Today ceramic and porcelain tiles are available in various ranges starting from ultra cheap tiles that are suitable for economy bathroom floors and tub surrounds to the expensive ones with extraordinary designs meant more for banding, listellos and creativity than just covering up the field area. Most of the homeowners try to settle down with something in between these two extreme ranges. As a buyer you can get multiple benefits of buying tiles online where you can choose from a huge variety with ease and without the pressure from salesmen. Here are some smart tips that will help you buy tiles online.
1. Go for ceramic instead of porcelain
Porcelain and ceramic tiles are close to each other in terms of features but not the same. A tile needs to have 0.05% water absorption rate to gain the title of Porcelain as stated by ASTMC373. These tiles are best suited for moisture prone areas like bathrooms due to its high water absorption capacity. Ceramic tiles cost less than Porcelain tiles and the price difference is almost 60%. After knowing it would you still prefer buying Porcelain tiles over ceramic?
Another point that needs to be taken into account here is that only 15% of high end porcelain tiles and ceramic tiles are close to each other in price. This simply means that the mid and low priced ceramic tiles are highly cheaper than their porcelain counterparts.
You are recommended to avoid porcelain tiles until and unless you are looking for tiles suitable for your bathroom or a high moisture zone. Ceramic tiles can also be applied in bathroom as long as it does not receive prolonged contact with water.
2. Avoid buying basic tile from premium tile supplier
Buying tiles from specialty houses always cost you more than discounted stores and one of the biggest reason behind this is that these artisan tiles come with an extraordinary appeal. Renowned tile houses spend a lot on established designers to get that gorgeous and innovative look which automatically increases the price. Now the question is, is it worth to spend that much on basic tiles for just covering up a wall in large quantities? Do you really want to pay artisans for this?
Well, the choice is yours, but you can always go for tiles that are inexpensive for large areas and use those designer tiles in spaces where you want to attract attention.
3. Do not return your tiles
Popular online sellers like Amazon and Zappos offer easy returning facility to its customers. It is truly not a big deal to return items online but the story is different in case of Tiles. Though you will be allowed to initiate a return within 30 days of its purchase but are you ready to pay for 300 pounds of tiles? Companies that offer free returns for tiles are less in the market. In most of the cases customers need to pay a certain amount to return but they do send tile samples to avoid the returning procedure. Don’t take it as an act of generosity; it is a well planned business move to persuade clients to buy from them and to reduce the possibilities of those terrifying returns.
4. Calculate the true tile price
Try not to completely rely on the prices you witness on the computer screen as there might be a hidden cost that you will find out at the time of final payment. A survey showed that the white 3-inch by 6-inch subway tiles at a popular home improvement retailer appeared to be cheap at first but it became extremely costly after adding the shipping and handling charges. This incident was no less than an eye opener for those who get easily influenced by the price shown in the site to attract buyers. That is why it is important for you to bring other factors in the equation before believing in the price
So, next time if you plan to buy tiles online, do consider these above mentioned points to be a smart buyer. If you Type on Google “tile suppliers near me” you will come across multiple ceramic tile suppliers available online. I would suggest you to visit a few of them to make a competitive study of prices and other details among them before making your final decision.
