Bianco Basketweave Border and Subway Tile

(Picture time: to start some 3×6″ a box of Basketweave and Basketweave Border)  Bianco Carrara Basketweave packaging.  Basketweave Border and 3×6″ Carrara Subway Tile.

Carrara Bianco Basketweave Border and Carrara Bianco 3×6″ Subway Tile

Another Angle (June 29th shipment)

And another.

As the Bianco Carrara Basketweave border arrived yesterday we took the opportunity armed with a Samsung cell phone to get some snaps.  Some of the nicest Carrara we have ever bought had.  Seems almost a shame to sell it.  Certainly we will be keeping some of it for ourselves.

Another interesting point is that we are the only online retailer that actually takes pictures of our product.  You will note when looking at our competitors sites that they just keep repeating the same old image.  When you go to their blogs of which most have less than ten posts they are all just verbiage.  Never a picture, not a single one.  I wonder why?  Do you think it is because:

a) They are so happy with their product that they wish to keep it a secret?

b) The product is actually inferior quality and a picture would show it to be dull and without and clarity of veining (almost dare we say it Turkish marble)?

It is pretty easy and does not take up a lot of time to take images.  We feel it is important to the customer.  What they see is what they get, actually due to the fact the pictures are taken with a cell phone what they get is better.  Any questions, comments or interest buying from this lot please email (call this June 29th shipment) us at questions@thebuilderdepot.com.

Carrara Bianco 3×6″ Italian Marble Subway Tile

Another shipment of Italian Bianco Carrara Marble arrived today (29th July 2012).  This is the 3×6″ Honed Bianco Carrara.

Packaging of Mosaics

Each Box of Mosaic from The Builder Depot Bianco Carrara Collection is packed in high quality card and shrink wrapped for protection.  Each box is designed to hold just 5SF making the product lighter and easy to manage for the consumer.

Between each mosaic is a protective plastic sheet to ensure the mosaic on top does not scratch the one underneath.

We are often asked, how is the product packaged.  The mosaic’s in Bianco Carrara are packed in boxes of 5SF (five square feet).  The boxes are shrink wrapped and a small window to make certain what is shipped out is what is ordered.  We are not simply shipping loose tile, we have taken great care to select and cut only the best blocks of Italian marble.  It makes sense that the packaging should shown equal consideration.  It is just another way in which thebuilderdepot.com differentiates itself as a supplier of premium Italian stone.

Bianco Carrara Collection

Bianco Carrara Collection from thebuilderdepot.com

While it is not the most organized picture.  It certainly shows how the collection as a whole blends well together.  This month we have received in over 80 pallets of Carrara Bianco Marble tile.  The quality of stone is better than 2011, the current Carrara lots have a very white base with crisp clean veining throughout the tiles and mosaics (as the picture shows).  Order a sample and see for yourself at www.thebuilderdepot.com

The picture shows  from far left Carrara Bianco Stella Long Octagon, Carrara Bianco 2″ Hexagon Mosaic, 3×6″ Carrara Subway in brick format, two tiles of Carrara Bianco 3×8″, next to that is Carrara Bianco 2×4″ mosaic.  The trims include (at the bottom) Carrara Bianco Skirting, Carrara Bianco Pencil and Chair Rail.

More Products Arrive June 28th – Including Polished Collection

Carrara Bianco Long Octagon Polished and Honed $13.95SF Arrives June 28th (hits the port on the 20th June)

New shipment of products arrives June 20th at the port of Savannah and then will deliver to our warehouse on the 28th.  The products on this vessel contain (items we do not have in stock currently).  These items have been steadily receiving backorders which anyone can place via email.  Customers do not have to pay for the product until the day it is ready to ship.

If you are interested in placing a backorder simply email sales@thebuilderdepot.com with the quantity and ship to zip code.  You will then receive a quote, once you agree to the quote then you will be emailed a backorder reference number and your order is saved in our system

Carrara Bianco Products:

• Carrara Bianco Long Octagon Polished (290SF Left)
• Carrara Bianco Long Octagon Mosaic Honed (140SF Left)
• Carrara Bianco Basketweave Mosaic Polished (360SF Left)
• Carrara Bianco Herringbone Mosaic Polished (290SF Left)
• Carrara Bianco Basketweave Mosaic Border Honed (500 Pieces)
• Carrara Bianco 5″ Hexagon Mosaic Honed (200SF Left)
• Carrara Bianco 2×4″ Subway Mosaic Honed (250SF Left)
• Carrara Bianco 3×6″ Subway Tile Polished (780SF Left)

And in Calacatta Borghini:

• Calacatta 2″ Hexagon Marble Mosaic (310SF Left)
• Calacatta 3×6″ Subway Marble Tile ((280SF Left)

The next container to arrive is a complete tile container of just 6×12″ and 12×12″ in Honed and Polished, Calacatta and Carrara Bianco.  If you have any questions please email questions@thebuilderdepot.com or call 800-308-9359.

Carrara Bianco Honed Collection – Arrived and looks great!

Products from the Carrara Bianco Honed Collection. New container Arrived June 11th 2012.

The Pictures show: Carrara Bianco Honed Basketweave • Carrara Bianco Honed Pencil Trim • Carrara Bianco Honed Baseboard Skirting • Carrara Bianco Honed 3×8″ Subway Tile

Carrara Bianco Basketweave Honed and 3×8″ Subway Tile Honed. Perfect White base with Gray veining.

It is, regardless of the time taken to select the best blocks always a little nerve racking when opening the crates after the marble arrives from Italy.  The 28 pallets show up and are unloaded very quickly, then comes to opening the crates and checking the product.  We have never had any damage or problems to date (knock on marble).

