General FAQ

Q: Are these murals hand-painted?
A: No. We use a digital technique that gives a remarkably accurate reproduction of the artist’s work. With hand-painting, the quality of the finished work is largely dependent upon the painter’s ability to paint like a Master. We know we can’t paint like Monet, so we don’t attempt to.

Q: Is it possible for me to see the quality of the tiles before ordering?
A: Yes. You are welcome to order a sample tile from any of our murals. The cost of a sample tile, including s/h, is as follows:
· sample 4.25” ceramic tile: $10.00
· sample 8” ceramic tile: $20.00
· sample 4” marble tile: $15.00
· sample 6” marble tile: $20.00
· sample 6” glass tile: $30.00
Generally, we put the entire mural’s image onto the one tile so that you can see the tile quality, and also all of the mural’s colors. Just give us a call at 877-202-4600 (toll-free) if you would like to order a sample.

Q: Can these tiles be used for backsplashes?
A: Absolutely. That is the most common place to put them.

Q: Can these tiles be used outdoors?
A: No, we’re sorry, but outdoor levels of UV rays will damage the tiles, over time.

Tile Types

We are often asked about the differences between the various types of tile we offer; the following table summarizes this information.

Q:  Why are the prices so different for ceramic, tumbled marble and glass murals?
A: The difference in pricing is due to the difference in our cost of raw materials: glass tiles cost us more than tumbled marble tiles, and tumbled marble tiles cost us more than ceramic tiles.

Q: Do you offer glossy-finish murals?
A: For our ceramic and tumbled marble tiles, the matte finish is significantly harder than the glossy finish, and hence it is more durable. For that reason, we only stock matte-finish ceramic and tumbled-marble tiles.

If you want a little more sheen, you might go with our glass tiles.  The glass tiles are of a different design, as the image is actually viewed through the glass.  They have a very hard, rippled surface with a slight sheen.

Q: What is the exact size and thickness of the tile?
A: The size and thickness varies:
· 4.25” ceramic tiles measure 4.25”x4.25”, and are ¼” thick.
· 6” ceramic tiles measure 6” x 6”, and are ¼” thick.
· 8” ceramic tiles measure just shy of 8” by 8”, and are ¼” thick.
· 4” tumbled marble tiles measure just shy of 4”x4”, and are 3/8” thick.
· 6” tumbled marble tiles measure just shy of 6”x6”, and are 3/8” thick.
· 6” glass tiles measure exactly 6” x 6”, and are ¼” thick.

Shipping Info

Q: When you ship a mural, exactly what do you ship?
A: Each mural is shipped as a set of tiles. Each tile has its row (a letter) and column (a number) written on its back, and the packing slip includes a “mural map,” showing exactly where each tile belongs in the finished mural. Some (larger) murals ship in multiple boxes; in this case, each box contains a portion of the mural along with a mural map, and the mural map is shaded to indicate which part of the mural is in that box.

Q: How will my mural be shipped, and how long will it take to receive it?
A: We offer two types of shipping, all via the US Postal Service (USPS):

Economy: choose this level of service if you do not need to have your mural in hand for two to three weeks. We will ship your mural via the least-expensive USPS method, and orders placed by other customers will take priority over your order, so there may be some delay before we ship.

Standard: choose this level of service if you need to have your mural within 7-10 calendar days. Under normal circumstances, we will ship your mural via USPS Priority Mail on our next regularly-scheduled shipping day (these occur twice a week). 

Q: What if a tile breaks during shipment?
A: We put a lot of effort into packaging your mural safely, but occasionally, there is some breakage during shipment. When you receive your mural, unpack the tiles and inspect them. Ceramic tiles should arrive with no chips, cracks or breaks. Tumbled marble tiles are, of course, intentionally distressed, so you should expect to find some chipped corners, distressed edges, and, occasionally, cracks. However, if any tile arrives in two pieces, it’s broken.

If you discover such damage, please contact us immediately (email is best, but a phone call is fine, too). Tell us your name and which tile(s) are broken (referring to them using the position designation on the back). We will replace the broken tile(s) free of charge, shipping them out via First Class or Priority mail (depending on the weight), on our next shipping day. This Free Breakage Replacement Policy only applies if breakage is reported within seven days of their receipt; after that, there will be a charge for replacing tiles.

