Group Name:cle-guild-fundamentals

clé guild | fundamentals | small batch black matte

" x  " x  "

black matte

select your options

a clé heritage tile

clé heritage are artisan tiles that carry the mark of a skilled artisan with each tile embodying variation in tone and surface. these tiles are to be treasured for their hand hewn quality and require a skilled installer.

buy sample

sample

$5.00/piece

full tile order

start your project

$ 22.41/sqft

The outline of a freight box truck

in production | ships from warehouse within 4 - 6 weeks

calculate your project

sqft needed

industry standard suggests adding at least 15% overage due to tile cuts, potential breakage, or future repairs

0

total sqft

$ 22.41 /sqft

0

total boxes

$ 150.92 /box


$0.00

subtotal

0 total pieces

IMPORTANT: we recommend a traditional brick grout joint size of 3/8” with this collection which allows for 6.54 tiles per square foot. 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 on 6.54 tiles per square foot.

minimum order of 13 sqft

only 1459 sqft available

product specifications

technical specifications

freeze thaw resistant icon

freeze thaw resistant

radiant heating compatible icon

radiant heating compatible

uv resistant icon

uv resistant

heat resistant icon

heat resistant

stove backsplash icon

stove backsplash

sink backsplash icon

sink backsplash

interior floor icon

interior floor

light residential icon

light residential

interior wall icon

interior wall

exterior wall icon

exterior wall

fireplace surround icon

fireplace surround

fountain waterline icon

fountain waterline

pool waterline icon

pool waterline

shower floor + wall icon

shower floor + wall

steam shower floor + wall icon

steam shower floor + wall

* see material guidelines guide for specific requirements

description
rating
surface type
glazed

finish type
matte

level 2: slight

level 2: slight

level 2: medium

level 2: prevalent

dimensions
" x  " x  "
water absorption
avg. 10.6%; non-vitreous

dcof
see more information under 'wet area application' in our clé guild fundamentals installation and maintenance guide below

Pieces per sqft
6.54 pcs/sqft

Weight per sqft
5.56 lbs

Pieces per box
44 pcs/box

calculated using clé's recommended grout joint size of 3/8"

read before you buy this tile

do i need to seal fundamentals bricks?


if your guild fundamentals tiles have visible crazing, or if you are using a contrasting grout, clé recommends applying a penetrating sealant or grout release like stonetech heavy duty sealer from laticrete prior to grouting.

dry applications do not need to be sealed as the final step of installation.

for applications in wet areas, grout lines and areas of visible crazing must be sealed as the final step of installation. clé recommends stonetech bulletproof sealer from laticrete in most wet applications.

for more information about sealing please see our clé guild fundamentals material guidelines.

do you offer trim for your clé guild fundamentals bricks?

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 bricks 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 brick edge.
- if you have a painted surface next to your brick, you can choose to paint the outer edge of the brick to match the painted surface.
- like with any of our bricks, you can also build out the sheetrock so that the surface of the finished sheetrock is flush with the surface of the brick.

-for more detailed recommendations about trim, please see our trim guide.

how do i take care of my clé guild fundamentals bricks?

over time, a natural patina will occur on floors as they are maintained and naturally wear. mild, pH neutral soaps should be sufficient for most cleaning—test before general use.

for all other maintenance, clé recommends laticrete cleaning products.

see clé guild fundamentals material guidelines for more information.

what type of finish should i expect with this collection?

our clé guild fundamentals bricks are glazed, and both the white and the black bricks are available in two finishes; matte and gloss - expect light texture variation.

what types and levels of variation and imperfections should i expect?

clé guild fundamental bricks are created by hand, one at a time, from unrefined clay and natural pigments, resulting in intentional variations of color, shade, texture and size. you can also expect your tiles to be affected by crazing and iron spots, and some tiles might have wire-cut grooves.

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 clé guild fundamentals 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.

variation and imperfection ratings:

fundamentals bricks are rated 'level 2 slight' for both color and texture variation, 'level 2 medium' for size variation, and 'level2 medium' for irons spots. fundamentals bricks with matte finishes are also rated 'level 1 light' for crazing.

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

how will my fundamentals 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 fundamentals brick, in addition to variation from brick to brick, is to be expected given the handcrafted nature of the product. 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.

are there best practices for sampling clé guild fundamentals?

due to the variation in color of our handmade bricks as well as the variation in texture of each tile we strongly encourage sampling more than one piece to get a better sense of what the tile has to offer.

why do you suggest i order at least 15% more than my measurements?

industry standard suggests adding at least 15% overage due to brick cuts, potential breakage, or future repairs.

 however, due to the unrefined clay and natural pigments used in creating our Guild Fundamentals tiles there will be variation in color, shade, and texture, as well as crazing and iron spots and possibly some tiles with wire-cut grooves.  If these features do not fit your project’s needs, we recommend ordering 20-30% overage.  This will allow your contractor to cherry-pick the 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)?

color and shade variation between production batches (or kiln loads) of fundamentals brick is a normal occurrence and to be expected given the handcrafted nature of the collection. 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.

grout

clé recommends using cementitious sanded grout and a 3/8” grout joint with this collection.

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 grout color selection for any of your clé tiles.

first, have your contractor complete your tile installation, except for the grout portion.

next, when ready to grout, ask your contractor to bring all of the 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 patterned tiles, 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 pattern that you would like to accentuate.

it is recommended that if your clé guild fundamentals tiles are being grouted with a contrasting grout color vs. a matching one, then a penetrating sealant or grout release should be applied prior to grouting in order to minimize the possibility of the contrasting grout curing in the inherent hairline cracks.

 important: please note that a 3/8" grout joint size yields 6.54 bricks per square foot. should your project require a smaller joint, keep in mind that additional bricks will need to be ordered as our checkout calculations are all based on 6.54 bricks per square foot.

here are the pieces per square foot for a few other common grout joint sizes:

1/8” grout joint - 6.97 bricks per square foot

1/4” grout joint - 6.75 bricks per square foot

pieces per square foot comes to 7.2 when no grout joint is taken into account

for more information about grouting please see our clé guild fundamentals installation & maintenance guide.

collection dimensions

rectangle - 2 1/2"x8"x1/2"

disclaimer: please note all dimensions are nominal. additionally, dimensions between tiles can vary +/- 1/8 inch.

small batch artisan tile

an elevated, glazed thin brick

the soft, dark hue of clé guild fundamentals small batch matte black offers a sense of timeless richness and moody intensity. slight surface variation gives this tile a quiet expressivity and captivating depth.

why we love fundamentals

clé guild fundamentals is a locally produced, artisan tile line created in clé tile’s san rafael guild. clay for this line is sourced from the base of the sierra nevada foothills. minimally processed, this rugged material possesses natural mineral inclusions which when fired, create a uniquely speckled surface, a direct expression of the earth from which it is made. glazes are formulated of natural minerals and pigments, giving each kiln load a small batch, hand crafted feel. clé guild fundamentals are available in white and black in both matte and gloss surfaces. at once rustic and elegant, fundamentals are an elevated glazed brick alternative to classic subway tile.

handcrafted from the clé guild

the clé guild was born of our desire to create the finest glazed brick and was the culmination of that idea, combined with state-of-the-art ceramics technology and artisanal technique. fundamentals was the first collection to come out of the clé guild. produced in northern california, this small-batch, handcrafted tile is sophistication manifest and gives a feel of luxury and significance without being conspicuous. the unique firing process, using the state-of-the-art blaauw kiln combined with the purely natural composition of the glaze (stone powders, metal oxide pigments) allows for a richness and luminescence rarely found in many of today’s glazed bricks.

inspiration