Questions and Answers for Merola Tile Berkeley Blue 17-5/8 in. x 17-5/8 in. Ceramic Floor and Wall Tile (13.14 sq. ft./Case)

A:  No it is already sealed as it is a ceramic tile. I installed in a washroom and sealed it anyway but no it does not need to be

A:  Hi Pamela, Sealing your tile is a matter of personal preference. Sealing the tile can help prolong the life of your installation, it can also help prevent the grout lines and tile from dirt buildup. This tile has a glazed finish, which will help prevent contaminants from staining the tile if cleaned up in a reasonable amount of time. Routine maintenance can also help prolong the life of your tile. If you would like, you could choose to seal the tile as an added layer of protection. Home Depot always recommends Custom Building Products installation materials, and their Aqua Mix Penetrating Sealer http://thd.co/1TFzOUL is a great option for this item. Be sure to follow all directions on the packaging for the best results. We recommend testing the sealer on scrap prior to sealing the whole installation, as it could alter the appearance of the tile. Sealing the tile before grouting can help prevent the grout from staining, but it is still very important to clean the wet grout as you go for the best results. Sealing after installation can also help seal the grout, prolonging the life of the grout as well. If you have any further questions, please give us a call at (800)-963-7652. Hope this helps!

A:  No sealing needed. It's ceramic, not stone. After one year and two bathrooms, it's doing great at my home without any sealing. Depending on what grout you use, however, that might need to be sealed in high traffic area, or best to just use grout with latex base. Good luck! Becky

A:  Hi hc, We would not recommend using our Berkeley Blue outdoors in a climate that is prone to freezing. This tile is constructed of ceramic, making it semi-vitreous, meaning that it will absorb between 3-7% water. When these absorb water and the tile freezes, the natural expanding and contracting of the installation materials may result in cracking. While we do not wish to deter you from a project, we want you to be aware of any potential challenges you may encounter. If you are in a location where temperatures drop below freezing, you will want to get a vitreous or impervious tile that is frost resistant. If you are in a cooler climate that does drop below freezing, we would suggest taking a look at our Atelier series https://thd.co/2FwW3jm. While these tiles are ceramic, these have a vitreous water absorption rating. This water absorption rating makes the Atelier series frost resistant, and ok to use outdoors! If you would like to determine if these tiles are right for you, we offer samples! Please be aware that samples come adhered to 6”x6” sample cards which offer a color and texture sample, not a look at the whole pattern. To be able to see the whole pattern, we recommend ordering one case. Please note that variation in color, shade and texture are inherent characteristics of glazed tile. The pattern, shape, dye lot (color) and size of the actual tile received may vary. Home Depot offers a 90-day return policy on all unused items returned in the full quantity they were sold (in this situation, a case). If you have any further questions, please give us a call at (800)-963-7652. Hope this helps!

A:  This is a gorgeous tile, but I would be reluctant to use it for a patio. It is ceramic, not porcelain (which is more durable), so my guess is that this tile would be less likely to tolerate frost and swings in temperature. I would also worry about cracking due to even slightly uneven surfaces. I put it in 2 bathrooms, and it's the star! After almost one year, it's been holding up great.

A:  This is a gorgeous tile, but I would be reluctant to use it for a patio. It is ceramic, not porcelain (which would be more durable), so my guess is that this tile would be less likely to tolerate frost and swings in temperature. I would also worry about cracking due to even slightly uneven surfaces. I put it in 2 bathrooms, and it's the star! After almost one year, it's been holding up well. Good luck! Becky

A:  A sanded grout with a 1/4" or 3/16” grout line will work for this tile. Berkeley Blue tiles are not made for specific baseboard tiles.

A:  I used it as a back splash, so no baseboard was used. I matched the cinnamon color that was used as the faux grout lines in the tile.

