Ceramic tile is manufactured from natural earth materials. As such, tile will tend to vary in shading, both within a tile, and from one tile to the next. The beauty of a ceramic tile surface is enhanced if this natural shading characteristic is utilized advantageously. Follow these few simple pointers to ensure a well-blended floor and a consistent look:

1. When finalizing your selection of a tile, try to examine as many pieces of the tile as possible. Ask the salesperson if these pieces represent the full range of lightest and darkest shades. The idea is to see the full range of shades for that tile.

2. When purchasing the tile, make sure that all cartons contain the same lot number, shade number, and possibly date of manufacture.

3. If additional tile is purchased at a later date, make sure that all lot numbers match the original lot number.

4. Most tile manufacturers enclose a disclaimer notice in the cartons placing all responsibility for shading on the installer. The tile installer should use discretion and common sense when an obvious shading problem exists. However, the tile installer is not an inspector and should not be expected to second-guess the owner's taste. Since the owner is the final inspector, it is to his advantage to oversee installations where shading may be a problem.

5. Most important of all, the tile setter should work out of as many boxes at one time as possible while installing the tiles. As a carton is used, additional cartons should be drawn upon. Keep mixing the cartons and drawing tiles from them in a random manner. Although this approach may not seem scientific, the practice has been found to give excellent results. An outstanding look can be achieved if time is taken to thoroughly blend all of the available shades.