If you import porcelain tiles, you probably expect perfect gloss, straight edges, and exact shades. But without a proper porcelain tiles quality check, even the smallest defects—like dull patches, chipped corners, or mismatched tiles—can cost you time, money, and client trust.
Here are the common defects spotted by AQS during inspections and what importers like you need to know (and avoid).
Costly Porcelain Tiles Defects Importers Must Watch Out For
Here are the common mistakes that importers complain about after receiving tiles
- Surface & Glazing Defects
These are the defects you see first. They kill the “wow” factor, especially when customers inspect tiles up close.
- Pinhole: Tiny holes from trapped air under the glaze. Makes the surface look cheap.
- Glaze Skip / Patchy Glaze: Areas where glaze is missing → dull or matte spots.
- Uneven Gloss / L-Value Gap: Some tiles shine more than others in the same batch.
- Bubbles / Blisters: Raised spots from firing or glaze issues.
- Color Firing Defect: Over or under-firing in the kiln causes discoloration.
- Design Misalignment / Digital Print Blur: Patterns printed off-register or fuzzy.
- Shade Variation: Tiles from two batches or two boxes differ visibly.
Why it hurts you: Customers expect uniformity. Shade issues or dull spots mean delays while you source replacements or fight claims. Plus, installation looks cut-rate if some tiles don’t match.
- Dimensional & Flatness Issues
Imagine laying tiles and getting gaps or bulges—terrible for installers and customers alike.
- Length/Width Variation: Tiles not the same size, i.e, misaligned joints.
- Thickness Variation: Some tiles are thick, some thin, with uneven surfaces.
- Center Warpage (Bowing), Edge Warpage, Corner Lift, Twist Defect: Tiles don’t lie flat. Edges curl or corners lift.
Why it hurts you: Leads to installation delays. Grout doesn’t stay even, floors feel uneven, and edges look off. You’ll get complaints or even returns. Labour costs go up when fixing problems.
- Edge & Physical Damage
These are visible and usually more obvious—but still too common.
- Chipped Edge / Broken Corners: Usually from handling or cutting.
- Cracks: Hairline or visible breaks.
- Pressed Marks / Lines: Tooling damage, or pressure marks.
- Mold Defects: Shapes look distorted due to poor molds.
Why it hurts you: Damaged tiles can’t be sold. Scratches or broken edges = wasted stock. Your image takes a hit. The margin disappears when replacements happen.
- Packing & Labeling Defects
Communication + protection. If either fails, damage or confusion follows.
- Box Mismatch or Incorrect Shade Sticker: Label says one thing, tile inside is different.
- Missing Batch Sticker: No traceability, it’s chaos if quality issues show up later.
- Loose Packing / No Paper-Foam Separators: Tiles rub against each other as the glaze gets damaged.
- Low-Quality Box / Improper Palletization: Boxes collapse; pallets shift in the container.
Why it hurts you: By the time the shipment arrives, many tiles are damaged. Without labels or batch info, it's hard to sort good vs bad. Claims become tougher, and customers are unhappy.
- Functional / Performance Defects
These defects might not show immediately—sometimes they reveal themselves under use. But when they do, the fallout is serious.
- Low Breaking Strength: Tiles break under pressure; risk in high traffic areas.
- Excessive Water Absorption: Especially bad for bathrooms or outdoor tiles, which degrade over time.
- Slippery Surface: Polished tiles that are too slick = a safety hazard.
- Abrasion Failure: The Glaze is wearing out fast in flooring use.
- Inconsistent Gloss (Polished Tiles): Under certain light, you see patchy shine.
Why it hurts you: These affect function, not just looks. Repairs + replacements + liability (if someone slips) = big losses. And once word spreads, your reliability is questioned.
How to Avoid These Issues: The Role of Tile Inspection Services
Consider tile inspections as your way of protecting yourself from unexpected expenses. Rather than discovering defects after tiles are delivered, we inspect tiles for cracks, surface imperfections, and weak packing before they leave the factory. Then the delivery is smoother, there are fewer complaints, and you can be confident that every tile meets your expectations.
AQS's Expert Porcelain Tiles Quality Check Process
Asian Quality Services, being one of India's leading tile inspection service providers, serves comprehensive porcelain tiles quality checks for importers. Our tailor-made multi-layered inspection process includes:
- Factory visit and quantity confirmation
- Warehouse condition and production house quality checks
- Random sampling through the AQL method
- Box weight verification and detection of inconsistencies
- External packaging and labeling checks
- Comparison to the master sample and visual inspection
- Technical inspection and ISO based performance checks
- Quality reports on visual and mechanical tests by the expert tile inspector
All these under 24 hours and under the strict guidance of our experienced tile inspectors.
Partner With Asian Quality Services
Join hands with us and stay assured regarding your porcelain tile imports from India. Partner with Asian Quality Services for expert porcelain tiles quality check services and prevent costly defects before they reach your clients. With 14 years of experience and expertise, we make sure every shipment you receive serves quality and durability. Book a free consultation today and get the first five inspections absolutely free.
FAQs
It helps prevent costly returns, installation delays, and client dissatisfaction by catching defects early.
Defects like shade variation, warping, chipped edges, glaze imperfections, packaging flaws, and weak breaking strength are detected.
Ideally, at key stages: pre-production, during production, and before shipping. Random sampling ensures representative results.
Certified tile inspectors with technical knowledge of porcelain production, like those at AQS, conduct thorough inspections and provide detailed reports.
