do i need to seal new california bricks?
if your guild new california tiles have visible crazing, or if you are using a contrasting grout, clé recommends applying a penetrating sealant or grout release like stonetech heavy duty sealer from laticrete prior to grouting.
dry applications do not need to be sealed as the final step of installation.
for applications in wet areas, grout lines and areas of visible crazing must be sealed as the final step of installation.
clé recommends stonetech bulletproof sealer from laticrete in most wet applications. for more information about sealing please see our clé guild new california material guidelines.
do you offer trim for your clé guild new california bricks?
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 bricks 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 brick edge.
- if you have a painted surface next to your brick, you can choose to paint the outer edge of the brick to match the painted surface.
- like with any of our bricks, you can also build out the sheetrock so that the surface of the finished sheetrock is flush with the surface of the brick.
for more detailed recommendations about trim, please see our
trim guide.
how do i take care of my clé guild new california bricks?
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 clé guild new california material guidelines for more information.
what type of finish should i expect with this collection?
manzanita, bracken, salvia, and willow all have a satin matte finish, while cardoon, fennel, and yarrow have an overall matte finish. with dogwood and mallow you will find an overall gloss finish.
what types and levels of variations and imperfections should i expect?
clé guild new california bricks are created by hand, one at a time, from unrefined clay and natural pigments, resulting in intentional variations of color, shade, texture and size. you can also expect your tiles to be affected by crazing and iron spots, and some tiles might have wire-cut grooves.
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 clé guild fundamentals tiles, 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:
clé’s new california bricks have varied ratings for color variation, visit product pages on www.cletile.com for individual ratings.
all new california thin bricks are rated 'level 2 slight' for texture variation, 'level 2 medium' for size variation. for iron spots they are rated 'level 3 heavy' with the exception of manzanita which is rated 'level 1 light'.
fennel, yarrow and cardoon are also rated 'level 1 light' for crazing. see illustrations in the technical specifications section above, and read more about the ratings in
tile variation and imperfections guide
.
how will my new california samples compare to my actual order?
as noted in the variation and add on orders sections of our faq, color and size variation between production batches (or kiln loads) of new california brick, in addition to variation from brick to brick, is to be expected given the handcrafted nature of the product. 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.
are there best practices for sampling clé guild new california?
due to the variation in color of our handmade bricks, and the variation in texture, combined with the imperfections listed above, we strongly encourage sampling more than one piece to get a better sense of what the tile has to offer.
why do you suggest i order at least 15% more than my measurements?
industry standard suggests adding at least 15% overage due to brick cuts, potential breakage, or future repairs.
due to the unrefined clay and natural pigments used in creating our new california tiles there will be variation in color, shade and texture, as well as crazing and iron spots and possibly some tiles with wire-cut grooves.
if these features do not fit your project’s needs, we recommend ordering 20-30% overage. this will allow your contractor to cherry-pick the tiles most desirable for your project.
is it possible to purchase more of the same material after my initial order (i.e. place an add on order)?
color and shade variation between production batches (or kiln loads) of new california brick is a normal occurrence and to be expected given the handcrafted nature of the collection.
please keep this in mind when calculating your order, and be sure to purchase enough material.
for more information related to ordering and shipping, please be sure to visit our
shipping and returns
and
delivery information resource pages.
