During the three-months we’ve been remodeling our main floor and upstairs, we’ve made several observations we’d like to share. Not to scare you from remodeling, but to prepare you for what you are about to experience and to give you some advice on how to make it the best experience for you. This first “random thought” is on tile:
- Tile selections are tough. You will find yourself questioning just about every selection. Stay calm. Trust your gut!
- The tile on the shelves at the showrooms might not be exactly like what comes in when you order. If it is a stock item, ask to see a sample from their stock of what you will be actually getting. If it is not a stock item, ask to have a sample of the current lot shipped so you can make sure the color or texture hasn’t changed from the one on the shelf. (This is a good reason to make your selections early and before you start a project.) This isn’t typically a problem with porcelain or ceramic tiles, but best to double check. We found a couple that we ended up not using because the color and graining was different. This is especially true if you’re looking at say a 12×24 tile in the showroom but are planning to order a larger or smaller tile. We found one tile that the larger tile had different graining than the smaller tiles and it changed the whole appearance. We decided to select something else.
- Stone tiles are all different – every one of them. If you see a stone tile you like, you might ask for a photo to be taken of a box of the tiles to be shipped as they may be quite a bit different than the one on the showroom shelf. Some may have the exact veining while others may be plain, darker, splotchy, etc. It is a natural stone after all. Best thing to do is to order quite a bit more than you need so you can have some options if there are several you don’t like. If you like consistency, best to go with a porcelain or ceramic tile.
- Before you make your final selection, make sure the tile is still available and order it right away. We had an occasion where we finally decided on a tile and the tile setter checked on the tile and it was available but he didn’t order it because there was a few weeks before he needed it. A week later, that tile was no longer available. Back to the drawing board for tile selections. Ugh!
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