The user, after completing the tiling, discovered that the floor differed, in particular its aesthetic characteristics, from the expected results. This can only be a “subjective” opinion, that is, the lined surface under certain conditions makes an unpleasant impression on the user, which was not taken into account when choosing the tile. Tiles may also differ for objective reasons, for example, in tone, class of material, etc. In both cases, the user is not satisfied with the results of the cladding, and is sure that the supplier (suppliers) treated him unfairly.
Cause
If the differences are “subjective”, then we are faced with a complex problem: the reasons are purely speculative, based on the visual and physiological perception of the entire surface compared to the impression of an individual cladding element. Ultimately, tile selection is based on samples that reflect a very limited portion of the surface. When choosing a tile, not everyone imagines it as an element of a large tiled surface, and does not think about the impression that the tile will make (decors, shine, possible disharmony with the room, surface texture created and emphasized by the seams of the tile are taken into account) depending from its location. In this case, the cause of consumer dissatisfaction was a simple oversight, which, if desired, cannot be considered an error in the “decorative” or architectural planning of the cladding.
As far as objective differences are concerned, the cause is almost always errors or misunderstandings between the consumer buyer and the tile supplier. The EN 14411 Standards set 5% as the acceptable number of defective tiles per batch of the highest quality tiles. Of course, tiles in which defects are obvious must be removed before installation. In addition, it is necessary to clearly distinguish between two situations: 1) The consumer orders high-quality tiles, but instead receives lower quality tiles from the supplier. Obviously, there was a misunderstanding between the manufacturer and the buyer. 2) The consumer orders high-quality tiles and receives tiles declared to be high-quality, which, however, does not meet the specified requirements that distinguish high-quality tiles from lower ones. In this case, the product is defective because it does not meet the agreed requirements.
Prevention
Subjective differences can be avoided by careful visual planning of the surface covering, including testing immediately before laying the tiles. For example, you can lay out a sufficiently large number of tiles on the floor surface in order to have an idea of the aesthetic properties of the cladding.
Objective differences can be prevented by special inspection of the tiles before installation: by carefully checking the tiles, make sure that the quality corresponds to what was agreed in advance. In addition, to avoid errors and misunderstandings, the buyer should always keep samples of the tiles he has selected in order to compare them with the products supplied. In the event that defective tiles are found in such quantity and quality that inferior quality tiles can be supplied, installation must be stopped and checked using the appropriate test methods specified in ISO 10545 Part 2.
The article was based on the following materials:
“How and Why” by Timellini Giorgio and Palmonari Carlo.