More about SPARES

I can't overemphasize how important are spare tiles. When I came into the business, tile was thought to last forever, and sometimes does. At least our forever and then some. But forever is a long time. I have discovered over the years how people often seek a "new look" so removing or covering the old is a solution and this is not for them.

But for those expecting to keep their tile throughout their lifetime in one house, spares are important! Tile DYE LOTS change frequently so if a tile is still available (and often that's not the case) the shading, coloring, or other aspects may be different. Only the original can be assured to look the same, a patch may be as odd as the tile it is replacing.

And travertine I have found to be worse. Different look, different size, different thickness. And difficult to remove as typically the grout joints are much tighter and the material is so soft - chipping neighbors when trying to remove the errant tile.

Nevertheless, I always encourage people to keep spares if they can be put away somewhere, and to change them when trying to sell the house unless you have so many that you can do it without jeopardy. Like anything, tile can be broken or chipped.