Tiles for basement from the hardware store

Hello everyone,

soon the first DIY task is coming up:

Laying tiles in the basement in the utility room...

Of course, we will not rely on the expensive specialist retailer around the corner (we already get enough expensive stuff here that ultimately has to be billed through the general contractor).

We want to buy cheap tiles for our utility and laundry room that are still "technically" flawless and can be easily laid as a DIY project.

Is there anything I especially need to pay attention to in the area of DIY (simpler installation or similar)?

Are 10€/m² tiles from a hardware store any good? Ultimately, slip resistance, abrasion, porcelain stoneware etc. all match our 50€ bathroom tile... Where can the difference lie here?

I look forward to any help as the tile purchase is coming up soon and of course we want to shop in the affordable price range.

We are also just looking around. I definitely want to have the bathrooms done by a professional, who insists on tiles from the specialist trade because they are "calibrated" (also known as "rectified"), which probably means that special attention is paid to edge uniformity. Otherwise, you probably won't get even grout lines. There are apparently also rectified tiles in hardware stores, but you have to look closely. What I also noticed: often the tiles in hardware stores are simply thinner, maybe they break more easily (I once read that). But there are also "brand tiles" like Villeroy & Boch in hardware stores. I might be able to say more in one or two months when I have done the EL.

We’re also just looking around. I definitely want to have the bathrooms done by a professional, who insists on tiles from a specialist retailer because they are "calibrated" (also known as "rectified"), which probably means that special attention is paid to edge uniformity. Otherwise, you probably can’t get even grout lines.
There are also rectified tiles in hardware stores, but you really have to look carefully.
What I also noticed: tiles in hardware stores are often simply thinner, maybe they break more easily (I once read that).
But there are also "branded tiles" like Villeroy & Boch in hardware stores.
I might be able to say more in a month or two after I’ve done the EL.

Yes, I had also already read about calibration...

I’m curious whether it’s really harder for a layman to lay a €10 tile compared to a calibrated tile, which is therefore also more expensive... :D

Okay, unfortunately we have to buy the tiles earlier than in 1-2 months because we still have to tile the concrete base for the air-water heat pump in advance (logically with the same tile as for the floor).

I would have liked to "take along" your experience :)

Then we will just go around the hardware stores this weekend and look closely... maybe we will find something suitable for little money

Nope, as a layman it's just as easy/hard, but it probably looks even more "shitty." Which I wouldn't care about at all in the utility room. You don't really move the heat pump once it's in place. So why tile if you don't see any of it? My tower is just standing around too, there's no tiling. Whether I'll bother to tile under it again - I don't think so.

No, as a layperson it's just as easy/hard, but it probably looks even more "shitty". Which I really wouldn't care about in the utility room.
You don't really move the heat pump once it's installed. So why tile if you don't see anything of it?
My tower is also just standing around, there's no tiling. Whether I go to the trouble of tiling under it again - I don't think so.

Yeah, I certainly don't care so much in the basement now – rather buy relatively cheaply, as long as the appearance is still within limits.

The general contractor said we have to tile the concrete base. Sure, ultimately probably also for the "appearance", although I'm not even sure about that? But the specification was actually crystal clear from the general contractor...

I don't have a problem with that now either... it surely also goes relatively quickly and: "if already, then properly" :)

Are 10€/m² tiles from a hardware store any good?

Yes.

Many differences lie in the name of the manufacturer and perhaps in the terms "rectified" or "calibrated."

I would be interested to know if it is really harder for a layperson to lay a 10€ tile compared to a calibrated tile, which is also more expensive... :D

No. Just use any leveling system and it will be perfect.