FAQ

Your tiles will be coated in a thin layer of grout, commonly called grout haze. Sometimes this is hard to see but usually it shows as a greyish haze.

The haze needs to be removed as it is a wonderful dirt trap that will only make your tiles look worse over time.
If tackled within 2 or 3 hours of laying the haze will probably come off by buffing with a towel. The longer its left the harder it sets.

Yes! Although it is uncommon for modern ceramic and porcelain tiles to be out of square, the International grading standard for pressed tiles allows up to 0.6% deviation from rectangularity. If you believe that your order does not meet these criteria, please contact us before you commence installation.

Ceramic and porcelain tiles are produced from natural raw materials. Each batch of tiles that are produced tend to be a different shade or size to the ones that were last made. The final kiln temperature, slight changes in glaze mix, and many other variables can affect the final appearance and size.

Under certain circumstances, a white powder can form on grout, especially on floor tiles. This is a natural phenomenon known as efflorescence. It is due to soluble salts rising to the surface of a cement based product. When they dry out on the surface, the remaining salts appear white and powdery.

Curvature occurs in almost all tiles due to the firing process with which they are made. The centre of the tile is the highest point with the ends being the lowest. Curvature generally becomes noticeable when tilers attempt to brick lay tiles at 50% overlay. The global manufacturing recommendation is to not overlap any large size tiles more than 33%. Curvature is normally not an issue when the tiles are laid block stacked as the low points (ends) and high points (middle) align tile to tile. 50% overlap will mean the lowest point is aligned against the highest point of the next tile, leaving a lip or ridge between the two.

Cementitious black grout is very difficult to clean up because it is so heavily pigmented.  It can stain porous tiles or even glazed ceramic tiles by sitting in the microscopic pores.

Despite disclaimers, tilers will often proceed using dark grout on white wall tiles and providing they are extra vigilant and carefully clean as they go, can have a problem free instalation. Every brand of grout and batch of tiles will react differently so always test prior to installation.