I‘m looking to re-tile my kitchen... I would like to get good quality tile, at a good price. Can I trust tile purchased at any particular large hardware chain, or should I seek out a specialty flooring store? Or does it even matter that much - is tile just tile?
If you want a good price, go to Home Depot or Lowes. If you want a selection and expertise, to to a tile specialty shop. I live in a town with 350,000 people and we have about 6 shops that deal only in tiles. They will have enough options to make your head spin, and their sales people will know what they are talking about. If you like a particular tile at the shop, you can of course go and see if it is carried at a big box store and compare price. In my experience big box stores are short on selection. FWIW, installing tile isn't as hard as some of the other posters make it sound. I did my first DIY tile job in a bathroom at my first house. It turned out so well I have since done 3 more jobs and they all look professional quality. If you want to try to lay them yourself, just do some research first. Once you set your first course of tile, it is no different that putting a jigsaw puzzle together....and your design has no limits. Advice: if you are laying natural stone tile (slate, marble, granite) you have to seal the surface of the tile before gluing them down, or you will have an impossible time cleaning up the mastick. Ceramic or glass tile isn't really a problem.
Just ask the sales person what the PEI rating is. This is a universal rating scale used to judge the hardness and durability of ceramic and porcelain tiles. The scale runs from 1 to 5 with five being the hardest. In a high traffic area, like a kitchen, please don't use anything below a 3. 1 and 2 ratings have the weakest finish on the market, these will be any tile that's between $0.50 and $1.50 per square foot, at least in the Mid-west. please make sure that your tile is installed on concrete or concrete board. otherwise, it WILL crack up on you. Good Luck!!
Go to Home Depot, you will be able to find someone that works there and they will show you a wide variety of ceramic tiles. You would probably find what you are looking for or either you would see something you like. Let the professionals handle the work.
Ceramic tile is the same where ever you choose to buy it.If you see the boxes in home depot,some are from the Dal tile company,one of the largest in the US.I am a ceramic tile artist and I buy direct from Dal warehouse for one reason,a bigger selection than what home depot carries.If your not looking for an unusual color,most likely home depot has the same stuff there for cheaper.
I'm not sure how you judge a good tile from the start but I do know that you need to get a good quality tile contractor for doing the installation. It's no use getting a good quality beautiful tile if it's put up and the installation looks horrible.
