BEFORE YOU ORDER

There are a few useful hints and tips to consider before you order:

1. If you are ordering cement tiles, please remember that they are between 16mm and 22mm thick (depends on manufacturer). You will have to allow for this before laying them, to make sure that doors will open. More information see on our Installation and Maintenance page.

2. When ordering tiles, we advise you to buy an extra 10% to allow for wastage and breakages.

3. Don't let the price of the tiles put you off! If you can't afford to tile a whole floor, why not consider a feature section in the middle? Or why not to tile just a certain section that needs to step up? Similarly, also the decorative wall tiles can be considered not only for a whole area but also as a decoration of selected parts or as random pieces.

4. Be sure to read our technical guidelines in Installation and Maintenance before laying tiles. Cement tiles are porous and will need sealing before grouting or laying outside.

5. As to the cement tiles, if you are selecting and comparing them across companies, here are some areas to watch out for, as they indicate quality problems:

• varying thicknesses of tile that makes it hard to lay as a flat surface (lack of consistency in production process)
• pattern is blurry (sloppy work with a pigment)
• major variations within the same color (inaccurate measuring or poor quality of color pigments)
• chipping around the edges (weak mixture or poor quality control)
• crumbly on the back side - weak tile (inconsistent hydraulic pressure or improper mixture)

Serious invisible problems are:

• quality and composition of the pigments – a high-quality tiles use mineral pigments. Non-mineral pigments fade over time and with routine wear. If cheap pigments are used, colors may fade as well (even high quality blues and greens will fade in direct sun).
• incorrect ratio of cement to sand - without the right ratio, the tile will not be strong and durable
• improper curing in production at the factory which reduces quality

6. You can also use our Planner (coming soon) to make easier your project preparation. In case its abilities does not meet your needs, we can help you with preparation and visualisation of your project according to chosen tiles.