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Expensive vs. Cheap subway tile?

10 years ago

The subway tile i've seen locally is generally around $2/SF. Will I notice a difference between that and the more expensive (upwards of $10/SF) subway tile? i saw a comment online that says the thinner tile will look cheap but others tell me you can't tell once it's on the wall. What do the GWers say? thank you! so confused... thought we'd save a little here.

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Comments (4)

elphaba_gw
10 years ago
There's been a thread on this a few years ago (maybe more recent too). Some differences of opinion but the conclusion I drew was to stay away from subway tile from Home Depot. People had the same story we hear over and over about home Depot, that their products often are made exclusively at a lower price by brand name manuacturers - better to pick a brand name and go to THEIR warehouse - my contractor bought Daltile directly at a very very low price. I've only had it for a short time but it looks beautiful. I thought it was a small thing I could do to encourage the possibility of a quality that would be better than if I bought at bottom basement prices from a big box store.
On the thread I'm thinking of, stories varied. In some cases the tile was obviously made specifically for Home Depot. In other cases, it was hard to tell. I just took a safer route for a price that was not much more (can't remember exactlyn- but probably changed by the time you read this anyway). YMMV
Good luck.
zaphod42
10 years ago
I'm looking at a slightly more expensive subway tile for a couple of reasons.

More irregularly shaped. Less hard-lined edges. Softer more organic feel.

Tile is thicker. Need this so that it matches thickness of border element I picked. Depending on your need to mix and match, make sure the thickness of your selections are the same.

has a fine crackle to the finish and a little more richness/depth of glaze. If you want your color consistently even, maybe less expensive tiles will work better.

Just some of my reasoning for selecting the more expensive version. I'm not 100% on mine yet, but heavily leaning.
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The difference is usually very visible, between hand made and machine made. Maybe not if you look at tile X vs tile Y. (Even though I am usually good with seeing it) But when you have a wall tiled-it will be quite easy to see the difference. Together with that, I'd base my decision (after budget considerations, of course) on the style, yours and the house. Couple pics, here in the thread, show exactly how beautiful simple tile can be. There are homes where machine made tiles will look classic and right for the space. I think-more modern kitchens/bathrooms, East Coast, urban homes, Cape Cods, Victorians maybe..? And there will be houses that will beg you for the handmade tile. It doesn't mean you have to cave:) But styles that heavily used handmade tile for years and years-they'll benefit from handmade tile. I think: Craftsman, Spanish.. As for difficulty of installation-I have no idea. In our case, heavily depended on an installer)) Some places are picture-worthy, some ..you're, like "well okay"..some were redone(very nicely I must say)/some will need to be redone. Not everybody can do the same job. Also, some places are trickier than the others, and require more skill. Luckily the trickier tile was done by better installers. But I'm paying for everything to look good..)) The amount of money that goes to compensate for spoiled material, and to purchase a new one, is much more than I ever imagined, and frankly-it's quite maddening. Also, with handmade tile-you have to wait. Sometimes for weeks. Take it into consideration too. Daltile will always be there I suppose, if you encounter a problem..3 days, and you're getting it. Handmade-consider yourself lucky if it's 3 weeks. Lastly, I wouldn't worry what people will say in 10 years. People say so many things about so many things..their opinions about somebody else's tile should be our last concern.))) Just make sure you consider your choice, and love it enough.
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beaches1980
10 years ago
Afer looking all over the city, I still couldn't find the right creamy/white subway tile. So I stopped in at my local box store and was surprised to find the right color ceramic subway tile. It ended up being the least expensive solution. I have no idea how good or bad the quality is, but I love what I ended up with and was happy it was only $100. My installers had no issues with it.

This post was edited by beaches1980 on Mon, Nov 4, 13 at 20:40
debrak2008
10 years ago
My BS is from Home Depot and Lowes. The subway tile was available for more money at a tile showroom. It was the same exact tile. Got it from Home Depot. The pencil line is from Lowes. I looked at more expensive tile but this tile was the exact right color.

As posted some are looking for more irregular edged and thicker tiles. I did not want this so the HD tile was perfect. Remember you must take into account the thickness of the tile when you put in your outlets.

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