Tiles are one of the easier things to order and one of the easier things to get slightly wrong, because the problems only appear once the boxes are open and the installer is standing there. Here are seven that come up regularly, each with a fix that takes minutes.
1. Ordering exactly the area you measured
Tiles get cut at edges, around fittings and at doorways, and cuts produce waste. Order the exact square metres and you will run short, usually near the end of the job.
The fix. Add 10 percent for a straight layout and around 15 percent for diagonal or herringbone patterns, where angled cuts create more waste. Keep the spare boxes on site rather than returning them, because a matching tile years later is worth having.
2. Mixing batches across one floor
Tiles are fired in production runs and the shade varies very slightly between them. A delivery containing two batches will show a visible change partway across a floor.
The fix. Check the batch or shade number on every box before anyone starts. All boxes for one area should match. If a delivery contains two batches, use them in separate rooms rather than mixing them. This check takes two minutes on the pallet and it is the single most valuable thing you can do at delivery.
3. Choosing the wrong slip rating
A beautiful polished tile is specified for a bathroom floor or a pool surround, and it turns out to be unsuitable once wet.
The fix. Match the R rating to the room. R9 for dry interior areas, R10 for most interior commercial floors and domestic bathrooms, R11 for wet areas such as changing rooms and covered terraces, R12 and above for commercial kitchens. Ask for the technical data sheet with the figure printed on it.
4. Using an unsuitable tile outdoors
A tile that performs perfectly indoors is laid on a terrace, and in a climate that freezes it breaks from within as absorbed water expands.
The fix. Outdoors in a cold climate means porcelain with a stated frost resistance, absorption below 0.5 percent, and a slip rating of R11 or above. For pavers, 20mm thickness is the normal specification.
5. Forgetting the trims and special pieces
The field tiles arrive and the stair nosings, coved skirtings and transition strips do not, or they arrive later from a different production run in a slightly different shade.
The fix. Order every special piece at the same time as the field tile, from the same batch. Walk the drawing and list every edge, step, external corner and threshold before ordering.
6. Not planning the setting out
Tiling starts from a convenient corner and finishes with a thin sliver of tile at the most visible edge.
The fix. Sketch the room to scale with the tile size laid onto it before ordering. Whole tiles should land where the eye goes first, usually the doorway view. Cuts belong in corners, under fittings and at the least visible edge. If a size produces a sliver narrower than about a third of a tile at a prominent edge, either shift the start point or change the size.
7. Choosing large format for an uneven substrate
A large tile is ordered for a floor or wall that is not flat, and the result is lipping, where one edge sits proud of the next. On a large format this is very visible and there is no way to hide it.
The fix. Ask your installer to check the substrate before you order. If it cannot be levelled, choose a smaller format. This is a decision to take early, since it also affects the adhesive and the joint width.
Two extra habits worth adopting
Decide the grout colour before the tiles ship. Matching grout to the tile makes a surface read as continuous, contrasting grout celebrates the pattern, and in a small room matching usually wins. Also choose the grout type deliberately, since an epoxy grout suits food areas and wet rooms while a standard cement grout is fine elsewhere.
Keep one label from the delivery with the project file. It carries the product code, size, batch and technical figures, and years later it is how you find the same tile again.
A short pre order checklist
Area calculated with 10 to 15 percent added. Format checked against a scale setting out sketch. Slip rating matched to the room. Absorption and frost resistance suitable for the location. All trims and special pieces listed. Substrate flatness confirmed with the installer. Grout colour and type decided. Single batch confirmed on delivery.
Run through that once and a tile order stops producing surprises. If you are specifying tiles for a project and want help checking the order before it ships, our team in Foshan does this every week.