Buy tiles in Nakuru: 5 safe price checks

Buy tiles in Nakuru badly and the job fails twice. The first failure happens at the counter. The second comes three weeks later, when the box runs short and the shade has moved on. Nakuru has a small number of serious tile sellers, and most of the work of buying well happens before you pay.

Where to buy tiles in Nakuru

CTM Nakuru sits on Old Nairobi Road and opens Monday to Friday 8:30 to 5, and Saturday 9 to 2:30. Mache Hardware trades at Nacha Plaza on Geoffrey Kamau Avenue. Tile n Style operates under Simba Hardware and Paints in Nakuru. Between them they cover most of a home or small commercial job, from floor tiles to adhesives and trims.

Call before you travel. However, a showroom can display a tile it has run out of, and a two week wait will break a tiling schedule that already has a fundi booked.

What a square metre of Nakuru tile costs

CTM Kenya guidance puts tiles at about KES 900 to 4,500 per square metre. The range is wide for a reason, because size, finish, origin and slip rating all move the number. A small ceramic floor tile and a large format porcelain tile are not the same product at two prices.

One social post quoted 30 by 30 at KES 850 and 40 by 40 at KES 1,200. It never said whether that meant per piece or per box. Do not use it as a guide. Instead, ask each shop for the price per square metre and the pieces per box, then do the arithmetic yourself.

Count the tiles for a Nakuru room before you pay

First, measure the room properly. Length times width gives the area, and an L shaped room splits into two rectangles. Add 10 percent for cuts and breakage. A 12 square metre floor becomes 13.2 square metres of tile. That extra half metre is the difference between finishing on Friday and driving back on Monday.

Then convert to boxes using the pieces per box the shop confirms, and round up rather than down. Keep one spare box after the job, because a break two years later is hard to match once the batch has sold out.

Batch, shade and calibre

Tiles are fired in batches. The same design from two batches can read as two different colours beside a window. So buy the whole job in one batch. Check the box label for the batch number, the shade and the calibre, and refuse mixed boxes at the counter rather than on the wall.

Open one box in the shop and stand three tiles side by side in daylight. Fluorescent showroom lighting flatters a shade that looks flat in a sitting room.

Weight, delivery and the staircase

Tiles are heavy. A box of floor tiles can weigh more than a bag of cement, and a full job can exceed what a small car should carry. Ask for the total weight before you arrange transport. Then match the weight to the vehicle and to the number of people available at the gate.

Also confirm whether delivery reaches the gate or the room, who carries boxes up the stairs, and what happens if nobody is home. Write down the delivery day and the driver number. A tiler standing idle because the tiles are still at the shop is an expensive morning.

What to confirm before you buy tiles in Nakuru

Ask five questions in this order. Is the price per square metre or per box? Which batch number will the stock carry? What is the return policy on unopened boxes, and will the shop accept a part box back? What is the total weight? When will it be delivered?

Finally, for fittings and anything making a certification claim, text the KEBS permit number to 20023 to confirm the product is certified. Ask the same of tiles and adhesives if the shop advertises a standard, and note the answer.

Pay by M-Pesa and keep the confirmation message beside the shop name. A receipt with no business name on it is weak evidence if a batch turns out wrong.

If you still need a fundi, post the job on the Looking For feed before buying the material. A tiler who has seen the room will give you the honest wastage figure. That figure beats any estimate you make alone. You can also browse what sellers have listed if you want a second price on a specific tile, and how orders work explains the rest. Overall, one phone call before you leave the house saves most of the wasted trips.

FAQ

How many tiles do I need for a 3 by 4 metre room?

The floor is 12 square metres. Add 10 percent for cuts and breakage to get 13.2, then divide by the coverage per box and round up to whole boxes.

Can I return extra tiles to a Nakuru shop?

It depends on the shop and the box condition. Ask about unopened boxes and part boxes before paying, and get the answer in writing on the receipt.

Is CTM Nakuru open on Sunday?

The listed hours are Monday to Friday 8:30 to 5 and Saturday 9 to 2:30, with no Sunday trading shown. Call ahead to confirm before a weekend trip.