Tiles and Building Materials: Batch, Shade and Size Checks

Two boxes of tiles can carry the same article number, the same name and the same picture, and still look different on the floor. Tiles are fired in batches, and between one batch and the next the shade and the exact size can shift. Laid side by side in one room, the difference shows as patches that the customer notices at once. The check at receiving is where this is caught cheaply, before the pallets are broken up and sold. This article covers the batch, shade and size checks for tiles and similar building materials. Breakage and chipping are a different subject.

What the box label tells you

Most tile boxes carry a set of codes on the side. The names differ between makers, but the content is similar:

• the article or design code;
• the batch or lot number, which identifies the production run;
• the shade or tone code;
• the size or calibre code, showing the exact size class;
• the quality grade;
• pieces per box and area per box in square metres.

Write these down for every pallet. Pallets with different batch, shade or size codes belong to different groups, and they must be recorded as such.

Compare, do not assume

1. Check that the codes on every pallet agree with the order and the packing list. A pallet with a different batch code is not necessarily wrong, but you should know about it.
2. Take one box from each pallet and compare its codes with those of the neighbouring pallet.
3. Lay out six to ten tiles from different boxes side by side on a clean floor, in daylight if possible. Differences of shade show at once, and a photograph with a ruler beside the tiles is a record.
4. Measure a few tiles with a tape or a calliper, in length and width, and note the numbers. A small difference in size matters, because tiles of different calibres do not give an even joint. Compare the figures with the size and tolerance in your specification.
5. Hold two tiles face to face along the edges to see warp or curvature, and check the surfaces and edges for chips and glaze defects.

Counting by area

Tiles are sold by area, so count both ways. Boxes times pieces per box gives pieces. Boxes times the area per box gives square metres, which should match the invoice. If the label says 1.44 square metres per box and the invoice charges for something different, you will see the gap at once.

Keep the pallets apart

The most useful rule is a simple one: do not mix batches. Put each batch in its own place in the warehouse, label it, and sell or lay it as a group. A room that is to be tiled should be supplied from a single shade code. A pallet that arrives mixed, with boxes of two shades, should be recorded as it came and then separated, not mixed further.

The same logic applies to laminate, paint and adhesives, where batch codes appear on the packs and the shade or colour can vary between batches.

A conditional example

The invoice is for 800 boxes of 1.44 square metres, so 1,152 square metres. The packing list shows shade code B2 for all 20 pallets of 40 boxes. At receiving, 17 pallets carry B2 and 3 pallets carry B3. The three pallets hold 120 boxes, which is 120 × 1.44 = 172.8 square metres. Laid side by side, B2 and B3 tiles show a visible difference. You photograph the labels, the laid-out tiles and the pallets. The record: "3 pallets (nos. 4, 9 and 15; 120 boxes; 172.8 sq m) show shade B3, the packing list shows B2; photographs 12 to 25." The supplier now has the quantity, the affected pallets and the proof.

In short

For tiles, the batch and the shade are the product. CargoChek reads the codes on every pallet, compares sample tiles and measures their size, and gives you a quantity table by batch with photographs, so that you can discuss the differences with your supplier before the pallets are split.