Florida Tile FAQ: Ordering, Installing, and Cleaning a Stainless Steel Sink

I'm not a tile installer or a designer. I'm the office administrator who used to order paper and toner and somehow ended up managing a 2024 office remodel. I process about 60-80 orders a year across eight vendors, and for the remodel, Florida Tile Inc was the brand our contractor recommended. I report to both operations and finance, so I care about the budget and how the place looks. This FAQ is the guide I wish I had before I started—so if you're searching 'florida-tile' or 'florida tile erlanger' to figure out what to buy, this might save you some calls.

Are Florida Tile Inc and Florida Tile in Erlanger the same thing?

Basically, yes. Florida Tile, Inc. is the company, and the Erlanger location is one of the facilities I've dealt with. When I searched 'florida tile erlanger' I thought it might be a separate local chain, but it's not. You can order through the main company, and if you're near Erlanger, you can see displays in person.

One honest tip: don't rely on the website photos to judge color. The tile sample boards at the Erlanger showroom—or at whatever location is closest—are the real story. My experience is based on about 50 orders, mostly commercial mid-range porcelain, so if you're doing a high-end residential project, your mileage may vary.

What tile should I use for an office breakroom?

For our breakroom, we went with 24 x 24 glazed porcelain. Honestly, the size cut down grout lines, and the matte finish hides the fact that people don't always wipe up coffee drips. Our previous tile was a pale polished ceramic, and it looked dirty within a month. (Note to self: don't pick a light polished tile in a room with a coffee maker.)

If your office serves clients—like a sales office or showroom—think about how the tile reads in photos. Our front reception space has a large-format wood-look porcelain, and clients always comment on it. Is it the most expensive option? No. But the $0.70 per square foot upgrade from the builder-grade option was worth it. It changed the whole first impression.

Is it worth paying more for tile in a commercial space?

For visible areas, yes, but within reason. When a client or vendor walks into your front lobby, the floor is literally under their feet. It tells them how you handle details. That's the 'quality is brand image' idea in practice.

I'm not saying budget tile is bad. I'm saying don't choose a tile purely on price for customer-facing areas. After our 2024 remodel, client feedback about our office went up noticeably—partly because the old carpet was dated, but the tile helped. And for a back storage room? Use the cheaper stuff. No one cares.

Can I use glass cleaner on tile?

You can, but I wouldn't make it your regular cleaner. On glazed tile, glass cleaner is basically a weak degreaser with ammonia. It will cut through a light film, and it won't damage the glaze. But it does nothing for grout, and it can leave streaks if you're using a worn-out paper towel.

For routine tile cleaning, use a pH-neutral tile cleaner and a microfiber mop. For grout, use something with a bit more muscle, like an oxygen bleach cleaner. And if you're cleaning a bathroom before a client meeting, stand back when you spray. I once splattered cleaner all over a white corset top I was wearing under my blazer—and ended up leading a meeting with a very noticeable spot. (Mental note: buy a cleaning apron.)

How to Clean a Stainless Steel Sink

I get it—stainless steel sinks look good until you actually use them, and then they're covered in water spots and little scratches. Here's what finally worked for me.

First, wipe out any food or gunk with warm soapy water. Rinse thoroughly. Then dry the sink with a soft towel—always following the grain. If you have hard water spots, spray a little glass cleaner on a microfiber cloth (not directly on the sink) and buff them out. Then, once every couple of weeks, rub a drop of mineral oil or stainless steel polish along the grain and wipe it off. It won't fix deep scratches, but it makes the sink look like someone actually cares.

That last part matters if clients use the breakroom. A sink with water spots is the first thing they notice in a kitchen. And honestly, once you learn how to clean a stainless steel sink properly, it's a two-minute job.

Should I order extra tile? Like, how much extra?

Yes. Always. For our bathroom reno in 2023, the installer told me to order 10% extra. I thought it was overkill. It wasn't. We needed extra when one box arrived with chipped corners, and then we needed another six tiles when the contractor made a cut wrong. If I hadn't ordered extra, we would have had to wait weeks and pray the next batch matched.

Tile batches can vary. That's why you also want to open the boxes and check the shade numbers before the installer starts. If the boxes don't have the same batch number, don't use them. You don't want the 'oops, the bathroom floor has two colors' look.

Can I trust tile that says 'recycled' or 'eco-friendly'?

Maybe, but ask for proof. Per FTC Green Guides (ftc.gov), environmental claims like 'recyclable' have to be substantiated. If a tile company calls itself 'eco-friendly' without saying how, that's a flag. Ask whether it's pre-consumer or post-consumer recycled content, and ask for the percentage.

We went with a porcelain tile that had around 30% recycled content for a client-facing wall, partly because it fit the project's sustainability story. But I didn't take the marketing page at face value—I asked for the documentation. If they can't provide it, that tells you something too.

What's the first thing to do before ordering Florida Tile?

Order samples, then order a second set of samples. No, really. We made a mistake in 2021 by ordering tile based on a laptop screen and a PDF. The color was not what we expected. With Florida Tile, the actual glazed surface can look different under fluorescent lighting and in natural light. The photos don't show that.

Use the sample to lay out a few pieces on the floor and look at them in the room where they'll be installed. Walk away and come back later. And if you're matching a brand color, the industry standard for color difference is Delta E less than 2 for brand-critical work—tile won't always meet that, so physical samples are non-negotiable.

There's something satisfying about a tile order that goes smoothly. The best part is not paying for a rush shipment because you skipped the sample stage.