TILES SELECTION W/O AN ID | what to take note of 🚨

We went tiles shopping the moment we selected our contractor! This is us, as first time homeowners, selecting our own tiles without the help of any IDs.

We went to a famous few tiles shop but ended up getting our tiles at Hafary (which needs no introduction) 😃

To be honest on our first trip to tile shopping, we were extremely lost and overwhelmed since there were just too many choices to choose from! For subsequent trips we planned ahead and hope the following tips and tricks would help you too!

Here are some considerations we kept in mind when choosing our tiles:

1️⃣ Anti-slip rating

This is a super important point for bathroom floor tiles! Anti-slip ratings range from R9-R13 with R9 being the smoother end and R13 being the rougher end. R11-12 ratings are ideal for bathroom floor tiles due to higher anti-slip rating. For the rest of the wall and general tiling, you can choose any ratings you like as long as you are comfortable with the material and texture.

2️⃣ Aesthetics & house theme

Have a clear theme in mind when choosing your tiles so this helps to narrow down your choices and search! Have a feel of what kind of colour and material would match your overall home theme.

3️⃣ Size of tiles

What we learned from various contractors is that the ideal size for bathroom floor tiles would be 30x60cm to ensure proper drainage. A large format floor tiles (e.g. 60x60cm or 90x90cm) would cause puddles on the floor as the water will not be able to flow into the drain properly, creating slippery floors and this is dangerous!

However, large format tiles are aesthetically pleasing since they have lesser grout lines, and you can opt for such tiles on the walls or other general areas in your home.

4️⃣ Prices

Know your budget and keep in mind of the tile price stated in the contract with your contractor or ID (usually it’s $3.50-$4 psf).

Different tiles have different prices depending on the material and origin of the tiles. For example, tiles from Spain and Italy are much more pricier than tiles from China.

Do also note that larger format tiles are more expensive to install and your ID or contractor may charge a higher fee if you opt for larger format tiles as they are very heavy to lift and install (i.e. more labour work required).

Bonus tips:

• Obtain samples from the stores

• Bring the samples under different lighting conditions as the colour may vary from natural light to warm light etc!

• Bring the samples around to other tiles and match your colours

• As much as possible, try to feel and touch the tiles as they all have different texture! Some tiles are more “powdery”, some are very rough etc. It all boils down to your preference. Don’t just look at the colour.

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