Q: Should I purchase USPS insurance for my mural?

A: You are welcome to purchase USPS insurance; we offer USPS insurance because some eBay customers feel more comfortable insuring their purchases.  Here is how it works:

Each mural has an insurance fee associated with it.  This fee is listed in the auction, and it is exactly what we pay the USPS for insurance for that mural.  If your particular mural normally ships in multiple boxes, that is already figured in to the insurance rates we charge.

If you choose to insure your mural, just include the listed insurance fee with your payment.  We will purchase USPS insurance for your mural when we ship it.

If there is breakage during shipment and you’ve insured your mural, you will need to retain the broken tile(s) as well as the box(es) and packaging materials.  You’ll take all of this to your local post office and have them verify the damage (they can provide an insurance claim form; there is a section on the insurance claim form for this).  Then send us the claim form and we will file it, with the supporting receipts, etc., required by the USPS.  The insurance claim will be made payable to us; the funds from the insurance payment will pay for the replacement tile(s).  Even though it usually takes several months for the USPS to pay on an insurance claim, we will send the replacement tile(s) to you on our next shipping day after receipt of the claim form with damage verified by your local USPS clerk.

Please note that our Free Breakage Replacement Policy covers breakage but not loss.  The only way to protect yourself in case of loss is by purchasing USPS insurance.

Installation Info

Q: How do I install my mural?
A: Your first decision is whether to install it yourself or hire someone to install it. If you’re installing it yourself, and you have not installed tile before, you might consider taking a tile class at your local home-improvement store; many of them offer free hands-on tile installation classes, and a two-hour time investment can net you some very useful information.

We’re not going to go into all the details of general tile installation here, but we will discuss those aspects that are particularly pertinent to installing our murals.

Only non-sanded grout should be used with our murals. Since non-sanded grout may be used for grout widths of up to 1/8”, the tile should not be installed farther apart than that. As to grout color, you should choose a color that looks great with your mural, and also coordinates well with any field tile you might use to surround your mural. Pale tan or pale grey usually look nice. Bold colors are NOT a good idea; sometimes, they leave a residue on the mural. And here’s a tip: for marble murals, white is seldom a good choice.

No form of tape should ever be applied to the face of the tiles, and the tiles should not be cut.

A frame can make the difference between a good installation and a great one. Here are some ideas for framing your mural:
· You can use ceramic rope border tiles (or other border tiles) ;
· you can use cast framing tiles; or
· you can just use two colors of field tile: one to make a 1-row border right around your mural, and the second color for the rest of the wall.

Q: Should I seal the tiles?
A: In the case of tumbled marble murals, sealing the tiles just prior to grouting (i.e., just after the tiles have been installed on the wall) is an important step; this helps the grout to release from the face of the tiles. This coating of sealant is, more or less, consumed in the grouting process, so more sealant should be applied (this time, to the grout as well as the tiles) after the grout has set up. Any water-based, silicon-impregnated sealant will be fine. We have had good luck with TileLab Surface Penetrating Sealant, which is available at Home Depot stores.

Q: Do you sell field tile or border tile?
A: No, we’re sorry, but we do not. Field tile and border tile are readily available at home improvement and tile stores; it just wouldn’t make sense for us to sell, and ship, heavy supplies that you can find closer to home.

If you are concerned about finding field tile that is an exact match for your mural, this is not generally a problem. The mural, by its nature, is supposed to stand out from the rest of the wall. And if you use one of the framing techniques described above, you will create a separation between the mural and the rest of the wall, and the change in tile types/colors will actually enhance the mural, not detract from it.

Maintenance Info

Q: How do I clean my mural?
A: You can clean your mural with soap and water, Windex or Formula 409. Please remember NOT to use bleaches or abrasives, as they can harm your mural. Products such as Softscrub should not be used.

If you get grease on your mural, we suggest using full-strength dish soap (the liquid that you use for hand-washing of dishes, NOT detergent intended for your dishwasher). Squirt it directly on the tile, then wash it off with water and a soft cloth.