Terrace Tiles – Choosing tiles for your home is an exciting step, whether you are renovating a bathroom, designing a new kitchen, or upgrading your living room. However, selecting the right tiles involves more than finding a colour or pattern you like. You also need accurate room measurements, a clear idea of your interior design, the right tile samples, and a realistic estimate of how much material to purchase.
Before visiting a tiles showroom in Delhi, preparing a few essentials can save you time, reduce unnecessary expenses, and help you make a confident buying decision. It also makes it easier to discuss your requirements with showroom experts and compare suitable tile options for your space.
At BR Ceramics, we understand that every home has different requirements. From floor and wall tiles to statement surfaces and contemporary finishes, choosing the right product starts with understanding your space and how you plan to use it.
Use this practical tile shopping checklist before your next showroom visit.
1. Measure Your Rooms Before You Go
Accurate measurements are the foundation of successful tile planning. Without them, you may select a tile size that does not suit your room or order too little or too much material.
You do not need to prepare professional architectural drawings before visiting a showroom. However, basic measurements will help you shortlist suitable products and estimate the approximate quantity required.
Your measurement checklist
- Measure the length and width of every room or area you want to tile.
- Record the ceiling height if you plan to install wall tiles.
- Measure bathrooms, kitchen backsplashes, balconies, utility areas, and other smaller spaces separately.
- Note the dimensions of doors, windows, kitchen counters, and permanent fixtures.
- Identify columns, niches, corners, and unusual shapes that may affect tile cutting.
- Keep separate measurements for flooring and wall surfaces.
- Mention whether the existing flooring will be removed or tiles will be installed over another prepared surface.
For a rectangular room, calculate the floor area by multiplying its length by its width.
For example: If your living room is 15 feet long and 12 feet wide:
Floor area = 15 × 12 = 180 sq. ft.
Repeat this calculation for each room and add the individual areas to estimate the total flooring requirement. For walls, measure the relevant wall lengths and heights, then subtract large openings where appropriate.
Why tile dimensions’ matter
Tile size affects the appearance of a room, the number of joints, cutting requirements, and installation complexity. Large-format tiles may create a more seamless appearance in spacious living rooms, while smaller tiles can work well for selected decorative applications or areas with multiple slopes and corners.
The best option depends on the room dimensions, surface condition, installation method, and design preference. Ask the showroom team to recommend suitable sizes based on your measurements rather than selecting a product based on appearance alone.
Pro tip: Carry a simple room sketch with dimensions written on it. Even a hand-drawn layout can help the showroom team understand your requirements more quickly.
2. Bring Photos, Layouts and Colour Swatches
A tile may look attractive on a showroom display but feel completely different when paired with your furniture, wall paint, cabinetry, lighting, and existing finishes. Bringing visual references helps you choose tiles that complement your overall interior design.
Your visual reference checklist
- Take clear photographs of the room from different angles.
- Capture the existing flooring, walls, windows, and ceiling.
- Bring your floor plan or interior designer’s layout, if available.
- Carry paint colour cards or small colour swatches.
- Photograph your furniture, wardrobes, kitchen cabinets, and bathroom fittings.
- Save images of tile designs, textures, and colours you like.
- Note your preferred interior style, such as modern, minimalist, classic, or natural.
If you are selecting tiles for a new home, share your proposed interior layout and reference images. This can help the showroom team suggest suitable combinations for floors, walls, feature areas, and other surfaces.
Match tiles with your interior style
Consider the overall appearance you want to create before choosing individual products.
- For living rooms: Neutral colours, stone-inspired finishes, and coordinated large-format tiles can create an open, cohesive look.
- For bedrooms: Warm tones, subtle textures, and wood-look tiles can complement a comfortable, relaxing interior.
- For kitchens: Choose finishes that suit your cabinetry and are practical to clean, especially around cooking and preparation areas.
- For bathrooms: Consider slip resistance, water exposure, drainage slopes, and the suitability of the finish for wet areas.
- For balconies: Check the product’s suitability for outdoor exposure, weather conditions, and slip resistance.
Do not focus on colour alone. Surface finish, texture, tile size, grout colour, lighting, and maintenance requirements all influence the final result.
Plan combinations instead of selecting tiles individually
If you are choosing tiles for multiple rooms, create a simple list of the products you need. For example, you may require one tile for the living room, another for bedrooms, a separate option for bathroom walls, and a suitable anti-slip product for bathroom floors.
Planning these combinations in advance helps maintain a consistent design throughout your home while allowing individual rooms to have their own character.
You can also explore the BR Ceramics Create Your Own Design experience to help visualise tile combinations and plan your preferred look before finalising your selection.
3. Ask for Tile Samples and Check Them in Daylight
One of the most important steps in your tile shopping checklist is reviewing samples before confirming your order.
