Frequently Asked Questions

When the tile is formed, it creates a void on the back of the tile.  By applying a backer inside this void, the tile gains added rigidity and provides a suitable surface to bond to the substrate.  The hardboard is the standard backer and works great in most situations.  It is not affected by occasional splashings, like behind a sink.  We use a 3/16" thick hardboard which stays mostly hidden by the the stainless steel tile's fully-formed factory edge.  It has the lowest profile, as it makes a tile that is about ¼” thick.  It installs easily using a construction adhesive similar to Liquid Nails.

If you are going to use the tile in an area that gets soaked frequently, like in a shower or outside, you will need to use the Fiberock backer.  It works great in areas that see a lot of moisture. Because it is a little thicker and makes a tile that is about 3/8” thick, it is sometimes chosen when mixing stainless tiles with other types of tile, such as stone, ceramic or glass, to better match their thickness. However, because Fiberock is thicker, it does protrude from the back side of the tile and is NOT hidden by the stainless steel tile's factory edge. It is typically installed with Thinset, like regular tile.

To summarize, the hardboard backer is 3/16" thick, makes a 1/4" thick tile, and stays mostly hidden behind the tile's fully-formed factory edge. It's our most popular backer and is used in most situations. The Fiberock backer is 1/4" thick, makes a 3/8" thick tile, and because it's thicker, it does protrude from the backside of the tile and is NOT hidden by the stainless steel tile's fully-formed factory edge.

More information on our backers is available here: Tile Backing Options

We only use U.S. produced stainless steel. Our steel is a ferritic stainless (430 series) that offers a wide range of properties that make it suitable for decorative and functional walls and backsplashes. It is one of the most common stainless steels used for decorative and functional purposes (like commercial sinks, outdoor gas grills, architectural trim, etc.) There is an ongoing debate on what type of stainless steel is best for a backsplash. The two most common types of stainless are 300 series and 400 series. While the 300 series offers slightly better corrosion resistance (primarily because of its nickel content), 400 series offers excellent corrosion resistance and we have never had a complaint of corrosion with our standard 430 stainless. It has a couple of other advantages that make 430 stainless our choice. It is a little less expensive because it uses molybdenum for corrosion resistance and ours is annealed to further improve corrosion resistance. 300 series is more expensive because nickel is not a raw material that the United States is a significant producer. Because the nickel is imported from competitor countries (like Russia and China), it adds to the cost of production and comes with a political cost. A further benefit of 430 series steel is that magnets will stick to it. That makes sticking your menus and notes on the backsplash with a magnet possible, just like on your refrigerator (also usually made with 430 series stainless).

The PVC film that is on the face of the tile serves an important function during production, shipping, and installation. It protects the brushed finish of the tile and reduces the chance of nicks and scratches. It is recommended that the film is left on until after the tile is installed. Once the tile is adhered to the wall and cured, the PVC can be peeled off. There will be a little adhesive residue on the tile and it will need to be cleaned. We recommend a cleaner and polish combination like Sheila Shine, which we carry on our website. However, there are many other products available to you locally. There is a discussion on our blog with great tips on cleaning and a good list of products.

Before leaving this topic, I want to mention that the PVC film can be a little tedious, but it really works well to protect the tile. Prior to adhering the tile, we recommend that you begin peeling the film off all sides and just leave the face covered. This will make peeling the PVC off easier. Some people report good results with peeling the PVC while installing and use extra care to avoid scratching the tile. If you are going to grout the tile, you definitely want the PVC clear of the joints so that you don’t ruin the grout when peeling or get the film trapped in the joint. Also, instead of floating the grout, you may consider using a grout bag with a thin bead tip to apply the grout directly to the joint and smooth with a wet finger. In any case, you want to avoid using a sanded grout, unless absolutely necessary.

There are several ways to cut stainless steel tile. First, the primary concern while cutting stainless steel is to avoid generating a lot of heat that may discolor the steel. Until recently, we have recommended that tile is cut with a tile wet saw with a diamond blade. That is still a very acceptable method to cut tile; however, there is a method we found recently that is easier and less expensive. Stainless can be cut using a band saw or jig saw using a fine-toothed blade with 17 or more teeth to the inch. The trick is getting a straight cut and protecting the tile. There are two relatively new products that solve these issues. First, Rockwell has a tool called Blade Runner X2 that is essentially a small tabletop tool that has a jigsaw blade mounted from underneath the table. The upper end of the blade is supported between two rollers. This tool was purchased on Amazon and delivered to our shop for right around $100. Jigsaw blades are cheap while diamond blades used on wet saws are not. This tool could pay for itself the first time it is used. There is also a table made by a company in Germany (Neutechnik) that you can mount your jigsaw on, with the same advantages as the Rockwell tool. We are in the process of evaluating both tools and will provide more information and instructions in the near future. Meanwhile, the tile wet saw works well for straight cuts. When you have to notch a tile (like around an outlet), you can make the straight cuts with the wet saw and the inside cuts with an abrasive cutoff wheel in a Dremel rotary tool.

We have posted a video on YouTube that shows several methods for cutting stainless steel tile:

While we don't offer tile cutting or installation services, we do make custom size tiles for larger commercial projects. Because of the variety of possibilities, please email us your requirements (tile size/shape desired and square footage) along with contact info to info@StainlessSteelTile.com, and we'll let you know if it's something we can do. We love creating new tiles and helping you achieve your creative vision!

