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Frequently
Asked Questions
We have
noticed that a lot of our e-mails revolve around these questions:
Do you have a catalog?
We do not have a printed catalog, our website is our catalog.
On the General
Index
you will find a list of our most popular designs on hand painted
and reproduction tiles.
For a complete list of our designs see:
Hand
Painted Tiles Catalog
Reproduction
Tiles Catalog
Can a mural be
painted or a decal transferred to tile that has already been
installed?
No. We paint with overglazes, or use ceramic decals. They need
to be fired in a kiln. They will not bond to any tile glaze until
they have gone through a firing process in a kiln. We fire the
tiles to approximately 1500 degrees Fahrenheit or more. You can
treat our tiles like any regular color tile. You can clean it
or use them interior or exterior. If you need freeze proof tiles
please let us know.
What's the difference between your original artwork and reproduction
tiles?
Perhaps it could be compared to buying an original watercolor
or a printed copy. Some people don't see the difference. Personally,
I feel you cannot compare the beauty of an original painting
to a poster.
It's difficult
to tell the difference unless you have both, hand painted tiles
and reproduction, in front of you. It is like seeing two pictures
in a book. One is the picture of the original art, and the other
is the picture of a poster. It is almost impossible to see the
difference on a computer monitor.
When we hand
paint, we can customize any size, color and elements a client
wants. With reproduction, you cannot change size or color. Of
course, a client can choose the tile for the decal to be fired,
but no one changes the size of the design. The designs are already
printed.
One of the problems
with decals is that when creating them, all the colors need to
be fired at the same temperature. They have the same kind of
overglazes that I use for hand painted tiles, but because these
colors are oxidized from the metals, and not all colors melt
at the same temperature, flux needs to be added to the paint
so they can be fired at the same temperature. This sometimes
results in dull, flat colors in comparison to those that are
hand painted. We often fire our hand painted tiles two to four
times in order to get the colors our clients want. That is why
the beauty and shading are incomparable.
Are there
some really excellent decals?
Basically, they all have the same quality. In a decal, a design
is printed on a special paper, transferred to a tile and fired
in a kiln. They have the same durability as hand painted tiles.
Once they are fired, the designs cannot be removed. You clean
and treat them like any colored tile.
Aren't all
tiles about the same quality?
Most tiles are of a standard quality if we are talking about
resistance. If the tiles have any defects, they break during
the firing process. Because Art on Tiles uses tiles from different
manufacturers, and has fired them all several times, we know
which glazes are best. For a list of the tiles we carry check:
tiles
brands page.
All the tiles that are on this page have been tested and work
very well, on hand painted as well than on tiles decorated with
decals.
Why are your tiles any better than the tiles I can get at
my local tile store?
This is something you must decide. I can, however, explain why
my clients have never complained. Most tile stores don't have
the variety of designs that I offer with hand painted and decorative
tiles. In addition, there is no direct contact with the artist.
You must tell the salesperson what you want, and the salesperson
must contact the artist. This takes time and often costs more.
The big companies
that have a lot of hand painted tiles, import most of the tiles.
Most come from Italy, France and Spain. Because these countries
work with centimeters and the U.S. works with inches, there's
a difference in the size of the tiles. For example, a tile that
is 15 cm. is almost 6 inches, but not quite. This means that
you would need to buy the plain, white tiles for the rest of
your project from the same manufacturer. And there are tiles
that are much more expensive (you can get American tiles for
$1.39 versus $3.50 to $6.00 for just white, European tiles).
Clients don't need to buy all the tiles from us, only the decorated
ones. We work with tiles that are sold in the open market such
as American Olean, Daltile, US Ceramic, Railto. We also give
our clients substantial savings on the filling tiles. If we cannot
find the same tile our client is using for the rest of the project,
she/he can ship us the tiles to be painted or decorated with
decals. For a complete list of all the tiles we carry and where
to buy the blank tiles locally please check: Our tiles brands.
I have found
many tile stores that advertise something as hand painted when
it is not. They use a printed process and sometimes give it a
paint stroke by hand, but they advertise and charge as if the
entire tile were hand painted.
In many stores
that sell hand painted tiles, you must order only what is available.
You cannot order any change or customize any color. However,
if our clients like the basket with fruits, but prefer green
grapes to purple, we can change the color at no additional cost.
What kind
of tiles do you paint on?
We work on any glazed tile. They can be gloss, matte or stone-look
finish. A tile that is unfamiliar to us will have to be test
fired before we do the actual painting.You can let us know the
brand and color number of the tile you have chosen to work with
on your project, and we will do our best to paint or decorate
the same tile. It is important we both use the same tile because
there is a small variation on the size and shades of the tiles
from brand to brand, even if you have chosen to work with a white
tile.
Can the pattern, mural or color be modified to accommodate
personal taste?
Absolutely. Small modifications will not change the price. On
the reproduction tiles line it is not possible to make modifications
except for the size of the tile.
How do you charge for custom hand painting?
We charge by hour. Our hourly rate is $60 for labor. This price
includes any white American tile. It doesn't include imported
tiles, sinks or the shipping.
Can a used sink be painted?
