout colors that are now available, clé would like to offer this general guideline on a foolproof grout color selection for any of your clé tiles.

-first, have your professional tile contractor complete your tile installation, except for the grout portion.
-next, when ready to grout, ask your contractor to bring ALL grout color charts from his preferred grout manufacturers, for your review.
-lastly, choose a time of day when you are most pleased with the lighting in your space (either natural lighting, installed lighting or a blend of both). during that lighting and time of day, select the grout color that best matches your tile selection.

for more information about grouting please see our fornace brioni terracotta installation & maintenance guide.

cotto variegato tavella - 8"x16"x5/8" bibiena - 8 1/2"x9 1/2"x3/4" listello - 2 1/4"x12"x1/2"
terracotta tivoli bundle:  total - 8"x28 1/2"x5/8" terracotta pill - 4 1/2"x16"x5/8" terracotta tivoli listello - 1 1/2"x9"x5/8" terracotta rectangle - 8"x16"x5/8"
capriccio bundle: total - 19" x 27" x 5/8" capriccio heart - 8" x 11 1/4" x 5/8" capriccio large cross - 12" x 13" x 5/8" capriccio rounded listello - 7 1/2" x 2 1/4" x 5/8" capriccio bouchon - 3 1/4" x 3 1/2" x 5/8" capriccio small cross - 8" x 10 1/2" 5/8"
disclaimer: please note all dimensions are nominal. additionally, dimensions between tiles can vary +/- 1/4 inch for variegato tavellas, bibiena, listellos, capriccio, and tivoli.