Ha - you sound like me. The Hamptons Beige (WZ) is my FAVE. But if you pay someone to cut it down, you'll probably end up paying just as much. This may sound awful, but if you don't have a huge area that needs to be tiled, it may be worth it to pay more (if possible) just cause tile is something that stays a long time and you should feel happy with it! But I HEAR YOU about the cost. :( I found a local guy who will sell it to me for $25 sf which would have been doable for me, except that now I've decided to go for marble subway backsplash (much as it hurts...but I'm now doing a stainless countertop in a period kitchen and the beige tile would be pushing it too far).

Sorry to sound insensitive about the money thing - I'm not - and maybe you need too much tile to justify that price but I'm a HUGE 2x6 advocate so I very much sympathize...I love that WZ tile. :( I'm now trying to hunt down 2x6 marble tile and expecting no miracles. Googling brings up NADA.

Ha - you sound like me. The Hamptons Beige (WZ) is my FAVE. But if you pay someone to cut it down, you'll probably end up paying just as much. This may sound awful, but if you don't have a huge area that needs to be tiled, it may be worth it to pay more (if possible) just cause tile is something that stays a long time and you should feel happy with it! But I HEAR YOU about the cost. :( I found a local guy who will sell it to me for $25 sf which would have been doable for me, except that now I've decided to go for marble subway backsplash (much as it hurts...but I'm now doing a stainless countertop in a period kitchen and the beige tile would be pushing it too far).

Sorry to sound insensitive about the money thing - I'm not - and maybe you need too much tile to justify that price but I'm a HUGE 2x6 advocate so I very much sympathize...I love that WZ tile. :( I'm now trying to hunt down 2x6 marble tile and expecting no miracles. Googling brings up NADA.

OMG!!! I didn't hit "send" yet so when it said my message had already been posted, I assumed it was doing the same old thing where it doesn't let you post. So I did what they ask use to do (I altered the title slightly), hit send, and now I see I've posted twice?! Crazy! God forbid they give us a delete/editing option! I hate to sound so critical and whiny but in all my researching over the years I've never come across a site that was so user-unfriendly (while at the same time being the best possible site re. that particular subject, for getting advice)!

p.s. hahaha - this post couldn't be sent this time due to message being rejected. Sigh... Must...alter...title...again........

Moderator, feel free to delete both the above redundant post, and this one...if you can! ;)

If they have a normal tile edge that is slightly rounded, and are not rectified (completely flat to the edge like old subway), every tile will have three smoothish edges and one cut edge. That will look pretty strange, yes they will look uneven, IMO

What Palimpsest said. On the other hand, the plan for my floor changed after the order was placed, and the tiles are rectified, so the tile setter (he who changed the plan and said the order was fine!) just cut the tiles to fit.

I also have a lot of cuts in the handmade tiles on my counters/backsplash. They are particularly rounded. But they're on an angle, so there are a lot of funky cuts. And pieces that are cut to fit because I needed them. And several rows of the backsplash all need to be cut down because of the variation. And it's all fine.

If you have a really good tile setter, he or she can do anything. For instance, you could have an inch cut off of either side of each tile so that the curved edge only went one direction, and all the others were flat. It might look really cool!

Thanks for the info, you brought up a lot of points I didn't consider. I'll keep looking for something in 2x6. I figured out my sf and I think I'll need less than I originially thought. So maybe the walker zanger or sonoma is doable.

Thanks so much!

What Plllog said. To save $1000, I cut square 6x6's in half to make subways for my entire backsplash. It works if they are flat and the glaze is relatively even (not sure this is true for the crackle types which seem to have a slightly heavier glaze on the edges). It's tedious, but if you use a good tile saw with a nice blade you can do it yourself rather than paying the tile guy.

If asked, I'd do it. But you can be sure there'd be a charge for the time spent. What I would suggest is that atleast a little be cut from BOTH ends of the tile, so you don't have some finished ends and some cut. That would look bad. Atleast with them all cut, there'd be a uniform look to it.

I wouldn't do it...

By the time you pay to have them cut, the cost difference would be much smaller than the materials cost, and you'd always know you settled. Plus, if the cuts are anything less than PERFECT you'll be able to see it easily, meaning you need a *really good* tile guy with a *brand new* blade and a high quality tile saw. Again, costing more than most other 'merely good' tile guys who could do a nice job on a simple backsplash without a lot of unnecessary cuts.

I'd try to either feel the love for the Adex 2x8 (a really nice tile, by the way) or figure out the total dollar cost difference for the WZ (my personal favorite tile, bar none, and the ONE place in my kitchen remodel where I refused to scrimp) and learn to live with it. One thing I know about the WZ -- If you can scrape up the money (and I know, not everyone can) -- it's one decision you will never regret, and will find joy in every day.

Hi Positano- I have Adex Hampton Bisque tile, and I would NOT cut them. You can definitely tell the cut side from the finished side. The crackle finish is unforgiving. Of course, my GC did my backsplash, and did a horrible job, so maybe a pro could make cuts look better. But you shouldn't rule them out because of the size. I think they are classic yet modern, and just so pretty.

spincrazy-- that's not a problem, though-- it would be cut edge against cut edge, being that the field tiles would have to be cut out for the design over the stove, that these pieces would be bordering, anyway.

Sweeby-- I offered this as an option when nothing else was acceptable, and all it would take would be a saw that cuts straight with a halfway decent blade on it. We're not talking 3/8" thick porcelain here. :-)

I've talked myself out of cutting them. I love the Adex, it's a gorgeous color and looks beautiful. Spincrazy are you willing to show any pictures? That may just convince me on the 2x8. I have a very long kitchen as it is(almost 25 feet, so I was worried the 2x8 may lengthen it even more.)

I'm going to see the Walker Zanger tomorrow, I'll let you know what happens.

Thanks to Sweeby and Bill for chiming in too! Sweeby your tiles are gorgeous!! Feels good to get something you love.

Bill - Hubby put a brand new blade on his Felker before starting our backsplash, and you can still see where the tiles are cut. It is possible he's doing something wrong? And if so, what is it likely to be? (Serious question - You know he does good work) Or is it just that I'm too picky -- entirely possible...

FWIW Positano, my kitchen is also long and skinny, but I didn't find that the subways lengthened it any.

I'm not saying you wouldn't see they were cut. But if you match up cut edge to cut edge, it won't look (or feel) so out of place. If you butt up a cut edge to a cushioned factory edge, THAT looks out of place.