Photographs and showroom displays are useful for shortlisting products, but lighting conditions, screen settings, and surrounding colours can affect how a tile appears. A sample helps you evaluate its actual colour, texture, finish, and compatibility with your interior.
Your tile sample checklist
- Request samples of your shortlisted tiles, wherever available.
- Check the colour and texture in natural daylight.
- Compare the sample with your wall paint, furniture, and cabinetry.
- View the sample under your home’s artificial lighting.
- Place it horizontally if you are selecting flooring and vertically if you are selecting wall tiles.
- Check whether the surface appears glossy, matte, textured, or reflective under different lighting conditions.
- Review the sample at different times of the day.
- Confirm whether the sample represents the product, finish, and size you intend to order.
Why daylight matters
Natural light can make a tile appear warmer, cooler, lighter, or darker than it looks under showroom lighting. Artificial lighting can also influence how beige, grey, white, and wood-inspired finishes appear.
For the most reliable comparison, place the sample in the actual room where the tiles will be installed. Observe it near windows, in shaded areas, and under your regular lights.
Check the complete look, not just the sample
Some tiles have natural-looking variations in colour, pattern, or texture. These variations may be part of the intended design, especially with stone-inspired and wood-look finishes.
Ask the showroom team about the product’s shade variation and visual characteristics. If possible, review multiple pieces or a larger display to understand how the pattern repeats across an installed surface.
Also ask about the recommended grout colour and joint width. A contrasting grout can create a more defined grid, while a coordinated grout can produce a more continuous appearance.
Important: Samples are useful for evaluating a product, but they may not show every variation present across a full production batch. Confirm the shade, calibre, finish, and batch details before ordering.
4. How Much Extra Tile Should You Order?
Knowing how much extra tile to order is essential for controlling your project budget and avoiding delays during installation.
The exact quantity depends on the room layout, tile size, cutting requirements, installation pattern, and the possibility of breakage. As a general planning guideline, homeowners often allow approximately 5–10% extra for straightforward layouts and around 10–15% for more complex layouts. These are estimates, not fixed rules; your installer should confirm the appropriate allowance.
Your tile quantity checklist
- Calculate the total area to be tiled.
- Confirm the tile dimensions and coverage per box.
- Estimate the additional quantity needed for cutting and wastage.
- Allow for the installation pattern, especially diagonal or complex layouts.
- Ask your installer to account for corners, niches, borders, and unusual room shapes.
- Confirm the number of tiles or square feet included in each box.
- Round the final quantity up to complete boxes where required.
- Consider retaining a few spare tiles for future repairs.
Example: Calculating tile quantity
Suppose your living room measures 180 sq. ft. and you plan to use a straightforward installation pattern.
For a 10% allowance:
Extra tiles required = 180 × 10% = 18 sq. ft.
Total estimated requirement = 180 + 18 = 198 sq. ft.
You would therefore plan for approximately 198 sq. ft. of tiles, subject to the installer’s final calculation and the product’s box coverage.
If each box covers 16 sq. ft., divide 198 by 16:
198 ÷ 16 = 12.375 boxes.
Since tiles are generally sold in complete boxes, you would need to purchase 13 boxes, providing 208 sq. ft. of coverage.
This example is illustrative. The actual requirement may change depending on the tile dimensions, room geometry, and cutting plan.
How much extra should you order for different spaces?
Simple rectangular rooms: Around 5–10% extra may be a reasonable starting point for planning.
Rooms with many corners or irregular shapes: Consider a higher allowance because additional cuts can increase wastage.
Diagonal or intricate patterns: These layouts may require more cutting, so discuss a suitable allowance with your installer before placing the order.
Bathrooms and kitchens: Niches, plumbing openings, backsplashes, and small wall sections can affect cutting requirements. Calculate floors and walls separately.
Feature walls and decorative patterns: Special layouts may require careful matching of patterns and additional pieces to achieve the intended appearance.
Why should you keep spare tiles?
Keeping a few unused tiles can be helpful if a tile becomes chipped, cracked, or damaged in the future. Finding an exact match later may be difficult if the product has been discontinued or the original batch is unavailable.
Store spare tiles safely in a dry location and retain the product details, invoice, shade information, and batch identification.
Avoid ordering too little or too much
Ordering too little may lead to installation delays, additional delivery costs, or shade differences if a replacement comes from another batch. Ordering too much unnecessarily can increase project expenses and leave you with unused boxes.
Before paying, ask the showroom team and your installer to review the final quantity together. Confirm the coverage per box, the recommended wastage allowance, and the procedure for handling unopened boxes or surplus material.
