Bathroom Porcelain Tile and Supplier name changes

6 years ago

I'm almost at the end of remodeling two bathrooms and a laundry room. I'm happy with how they look, but would love some feedback from a design professional, contractor, or experienced remodel expert on porcelain tiles when they arrive under a completely different name. Upstairs floor and wall tile arrived at my house with the exact same name and look of what I choose at the tile showroom. The tile for the other bathroom and laundry room floor had a completely different name from what I had chosen at the showroom. I called the showroom designer that I had worked with to ask about the difference. He called his supplier and was told it was what I had picked out, but under a different name. The designer didn't seem to know that this switch had been made by his supplier, but assured me this happens all the time. I "googled" this unknown name on line and could find no information on the brand other than it was out of Turkey instead of Italy. I've called several other tile companies in the area and get the idea that in fact this does often happen, but one designer told me today, (she has worked 26 years in the biz), that in her experience, the particular Italian porcelain tile company I chose is very particular about how the tile is manufactured, so she has never seen it come from a different manufacturer. Like I've said, the tile appears to be in the color family I originally chose at the showroom, so I'm not too concerned. It looks ok installed, I'm just not sure it is what I chose. Therefore, for future projects, I would like to know how to check on porcelain tile name differences for the same tile, since there appears to be no link online to figure this out. I'm just taking the word of the designer and their supplier that it is the same product. FYI: The tiles made in Turkey seemed to be less expensive, in general, than the Italian made porcelain tile.

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Comments (4)

roarah
6 years ago
My porcelain floors are sold by two different distributors under two different names. I think branding is common...
Tammy Lynn thanked roarah
Tammy Lynn
Original Author
6 years ago
I appreciate your reply. Thank you for confirming the branding issue.

So is there anyway for a consumer to independently verify that it is in fact the same tile? How can I go about confirming what was delivered to me is actually what I picked out in the showroom? Who would I call? (besides the showroom designer who is repeating what his supplier is telling him). I realize there is "lot to lot" color variations in all porcelain tile. The tile display boards in the showrooms can be old, so that new lots of porcelain tile don't compare to the sample on the board. This means I literally have no frame of reference for comparison. Tile looks different from what I chose, but maybe it is within acceptable limits of variation?? Impossible for me to know. It would have been much easier for me to accept the variation in appearance, if the showroom had just gotten the tile that I picked out and have seen carried in all the tile shops I've visited, instead of from an apparently little known company that has no online website or showroom displays. Why switch and create this confusion in the first place? Thank goodness the other bathroom tile was delivered and matched exactly what I had chosen from the showroom! No second guessing involved.

Final question: Are your two different distributors located in two different countries as well? As I stated previously, I picked out tile clearly labeled "made in Italy." The boxes I received were stamped "made in Turkey." Is this your experience as well with branding/quality control? Different factories, in different countries, different brand names, different distributors, but you can confirm it is the same quality and the same tile to your specifications?

As I said, I ultimately accepted the tile and it is installed. It fits with my color palette, but I would still like to avoid this type of confusion in future projects. Anyone else have a surprise on delivery such as this?? If so, how did you handle it with your contractor and verify it was the tile your picked out?
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That is what I thought. Everything was going good until we mixed the thinset. We mixed the thinset as per the instruction on the thinset. I wish I had read the ditra instructions where it stated on bag can be used to cover 150-200 sq ft of ditra to subfloor and one bag to bond 50 sq ft of tile to the ditra. Obviously we mixed it too thick and then the thinset went on this as well. My wife did add more liquid as we were realizing that it was too thick. We are just going to go forward with installing the tile on the ditra. It looks good and I know that when I was applying the ditra the thinset was getting decent coverage. We did set 16 tiles on Sunday and I walked on them yesterday and they seem very well fixed in place. No movement at all. How level do the tiles need to be under the vanity? This is a 48 inch vanity with 4 legs. I know it would be best to make sure it is level. The subfloor was leveled out prior to installing with some shingles and tar paper but all is still not perfect and I am not the best at adding/removing thinset to make each tile level with the surrounding ones. It is coming out good but nothing is perfect. OH...if things crack...we were planning on renovating the kitchen in three years so we will redo the floor and vanity at that time. Hopefully it wont crack but not the end of the world...we are only talking about 50 sq ft of tile. Thanks, Steve
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OK, I've reread all(I think) of your posts now and I see your point about the wainscotting not really being truly visible in such a small space. You have options, but I really think the wood plank is not the way you should go, it is very far from what was your original inspiration. I am not sure it will make you happy. I think I would do the wainscotting, scaled down to fit the space. Layout/draw specifically the layout for each wall segment, the 36' toilet wall, the long wall next to the toilet, the sink wall. This is homework that will make the difference. The marble inset band needs to be fairly wide, maybe 6", it would be just at the level of the sinktop. Carry the marble band around the pony wall endcap, you could continue it around the shower, but I think you said you didnt want to. Top the pony wall with a marble sill. My only doubt in the cohesiveness, the peacefulness of this plan, is the two cabinets you want to put over the toilet(assuming I am remembering that correctly), I think they will make it heavy. So I would want to hold off on those until the space is complete and then decide. I think a chrome(I am assuming your finish is chrome) train shelf might be better to hold towels, yes it will not provide as much storage but perhaps it could do. I think this gives you the classic look you were inspired by.
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roarah
6 years ago
My tile was branded as seta in silver at tile America and at another store it was called silk in silver. The write up, specs, gallery pics and country of origin were identical though.
Tammy Lynn
Original Author
6 years ago
Thank you! What you say makes perfect sense. At least there is some commonality in the name, specs, write up, pics, and country of origin. Both have "in silver" as part of the branding name, so a consumer I can have some confidence that it is actually the same tile.

I picked out Venetian Reale, Napoli Classic Stone (made in Italy) company is Surface Art. What was delivered was Pasha Collection, Montecelio Classico (made in Turkey). I "googled" Pasha Collection online and couldn't find any information other than the name. No pictures, no website. I called Surface Art directly and couldn't get a definitive answer from the women I spoke with by phone. When I asked about who would be able to answer my question, she said she didn't know who to refer me to.....???? There must be a way to follow up on these "branding name" issues, especially since you say this is a common practice. Also, confirmed by other tile companies I spoke to by phone and my showroom designer.

The showroom I was at yesterday (see original comment above), that had the same Venetian Reale display board that I had chosen, told me she has personally never seen Surface Art substitute tile from another distributor and coming from another country (ie.) Turkey. Even if this is not true, I should have some way to verify that I actually am getting the same tile/same price point that I originally picked out. All others please weigh in as well. Anyone else have this question come up besides me?

Bathroom Porcelain Tile and Supplier name changes

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roarah

Tammy Lynn
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Bathroom Porcelain Tile and Supplier name changes

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roarah

Tammy LynnOriginal Author

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roarah

Tammy LynnOriginal Author

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Tammy Lynn
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