Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQ)

Yes, if you are inside our store, you will be able to place a deposit down (equal to the price of the tile samples you are taking) which is refundable when you bring the samples and the invoice back to us.

We source the majority of our products from international suppliers. Due to the current global shipping crisis, there are major delays in the shipping times from overseas, which means we cannot always restock our products before they sell out. We hope this situation improves soon to be able to more reliably offer all products at all times.

Our company policy is that, in general, we do not take any items back for refund or exchange. For any items which we do accept back, the return will only be available as a credit coupon usable only in our store within the next year. A 20% restocking charge is applied to all accepted returns.

We need to maintain product integrity while dealing with a high product turnover. We do this by bringing in new batches of tile on a constant basis. Each batch is slightly different, so we need to ensure batches do not mix when fulfilling orders. Accepting returns would generally lead to mixing batches and would compromise our product integrity.

When tiles are manufactured, the dyes used on the glazes will be slightly different for each batch of the same tile. We can guarantee that a single order will only contain tile from the same batch, but orders placed at a future date may be a new batch and could be slightly different.

Yes, we do deliver. There is a delivery charge based on distance that starts at $125.00. Please call us for a delivery quote at 416-674-4500.

Our maximum delivery radius is roughly within three to four hours drive (Windsor – Sudbury – Kingston).

Generally, porcelain tile is a specialized type of ceramic with a higher density, and is fired at higher temperatures and longer. This often leads to a more durable and water resistant product. However, it makes porcelain more difficult to cut and work with than ceramic and requires different types of installation material.

For most people, the answer would be “No”. While it is possible for an experienced tile-setter to cut a porcelain tile with a high-end manual tile cutter, for most people, it is strongly recommended that a heavy-duty water saw is used. The Porcelain tile is dense enough and strong enough that a regular tile cutter will not cut the tile accurately.

This depends on the type of tile. Some tiles are constructed from two parts, the bisque (the body of the tile) and the glaze (the picture on the surface of the tile). The colour on these does not go all the way through. There are some Porcelain tiles which are “through-body” or “full-body”, which does mean that the colour would go all the way through those tiles. All natural stones are through-body, and will have the colour go all the way through the tile.

When ice freezes, it expands. Porcelain has a low enough absorption rate (water-resistance) that the water absorbed will not expand enough for it to crack. However, ceramic tiles are less water-resistant and the same guarantee cannot be given. In Canadian winters, ice is a certainty, therefore porcelain is needed for exterior applications to prevent cracks.

The amount of waste will differ depending upon the size and configuration of the area in question. While we recommend strongly that the person who is installing should provide this figure, if you are installing the tile yourself this may create a slight problem if you are uncertain. Waste in a tiled area will most commonly fall between 5%-15% depending on a variety of factors. For the “do-it-yourselfer”, we would recommend 10% when laying the tile straight and 15% if placing the tile on a 45 degree angle.

Tiles made specifically for wall are fired at a lower temperature in the kiln, leading to a less durable product that is often not suitable for load-bearing applications. However,  because durability is not necessary, the manufacturing of these tiles than similar floor tile.

It is strongly recommended that a higher grade of “multi-purpose” cement is used if no wire mesh or scratch has been placed on top of the plywood. The higher the grade of “multi-purpose” which is used, the more adhesive strength that cement will have. It is also important to note that if tile is being installed in this fashion, the sub-floor must be well screwed (not nailed!) down. If there is movement in this sub-floor, cracked tiles will appear above.

Yes, all natural stone is porous and as such should be sealed. Some denser stones (such as Granite) do not stain easily and are commonly left untreated. However, they are still porous and may be stained under the correct circumstances.