What to Check When Buying Tiles for Your Property?

Selecting the right quality tiles is one of the most important decisions for your property. Whether finishing a new apartment, renovating a family home, or upgrading a commercial space, tiles represent a long-term investment. High-quality tiles combine visual appeal with durability, retain their finish over time, and resist damage from daily use.

At TILEX, we want our customers to make informed decisions. Here is a practical guide on what you should check before you invest in tiles for your property.

1. Match the Tile to the Space and Usage

The first factor to consider is the exact location where the tile will be installed. Each space has unique requirements, and selecting a tile suited to its purpose withstands daily use and maintains its quality over time.

Kitchens and Living Areas: These high-traffic spaces require tiles that are easy to clean and resistant to impact, spills, and heavy footfall.

Bathrooms and En-Suites: Safety is essential. Choose tiles with a secure grip underfoot, especially in wet conditions, to reduce the risk of slips and accidents.

Outdoor Patios and Walkways: Irish weather demands tiles that are weather-resistant. Outdoor tiles must handle rain, frost, and temperature fluctuations without cracking or becoming slippery.

Apartments and Rental Properties: For landlords and developers, durability to handle different tenants is important. Choose tiles that are low-maintenance and suitable for frequent use.

2. Check the "Feel" and Texture

When visiting a TILEX showroom in Ballymount, Mallow, or Drogheda, it is important to feel the materials in person. The texture of a tile provides valuable insight into its suitability for your space.
Glossy Finishes: Smooth, glossy tiles are ideal for bathroom or kitchen walls because they reflect light, brightening the room. They are also popular for luxury office lobbies or high-end apartment areas where a polished, sophisticated look is desired.

Matte and Textured Finishes: For floors in busy living rooms, commercial offices, or retail spaces, a matte or subtly textured finish is often more practical. These surfaces increase safety by improving grip and make it easier to conceal dust, scuffs, and footprints in areas with frequent use.

3. Consider Tile Size and Appearance

Tile size is an important factor when planning a space. The size selected can change how open or compact an area appears once the tiles are installed.

Large-Format Tiles:

Large-format tiles are commonly used in new builds and open-plan layouts. With fewer grout lines, the surface appears more continuous, which makes rooms feel more open and visually balanced.

Patterns and Variation:

Some tile collections include natural variation in colour or pattern. This reduces repetition across the surface and adds visual depth. Tiles with this type of variation are often chosen to create a natural, stone-like appearance in both residential and commercial spaces.

4. Consider Complete Property Solutions

A common mistake property owners make is focusing only on the “price per square meter” of tiles. It’s important to also consider the cost of adhesive, grout, spacers, trims, and, most importantly, professional installation.

TILEX provides a clear advantage with our Gold and Diamond Packages, which combine materials, accessories, and installation into a single solution. This approach removes uncertainty and makes budgeting for your project easier.

Diamond Package (€7,999) – Special Offer

• Tiles: Any Diamond category tiles for the ground floor
• Laminate: 12 mm, water-resistant, anti-slip for the first floor
• Acoustic underlay
• Carpet on stairs

Suitable for new houses from 90 to 110 square meters

Gold Package (€4,999) – Special Offer

• Laminate: 12 mm, water-resistant for ground and first floors
• Acoustic underlay
• Carpet on stairs

Splashbacks and countertops are available at an attractive rate if required.

Labor: Full professional installation, including removal and refitting of skirting boards and doors

Ask yourself, “Do I want to spend weeks coordinating multiple teams, or have one expert team complete the floor to a finished standard?”

5. The Wholesale Advantage

In the Irish property market, a higher price does not always mean better quality. Often, products cost more because they pass through multiple intermediaries before reaching the retailer.

It is important to check the source of the materials before making a purchase. TILEX is a 100% Irish-owned brand supported by our parent company, Vanquish Distributors. Being part of a wholesale network allows us to source tiles and flooring directly from leading factories. 

This gives you the Wholesale Advantage: premium materials at a more competitive price than traditional retail options.

6. Don’t Forget the Technical Finish (Skirting and Doors)

The final details of a property, such as skirting boards and doors, are what make a space look complete. One common issue with new flooring is height differences. A new tile or 12 mm laminate floor may sit higher than the previous floor, which can prevent doors from closing properly or leave skirting boards looking detached .

The TILEX Advantage: Our professional team at TILEX manages every step of the installation to create a polished finish, including removing and refitting skirting boards and trimming doors where needed.

What to Check: When choosing tiles or flooring, confirm that your provider has a plan for these technical details so the final result appears complete and well-finished.

7. Consider Long-Term Maintenance

For property developers and busy homeowners, low-maintenance materials are essential. You want a floor or surface that maintains its appearance and quality over time.

• Premium Wood Flooring: When selecting wood for an apartment or family home, pay attention to durability and thickness. TILEX laminates are manufactured for durability and water resistance. They provide the natural look of wood without sanding, staining, or the water-damage risks associated with traditional timber.

• Easy-to-Clean Surfaces: Modern tile collections at TILEX are non-porous, so they resist spills and stains. This makes them ideal for rental properties, commercial offices, and high-traffic areas where floors and surfaces need to retain their appearance over time.

Visit Our Showrooms for Expert Guidance

Choosing tiles for a major property project should never be based on a small sample or a low-quality photo online. Lighting, space, and surrounding colors all influence how a tile looks in a real environment.

We invite you to visit our showrooms in Dublin, Cork, Drogheda, and Mallow. Walking through full-sized displays lets you see how tiles perform in a room setting and how they align with vanity units, taps, and mirrors. Our team is available to provide guidance and support in calculating exactly what you need for your property, giving you confidence in your choices.

TILEX—Quality Design, Perfect Finish