villa classica | white gloss | baguette | rectangle

do i need to seal villa classica tiles?

for villa classica tiles, you must apply sealant or a grout release before grouting to minimize risk of grout haze and to allow for easy clean up.

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

for more information about sealing please see our villa classica material guidelines.

do you offer trim for your villa classica 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 villa classica tiles?

over time the tile will develop a crackled patina. please note this is an intrinsic characteristic of villa classica.

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

see villa classica material guidelines for more information.

what type of finish should i expect with this collection?

villa classica comes with glazed glossy finish with subtle crazing and medium texture variation.

how much variation should i expect?

all villa classica tiles are made by hand, therefore crazing and noticeable variations in thickness, depth, color, shade, texture and size are to be expected. color and shade variations between tile sizes and shapes can occur as well. you might also have some tiles with cracks, pits and chips.

due to the variations in color and shade of villa classica tiles, 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.

what's crazing, and should this be expected with villa classica tiles?

villa classica tiles are made by hand and can show visible crazing. crazing refers to the hairline cracks which may occur in the glaze surface of tile after firing and is common in handcrafted tile.

variation and imperfection ratings:

villa classica tiles are rated 'level 2 slight' for color variation, 'level 3 medium' for texture variation, 'level 2 medium' for size variation, and 'level 1 light' for both pits/chips and cracks/crazing.

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

how will my villa classica 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 villa classica tile, in addition to variation from tile to tile, is to be expected given the handcrafted nature of the product. this makes it unlikely that your sample will be a perfect match with your actual order.

how is the villa classica collection sold?

our villa classica collection is made up of five shapes: the petite square (4"x4"x1/2"), mason rectangle (4"x8"x1/2"), baguette rectangle (2"x6"x1/2"), cigar rectangle (2"x8"x1/2"), and the blade rectangle (3"x12"x1/2"). 


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.

clé recommends a ⅛”-¼” grout joint for our Petite square, Mason rectangle, Baguette rectangle, Cigar rectangle and Blade rectangle.

what grout type, and color do you recommend?

clé recommends using mortar and sanded cementitious grout or pointing mortar that comply with the ANSI A118 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 villa classica tiles, you must apply sealant or a grout release before grouting to minimize risk of grout haze and to allow for easy clean up.

the above recommendations allow for the below piece per square foot calculations:
petite: 8.73 tiles per square foot (1/8-1/4" grout joint size)
mason rectangle: 4.40 tiles per square foot (1/8-1/4" grout joint size)
baguette rectangle: 11.52 tiles per square foot (1/8" grout joint size)
cigar rectangle: 8.66 tiles per square foot (1/8" grout joint size)
blade rectangle: 3.90 tiles per square foot (1/8" grout joint size)

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 upon the above values.

for more information about grouting please see our villa classica material guidelines.

petite - 4" x 4" x ½"
mason rectangle - 4" x 8" x ½"
baguette rectangle - 2" x 6" x ½"
cigar rectangle - 2" x 8" x ½"
blade rectangle - 3" x 12" x ½"

disclaimer: please note all dimensions are nominal. additionally, dimensions between tiles can vary +/- ¼".