A:  Hi ab, For our Berkeley Blue, we would recommend that you use sanded grout. Dependening on the flatness of your subfloor, you could use either a 3/16” or a 1/4” grout line. Since this tile isn’t rectified, we wouldn’t recommend anything smaller. Having a rectified tile means that the edges have been ground down for precise sizing. Tile tends to expand and contract, if the grout joints are too small it can cause damage to the installation such as cracking. When you have a grout joint larger than 1/8” we always recommend the use of sanded grout. You can also use the sanded grout on the scored grout lines of our Berkeley Blue as long as the correct steps are taken. When grouting the scored grout lines, make sure that you push firmly down on the grout float, ensuring that the grout is fully in the score line. If this step is not done properly, grout can crack and flake off as you mentioned. If you would like to bypass using sanded grout altogether, you can always go with epoxy or urethane grout. Epoxy grout is very sturdy, waterproof and stain resistant. The caveat on working with epoxy is that once the components are mixed, you have a limited amount of time to get everything grouted or it becomes rigid and unworkable. There is not a specific baseboard tile intended to coordinate with our Berkeley Blue. In situations like these, we recommend searching “baseboard trim” on HomeDepot.com or checking in stock options at your local store. If you have any further questions, please give us a call at (800)-963-7652. Hope this helps!

A:  We matched the grout color & spacing as close as possible to the existing scored lines made in the tille. Sanded grout will not affect the scores lines. You just need to wipe it down thoroughly when you are finished grouting. We had several tiles break as well, but overall it is a great product & we are very pleased with the final result!

A:  Hi Marinersfan, There will be no issue if you used sanded grout within our Berkeley Charcoal Brown as long as the correct steps are taken. When grouting the scored grout lines, make sure that you push firmly down on the grout float, ensuring that the grout is fully in the score line. If this step is not done properly, grout can crack and flake off as you mentioned. It’s possible that this was damaged during transit; we apologize for any inconvenience that our Berkeley Charcoal Brown might have caused you. Please note that Home Depot offers a 90-day return policy on all unused items returned in the full quantity they were sold (in this situation, a case). If you have any further questions, please give us a call at (800)-963-7652. Hope this helps!

A:  Hello louie, Our Berkeley Blue is a muted blue. We offer samples of our Berkeley Blue at The Home Depot! This comes on a 3”x4” sample card which offer a color and texture sample, not a look at the whole tile https://thd.co/2Cyc0jG. To be able to see the whole tile, we recommend ordering a case. Please note that variation in color, shade and texture are inherent characteristics of glazed tile. The pattern, shape, dye lot (color) and size of the actual tile received may vary. If you have any further questions, please give us a call at (800)-963-7652. Hope this helps!

A:  The blue is actually a kind of grayish muted medium blue. Not bright at all. And the "white" is actually kind of a grayish antique white. A little tough matching things to this tile. I spent a lot of time trying out samples. I used "DeLorean gray" grout (a light gray) and "Irish Mist" paint by Behr, and these look good. *** By the way, it's possible that the colors might vary between batches. I bought mine almost a year ago ***

A:  I used a grout that was about the same color, a brick red sort of color, as it matched the color of the paint on my walls.

A:  Hi OrvisHouse, Home Depot always recommends Custom Building Products installation materials. Two great options for our Berkeley Blue are #381 Bright White or, if you’re looking for a bit darker, #60 Charcoal. Being as coordinating is a matter of personal preference, it is best to decide what color you feel matches best. Home Depot stores offer dried grout samples, so it is best that you take this tile to your local store and compare it to these samples in the flooring department. When grouting the scored grout lines, make sure that you push firmly down on the grout float, ensuring that the grout is fully in the score line. If this step is not done properly, grout can crack and flake off. If you have any further questions, please give us a call at (800)-963-7652. Hope this helps!

A:  Hi LFP, Unfortunately, we don’t carry any subway tiles that will directly coordinate with our Berkeley Blue. We can offer some suggestions, but ultimately the decision comes down to whether or not you feel it will work best for you. Our first suggestion would be one of our subway tiles from the Chester Acqua series https://thd.co/2G2enkB. These tiles have a glossy finish, whereas Berkeley Blue has a matte finish. Please note that the Chester series has a PEI rating of 0, which means these can only be used in wall applications. If you’re looking for a matte subway tile, we would recommend looking at our Metro Soho Subway Matte White https://thd.co/2BMI2cG. These tiles have similar technical specs to the Berkeley and are safe to use on the floor! If these are slightly too small for you, might we suggest looking at our Projectos Neve Matte https://thd.co/2FXqYSw. This subway is roughly 4”x8” whereas the Metro Soho is roughly 2”x8”. If you would like to determine if these tiles are right for you, we offer samples! Please be aware that samples come adhered to 4.5”x5” sample cards which offer a color and texture sample, not a look at the whole tile. To be able to see the whole tile, we recommend ordering one case, or pack. Please note that variation in color, shade and texture are inherent characteristics of glazed tile. The pattern, shape, dye lot (color) and size of the actual tile received may vary. Home Depot offers a 90-day return policy on all unused items returned in the full quantity they were sold. If you have any further questions, please give us a call at (800)-963-7652. Hope this helps!

