Buying Zellige Tile Online: What to Check First

Zellige is glazed clay tile with an uneven surface, soft edges and color that shifts from one piece to the next. That variation is the whole point, and it is also what makes buying zellige tile online trickier than ordering a box of porcelain. A photo shows you a wall of tile at its best. It cannot tell you how much variation you will personally be comfortable with, or whether the specific product is handmade or a machine-made look-alike.

Here is what to check before you place an order, whether you are ordering through our site or anywhere else.

Understand what zellige is

Traditional zellige is made by hand in Morocco from local clay. The tiles are shaped, dried, glazed and fired, and the process leaves each piece a little different: some thicker, some with pinholes or small chips, some with glaze that has pooled or thinned at the edges. Laid together, those differences create the rippling, reflective surface people love.

There are also zellige-look products made with more controlled manufacturing. They are more consistent and easier to install, but they have less of the depth and movement of the handmade product. Neither is wrong. They are different choices, and you should know which one you are buying.

Read the listing carefully

When you buy zellige tile online, the listing is most of what you have to go on. Look for:

• Material and origin: handmade clay, or a ceramic or porcelain zellige look. If the listing does not say, ask.
• Nominal size and thickness: handmade tiles vary slightly in size and thickness, so the numbers are approximate. Thickness affects how the tile meets other surfaces.
• Finish: glossy, satin or matte. Most traditional zellige is glossy.
• Variation notes: manufacturers often describe variation as low, moderate or high. Zellige is almost always on the high end.
• Trim availability: is there a matching bullnose or edge piece, or will your installer need another approach?

All of our zellige, around 40 products, comes from Bedrosians, including the Zagora line. You can browse it in the tile category and compare colors and formats side by side.

Know what to expect when the boxes arrive

Handmade zellige arrives looking imperfect. That is normal. Expect:

• Chips on corners and edges, especially on handmade lines
• Pinholes and small craters in the glaze
• Color shifts from tile to tile and box to box
• Some pieces that are visibly thicker or thinner than others

Plan to lose some tiles to sorting. Many installers set aside the worst pieces for cuts and ends. That is why zellige orders usually include more overage than a porcelain job. Ask how much extra is recommended for the specific product and your layout.

Order zellige tile online with the whole job in mind

• Order it all at once. Colors can vary between production runs. Buying everything together, with extra, reduces the risk of a mismatch.
• Account for the layout. Herringbone and other patterns produce more cuts and waste.
• Include trim and accessories. Edges and outside corners are easy to forget until the installer asks.
• Think about access. Zellige is best used where you can live with a slightly uneven surface. Behind a range or in a shower, confirm the product is suitable for that use.

Check the tiles before installation starts

Open several boxes when the order arrives and inspect them before your installer begins.

1. Confirm the product name, color and size on each box.
2. Lay out tiles from multiple boxes on the floor to see the color range.
3. Blend tiles from several boxes during installation rather than finishing one box at a time.
4. Set aside any tile you really do not want on the wall.
5. If something looks wrong, not just varied, contact the seller before installation, not after.

In a Bellingham kitchen with low winter light, it is worth looking at the laid-out tiles at the time of day you use the room most. Glossy zellige reflects whatever light is there, so it can look quite different on a grey afternoon than in the bright photos online.

Talk to your installer early

Not every installer enjoys setting zellige. Its uneven thickness and edges mean more time spent back-buttering and adjusting, and grout joints that behave differently from uniform tile. Ask your installer whether they have set handmade tile before and how they want to approach joints and grout.

If you are in or near Bellingham, WA, call (360) 255-8377 or email [email protected] with your wall measurements and the layout you have in mind. We can help you compare the zellige options in the tile category and work out how much to order before you buy.