We’ve been in the tile business for over 30 years and helped thousands of people with their tile projects. Most go off without a hitch, some projects need a bit more help to get things right. All the big issues that can come up when buying tile can be avoided especially the biggest.
The biggest tile mistake is… not being there when the tile is installed.
Imagine the scene. Your home or apartment has been under construction for weeks or longer and you just need to get away. So you pack up for a few days while the bathroom is being finished. You have a nice trip and get back only to find the installer has made a great installation in the bathroom…. with the tile that was meant for the foyer! Or any other issue you can imagine, the wrong sized tile, the wrong color, the wrong anything.
At this point, you are in a pickle. The labor has been spent and maybe the contractor was at fault, maybe not. The tile has been installed and can’t be returned if it was the wrong thing. Things are now a big mess with everyone blaming everyone else. The contractor says, “Hey the tile was here so we installed it!” The manufacturer says, “What do you mean, you didn’t check the tile before it was installed!”
All you need to do is see and approve the tile before it is installed, don’t leave that determination to the contractor, he will likely approve it so he can get on with the job. At the end of the day it is your home and your tile, you need to check it to make sure it is right.
You might even pop in for a second a few hours into the job. Just take a quick look to see that things are going the way you want. It something looks funky ask about it or check with the foremen. Way better to catch any huge mistake early in the project.
If you can’t be there, then I suggest asking the designer someone who is intimately familiar with the project to approve the tile and check on the project early in the install.
The installation of tile in your home is a big deal and a mistake can be very costly. The wrong paint color can be a mistake costing hundreds, the wrong tile, thousands, or tens of thousands of dollars.
So, to avoid the biggest tile mistake, just be there.