5. Questions to Ask About Batch, Warranty and Delivery
Once you have shortlisted your tiles, clarify the commercial and logistical details before confirming the purchase. These questions can help you avoid misunderstandings and plan installation more efficiently.
Your final purchasing checklist
Product and batch
- Is the selected tile available in the required quantity?
- Are the tiles from the same shade and production batch?
- What are the product’s shade and calibre details?
- Is the selected size and finish suitable for my intended application?
- Can I inspect the product or a larger display before ordering?
- Are there any product-specific installation requirements?
Shade and calibre differences can occur between production batches. For this reason, ordering the required quantity together, wherever possible, helps reduce the risk of visible differences across a completed floor or wall.
Warranty and product care
- What warranty, if any, applies to this product?
- What conditions or exclusions are covered?
- What cleaning products and maintenance methods are recommended?
- Are there any special precautions for installation or daily use?
- What should I do if I discover damaged or defective tiles?
Warranty coverage varies by product and manufacturer. Ask for the applicable terms in writing rather than assuming that every product has the same coverage.
Delivery and installation planning
- What is the expected delivery timeline?
- Is the complete quantity available for immediate dispatch?
- What delivery charges apply to my location?
- How will the tiles be packaged and transported?
- What is the process for reporting transit damage?
- What is the policy for returning or exchanging unopened boxes?
- How long should I allow between ordering the tiles and scheduling installation?
Inspect delivered cartons promptly and report any visible damage according to the seller’s stated procedure. Keep your invoice and delivery documentation until the project is complete.
Confirm the total project budget
The price of the tiles is only one part of your overall flooring or wall-finishing budget. Depending on the project, you may also need to account for adhesive, grout, levelling materials, waterproofing, labour, surface preparation, skirting, transport, and removal of existing flooring.
Ask for a clear product quotation and discuss the additional items with your contractor. This makes it easier to compare options on a like-for-like basis and helps you avoid unexpected costs later.
6. Frequently Asked Questions
1. What should I carry when visiting a tiles showroom in Delhi?
Carry your room measurements, a floor plan if available, photographs of the space, colour swatches, furniture references, and a list of your requirements. If you have a preferred budget or installation timeline, share those details as well. This helps the showroom team recommend suitable options more efficiently.
2. How much extra tile should I order?
A general planning allowance is approximately 5–10% for straightforward layouts and 10–15% for complex layouts. The correct quantity depends on tile size, cutting requirements, installation patterns, and room geometry. Ask your installer to calculate the final quantity before placing your order.
3. Can I take tile samples home?
Sample availability and borrowing policies vary by showroom and product. Ask the showroom team whether samples are available to take home. Checking a sample in your own lighting and alongside your existing finishes can help you make a more confident decision.
4. How can I find a tile showroom near me?
Search for a tile showroom near me, compare product ranges and showroom facilities, and review the location and contact details before visiting. If you are in Delhi or the surrounding NCR region, you can contact BR Ceramics to discuss your requirements and plan a showroom visit.
Visit the BR Ceramics contact page for location and enquiry details.
5. Is it better to buy all tiles in one batch?
Where possible, ordering the required quantity together can help minimise shade and calibre differences between batches. Confirm the batch details with the seller, particularly if you are purchasing tiles for a large area or multiple connected rooms.
6. Should I finalise tiles before hiring an installer?
You can shortlist tiles before hiring an installer, but it is helpful to consult your contractor before confirming the final quantity and installation pattern. An experienced installer can identify cutting challenges, surface preparation needs, and other factors that may affect material requirements.
7. What should I check before accepting tile delivery?
Check the delivered quantity, product size, shade and batch information, carton condition, and any visible damage. Compare the delivery with your order and invoice, and report discrepancies promptly according to the seller’s policy.
8. Can I visualise tile combinations before buying?
Yes. You can use room photographs, colour references, physical samples, and design visualisation tools to explore possible combinations. BR Ceramics offers a Create Your Own Design experience that can help you plan your preferred look before making your final selection.
Make Your Tile Shopping Visit Count
Choosing tiles becomes easier when you arrive prepared. Accurate measurements help you estimate quantities, photographs and colour swatches guide your design choices, and samples allow you to evaluate finishes in your own lighting. Understanding extra tile requirements, batch details, warranty terms, and delivery arrangements can also help you avoid common purchasing mistakes.
Whether you are renovating a single room or planning tiles for an entire home, use this checklist to make your showroom visit more productive and your buying decision more informed.
At BR Ceramics, our team can help you explore tile options and discuss products suited to your space, design preferences, and project requirements. Learn more about our company on the About BR Ceramics page.
Ready to choose tiles for your home?
Book your showroom visit with BR Ceramics and speak with our team about your requirements before finalising your selection.
Bring your measurements, room photographs, and inspiration images—and take the next step towards creating a home that reflects your style.