At OLEA, tiles are our passion and we are committed to bringing you the best from around the world. We import tiles straight from big brand manufacturers allowing us to sell them directly to you at the lowest possible margins. 

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OLEA is a factory outlet with a difference. The difference is that OLEA imports reputable brand tiles directly from manufacturers around the world. Selling high volumes with very low margins. Therefore, customers have found that they can save thousands of dollars by buying from OLEA. In fact, saving up to 70% off retail prices! All the products are first quality, not discontinued lines – except in the Clearance section where you will find super bargains on tiles. Our range updates continuously with the latest trends.

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Tiles are the best, here's why

 

Looking Good with tiles. Just how gorgeous are tiles?

They’re one of the most practical materials ever made and have proven their durability and beauty over thousands of years. The Romans used ceramics to create magnificent decorative effects in their palaces and public areas. Floors tiled in ancient Rome are still in use today. Tiles are used across the entire home; bathrooms, kitchens and laundries, bedrooms, walls and outdoors. With new manufacturing methods like digital printing and large format cutting, there are tiles for every style, design and space – up or down, in or out.

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Why Choose Tiles?

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A Great Investment with a Guarantee

• For such an economical choice, tiles are a great long term investment. With careful selection you’ll enhance your home and add to its capital value. 

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Great for Allergies

• Tiles are an incredible solution for people who suffer allergies and asthma. Plus they’re easy to keep clean, even with natural products.

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Right Tile, Right Project

• With so many different types of tiles it’s super important to choose the right ones; make sure the tile is suitable for your area (for example, check they’re made for a wet area or if some resistance to slip is necessary) and check the wear rating.

• At OLEA we’d rather lose a sale than sell the wrong ones.

• And while most tilers know their trade, they may not be up with the latest technical developments, so if your tiler tells you something different to what your tiler merchant has said – get another opinion.

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Slip Resistant

• Most flooring can become slippery when wet. Surface dust can also contribute to this. Floor mats can help as can tiles with a skid resistant surface. Remember ‘though a rougher surface will take a little more effort to clean.

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Tiling for Cooler Climates

• Hotwire Under Tile Heating is perfect for the Australian climate. The 4mm thick element is placed directly on top of the sub floor (rather than the traditional "In Slab" heating) with the tiles simply laid over the top. As the heating element is so close to the floor surface you can warm your home in only 30-60 minutes. The fully programmable touch screen thermostat comes with a timer to program your under tile heating to switch on when you require it, so when you arrive home or get up in the morning your home is luxuriously warm and waiting for you. Under Tile Heating is ideal if you are renovating as only the floor surface needs to be replaced to facilitate installation. You can cover an area as small as 1m2 through to the biggest living areas, and with running costs as low as 2c per m2 per hour (subject to electricity tariffs) it’s an amazing cost-effect way to heat your home.

 

How much should you pay for tiles

• Tiles last a long time so a few dollars saved by buying inferior product may come back to haunt you. While we encourage you to consider bargains, we think it’s worth paying a bit extra to get your dream space looking good.

 

Pet Friendly

Most of us love patting and playing with our four-legged friends and having the occasional snuggle from them in winter months. But despite all the positives fur-babies bring, they are harder on our household flooring than people. OLEA Tiles’ strategic designer, Christie Wood, says tiles are the best choice when it comes to pets. “In the case of mishaps and failure to reach the litter box, tiles can be simply mopped off, unlike timber floor boards that can retain a dark spot and a terrible smell or worse still the shag pile carpet which can create all sorts of bother if your pet has a mishap! Furthermore, tiles are not only scratch resistant, but the smooth surface is kind to our furry friends’ paws.”

