Kitchen Floor Tile Samples Delivered to Your Doorstep
Upgrading your kitchen flooring can be an exciting yet daunting process. With so many options for materials, sizes, colors, and patterns available, deciding on the perfect tile for your space can feel overwhelming. Ordering free tile samples delivers the ability to narrow down selections with confidence right to your home.
Examining physical tile samples firsthand provides invaluable discernment when weighing the aesthetic and practical factors most vital for your project. Evaluating variances in texture, finish, and overall appearance simply cannot be replicated from catalog photographs alone.
See and Feel Tile Materials Before Purchase
The tactile experience of holding tile samples is a key benefit that catalogs cannot provide. Photos often idealize tiles with polished finishes that downplay the surface intricacies present in natural stones and some ceramics. Subtle pitting, veining, or color variations become apparent only when truly seeing and feeling the tile itself.
Inspection under different lighting conditions also reveals if the tile color skews warmer or cooler than expected. This prevents unexpected hue changes after floor installation.
Assess Tile Quality and Durability
Examining tile samples firsthand provides the ability to scrutinize manufacturing quality. Variations in enamel coatings on porcelain, crackling of natural stone surfaces, or uneven glazing on ceramics become evident upon close inspection. Durability can be roughly assessed based on density, hardness, and water absorption.
Tile thickness, facial dimension, and calibration can also be checked against specifications. This guards against defects and installation issues down the road.
Determine Real-World Performance
Subjecting samples to wear and tear simulations evaluates real-world performance. Tile scratch resistance can be tested using coins, keys or metal implements. Stain resistance is checked by applying cooking oils, sauces, or beverages for several hours, then washing off.
Assessing performance helps match tile sturdiness to expected kitchen usage. Porcelain and ceramic with technical coatings rate well for households with kids and pets.
Visualize Flooring Designs and Patterns
Seeing tile samples laid out together on the actual floor space enables better visualization of the end pattern. The relationship between floor, wall, and backsplash tiles becomes clearer.
Experiment with integrating different sizes or materials, like combining large format porcelain slabs with a mosaic glass border. Having samples on hand makes it easy to place, step back, and make adjustments.
Judge Tile Size and Scale
Understanding how tile size impacts the room’s dimensions and perceived space is easier when samples are on site. A 12-inch by 24-inch slab may seem large for a small kitchen when just viewing a photo, but prove just right when experienced in place.
Conversely, a glossy white subway tile that appeared sleek and modern on screen can feel too cramped or clinical within the existing footprint. Evaluating scale with samples provides needed perspective.
Coordinate Grout and Accent Colors
Choosing compatible grout or accent hues against the tile background is simplified with samples on hand. Stark white grout that matches the product photo could prove too harsh against the real tile color. Having samples makes pairing a softer grey or tan effortless.
Likewise, envisioning accent tiles or trim against the larger field tile becomes clear. Blending blue mosaic insets within an earthy travertine background suddenly clicks.
Ordering Tile Samples Online
Top retailers like Wayfair, Overstock, BuildDirect, and Floor & Decor offer free shipping on tile samples. Order quantities range from three to ten free samples.
TileBar is a specialist in tile sampling, with an expansive selection of stones, ceramics, porcelains, and mosaics. Samples ship quickly in one to three business days.
Choosing Tile Varieties
Aim for three to five samples in your top contenders across material types like porcelain, ceramic, marble, and glass. Pull samples in each color family or visual style being considered.
Ordering just one or two provides too narrow of a perspective. Ten may prove overwhelming to evaluate. Curate choices edited down from initial broad research.
Providing Order Details
Online forms collect your name, shipping address, phone, email, and exact product sample numbers desired. Some prompt for project details like room type, current flooring, and overall vision.
Double check sample dimensions match your project scale needs before submitting. Confirm shipping costs and delivery timeframe expectations.
Shipping is generally free when ordering the retailer’s standard sample quantity. Additional samples may incur nominal postal fees. Most deliver in three to five business days.
Utilizing tile samples during the selection process yields the confidence needed to finalize flooring material decisions. Being able to closely compare the tactile differences across tile types while visualizing each in your unique space provides an informed vantage point.
Order tile samples early when undertaking kitchen flooring renovations. Let your design vision truly click into place by experiencing each option firsthand within your home. Then make the final selection with conviction rooted in real-world evaluation.