fornace brioni + clé | traditional cotto grigio | tavella 6" x  12" x  1"

do i need to seal fornace brioni + clé traditional cotto tavellas?

for fornace brioni + clé tavella tiles, you must apply sealant or a grout release before grouting to minimize risk of grout haze and to allow for easy clean up.
for exterior sealing, clé recommends stonetech heavy duty exterior sealer from laticrete.

for all other sealing and protecting, clé recommends stonetech bulletproof sealer from laticrete.

for more information about sealing please see our casale rustico material guidelines.

do you offer trim for your fornace brioni + clé traditional cotto tavellas?

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.
- 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 trim, please see our trim guide.

how do i take care of my fornace brioni + clé traditional cotto tavellas?

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 our fornace brioni terracotta installation & maintenance guides for more information.

what type of finish should i expect with this collection?

our fornace brioni + clé traditional cotto tavellas are porous, unglazed, and unfinished with a matte, medium variation surface texture.

how much variation should i expect?

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 fornace brioni + clé cotto tavellas, 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:

fornace brioni + clé traditional cotto tavellas are rated 'level 3 medium' for color variation, 'level 3 medium' for texture variation, and 'level 3 heavy' for size variation.

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

how will my traditional cotto tavella 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 traditional cotto tile, 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.

what should i expect with my order of fornace brioni + clé traditional cotto tile?

 efflorescence (salt deposits appearing as a white residue) is a normal occurrence in terracotta, and can be removed.

-store your terracotta tiles in a cool, dry place to prevent moisture build which can lead to efflorescence and other issues.  
-if efflorescence is present, have your installer do a quick sanding with an orbital sander and 120 grit sandpaper before sealing the tiles. 
-additionally, stonetech restore acidic cleaner can also be used to remove efflorescence.  

see the “sealing, maintenance, and care” section of our fornace brioni + clé traditional cotto material guidelines for more information.  

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.

for more information related to ordering and shipping, please be sure to visit our shipping and returns and delivery information resource pages.

we recommend a 3/8" grout joint with our traditional cotto tavellas which allows for 1.91 pieces 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 1.91 tiles per square foot.

pieces per square foot comes to 2 when no grout joint is taken into account

what grout type and colors do you recommend?

clé recommends using mortar and non-pigmented cementitious grout that comply with the ANSI A118 and/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.

for fornace brioni + clé cotto tavella, you must apply sealant or a grout release before grouting to minimize risk of grout haze and to allow for easy clean up.

because of the thickness and shape of the tile it may be easier to use a grout bag to fill the grout joints, then float grout over the surface of the tiles.

for more information about grouting please see our fornace brioni terracotta installation & maintenance guide.

cotto tavella - 6"x12"x1" disclaimer: please note all dimensions are nominal. additionally, dimensions between tiles can vary +/- 1/4 inch