zio & sons + clé | natural + moroccan sea salt | mounted border

do i need to seal zio & sons tiles?
 
 for exterior sealing, clé recommends stonetech heavy duty exterior sealer from laticrete.
 
 for glazed zellige with visible crazing, unglazed natural zellige, or if using a contrasting grout, clé recommends sealing with stonetech heavy duty sealer from laticrete as a pre-grout treatment.
 
 dry applications of glazed zellige do not require sealing as the final step of installation.
 
 for all other sealing and protecting, clé recommends stonetech bulletproof sealer from laticrete.
 
 for more information about sealing please see our zio & sons + clé zellige material guidelines.

do you offer trim for your zio & sons 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 (not suitable for natural zellige).
- if you have a painted surface next to your tile, you can choose to paint the outer edge of the tile to match the painted surface
- 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 about trim, please see our trim guide.

how do i take care of my zio & sons tiles?
 
 over time, a natural patina will occur on floors as they are maintained and naturally wear. this inherent traffic pattern is a highlight of using zellige and should be both anticipated and favored.
 
 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 zio & sons + clé zellige material guidelines for more information.

what type of finish should i expect with this collection?
 
 all tiles in our zio & sons collection have a glossy glazed finish with the exception of charred cedar which is glazed but with a textured satin finish rather than glossy, and natural zellige which is unglazed and has an unfinished porous surface.

how much variation should i expect?
 
 zellige tiles are created from natural glazes, pigments and clay, are fired in handmade kilns using olive pits, and chiseled by hand into desired shapes and sizes. because of the natural materials and the artisan production methods, there will be noticeable variations in thickness, size, shade and color. there may even be differences in the same color across different sizes of zellige. if you want a uniform looking glazed tile, zellige may not be right for your project!

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 zellige 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.
 
 please note that it is impossible to guarantee a perfect color match across different size tiles in the same zellige glaze, which may affect your layout. it is expected that there will be variation across the different sizes, due to the handcrafted nature of the tiles. if you wish to have your tiles made-to-order for optimal color continuity, please email contact@cletile.com to inquire.
 
variation and imperfection ratings:
 
 zio & sons glazed zellige tiles are rated 'level 3 medium' for color and texture variation, and 'level 3 heavy' for size variation. all glazed tiles, except for charred cedar which is rated ‘level 3 heavy’, are rated 'level 2 prevalent' for pits/chips and cracks/crazing. for iron spots, the glazed tiles are rated 'level 1 light'. 

 unglazed (natural) zio & sons zellige is rated 'level 2 slight' for color variation, 'level 3 medium' for texture and size variation, 'level 2 prevalent' for pits/chips, and 'level 1 light for cracks'. 
 
 see illustrations in the technical specifications section above, and read more about the ratings in our tile variation & imperfections guide. 

are there best practices for sampling zio & sons + clé zellige? 
 
 due to the high variation in color of our handmade zellige tiles as well as the variation in texture of each tile (pits, specks and chips from the wood-firing process) we strongly encourage sampling more than one piece to get a better sense of what the tile has to offer. 
 
how will my zio & sons + clé zellige samples compare to my actual order?
 
as noted in the variation and add on orders sections of our faqs, color and size variation between batches (kiln loads) of zellige, 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. 
 
 if you want a uniform looking glazed tile we do not suggest purchasing zellige.

what should i expect with my order of zio & sons + clé zellige?
 
 zio & sons tiles travel a long distance and are packed in the traditional way with sawdust to protect the tiles from breaking.
 
 dust and shipping residue are to be expected and should be cleaned prior to installing.

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. 

due to the production process including the firing methods and raw materials used to create zellige tiles, your order will have tiles with cracks, iron spots, crazing, chipped edges, and pitting.  if these imperfections do not fit your project’s needs we recommend ordering 20-30% overage to allow your contractor to cherry-pick 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)?
 
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. 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.

zellige is traditionally set without the use of any grout. in morocco the installations are done with a butt joint and no grout whatsoever–and they have withstood the test of time. however, at clé we recommend a slightly larger grout joint of 1/16"

clé recommends using mortar and unsanded cementitious grout 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.

if you are working with highly color-variegated tiles or a combination of tiles, we recommend that you follow the above recommendations—but match your grout to the color in your installation that you would like to accentuate.

important: we do not generally recommend using a contrasting grout color with zellige, as it will highlight the thin hairline cracks/crazing found on the tiles, and fill in any pits, and/or chips. if you choose to use a contrasting grout (i.e. white grout with black tile) please order 20-30% overage in order to cherry-pick the tile of the imperfections that are standard to zellige. additionally, you must make sure to apply Stonetech Heavy Duty Sealer from Laticrete as a pre-grout treatment to minimize the possibility of the contrasting grout curing in the inherent hairline cracks, pits, and/or chips.

are there any cases where I may need a grout joint size larger than 1/16"?

in order to increase dcof in wet area applications (especially shower floors), we recommend broadening the grout joint size on the setting of the pan tiles and/or cutting the tiles into smaller pieces.

any additional recommendations for zio & sons + clé mounted borders? 

zio & sons + clé border pieces come pre-assembled, revealing white setting material in between each piece. we recommend applying mapei grout refresher onto the setting material to match the grout color you select for your installation. mapei grout refresher comes in the same colors as mapei ultracolor plus fa and mapei flexcolor cq, allowing the color to be consistent and matched easily to your grout.

for more information about grouting please see our zio & sons + clé zellige material guidelines.