Where can I get your tile?
Meredith Art Tile is available in fine tile and stone showrooms across the country. Please consult our showroom locater map for a dealer near you. They will be happy to show you our tiles in person and work with you to design the perfect installation for any setting.
  
How much are your tiles?
The price of Meredith Art Tile varies depending on the size, pattern and glaze application. For specific pricing information, please contact the showroom nearest you.
  
How long does an order take?
Please allow 2 weeks for custom hand-painted strike-offs and 4 – 6 weeks for regular orders. Often we are able to produce orders more quickly, but we would rather exceed your expectations than fall short.
  
Do you have a catalogue?
Yes, we have a complete design packet available – complete with color brochures, fact sheets and other design information. Please send a check or money order for $10 to Meredith Collection, Customer Service, 1201 Millerton Street SE, PO Box 8854, Canton, OH 44711 and we will send one right out to you.
  
How long do Custom Orders take to complete?
Please allow 4 to 6 weeks to complete your custom order. However, many of our jobs ship much faster. We are always working to reduce our lead times and depending on current order levels we may be able to complete your project more quickly.
   
Are your Hand-Painted tiles available in custom color combinations?
Our hand-painted samples represent some of our favorite color combinations. However, if you would like to customize your order, we will be happy to produce a strike off made to your individual specifications. Strike offs are charged at the regular hand-painted prices and take approximately two weeks to complete. For information on specifying a custom hand-painted order, please see the Hand-Painted Custom Orders page of our Product Fact Sheet.
   
How consistant are your glaze colors?
Glazes are more an art than a science. While we follow exact formulas and practice meticulous procedures for mixing, applying and firing glazes, each outcome is different. To assist you in your selection process, we have developed a numeric Color Range ranking system of 1 - 5 (see Glaze Information chart in Product Fact Sheet). The lower numbers represent glazes with the least amount of range while the higher numbers represent glazes with more variation and spunk. Please consult the glaze chart prior to making your final selections. If you are interested in a glaze that exhibits a higher degree of range, we recommend you request a current set of range samples so you may be sure the glaze will meet your expectations.

Our high fire glazes can have a mind of their own. Whether hand-painted or full glazed, Meredith tiles exhibit a unique degree of range. Some glazes such as Parchment and White are very consistent from firing to firing and from piece to piece, while others may show a much wider range. This range results from many factors - individual batch production, fluctuations in raw materials, subtle glaze thickness and temperature variations, different application methods and ultimately the mood of the glaze gods. Because of these factors, each and every run is likely to be different from the next. Even within runs, hand-sprayed moldings will differ from line run field tiles and those will almost certainly differ from the hand-painted molded tiles - even though they may have come from the same barrel of glaze and been fired at the same time. This is what sets our tile apart from the miles of repetitious squares out there. Range is what gives an installation character. It is something to be coveted. Recognizing this unique characteristic, we strongly urge you order carefully add-ons often take as long to produce as the original order and are not guaranteed to match.
   
What is "Crazing"?
When you see an old tile installation, you may notice tiny hairline cracks in the glaze. This is known as crazing and it is inherent to our tiles - just as it was to the turn-of-the-century tiles that inspire our work. Crazing is not a defect - it's a natural process that adds character and beauty to our tile. Unlike paints or stains, these crazing lines do not jeopardize the integrity of the tile. You don't ever need to worry about the glaze peeling or flaking off - it's fired on for life. Crazing is caused during the cooling process. As the body and glaze cool they both shrink - but if they shrink at different rates, surface tension is created. Ultimately, this tension creates the crazing lines we see. The extent and pattern of the crazing is unique to each piece of tile and is totally beyond our control. So while you may have a sample with one degree of crazing, the next run could look very different. What we can guarantee is that each run will be different from the next and all will be beautiful.
  
What's the difference between Crazing and your Crackle Glazes?
Unlike crazing - the natural phenomena addressed above - Meredith's Crackle glazes have been engineered to crackle. By adjusting the thermal expansion of the glaze crazing is not left up to chance. These modified glazes are designed to crackle at a dynamic level to give your installation even more character.
  
Should I seal my Meredith Art Tile?
We recommend all of our tiles be sealed with a high quality penetrating sealer. The sealer will help preserve the original look of your tile and make cleanup a breeze. With the proper care and maintenance your installation should last a lifetime and beyond.
  
Will Meredith Art Tile absorb moisture?
Since our high fire body has such a low degree of absorption, our standard and crackle glazes are suitable for use in showers and other high moisture installations. Again, we do recommend you use a quality penetrating sealer prior to use and maintain your tile properly, but it you follow these simple guidelines your tile will retain its beauty for many, many years.
   
What about variation in the size of my tile?
Handcrafted tile is just that - hand-crafted. Our artisans use local stoneware clays and extrude or press them to form each tile. These tiles, moldings and liners are then cut by hand, set to dry before going on to the firing process. Our local clays are very "plastic" part of what gives our tiles such strength and durability. But this plasticity also gives our clay memory - when you press or form it, it likes to bow, bend and shrink back towards its original shape. Add to this the individual style of each of our artists and you get a very pleasing variation amongst our tiles. Each one may be a little out of square, slightly bowed or a bit over or undersized - and this is what makes our tile so appealing. When installed across your application, this variation allows you to create a very pleasing flow to what may otherwise have been a very stiff and repetitious design.
  
Can you help with installation and care of my Meredith Art Tile?
Every order of Meredith Art Tile comes with "Installation and Care" instructions. Please review these prior to installation. Feel free to contact us if you have further questions. We recommend you consult with your installer regarding grout joints, sealers, and tile variation prior to install. We want to insure that your installation is equal in quality to your Meredith Art Tile.
  
Other questions?
Your local showroom is a fabulous resource, however if you have other questions or if we can be of further assistance please don’t hesitate to contact us.