Because the tile has a turned edge, when you cut it, you lose the factory edge. The best way to deal with this issue is to work your layout so that cut edges only go into a corner or against a cabinet or trim work. The cut edge will not show. If you can’t make the layout work with ending an area with full tiles, you can use J-Trim to cover the edge. We offer J-Trim in 6” and 12” lengths. Give us a call so that we can offer suggestions on your layout so as to avoid the need for using J-Trim.

Yes, we enjoy working with you to help you get the best result possible for your project. In the future, we will be offering videos to address some of the more common layout issues. In general, work to create a design and layout that fits your space best. A couple key considerations are: 1) how the pattern fits within openings and 2) how the tiles end, both in corners and the ends of the pattern. By fitting in an opening, we are talking typically space above the stove and below the vent or microwave, and the area above the sink. If possible, we want the pattern to be symmetrical in these spaces. By that, we mean that the pattern is centered within the spaces. After that, we want to see how the tile will end in the corners and on the sides. On small walls, it is good to make both sides end with the same size tile (symmetrical). Also, we don’t want to see a pattern end with just a sliver of a tile. The very small tile will be distracting. When the tile is to continue around a corner, experiment with how that transition is best made. There are two good methods. One is to make it a continuation of the pattern around the corner. Let’s say we are using 4”X8” tile and when we reach the corner, we have to cut a tile to 6 inches to fit. Take the 2-inch leftover and turn the corner with it. This makes for a nice flow. Another option is to make the opposite walls mirror each other. So in the above example, if you finish with a 6-inch tile, make the next wall start with a 6-inch tile. Both patterns will be symmetrical and produce a contiguous look. With any type of tile that you install, it is not likely that every consideration will be accommodated. In that case, you choose the most visible element to make right and the least visible element will require some compromise.

While determining how many tiles to order, you generally order 10-20% extra for mistakes. However, with stainless tile, you eliminate the most common problem with ceramic, stone and glass tile…..breakage. Stainless steel tiles do not break or crack like regular tiles, so you will not likely need as many extra tiles. We recommend ordering 5-10% extra for measuring and cutting mistakes. The smaller the tiles and/or more intricate tile pattern/design OR if you have a lot of electrical outlets/windows to cut around,  the more you will need to have on hand as extras. 

If you ordered too many or you simply changed your mind, we will refund the purchase price of the returned tile, minus a 25% restocking fee, as long as the tile still has the PVC cover in its original condition and we're able to put it back in stock for sale.  Unfortunately we cannot refund any shipping charges or returns received 30 days after the Order Shipment Date. Custom orders cannot be returned or refunded. All fiberock-backed tiles are considered custom orders. If you wish to return your tiles, simply box them back up and ship to: Stainless Steel Tile - 215 Shamrock Industrial Blvd, Tyrone, GA  30290. Please email us the tracking information to ensure you receive proper credit for your return: Orders@stainlesssteeltile.com.

First, we take the security of your personal information very seriously. We never record your credit card number. We do not write it down or store it on our computer. We process all payments through PayPal. The link is either through our website, via an encrypted transmission, or through PayPal’s virtual terminal. Again, credit card information (except the last four numbers) is not recorded on our system and is encrypted for transmission. We accept all major credit cards: Master Card, Discover, Visa and American Express. You can also pay using your PayPal account directly on our website. 

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You can view our full Privacy Policy . There, you will find our policy and explanation of what information is collected and why. If you ever have any question or concern about your personal information, please call 404-655-6719 and ask to speak directly to the owner.

Yes, we offer 2 free samples of our tile (with a few exceptions). Because of a vulnerability offering them completely free, we charge you just for shipping. You currently pay $9.99 for delivery by USPS Priority Mail.

Order Sample Tiles here.

While there is no minimum order, our most popular tiles are sold by the square foot, and our specialty tiles are sold individually. Please check each product page for your options.

We strive to ship all orders as soon as possible, usually within 1 week, if not sooner.  Keep in mind, we are not just grabbing your tiles off a shelf in a massive distribution center and shipping them to you. We start working on making your tiles the minute you place your order, but isn't it worth the wait to have USA made, hand crafted, and super unique high quality stainless steel tiles?!? We think so! And so do all of our thousands of other happy customers:) 

Please allow us an additional week or 2 longer to make tiles not ordered as often such as fiberock-backed tiles and Accent/3D Design tiles. For custom orders or orders containing our largest tiles (12" x 12" and 12" x 24"), it may take longer to produce and ship those also.

For Commercial Orders, send over your square footage and tile size needed along with contact info, and we'll let you know how soon we can ship it to you. Simply send through our contact page., Email us at info@StainlessSteelTile.com, or leave us a voicemail at 404-655-6719, and one of our commercial specialists will get back to you asap!

Please let us know if there is a certain date you need your order in hand, and we will do our best to work within your project timeline requirements so you can stay on time (and budget!). Simply add this information to the order notes when placing your order or send us an email at info@stainlesssteeltile.com. 

Most orders ship via UPS. You can select the type of shipping, ground to next day air. For large commercial orders, we can also ship using LTL freight. We have good relationships with excellent shippers and always work to get the best rates for our customers. The free samples are delivered by USPS Priority Mail.

It depends on where you are and the shipping you select. Here is a basic overview of ground shipping for
UPS: