Thinking about replacing some of the flooring in your home? Haven’t deciding on whether you want ceramic tile or porcelain tile? How do you even get started? Do you just pop over to a tile store? Do they come to you? What do you need to prepare beforehand? Who takes the measurements? So many questions, so we decided to write this post to help you out. When shopping for tile, it’s good to have some things with you, at least some notes.
We added the location of our tile showrooms below as well.
Before You Visit Our Tile Showroom Here's a List Of Things You Might Need
Don’t walk into the showroom empty-handed. Bring these essentials to make tile shopping much easier (and faster).
Whether it’s your first renovation or your fifth, showing up to the tile store prepared can save you a ton of time and help you avoid making expensive mistakes. At Eco‑Depot, our experts will walk you through the whole selection process, step-by-step, but the more information they have to go on, the better they can help you.
So before you hop in the car and head to one of our showrooms in Montreal, Laval, or the South Shore, here’s a quick list of what you should bring with you.
1. 📏 Room Measurements
You don’t need to be exact to the decimal, but knowing your room’s length and width in feet will help us give you:
- A rough estimate of how much tile you’ll need
- A better sense of what tile sizes will look right in your space
- More accurate info if you’re requesting a quote
Pro tip: Add 10–15% to your total for cuts, waste, and backup tiles.
2. 📱 Photos of Your Space
Take quick snapshots of the room(s) you’re planning to tile and make sure to include the floors, walls, windows, lighting, and anything else that could affect color and layout.
How Photos Help
Porcelain and Ceramic floor tile comes in a lot of different sizes.
Your photos help us recommend tile sizes based on scale, the shape of your room and more.
Your pictures also help us…
- Match lighting conditions to tile finishes (matte vs gloss)
- Spot anything that might impact layout or installation
3. 🎨 Inspiration Images of Flooring
Know what vibe you’re going for? Bring it with you. Pinterest boards, Instagram screenshots, magazine clippings, or even just tiles you saw in a friend’s kitchen.
Visual references help you:
- Communicate your style clearly
- Compare your ideas to real samples
- Narrow things down faster
4. 🧱 Existing Finishes or Samples
If you’re keeping your cabinets, countertops, paint, or flooring in place, bring samples of them along (or photos in natural lighting).
That way, you can:
- Match undertones and textures
- Avoid clashing finishes
- See how the tile will actually look in your home
5. 🤔 Your Preferences & Priorities
Think about the big-picture choices before you visit:
- Porcelain or Ceramic Tile?
- Matte or glossy finish?
- Light, dark, or somewhere in between?
- Small, medium, or large format?
- Are you going for bold… or timeless?
- And don’t forget that even choosing the right color of grout will greatly affect the final outcome
You don’t need to know exactly what you want, but the more direction you give us, the faster we can help you find the right match.
🚗 Ready to Visit Us?
Bring whatever you have prepared and come see hundreds of porcelain and ceramic tile styles at our showrooms in Montreal, Laval, and the South Shore.
Prefer to get started from home?
Visit An Eco-Depot Showroom Near You
