SUMMARY:
BUYER BEWARE!!! Decent showroom and selection. You can get some good stuff there, but there are risks. We did get backsplash that was good once. If they have something you need, you know exactly what you want you are careful and clarify their return policy up front, you will probably be okay, but be sure to ask how crisp their timeframe is, if timing is critical. They said our tile would arrive in 2 weeks were a *full week* late, and I didn't find out until the last minute.
Do NOT assume they're steering you right or know what they're talking about. They will push you into something that is not in your interests to make a quick sale, and not all of their statements are accurate or helpful and can even get you into trouble. Their return policies and sales pitch are dubious at best. Definitely get your mortar and installation supplies from a big box store or something because you can get a *refund* for unused stuff. Also make serious effort find decent or acceptable *tile* at Lowes, Home Depot, Jerry's, DAL Tile, etc. for flexibility and good return policies and general professionalism. We spent $2000 at Ceramic Tile Supply Northwest, and had to donate the tiles to charity because, in my opinion, they conned us with some fast & loose sales pitches.
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SPECIFIC DETAILED REASONS FOR 1 STAR REVIEW:
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1. We let the guy talk us into some clearance tile (over $1400 worth), based on what he showed us that he 'happened to have in back' that he laid out on the floor. Conveniently that tile was missing all the really ugly ones from the real collection, e.g. not representative of the the total pattern set . He didn't warn us of the risks, nor mention it would be a final sale (because it was a clearance item), but slyly wrote it on the receipt. I could accept a shipping or re-stocking fee but, they stuck us with all of it.
When we got the tiles home weeks later, we opened a box a week and noticed some really ugly - harshly contrasting stripes and several tile almost the opposite color - I mean we are talking extreme color variance (there are like 10-12 different tile patterns and 3-4 are horrible). Never gotten tile that weird and crappy before. When I called told him about these unexpected wildcard tiles he had zero sympathy and that friendly sales talk disappeared pronto. Said that "the manufacturer would say that's part of the appeal of the tile" or something. BS: They are just plain ugly. Bottom line we laid out 1/4 of the floor and the tile was crap.
Later my wife called to ask what our options were and they mentioned maybe selling it at a loss on consignment. They told her if we'd returned it in 30 days they would have let us exchange it for other tiles. But they never said that before, such as when I called the first time to mention the 'shock' tiles. Plus the receipt indicated sale was final. So he tried to make it seem like it was our negligence in timing, but not their reckless or shady terms of sale. We donated all the tiles to Habitat for Humanity.
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2. They over-hyped and misrepresented the grout they sold us.
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He talked us into bagged grout ARDEX FL. That's a fast curing grout. It is is NOT what one should casually recommend for a typical customer / typical installation without warnings and caveats, because grout drying too fast is the bane of grouting! You need time to work with it and clean it up, otherwise it is *hard to clean up*
We told him we used and like Fusion Pro. He insisted it's the same stuff as Fusion Pro but with a faster curing additive. WRONG! Fusion Pro is ***waterproof***. ARDEX FL is only water *resistant* and has an online reputation for bleaching out easily and inconsistent color, plus you have to mix it, which increases the risk of inconsistencies. No return/refund of course.
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3. They sell Jet Board (saying its lighter and easier to work with than hardibacker).
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Product site boasts it's non-toxic and safe because it uses uses magnisium oxide (not silica), but what they *don't* mention is that it is layered in fiberglass mesh so when you cut it you wind up w/fiberglass debris that gets in your skin and also a lung hazard. Also if you need to ever pour self-leveling compound over the Jet Board, try to find one, just one that will confirm Jet Board is an acceptable surface to pour it over. Bet you can't.
I sent email to Jet-Board.com three or four days ago asking if I can pour Self-Leveling Compound over the board, no reply. I called them, got an answering machine. Still waiting for the callback. None of this would be an issue for name brand backer. read more
