Florida Tile: 7 Questions We Get Asked Every Week (And the Honest Answers)

Honest Questions, Straight Answers About Florida Tile

Look, I'm the guy who reviews every single tile delivery before it reaches a customer at our company. Over 4 years of this, I've seen the same questions come up again and again. So here's a roundup—no fluff, just the things people actually ask when they're planning a project.

This was accurate as of Q4 2024. Tile trends and stock levels change fast, so verify current availability before making final decisions.

1. What's the real difference between Florida Tile Berkshire and Columbus?

This is the #1 question we get. And the short answer: It's about finish and feel, not durability. Both are porcelain, both are rated for floors and walls, both go through the same quality inspection process here. But they look different.

• Berkshire: A wood-look tile with more pronounced grain variation. The color palette leans warmer—think aged barn wood, hickory, walnut. The texture has a slight hand-scraped effect.
• Columbus: A smoother wood-look finish. The grain is there, but it's more uniform, more 'refinished hardwood.' The color range includes more ash and grey tones.

My personal take? Berkshire hides daily dirt better (especially if you have dogs). Columbus looks more like a premium hardwood floor. Neither is 'better'—it's a style choice.

One thing to watch: The rectification on Columbus is slightly tighter (meaning the grout lines can be smaller). If you're going for a near-seamless look, that matters. With Berkshire, you generally want a 1/16" to 1/8" grout line to let the variations breathe.

2. Is the Hand & Stone collection actually good for showers?

Yes—with one caveat.

Hand & Stone is a porcelain tile that mimics natural stone (marble, travertine, slate). It's a solid product. We run it through the same standard checks: water absorption (under 0.5% for porcelain), PEI rating (4 or 5, suitable for heavy traffic), and dimensional consistency. It passes.

The caveat? The matte finish. Some homeowners expect it to feel like polished marble. It doesn't. Hand & Stone has a honed, slightly tactile surface. That's actually better for a shower floor (less slip risk), but if you want that mirror-like shine, you might be disappointed.

Here's what I told a customer last year: "If you want a marble look without marble maintenance, this is it. But you're trading the glossy finish for a floor that won't send you sliding into the shower door."

Dodged a bullet when they took my advice. Almost ordered polished marble instead. Would have been a nightmare in a wet shower.

3. Should I install a shower niche myself?

Honestly? Probably not—unless you've done it before.

A shower niche (the built-in shelf in your shower wall) looks simple. It's not. The mistake I see most often: people cut the waterproofing membrane to fit the niche, then wonder why water seeps through a year later.

Three things go wrong:

1. Slope. The niche floor needs to slope slightly toward the shower (1/4" per foot is standard). Many DIY installs end up flat or even backward-sloping, turning the niche into a water reservoir.
2. Waterproofing. The membrane has to wrap into the niche continuously. Every seam is a potential failure point.
3. Tile cut quality. The cuts around a niche reveal skill level instantly. Uneven gaps, chipped edges, misaligned grout lines—that's what gives it away.

I had a customer who saved $400 doing it himself. The niche flooded his wall cavity on the third use. Repair cost: $2,200. (Penny wise, pound foolish, as they say.)

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4. What Schluter trim should I use with Florida Tile?

This is a great question, because it's about the finish, not the brand loyalty. Schluter makes excellent profiles, and they work with any tile.

My go-to recommendations:

• Berkshire / Columbus (wood-look): Use Schluter Quadec in anodized bronze or brushed nickel. The square edge complements the linear wood look. Avoid bright chrome—it fights the natural feel.
• Hand & Stone (stone-look): Use Rondec in brushed stainless steel. The rounded profile softens the transition and mimics stone bullnose edges.
• For floor-to-wall transitions: Dilex series handles movement joints better. I specify this on any installation over 20 feet of continuous tile.

One thing people forget: the trim color should match your fixtures (shower head, faucet, handles). Not identical, but in the same family. I've seen beautiful tile work ruined by gold Schluter trim with chrome fixtures. (Not that it's a crime—it's just visually jarring.)

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5. Can I really clean a shower head with vinegar?

Yes, and it works. I've done it myself. Here's the method that actually works (tested on our own test fixtures):

1. Fill a plastic bag with white vinegar (distilled, not the fancy stuff).
2. Submerge the shower head head in the bag. Secure the bag with a rubber band or zip tie so it stays submerged.
3. Wait 30 minutes to 1 hour. (Not overnight—vinegar can corrode some finishes if left too long, especially brass or plated surfaces.)
4. Remove the bag, scrub with an old toothbrush.
5. Run the shower for a couple of minutes to flush out loosened deposits.

When NOT to use vinegar:

• On gold, brass, or any plated finish you care about. Vinegar is acidic and can eat through the plating. A 1:1 water/vinegar mix is safer for these.
• On a brand-new shower head (you probably don't need to descale yet)

Between you and me, I've also used CLR for really stubborn buildup. But vinegar is cheaper, non-toxic, and does the job 90% of the time.

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6. How long does Florida Tile roofing tile actually last?

I'm going to give you a frustrating answer: it depends.

Here's the honest truth about tile roof lifespan (and this applies to any brand, not just Florida Tile):

• Concrete roof tile: 50+ years in ideal conditions. That means proper underlayment, correct nailing pattern, no foot traffic damage, and good ventilation.
• Clay roof tile: 75-100 years. Clay is more durable but heavier—your roof structure needs to support it.

What actually kills tile roofs prematurely:

• Poor installation. Bad underlayment, wrong flashings, improper nail placement.
• Walking on them. Tile is brittle if you step on it wrong. One broken tile = leak pathway.
• Trapped moisture. If the attic isn't vented, condensation builds up and rots the decking under the tile.

I've seen a Florida Tile roof installed in 1998 that's still going strong. I've also seen a 15-year-old roof fail because someone walked across it to clean the gutters and cracked a dozen tiles. The product isn't the variable—the installation and maintenance are.

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7. What's one thing you wish everyone knew about choosing Florida Tile?

The product line matters less than the installation planning.

People obsess over which tile to pick (Berkshire vs. Columbus, polished vs. matte) but ignore the things that actually cause problems: layout planning, expansion joints, substrate prep, waterproofing. I've rejected a lot of first deliveries because the customer ordered the right tile but didn't think about how it would be installed.

My advice? Before you decide on a tile, ask your installer (or yourself, if DIY-ing):

• "How do we handle the transition from the tile floor to the hallway?"
• "Where do we put the expansion joints?"
• "What substrate is under this tile, and how flat is it?"
• "What's the plan for waterproofing in wet areas?"

If those answers are solid, the tile will look good regardless of which Florida Tile collection you choose. Get those wrong, and even the most expensive tile will look like a failed Pinterest project within a year.

Bottom line: Trust the product. Double-check the plan.