Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have a love/hate relationship with these tiles so it’s hard to know where to begin. In terms of looks they’re beautiful and I’d easily give them 5 stars for that. The quality is great and the finished project looks fantastic. I bought these in a store so I’ll say this about the difference. This seller is being very forthcoming and descriptive about what to expect and I appreciate that. Read through all of the information here, and if you’re willing to accept that they’re not as incredibly easy as they make it sound, then go for it! I wish I had come here first. My biggest issue with these initially is that the product packaging makes it look so EASY! The outside of the package literally shows to cut with scissors (or snips), peel the back, and stick it on. NOT THE CASE. Once you’ve cut open the package and read the insert, you see that it can only go on certain surfaces, the surface should be primed first with oil based primer or you’ll need to use a construction grade adhesive; they want you to patch and fill any uneven areas, and they are hell to cut. Once I started reading the directions I was angry because the packaging is very deceptive. I wanted a simple project. The very reason I chose these was to avoid a ton of prep and extra materials, and I definitely didn’t want to rent a table saw. The tiles are very expensive, which I rationalized because of how much extra work it was going to save me – so after reading the insert I was ready to return them to the store and say forget it. Instead, I sat on it for a day and decided to put one up to see how I felt about it, and I’m so glad I did. The adhesive on these is very strong. In fact, I put down my test piece and instantly regretted that I wasn’t more careful because I couldn’t get it back up to adjust the placement, so BE CAREFUL. The positive side of that is they’re definitely up there. I put them over smooth tile that had been spray painted over, so maybe the spray paint acted as a primer. The tile was nice and smooth so that wasn’t an issue. I also don’t know how anyone could complain about the surface of these tiles. They are definitely stone, and they’re lovely. But it is no simple task to cut them, and since its stone (on the surface layer, not the middle of course – as is stated in the product description) it can be uneven and much thicker in some spots than others. This adds texture and character which is great, but I was feeling really grateful that none of my cuts needed to go through the thicker parts or I would’ve been out of luck. I measured, scored where I needed to cut with a knife and blade using a ruler as a guide, and then cut with heavy duty scissors. My hand and arm were killing me the next day. The really nice thing about these is that they are very consistent and beautifully straight, except that when you cut them you can’t possibly cut a perfectly straight line unless you have a table saw. However, being that the stone varies in texture (at least on the ones I ordered) you can hide imperfections pretty well. That’s why I wanted these. I figured I could easily hide little flaws, and I wouldn’t need grout which was a win. Anyway, if you have a table saw – great. It would be helpful. If you don’t, it’s doable but hard. Here’s a photo of the finished project. I have to say that I am SO super happy with the finished result. I can’t stop looking at it thinking how pretty it is. Ultimately, I’m glad I did it but I wish the packaging would be more forthcoming. The color I used is Frosted Quartz.