The crates were delivered in perfect condition – as always.  However on this occasion the product has exceeded even our high expectations.  Italy has for the last 24 months been running grayer than normal and getting a whiter base has been tough.  On opening these crates and going through the boxes we were all shocked.  The product is absolute perfection.

We quickly wanted to place a few pieces on our warehouse floor and with help of a Samsung camera phone took these pictures.  (No professional photography here folks).  Incredible product the best we have seen in years. Now we just need the Euro to keep falling against the dollar so we can offset higher fuel costs against a better exchange rate and keep our prices stable.

If you would like a quote on this Basketweave or any other products please visit us online thebuilderdepot.com email us reference ‘June 11th delivery’ to sales@thebuilderdepot.com

HELP! I did not order enough!

The room grew since you measured or the installer measured wrong for whatever reason you do not have enough marble to complete the task.  You need more tile! Yesterday as the installer is here and on site.

If more than 5 days have gone by this is now a challenge as that is how quickly we get through lots.  We could now be on a completely different lot. By lot we mean shade, color, veining and even size of the tile.

The tiles and mosaics come from blocks of stone.  To get the block holes are drilled into the stone on the mountain, water is pumped in at high pressure until “Crack” and the block breaks off.  That block is then moved to be cut and processed.  When we ship your first order we take as much care as possible to look at each product and match them up as close as possible to each lot.  It is a pain staking process.

Lets assume now months have gone by and the block cutting may have moved to the other side of the mountain.  The guy in charge of cutting the field tile may have had to replace the saw blades, not a very accurate job (the Italians who have been doing this for centuries continue the same way, this is so much a generational job) they do it by eye.  They can be off by 1/8″ on the next lots of 6×12″.  (For them they assume that this is okay, as people order by ‘Lots’ why would they not do that?)  We will use 6×12 as an example and you need a matching 6×12″ to complete the bathroom it may well:

1. Come from a different section of the mountain
2. The product is a slightly different size
3. Be a totally different shade

At this point the safest way is to:

1. Send us a tile or sample of what you wish us to match to.  So we can essentially go back to square one and matching up from the original lot.  We can then send you photo’s of the closest match we can find and you can approve or reject.  You can then a) wait for another lot to appear that is closer or b) try local retailers for a match.

Not ordering everything at once presents a huge challenge not only because the customer is most likely in the middle of the install and wants it yesterday but also because it is not easy to match.  The beauty of marble is that it is unique the challenge when trying to match to an existing lot is that they do not match.

For mosaics it is easier the sizes are set by the mold so we do not have to worry about the size different, just color, shade and veining.  Again a sample is required to get a perfect match.

Please, please, please do not just order and hope.  Then call us and be angry saying we have to pick it up it does not match the tile I ordered 4 weeks ago is not the same shade as I have now.  Why did you not know that I would not have ordered enough (believe me if we knew that we would not be doing this – we would have won the lottery years ago, as this is being able to predict the future).

I am sorry – we are here to help, we want you to have the best possible looking bathroom.  If you would like this post to be softer or fluffier, please let me know at blogpost@thebuilderdepot.com (mention the post).  It is candid but that is how we like to be.  Upfront and Honest! But they does not suit everyone, feedback is essential if it needs more fluff and hugs, please let us know.  We love our customers and are here to help, but we are limited by physics.

Incoming Product

Quite a site while sitting at one of the many bars or bridges (preferably bars) overlooking the ship coming down the Savannah River

Savannah continues to be the fastest growing Ocean container port.  The ships must navigate 18 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean to Savannah port

Then finally our containers are unloaded

Handling 2.3 million containers in 2007 at 14.5% increase (national average 9.7%) over the previous year makes Savannah the fastest growing port in the USA.

Why is the cost of shipping a small tile order so high?

You have probably found yourself here after clicking on a link and you need 10SF of 12×24” or 15SF of 8×16” or 6×12”.  All these larger tiles cannot ship UPS ground.  They will be broken.  UPS throws their shipments and there are drops off conveyor belts that sort the shipments in UPS facilities.  This will result in the tile being broken.  Guaranteed 100%.  Mosaics are okay, they are flexible and on a mesh.

So we have to ship freight (also sometimes called Motor freight) on a pallet.  The wooden pallet supports the product and fork trucks are used to move it.  Shipping 10SF or 20SF will cost the same as shipping 100SF.  The reason for this is because the freight carrier has a minimum order to cover.

From the freight companies side.  The pallet takes up the same space on the truck.  Has to travel the same distance, same paperwork handled and go through the same terminal process.  That minimum is always around $170.00.  From there the shipping rates go up but not in relation to what is ordered.  For example 100SF may cost $170.00 as well and 180SF may cost just $210.00.  The extra 80SF cost only $40.00 or $0.50SF to deliver.

The lower rate cost on the additional product is because that minimum cost has already been covered.  I hope this helps explain why small orders cost so much.  Not much comfort for those who are short 20SF of 12×24″ tile.

Italian Manufacturing of Calacatta Honed

The larger pieces of 12×36″ to be cut into 12×12″ Calacatta Borghini Honed Marble Tile

After being cut into 12×12″ honed Calacatta Borghini they are now on the way to quality control then packaging.

The Calacatta is then packed into crates. Then after a short road journey to the Italian coast they are loaded onto a container ship.  A pleasant journey through the Mediterranean (which sound lovely) out into the Atlantic and over to Savannah, GA.  After going through customs they arrive with us in Alpharetta, GA about 3-4 weeks later.  The journey itself is not that long it is customs and paperwork which seems to add to the time.

This product will be for sale online around July 15th.  If you have any questions or would like to pre-order this product please email sales@thebuilderdepot.com