New backslash subway tiles different shades of white

Users who are viewing this thread

Messages
18
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Mexico
this may not be the right forum but I just did some new backsplash subway tiles in my kitchen. I noticed now that some of the tiles are almost gray instead of white. they came in sheets and all the boxes were sealed and the same color. it almost seems like they turned gray overnight. I used the same grout and wiped them all down but still have areas that are off color. anything I can do? thanks for any help
 
Messages
224
Reaction score
14
Points
18
Location
Huntington Station, NY
Website
www.howardemerson.com
this may not be the right forum but I just did some new backsplash subway tiles in my kitchen. I noticed now that some of the tiles are almost gray instead of white. they came in sheets and all the boxes were sealed and the same color. it almost seems like they turned gray overnight. I used the same grout and wiped them all down but still have areas that are off color. anything I can do? thanks for any help
Now that they're installed you'd be hard pressed to do much without going through a lot of work, but that said......

It just might be that they're all the same color, BUT.....there might be 'nap', or a 'grain' to the tile surface, sort of like when you push carpet pile one way and it looks darker or lighter, but it's the same all over.

I had an issue like this when I was a cabinet maker. I laminated the inside of a cabinet from one sheet of formica, but damn if it didn't look like 2 entirely different colors where the corners intersected!!!

If I'm barking up the wrong tree, my apologies......but I will say that almost every box of tile I've ever opened says, somewhere, to mix & match with other boxes of the same tile to avoid just what you're seeing, usually due to dye lots varying a little bit.

It's all about averaging the differences.

Best regards,
Howard Emerson
 

Jadnashua

Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
Messages
32,770
Reaction score
1,190
Points
113
Location
New England
Sorry I did not see this thread earlier...by now, everything MIGHT be okay. Some tile, especially ceramic bisque versus say porcelain, is quite porous, and will change color when wetted. The thinset will provide enough moisture to temporarily turn some tile darker. Most of the time, they return to their 'normal' color once things dry out. Since these are normally glazed, it can take a couple of weeks for the excess water to evaporate as it may need to migrate to the grout and out that joint. As an aside, the cement in mortar cures by literally incorporating water into its chemical structure. Any excess will evaporate, eventually.

But, it could be that the tile are from different lots, and that can result in differences in color.
 
Top
Hey, wait a minute.

This is awkward, but...

It looks like you're using an ad blocker. We get it, but (1) terrylove.com can't live without ads, and (2) ad blockers can cause issues with videos and comments. If you'd like to support the site, please allow ads.

If any particular ad is your REASON for blocking ads, please let us know. We might be able to do something about it. Thanks.
I've Disabled AdBlock    No Thanks