Marble tile at big box vs tile store - myth vs fact

last year

We have a quote on a Carrara marble tile for our master bath floor from a local tile store. Looking around, we see what appears to be the same tile at Floor & Decor for much less.

So…is it really all the same in terms of quality between the big boxes and tile stores? Price may vary because the big boxes are buying so much so have better pricing? Or do we need to be concerned that if we get the marble tile (or any tile we are looking at) from a big box that it is somehow a “second” and we may run into quality problems.

Thanks in advance.

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Comments (3)

PRO
HALLETT & Co.
last year
If you can verify it’s the same it’s the same. My tile guy has been in the business over twenty years and avoids floor and decor, especially their mosaics. They aren’t consistent on spacing and thickness. I think a basic marble would be fine, especially if you inspect prior to install.
dani_m08
last year
Hallett & Co is correct (as usual!) - you need to confirm what the place of origin is for the marble tiles that you are looking at purchasing. Country of origin = where the marble was mined - not where it was manufactured.

For example, only marble mined from Italy is actually Carrara or Calacatta marble - although many places will call the marble they sell "carrara" or "calacatta."

A few years ago, one of my sisters bought some marble tiles from F&D. They had several different types. She purchased Bianco Carrara and Thassos. The Bianco Carrara country of origin was Italy and the Thassos was from Greece. It showed the country of origin under the specifications on the website.

However, she told me that when she went to purchase some hexagon mosaic tile sheets for her fireplace last year, F & D no longer listed the country of origin on its website. She had to call the store to find out which mosaic sheets were made with marble from Italy.

The mosaic marble sheets made with Italian marble were manufactured in China - and didn't have consistent spacing between hexagons - so, her installer had to remove some of the hexagons and hand set them + use some spacers to make the grout lines a consistent size.

You also want to look through any boxes you buy to see if any of the pieces are broken/cracked/etc. F&D sold the marble tiles by the piece - so, she could return those types of pieces.

People have posted issues on here related to marble mined in China - it appears to have more iron inside which can rust with continued exposure to water.
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PRO
Minardi
last year
Floor and Decor is seconds quality. Mostly packaged as firsts. Especially the stone. Lots of iron, copper, and other inclusions in the stone that will rust or turn other colors with exposure to water and oxygen. More fissures, holes, and things that wouldn't pass QC from a better manufacturer. If you ever looked at travertine tiles and seen the difference between the big canyons and holes, vs the soda pop bubbles, you could easily understand some of the differences between good and bad quality.