Hi pup! I didn't ask the tile guy but he would have told me if we had a lot of broken tiles. I don't think we did because they sat on the patio for a couple of months in sub-zero weather until we installed them. And they looked great.

What we didn't order enough of was the backsplash tile, but it ended up okay because I inserted another color which I like better.

What color are you going with? That stuff is COLD in the winter so make sure you have some good wool socks or houseshoes. lol. I'm putting a rug down in front of the kitchen sink.

If you can, think about doing the heated flooring mats that are embedded under the tile. People say they're heaven!

Squirrel, if we lived in a climate where it's cold like this all winter, I would have done that, for sure!

I tell ya, the under cabinet lighting we put in sure has helped warm the kitchen right now. lol We've been leaving them on 24/7 since it hasn't been above 19 for a few days now.

Hey there Oakley! Girlfriend, I'm copying your kitchen/laundry room tiles exactly...Caboose and Roasted Marshmallow for me. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? This will be down in my basement/bottom level area. This is a lake home we bought two years ago and we have remodeled most all of it. I don't even know exactly what I'm gonna have down there as far as function and such, but when I saw your tile...your FABULOUS tile....I knew that's what I wanted for my flooring. Previous owner had cheap carpet. As this is a home on the lake, I've learned that the lowest level has moisture issues so tile sounded like a good idea.

Houseshoes or socks aren't gonna cut it for me. I got major foot issues, so I never take my comfy, cushy shoes off until my head hits the pillow. I have tile in my kitchen, too, and I quickly bought one of those Gel Mats. It helps some.

Thank you for responding...I placed my tile order today and, of course, went with the extra boxes. I KNOW I will have too much. It seems to be my lot in life. HA!

Take care,
pup

We recently ordered Crossville Color Blox in Sidewalk Chalk for much of our main living area and one thing I would like to make people aware of is the possible difference in finish between lots.

All the samples we saw had a semi matte type of finish, which was what we wanted, but our tiles came in with more of a gloss finish. We checked with the store and were told that that was within normal variation. We still haven't heard back from anyone at Crossville as to what is considered normal and acceptable.

DH and I would probably not have chosen this particular tile if the samples had been as glossy as the tiles we received. They show every little mark, which is exactly what we did not want.

I would call Crossville again. The lady who answered the phone when I called for the samples was very informative. If I'm not mistaken, they make the tile on order, so maybe someone there messed up? We ordered a ton of it since we did two large rooms and the entryway, and they're all the same.

Only difference is the "movement" on each tile varies from one to another, which is okay.

I'm not familiar with Crossville's tiles, but firing results can vary. Depending on the type of tile, glaze, and firing, they could be a good bit different.

I got hand glazed tile for my bathroom, and the creamy colored tile which I ordered came through more of a latte color. I love it now, though : ) Plans changed and I'm glad it's the beautiful color that it is. Different lots can be vastly different in coloring and tonal variation with this tile. The bullnose they sent was closer to the creamy white and more consistent in tone.

Too bad for the higher gloss, esp since that's what you wanted to avoid. I *would think the tile store could have warned you of that type of difference that can be expected with that particular tile or color, if they know their tiles and if you had been discussing the reason for your choice with them.

We were expecting slight variations in the color and tonal variation, though the tiles turned out to be remarkably consistent in those areas.

Given that we had looked at samples in many different stores, which all had the same finish, we were not expecting such a vast difference in gloss level in our particular tiles - just our luck, I guess.

Do you think it could have something to do with the lighting? Is it glossier no matter what type or amount of light is hitting it?

akrogirl, I acutally saw your comment on this gloss issue on another thread...right after I ordered my tile. aagh!!! I'm like you, I don't really want a gloss on this tile and the samples I got from Crossville certainly do not have what I would call a gloss look. Course, I ordered the samples at least a couple months ago. Guess we'll see what happens. Did you happen to get samples from Crossville or were you just looking at the boards at the tile stores? So sorry the tiles did not turn out like you wanted. Maybe they'll "gloss down" some as you use them. HA! It's like the grey color that I painted on the exterior of my house...I got it TOO dark. I just keep telling myself that this is the darkest it will ever be and keep praying for the fade factor to kick in sooner then later.

Thanks to all,
pup