1. Do not peel the plastic protective coating on the tiles until step 7. Tiles may get scratched in the handling and gluing process otherwise. Be sure to take note of the grain orientation of the tiles by looking at the back side of the tile. The grain direction on the front of the tile is the same as the back side of the tile (see Preliminary Notes above). You may draw arrows on the face of the tiles to ease the installation process.
2. Lay out the tile pattern on the wall/substrate with a layout tool such as a pencil and a ruler or a chalk line. It is assumed the the surface mount tiles will not be grouted (please see step 7).
3. Apply a small patch of 1/16" thick double-sided tape to the center of the backside of the tile.
4. Apply metal bonding adhesive around the perimeter on the backside of the tile with a pencil like bead. The bead should be placed around the outside of the tile and not in the center where the double-sided tape is. It should be approximately 1/4" to 3/8" in diameter, be approximately 1" away from the perimeter of the tile.
5. Set the tile on the wall with firm pressure on the perimeter of the tile to make good adhesion contact. Do not exert excessive pressure. Do not run your fingers along the edge of the tile as it may be sharp.
6. Repeat steps 3 through 5 until all tiles are set. Allow 48 hours to dry at room temperature.
7. You may opt to seal the hairline space between the tile edges with nonsanded grout.
8. Peel the protective coating off the tiles with a sharpened piece of solid brass (available on our accessories page) or a plastic utensil knife.

1. Do not peel the plastic protective coating on the tiles until step 11. Tiles may get scratched in the handling, gluing, and grouting process otherwise. The tiles do not need to be grouted if you opt to take that option. Be sure to take note of the grain orientation of the tiles by looking at the arrow stamped on the front side of the tile (see Preliminary Notes above).
2. Lay out the tile pattern on the wall/substrate with a layout tool such as a pencil and a ruler or a chalk line. Be sure to compensate for the thickness of the grout lines if you are going to grout them.
3. Apply adhesive
    For Hardboard backed tiles, apply adhesive on the back side of the tile around the perimeter with a pencil like bead spiraling towards the center of the tile. The bead should be approximately 1/8" to 1/4" in diameter, be approximately 1" away from the perimeter of the tile.
    For Fiberock® backed tiles, use traditional thin-set.
4. Set the tile on the wall/substrate with firm pressure on the tile to make good adhesion contact. Do not run your fingers along the edge of the tile as it may be sharp.
5. Place a tile spacers on each corner of the tile to prepare for the next tile if you are going to grout them.
6. Repeat steps 3 through 5 until all tiles are set. Allow 48 hours to dry at room temperature.
7. Prepare for grouting by reading the directions as specified by the grout manufacturer. Be sure to use a sandless grout to prevent scratching the tile when cleaning after the plastic protective coating has been peeled off. (Skip this and the next three steps if you are not grouting the tiles)
8. Remove all tile spacers that are establishing grout lines.
9. Spread grout evenly with a rubber float, filling all crevices.
10. Let dry as specified on the grouting compound package (typically 48 hours).
11. Peel the protective coating off the tiles with a sharpened piece of solid brass (available on our accessories page) or a plastic knife.

There are five ways to cut our metal tiles to the size(s) that you need or to make necessary cutouts for outlet covers, etc. You could either:

1. Order custom cut sizes. We can custom cut the tiles to the size(s) and shape(s) that you need. Most of our custom cut tiles can be ordered from our custom cut wall tiles page, which can be accessed by clicking here. If you have cuts that are not pictured, we can cut them if you email or fax us a drawing. You may also mail tiles to us with markings on them showing where they should be cut.

2. Fiberock® backed tiles can be cut with a wet saw using a diamond blade or with the methods described above and below.

3. Cut the tiles with an angle grinder with a metal cut-off blade. You may purchase these items at your local hardware store or visit our accessories web page on our website.

4. Cut the tiles with a bandsaw using a fine toothed metal cutting blade (18 teeth per inch or greater). You may purchase these items at your local hardware store or visit our accessories web page on our website.

5. You may opt to use a Dremel with a cut-off disk. Please note that the cut-off disk will tarnish the perimeter of the cut. You may use a scotch pad to restore the finish or cover it with a piece of trim or a switch plate cover.

SAFETY GLASSES MUST BE WORN WITH ALL CUTTING METHODS. USE CAUTION IN OPERATING ALL POWER TOOLS. AS WITH ALL POWER TOOLS, A CERTAIN LEVEL OF COMPETENCY AND SKILL IS REQUIRED. PLEASE BE SURE TO READ THE MANUFACTURER'S OPERATOR'S MANUAL AND WARNINGS PRIOR TO OPERATION. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTIONS MAY RESULT IN SERIOUS PERSONAL INJURY.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CUT OUR TILES USING ANY OTHER MEANS OTHER THAN THOSE DESCRIBED ABOVE. DO NOT RUN YOUR FINGERS ALONG THE EDGE OF THE TILE AS IT MAY BE SHARP.

FLOOR TILES, KICKPLATES, THRESHOLDS AND MANY OTHER CUSTOM ITEMS THAT WE MANUFACTURE ARE A THICKER GAUGE MATERIAL AND REQUIRE SPECIAL TOOLING TO CUT THEM. PLEASE CONTACT US PRIOR TO ATTEMPTING TO CUT ANY ITEMS OTHER THAN OUR WALL TILES AS DESCRIBED ABOVE.