 

Scratch Resistant

A hardness scale* of 1-10 is used by the industry to rate the scratch resistance of flooring materials against ten common minerals. Vinyl is ranked the most likely to scratch (no 1) and is equivalent to talc, followed by wood ranked at number two, with a scratch rating equal to gypsum. No flooring scores a hardness of 10, which has the hardness of diamond, however the hardest flooring is porcelain tiles, which score between 7 and 8 depending on their manufacture. Former Block contestants and now professional interior designers Kyal and Kara love the durability of tiles for flooring. “They’re really hard-wearing which is great with a young boy who loves riding his bike around the house. They also come in thousands of different styles, including tiles that replicate other flooring options such as timber, stone, concrete and marble.”

 

High Heel Friendly

With the equivalent hardness of Topaz and Quartz on the Hardness Scale, Tiles are pretty well immune to the harshest of treatment, including high heel pit marks. According to the National Science Foundation, high heels or spiked heels worn by a 45-kilogram woman can strike a floor with more force than an elephant’s foot. So high heels are much like a tiny hammer. According to Rapid Reno expert Naomi Findlay, while every girl loves their collection of heels, they don’t love a collection of pit marks throughout their living room or other common area floors. “Tiles are extremely durable and hardwearing meaning you don’t have to ask your dinner party guests to leave their shoes at the door,” Naomi says.

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Allergy Friendly

With around 20% of the Australian population having at least one allergy, tiled floors is one of, if not the healthiest flooring choice. Australia has one of the highest rates of asthma in the world, with Asthma Australia reporting one in nine Australians have asthma and according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, nearly one in five Australians suffer from hay fever. According to the Mayo Clinic, hard flooring may be a good idea to prevent Asthma flare-ups. Ceramic and porcelain tiles, with a hard and mostly flat surface, are a good choice for those with allergies. They are easy to keep clean and cannot be penetrate by dust mites, pollen and pet hair like some other flooring options. They are also highly water resistant and help to repel the build-up of mould and mildew – two factors that can affect asthma and other allergy sufferers.

 

Termite and Woodworm Proof

A survey by CSIRO suggests that one in three dwellings have termites within the property boundary and many of those homes are at risk, particularly those with termite food available such as untreated wood and wood products. Ceramic and Porcelain tiles are immune to these highly destructive pests which the Australian Institute of Architects suggests attacked 130,000 Australian homes in a year, with estimates of $1.5 billion in damage.

 

Low Maintenance

With life so hectic, homeowners love nothing more than life hacks to reduce cleaning and maintenance of their home. A recent survey for charity RUOK found almost 20 per cent of Australians say they were unable to spend as much time with their loved ones as they would like to, because of housework. Tiled floors are an easy and low-maintenance flooring option, according to Australia’s rapid renovation guru Naomi Findlay. “Basic cleaning requires a sweep or vacuum on a daily basis with a mop weekly,” she said. “And while other flooring options need more professional help the older they get, all tiles need is a grout clean and sealing on an annual basis. Not only do tiles save years of back breaking work, but they are also a more cost-effective option as they don’t require professional cleaning.”

 

Long Lasting

Tiles are among the most durable products around, with the average lifespan reaching up to 100 years. They are so durable, that there are hundreds of listing of pre-1800 ceramic and porcelain tiles on sale throughout the world. The same can’t be said for other flooring products, such as carpet that needs replacing as soon as five years or laminate timber flooring that’s lifetime can be as short as 10 years. Rapid Renovation expert, who helps Australians maximise their property investment, says tiles are “a go-to-choice when you are looking for a long lasting and good looking flooring option.”

 

Odour Free

Flooring takes the brunt of food and liquid spills, muddy footy boots and animal accidents, resulting in uninvited odours despite the best cleaning efforts. For some flooring choices, such as wood, high humidity and water can produce a musty smell, particularly when the room receives no ventilation or natural sunlight. Carpet, timber, concrete and vinyl flooring are all like a big sponge – they absorb odour like a sponge absorbs water, even when sealed. Non-porous or impervious flooring such as glazed porcelain and ceramic tiles do not absorb soils or moisture.

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