No. All sinks must be brand new. We strongly recommend Kohler
porcelain china basins. We have never broken one in the firing
process. We do not recommend using any unknown brand. We will
not guarantee it. If you choose a cheap sink and it breaks in
the firing process, you will be charged. If you choose to send
us a sink to be painted, you must check for any cracks or imperfections.
Sinks and pedestals are easy to break in the kiln if they have
any imperfections.
We suggest our clients choose a Kohler sink from a local distributor.
Do not buy it, just let us know the model and color number and
we will buy it for you. We paint on white or clear color sinks
only.
Can toilets or bidets be decorated?
No. We decorate toilet tank lids and unlined toilet tanks, but
not bowls or bidets. The foam insulation in lined tanks burns
off during the firing.
Can I really use a hand painted sink?
Yes. You can use and clean it. We recommend to use a foamy basin,
tub and tile cleaner such as Lysol. Never use an abrasive or
products that contain acid. Most of these products have a note
that says, "DO NOT USE FOR COLOR TILES."
I'm redoing my bath and I can't find a tile made 10 years
ago. I only need 10 tiles. Can you match it?
We do not advise it. Each studio has its own color formulation.
It takes a lot of work and testing to get a similar shade of
color. We can spend hours trying to get close but you will always
see a difference between the original and the match. Machine-made
tiles are impossible to exactly match by hand.
How long will
it take an order to be finished and shipped?
Most of our work is ready for shipping in two to three weeks
on hand painted tiles and 1 to 2 weeks for the reproduction tiles.
For big orders such as lining a swimming pool, we tell you our
time frame before we begin the process.
How will my project be packaged and shipped?
Our usual method of shipping is via UPS Standard Ground (insured).
If you have a favorite courier company, we would be pleased to
use them upon your instruction. Sinks, tiles and accessories
are double-boxed, with popcorn packing between outer and inner
boxes, to ensure safe transportation.
We use UPS, for all continental US and Canadian shipments. We
may use the US Postal Service or UPS for Hawaii, Alaska and other
destinations. We insure everything we ship.
What are the Terms & Conditions of Sale, and the Return
Policy?
Because each order is hand decorated to suit your specific instructions,
and is therefore customized, we require full payment when the
order is placed. We accept credit card purchases using VISA,
MasterCard or American Express. Pre-payment also includes shipping
charges. For custom orders of more than $500.00, we charge 50
percent when your design is approved, and the remaining balance
when the order is ready for delivery. Payment can be in the form
of a personal check or money order payable to Lucia Fort's Studio.
If for some reason you are not pleased with your purchase when
it arrives, repack the items carefully and return it within 30
days from the day of the invoice. We will either correct the
problem if possible, or issue a refund for the original purchase
price less the shipping charges. Credit card purchasers will
receive credit to their card account within 48 hours. Please
contact us first before you make any return.
We recommend you follow these steps:
1) Set a budget.
This is very important. If you wish, we can suggest something
within your budget. Our hourly rate is $60. Your budget will
be divided by 60, and that will give us the number of hours we
have to develop and finish your project. You need to know how
much you want to spend before we can suggest any design. If your
budget is less than $200.00, we suggest you check our reproduction
tiles.
2) Size of your backsplash and/or walls (height by width)
Make a sketch of the area with the dimensions of the area where
you want your design. We cannot suggest an appropriate size for
a mural if we don't know the size of your wall or backsplash.
When taking measurements of your kitchen or project, do not forget
the outlets. When necessary, we suggest taping a large piece
of inexpensive paper on your wall and tracing the outlets.
3) Make a
list of the contents you would like to have.
Any photo or sketches will help us visualize your ideas. Some
customers simply want a few individually painted tiles placed
strategically in certain spots. Some murals highlight an area
over a sink, stove or entryway. It is a good idea to provide
copies of elevation blueprints, photos, etc., to get an overall
feel for the room. If you need to match any special colors, we
need to know before we give you an estimate. Please, send us
color samples of wall colors, wall coverings, fabrics, etc. We
suggest you pick up some color samples in any paint store and
send them to us. A sample of the wallpaper can help us decide
what colors we need to match, or if we need to include part of
the design on the tiles.
4) Do you
need to know what kind of tiles I am planning to use?
If you have already chosen the kind of tiles you will use for
rest of your project, let us know the exact brand, color number
and size. Or you can choose from the selections that we carry.
We work with American Olean, Daltile, US Ceramic, Rialto. If
you want to work with a tile that is not listed here, let us
know which product it is. It is important that we know what your
choice is BEFORE you purchase it, so we can determine if it is
suitable for painting and if we can buy them locally. If we cannot
get them locally, you will need to send us your tiles for painting.
Tiles
brands we carry.
5) How can
I make sure that I purchase enough tiles?
You want to have enough tiles to complete the entire project,
plus a few tiles left over. Your contractor can usually help
you out on estimating quantities.
6) What do
I do after deciding to have you do a project?
After you've indicated that you want to hire us, ask your builder
or your contractor when they need the tiles for installation.
It is a good idea to let us know your time frame before we develop
any sketch.
Any suggestions
or ideas on how we can improve our services are always welcomed.
Lucia Fort
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