That’s a great question!  To begin with, Trikeenan tiles are “handmade” in a small factory in western New York. Handmade tiles are produced with materials and methods that do not yield ultra-precise products.  Translated, that means tiles, glaze batches, and kiln firings will be one of a kind. You may notice it in the way the edges and corners feel from being cracked apart. Best of all, you will see it in the depth of range found in Trikeenan’s glazes. The process of hand mixing and hand spraying combined with the tile placement in our electric and gas kilns produce extraordinary variations within one color. If exact dimensionality or color is a requirement, we suggest that you select mass-produced machine-made tiles.

Trikeenan has several product offerings with many different applications. Depending on which collection you choose from, our tile may be applied on interior or exterior walls, counters, kitchen floors, bathrooms, entrances, and laundry rooms. Most Boneyard Brick colors are perfect for both interior and exterior applications. The Basics collection consists of high-fired stoneware, which means they are extremely dense, durable, and freeze-thaw resistant. They can be used in pools, spas, and fountains. Our ceramic field tile collections, Modulus and Affinity, are beautiful on interior walls and back-splashes. Please contact Trikeenan’s customer service department to find the right product for your desired application.

Installation processes depend on the product being used and where it is being installed. All of our products conform to the American National Standard Institute’s rating of 137.1 as Special Purpose Tile. We recommend referencing The Tile Council of North America for the most recent 137.1 specifications for ceramic tile. All tiles must be inspected prior to installation to ensure there are sufficient tiles for the area. We recommend pulling pieces from multiple boxes to blend all color variations. If possible, “dry-lay” a segment of your blend in suitable lighting as a final “check” before installation. Additionally, we highly recommend sealing our products with a penetrative tile sealer prior to grouting to protect the glaze finish and avoid staining the glaze crackle.

Each collection has specific sizes associated with it. Please see the product information for Boneyard Brick, Modulus, Affinity, or Art Tile for the specific sizes and trim options. 

All of our glazes are mixed by a lab technician and will be subject to variation from batch to batch. Nevertheless, the standard range expectations of each collection are not the same.  Overall, field tile and brick glazes are maintained within tight standards with minimal color and density variation.* In contrast, many of the Art Tile glazes will produce a wide range of colors. These glazes are assigned a rating between 1 and 5, depending upon the depth of variation.   Range 5 glazes are unpredictable and hard to recreate. We recommend reading the overview of the Glaze Color History of the product you are interested in, especially the Range 5 glazes. Please be aware that the velour texture of our brick products varies from brick lot to brick lot which means that our glazes will behave differently once applied to brick.  For example, the glaze may fill the velour to create a smooth surface or it may coat the surface of the brick to create a dramatic physical texture. This surface texture is not customizable in any way. *Large (commercial) installations are more likely to show the tile and glaze variations inherent to our handmade processes. We recommend ordering and shipping a job in its entirety for proper blending.

Due to their unique production processes, Art Tile custom colors will not be considered. Custom color requests are accepted for Boneyard Brick and Affinity bodies. Developing a custom color requires skill and vast knowledge of ceramic materials. Custom color requests will be considered based on a minimum order of one box. Trikeenan requires that a development fee of $300 be paid for custom color matching and testing – up to 3 attempts. Additionally, a 25% upcharge will be applied to any product ordered that is not regularly offered in our products lines, i.e. custom developed colors or standard colors run on a custom tile body.

For pricing, please call your nearest dealer.  Our dealers can provide you with pricing, brochures, and sample pieces from any Trikeenan collection.

Trikeenan has dealers located throughout the US and Canada.  Chances are there is one very close to you!  To find the dealer nearest you, please go to our dealer locator.  If you are unable to find a dealer near you, please call or email our Customer Service department.  They will be happy to assist you.

We recommend that you contact customer service for the current lead times for each of our product lines. We do sometimes have overages from previous orders to fulfill small quantity requests. Please ask customer service if this is a possibility for your order. Very few of our products are stocked with the exception of the Affinity Essentials colors. Our average lead time for Affinity Essentials is 2-3 weeks, but make sure to check with customer service to confirm those times.