Take to the tiles

With so many tiles available it may feel a bit overwhelming choosing just one. Fortunately, not all tiles are created equal, which makes narrowing down the choice much easier.

Bear in mind when looking at tiles that they are priced in dollars per square metre, which is illustrated as either an actual $/sqm price, or an indication of price point such as $, $$ or $$$ etc. When calculating the quantity of tiles needed, always add 10-15 percent for breaks, cuts and faults. Tiles are usually delivered in boxes of about 1sqm each – however many tiles that may be, depending on their size.

The majority of tiles available in New Zealand hail from either China or Europe – the latter are generally more expensive.

Material

Most of the tiles you come across will be either ceramic or porcelain, although they might be finished in such a way as to look like natural stone. Why? Because natural stone tiles are heavy and expensive, which means their ceramic copycats are much