Frequent Questions

Can I cut these tiles?
You can cut our tiles with a standard tile wet saw, make sure the metal side is up and start your cut slowly. You can also cut using a carbide tipped fine tooth saw, or a metal cutting band saw.

Do you need to use tile spacers when installing the tiles?
No, you do not need to use tile spacers to install the tiles. The chamfered edge provides an elegant look when installed “tile to tile”. The 45-degree chamfered edge provides a natural caulking channel when the tiles are butted together. The XT-200 mastic allows sufficient time to adjust the spacing “by eye” for difficult areas. *Tile spacers can be used if you require large grout lines.

When do you take the protective plastic off of the tile?
Please remove the protective plastic after the tiles are installed, but before grouting.

Do you need to grout the tiles?
Yes and no. If the tiles are in a “working” area where water or other liquid is likely to be splashed against it (e.g. Behind the sink, behind the stove) then it is recommended to grout the tiles using the caulking method described in the installation literature. If the tiles are in a purely cosmetic area – then there is no reason to grout the tiles except for aesthetics.

How do you clean the copper tiles?
You clean the copper tiles using any standard copper cleaner – the copper tiles are not coated in any way, so you are dealing with true copper. Experiment with the cleaners readily available from local department or hardware stores - most people prefer the liquid cleaners versus the paste or cream cleaners (due to the mess). Do NOT use abrasive cleaners. Do NOT use copper cleaners on the “Cognac Copper” tiles – please see #6 below.

What do you use to clean the stainless steel tiles?
For daily cleaning, a damp cloth (water only) is fine. For a more thorough cleaning diluted vinegar solution or any stainless steel spray cleaner (available from your local department or hardware store) is fine. For our stainless steel tiles with the titanium colour coating (Cognac Copper, Black Pearl, Treasured Gold, True Mirror, and Timeless Bronze) you can use the same technique – we have found that the diluted vinegar solution is best. Please be sure to use a lint-free cotton cloth (or equivalent) when cleaning these tiles – no sponges or anything abrasive.

Can the tiles be used outdoors?
The standard assembled tiles can NOT be used outdoors. In special situations we can provide the metal “shells” of some of our most durable metals to be used outdoors. *the substrate & adhesive used to mount the tiles outdoors would be you or your contractor’s responsibility.

Can the tiles be used for countertops?
Our stainless steel tiles or natural copper tiles can be used for countertops, BUT you must take into consideration that our tiles are uncoated metal and will become scratched and can possibly be dented when used for countertops.

Can the tiles be used on floors?
No, we do not recommend using our tiles on floors. They are not designed for that amount of load and will likely become dented.

Do you make custom sizes on request?
No, we do not do custom sizes. All finishes are available in all ten sizes only (1”x1”, 1”x4”, 1.25” x 1.25”, 1.25” x 6” 4” x 4”, 6” x 6”, 3" x 3", 3" x 4", 3" x 6", 3" x 8"). *We can create tiles of a custom material in these ten sizes on request – please contact us with the specifications of the metal you wish to provide and we can discuss it further.