Asked and answered.

The difference is where it's built. Touchstone is built in the factory — panels arrive pre-bonded, dimensional, and ready to install mechanically onto stud framing in a day. A tiled surround is built in the field instead: substrate, waterproofing, thinset, tile, grout, sealer, each a wet trade with its own cure time. Same material class (real porcelain), a fraction of the time, no wet trades.

Panels are assembled in Vietnam. Finished kits ship by ocean freight to our Cleveland warehouse.

Five porcelain designs: Taj Mahal, Calacatta Royale, Mont Blanc, Calacatta Gray, and Macchia Vecchia. Large-format samples are available for purchase.

Each face panel is 47-1/4" tall. A standard three-wall surround stacks two horizontally to reach 94-1/2" overall — which supports a 96" ceiling with a 1-1/2" pan or a 98-1/2" ceiling with a 4" pan. Panels can be cut down for lower ceilings with a porcelain-rated blade.

Panel assembly is 3/4" thick overall, stepping down to 1/2" at exposed front edges for a clean transition to trim. Finished wall thickness at plumbing fixtures is 3/4".

Not currently. The system is engineered to minimize seams — we recommend seamless, one-piece metal or plastic niches so the shower enclosure introduces as few water entry points as possible.

Yes, but the detail work around the opening matters. Work with a qualified installer — ideally Factory Trained — who understands the wall assembly and window placement.

Not yet. We haven't completed performance and stability testing for steam applications, so we don't recommend Touchstone for steam showers until that testing is in. Standard showers and tub surrounds are the sweet spot.

The system is compatible with most standard shower pans — the design intent assumes a 1-1/2" or 4" pan. Your installer should confirm pan dimensions and trim details against the panel system before ordering.

Yes. A standard Touchstone kit cuts down to fit any standard tub — same panels, same one-day install, finished with a single horizontal seam. For commercial projects, we also offer a seamless tub-surround solution up to 63" tall — no seam in the finished wall. Reach out to us or your local distributor to spec the right fit for your project.

The kit ships with panels plus an accessory pack containing mounting hardware, seam skirting, screws, spacer posts, lippage controllers, bottom spacers, skirt epoxy, and silicone. The installer supplies standard trim-carpentry tools plus our reusable Installation Kit and Cutting Kit. No thinset, grout, or backer board is required.

Yes. Panels are cut in the field with an angle grinder using a porcelain-rated blade. Never cut dry — respirable silica dust is a known cause of silicosis. Our Cutting Kit supports on-site cuts directly and is covered in factory training.

Most tools are standard trim-carpentry — a level, a square, a drill, and an electric angle grinder with a porcelain-rated blade. We recommend a plug-in grinder rated 13 amps or more: it eliminates binding from an underpowered motor and dead batteries mid-cut. The install also uses our Installation Kit, a reusable aluminum jig system, and our Cutting Kit — the grinder blade, core bits, and pads matched to the panels.

Yes, for any professional installation. The Installation Kit is a reusable aluminum jig system that sets the bracket layout. The Cutting Kit is the grinder tooling — porcelain blade, core bits, and polishing pads — matched to the panels. Both are designed specifically for Touchstone and make the install faster, tighter, and repeatable.

Yes — but we recommend adding blocking between steel studs. 3/4" plywood is a great option. Additional blocking behind the plywood is required for load-bearing accessories.

Yes — whenever possible, acclimate the porcelain to the surrounding environment for at least 24 hours before installing. This is standard practice for large-format porcelain.

Labor to remove or reinstall the product is excluded. Joints, seams, adhesives, sealants, and other accessories are excluded — sealant exclusions are the category standard across panel systems. Also excluded: minor conditions such as stains, scratches, chips, water spots, and burns; mishandling or abuse; installations that don't follow the published installation instructions; use other than normal interior use in the United States or Canada; and products moved from their original place of installation.

Not for Standard coverage — it applies automatically from the date of purchase. The Pro upgrade requires registering the install, which must be completed by a Factory Trained Installer.

Coverage applies to the original purchaser. See the warranty page for full transfer terms.

Natural variation in color, shade, grain, movement, surface texture, and finish is inherent to porcelain manufactured from natural materials and does not constitute a defect. A manufacturing defect is a shortfall in the product's performance against manufacturer specifications and the industry tolerances set by the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) and ANSI.

Completion of hands-on training and a practical skills assessment. No minimum purchase or volume commitments. Renewal is annual and lightweight.

Hands-on training is conducted by our Technical Trainer at our Cleveland facility. Sessions are scheduled throughout the year — upcoming dates are listed on the Factory Training page.

Training is free for qualified applicants. You cover travel to the training location and the one-time tooling purchase (Installation Kit + Cutting Kit).

Factory Trained Installers are listed in our public installer directory and may receive leads from our distribution channels.

We currently operate across the Midwest from our Cleveland warehouse, covering 17 DMAs within a 350-mile radius. If you're outside this region and interested in carrying the product, we'd like to hear from you — we expand where partner and project interest is strongest.

Large-format porcelain samples are available for purchase. Reach out for pricing and lead times. Samples help designers and commercial specifiers evaluate finish, weight, and surface quality in person.

Yes. Senior living, multifamily, hospitality, and healthcare specifiers work with our team on commercial projects. Commercial deals flow through our distributor network where coverage exists, and project registration protects the distributor handling the deal.

Cut-to-size service is available as an option on volume orders. For individual orders or smaller quantities, panels are cut in the field with an angle grinder using a porcelain-rated blade.