Where to buy Tiles? and what to look for?

[pr1970]

Hi All

Just wanted to ask the opinions of good places to buy tiles and what to look for so that when a tiler turns up to do our bathroom he doesnt spend most of the time complaining about how cr*p the tiles we bought are

We seem to have a wealth of suppliers near us , such as Topps Tiles , Tile Magic, Tile clearance , Porcelanosa, Homebase + B&Q. Any suggestions where to buy to be safe?

Thanks

Paul

[MICK the Tiler]

We always complain about how crap tiles are, That's because there still in the boxes and not on the walls and floor (THE FAIRY TILE GODMOTHER IS ALWAYS A NO SHOW)!!!!!

It can be hard to pick a good quality tile without actually trying to work with it first as there are so many types doing the rounds. The first thing is find a good colour scheme.

[Raja]

Hello & Welcome to the Tilers Forum

In reply to your question i would say

B & Q , Homebase Sell everything and anything and do not specialise in tiling aimed at offering cheap tiles to the diy masses.

Your best option would to go into a tiling thop and make ur purchase be it Topps, CTD or any one else

B & Q and places like Homease Do not sell what u would call premiuim tiles more mass produced and overpriced.

Worse case senario is if u buy ur tiles from one of these places u wil be higly likely to get ur adhesive and grout from there also which is another subject altogher.

And on a last note if u ever go into B & Q or Homebase ask 2 different sales persons a simple question and wait for the 2 very different answers.

Somthing u wil less likely get in a tile shop as product knowledge is usually far more superior.

All the best

[Dave]

Originally Posted by pr1970

Hi All

Just wanted to ask the opinions of good places to buy tiles and what to look for so that when a tiler turns up to do our bathroom he doesnt spend most of the time complaining about how cr*p the tiles we bought are

We seem to have a wealth of suppliers near us , such as Topps Tiles , Tile Magic, Tile clearance , Porcelanosa, Homebase + B&Q. Any suggestions where to buy to be safe?

Thanks

Paul

Out of the ones you have mentioned .I would say porcelanosa...or if you have a CTD then use either of them......DIY dopots tend to sell low quality tiles and topps..well they are well over priced.......

[chille]

I would have to say porcelanosa imho, I have always been very happy with the quality and constant size. With some of the sheds like B&Q size irregularity is very common, sometimes 2mm difference

[Sir Ramic]

Well Porcelanosa to B&Q just about covers the range..lol
Porcelanosa tend to be pricey but very nice stuff and i doubt you would have many tilers moan about the quality but the same cant be said for the others you have listed.
Are there no independant tile shops near by?
The big warehouses tend to sell cheaper quailty IMO , Clearance warehouses sell just that, end of line stuff, again IMO i would keep clear if you dont know what you are looking for.
If you end up buying from one of the warehouses then buy more than needed just in case of broken or faulty tiles.

[pr1970]

Thanks for all the replies.

Actually looking around porcelanosa , the prices arnt that much different from what b&q and homebase are charging for their mosaic tiles. Some homebase tiles are going for £150 per sqm! Just it seems procelanosa dont have a price list available and they dont exactly answer the phone often, well never in my case.

Any good websites for finding tile warehouses in the country? I wouldnt mind checking out end of line tiles if theyre cheaper but of a decent quality.

Paul

[NickH]

I dont think you can beat a small, local, independant shop, they are generally owned by an ex tiler and you'll get decent advice and decent products.

[pjc]

porcelanosa are some of the best quality tiles in the world although not cheap but still the best price for what you get must just add i don't like the company:Pete

[Burnsy]

Where are you based in the country?

[Captain Slow]

I think all pro tilers are going to want you to go for the most expensive tiles, as they are likely to be the better quality and most consistent.

I have a tile shop near to me that specialises in the top end tile ranges, mainly porelain and natural stone, and it is a pleasure to work with their products.

Often, I end up looking at a job and the customer asks me where I think they should get their tiles from. If you select your tiler and ask where they recommend, you may not only get a better price as the tiler is likely to pass his discount to you provided he gets the job of fixing, but you can be sure he won't moan about the quality of tiles - as he recommended the supplier.

Just a thought!

[pr1970]

I`m in North Kent / M25 area.

Did go into a local tile shop the other day. Yes they were helpful , just the tiles were quite pricey and there wasnt a huge selection.