Planning Your Tile Project

Guidelines for a trouble-free tile project

Planning ahead is the key to a great finished product that gives years of enjoyment—while avoiding headaches or delays. For the good of the job, consider the following tips for planning your project:

Selecting Your Tile

Help us help you select the right tile

Make an appointment to come in and speak with a Roma Tile sales specialist. When you come in, make sure to bring color and pattern samples from the room you are tiling, as well as reference images from magazines or other sources. Request your appointment now.

Get your installer involved early

Some materials—like glass tile, metal tile or moisture-sensitive stone—require special installation techniques, cutting tools or adhesives. Letting your professional tile installer know what you plan to buy will help ensure a realistic installation estimate.

Be aware of handcrafted tile considerations

Handmade tiles will vary more than machine made tile in size, thickness and color. These tiles typically require a wider grout joint. Perceived imperfections—such as crazing, pitting and color/glaze pooling—are inherent characteristics that cannot be avoided. Indeed, these “imperfections” are part of what makes hand-crafted tiles desirable and unique.

Ordering Your Tile

Order early and ensure adequate time

Order your tile early—and pick it up early to verify all materials. This allows time to address any possible issues that may arise. Confirm with your installer that the necessary quantities of tile and specialty pieces (bullnose, decorative pieces, etc.) are on hand well before the job start.

Order enough tile from one lot to do the whole job

Tile shade lots and sizes can change—sometimes considerably. Be sure to have enough material on hand from one batch to complete the job and keep some extras in case they are ever needed for a repair.

Inspect all material before it is installed

Because shades can vary from batch to batch (or from your sample), inspect the tile and verify its suitability before it is installed. Always blend tiles from several boxes when installing. No claims of any type will be considered after installation!

Picking Up Your Order

To ensure your pick up goes smoothly, please follow these tips:

• Call Roma Tile 24 hours before picking up your order. Check with your salesperson for pick-up hours, as they are different from our showroom hours.
• Tile is heavy—wall tile weighs about 2-3 lbs/square foot and floor tile about 4-5 lbs/square foot. Make sure your vehicle is suitable.

We hope you find these guidelines helpful in planning your tile project and choosing the right products to fit your requirements. Please note this represents general information— please refer to our Conditions of Sale and Return Policy for complete details regarding your purchase from us.

Maintenance and Cleaning

Natural Stone: Please refer to our friends at the Miracle Sealant Company or Dry Treat for information. If you can’t find what you are looking for please call a Roma Tile specialist for assistance.

Glass Tile or Glass Mosaics: Wash down glass tile surfaces with clean water, a normal spirit or alcohol based glass or window cleaner. Ensure a soft cloth is used to avoid scratching. The use of certain acid based cleaning products may cause some tiles to react and change in character. We recommend the use of pH neutral cleaning products on tiles.

Odyssey Tile: Odyssey Floor Tiles are unglazed and although they are classified as vitrified we recommend that they should be sealed to protect against permanent staining. Please refer to the Original Style’s Odyssey catalog for additional information.