When I was looking for 3 toilets to replace in house we were remodeling, the first toilet we bought from local HD would not fit together (two piece Cadet 3 I think)...the contractor took it back twice and couldn't get a good fit either time. I went to plumbing supply place cause I needed a specific part for Roman tub not available at Lowes or HD and talked to guy there... He said that what often happens is that big box stores sell "seconds" basically--products like a two piece toilet which came separately are much more difficult to find good matches/fits than the ones sold through his company where the two pieces came in one box...I ordered 3 of same toilets from him and cntractor didn't have any issues with installation at all... He said that plumbers would not waste the time homeowners would taking stuff back that didn't work right... I know that often times, faucets sold at HD and Lowes come sans handles so you have to buy those and often times both prices are more $ than when ordered as one unit from a plumbing supply place... I ordered almost every bathroom and kitchen fixture on line from company I can't remember now--cheaper, no sales tax, and better quality... I wonder if the tile like DalTile sold at the Big Boxes are maybe border line seconds as well--where the color isn't quite fired right or the edges are not quite as even/smooth...

I saw your post in the kitchen section also. I can give you my opinion, but will of course preface it with I am a DIYer and by no means a professional, so please take it at face value. I say, take the savings and run with it. Especially if you are doing the job yourself. My husband and I install everything ourselves. While I had installed small tile jobs before, I had never done a large tile job or done one in a home I actually owned and was planning on living in forever. When it came time to buy our own hexagon floor tile and white subway tile for tub surround I did my research and had a few long conversations with my brother in law who had been in construction for 40 something years. I was going to splurge on the tile, figuring I save all the money by installing everything ourselves, why not spend a little more and get a "high quality" product. For the very little difference I could see side by side in the tile I was considering the cost difference was astronomical. My BIL advice was also spot on. The more expensive tile had many imperfections as far as the depth of the actual tile. A more "hand made" look and feel yes, however it requires a very skilled installer to make it look right and they must take added time to get it to look right. So not only would it have cost us more, but I wouldn't have been able to do a great job alone without hiring it out. We went with the big box store brands. The only issue I had with the big box store, was paying attention to their quality before buying and while installing. For instance, I did a black pencil trim with our white subway tile. I had a hard time in the store finding as many trim pieces as I needed that weren't scratched already. A bad batch sent to the local store was not padded properly and had to be gone through to find ones that I deemed perfect. Also before grouting the hexagon floor we checked extra carefully to be sure the black hex tiles were where they were supposed to be in the black and white design as there was one sheet of the mosaic that had one out of place. We certainly did not want to grout and find out later that we had a mistake in the pattern. But honestly well worth it for almost $2000 savings I figure I got from just the cost of the tile. I am about to start the second bathroom and have already started shopping my local big box store for my tile. Good luck.

I'd be getting their company name and doing some research. The previous owner of our house used a big box store for various things. Some were done very well, soffits, but the tile floor in the kitchen is horrendous. Uneven tiles some as much as 3/8 of an inch in difference. My 11 yr old could do better, without supervision, laying a tile floor. According to our neighbor the previous owner here complained but was told that even though the box store sets it all up, the company doing the work is the one accountable or responsible, not them. There was no recourse through the box store for the previous owner. I hope your fabricator is wonderful and does an awesome job but I would definately check them out before the job begins.

From reading the bathroom forum, I've learned that some of the Chinese marble has iron impurities that leach out and leave permanent orange stains. My main concern would be behind the stove because of steam. I might think about doing a stainless steel sheet behind the range. I found this on Houzz: Because marble contains minerals, there's always the risk that its iron content will turn to rust in a bathroom. A beautiful installation can be ruined when the iron buried deep in the marble discolors from humidity and moisture. I suggest performing a soak test to make sure the marble you're considering will work in your bath or shower. Simply put the tile you're considering into a bucket of water for two days, and then take it out and let it sit for two more days. Observe any changes carefully.