A:  Hi Laurie, We would not recommend using this outdoors in a climate that is prone to freezing. This tile is constructed of ceramic, making it semi-vitreous, meaning that it will absorb between 3-7% water. When these absorb water and the tile freezes, the natural expanding and contracting of the installation materials may result in cracking. While we do not wish to deter you from a project, we want you to be aware of any potential challenges you may encounter. If you are in a location where temperatures drop below freezing, you will want to get a vitreous or impervious tile that is frost resistant. If you are in a cooler climate that does drop below freezing, we would suggest taking a look at our Atelier series https://thd.co/2FwW3jm. While these tiles are ceramic, these have a vitreous water absorption rating. This water absorption rating makes the Atelier series frost resistant, and ok to use outdoors! If you would like to determine if either of these tiles are right for you, we offer samples! Please be aware that samples come adhered to 4.5”x5” sample cards which offer a color and texture sample, not a look at the whole pattern. To be able to see the whole pattern, we recommend ordering one case. Please note that variation in color, shade and texture are inherent characteristics of glazed tile. The pattern, shape, dye lot (color) and size of the actual tile received may vary. Home Depot offers a 90-day return policy on all unused items returned in the full quantity they were sold (in this situation, a case). If you have any further questions, please give us a call at (800)-963-7652. Hope this helps!

A:  Not meant for outdoor use. The temperature fluctuations will cause it to crack.

A:  Hi CC, Yes, our Berkeley Blue has a glazed, matte finish which would be perfect for a shower! If the background construction is waterproofed properly, this tile would be a great choice for a shower. This tile has a DCOF (Dynamic Coefficient of Friction) rating of 0.59, which classifies this as slip resistant. To be classified as slip resistant for DCOF, a tile must meet or exceed the required rating of 0.42. This tile also has a PEI rating of 4, which is more than enough to be used on a shower floor. If you would like to determine if these tiles are right for you, we offer samples! Please be aware that samples come adhered to 4.5”x5” sample cards which offer a color and texture sample, not a look at the whole pattern. To be able to see the whole pattern, we recommend ordering one case. Please note that variation in color, shade and texture are inherent characteristics of glazed tile. The pattern, shape, dye lot (color) and size of the actual tile received may vary. Home Depot offers a 90-day return policy on all unused items returned in the full quantity they were sold (in this situation, a case). If you have any further questions, please give us a call at (800)-963-7652. Hope this helps!

A:  Yes, this tile may be used on shower floors.

A:  Hi cc, Yes, our Berkeley Blue has a glazed, matte finish which would be perfect for a shower! If the background construction is waterproofed properly, this tile would be a great choice for a shower. This tile has a DCOF (Dynamic Coefficient of Friction) rating of 0.59, which classifies this as slip resistant. To be classified as slip resistant for DCOF, a tile must meet or exceed the required rating of 0.42. This tile also has a PEI rating of 4, which is more than enough to be used on a shower floor. If you would like to determine if these tiles are right for you, we offer samples! Please be aware that samples come adhered to 4.5”x5” sample cards which offer a color and texture sample, not a look at the whole pattern. To be able to see the whole pattern, we recommend ordering one case. Please note that variation in color, shade and texture are inherent characteristics of glazed tile. The pattern, shape, dye lot (color) and size of the actual tile received may vary. Home Depot offers a 90-day return policy on all unused items returned in the full quantity they were sold (in this situation, a case). If you have any further questions, please give us a call at (800)-963-7652. Hope this helps!

A:  Hello cc and thank you for your question. Yes this tile can be used on a shower wall. Best wishes on your project.