Packaging and Shipping

Packaging

We supply pallets and packaging free with the order. We ship in box pallets lined with 2cm of polystyrene and our tiles are stood in rows to avoid being weight bearing.

We ensure our pallets conform to the fumigation requirements of your country pre-shipping.

A pallet can carry one metric tonne of tiles, which is around 20m2 / 215 sq ft. of tiles.

Destinations

We regularly ship to Europe, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong. If there is a shipping route it is likely we can ship there.

How we ship

For European orders;

The price we quote you is for delivery to your desired address with a 19T truck, a similar size to a refuse truck, complete with a hydraulic tail-lift to lower the pallet. Typically, deliveries are what is called ‘kerbside’ in the transport industry, being the lowering of the pallet as close as is possible to the entry of your premises. Depending on truck access issues and surfaces a company delivering may be able to move the pallet to your preferred position ie the drive, the garage etc. You will appreciate all deliveries are somewhat unique so it is difficult to provide absolutes but the minimum will be kerbside. Please advise us if there are any issues with a truck getting access to your home or premises e.g overhanging trees, cul de sacs, road widths, one way systems etc.

On our quote to you and then on any subsequent invoice we will quote any taxes that are due in your country or levied by the EU.

For non-European orders;

We can, and do, ship by sea and air although sea freight is by far the most common as air freight, while fast, is expensive. Sea Freight is calculated on what is called a volumetric calculation, taking account not only of weight but also the dimension of a pallet. With this equation a pallet, for example, only a third full will likely be a very similar cost to a completely full pallet. This is because it physically occupies the same amount of space on the ship and then in the back of a truck.

We can advise on sailing schedules and transit times at the point of order but you should also allow around a minimum of a week both in the departing and arrival port for customs clearance. Freight ships are now enormous, resulting in fewer sailings than previously, though to major global ports there are usually weekly sailings from major French and Belgian ports.

US and Canada orders – There are two main options available, although we would be happy to discuss others:-

1. You can handle your own shipping by arranging for your shipper to collect from our premises.
2. The Antique Floor Company have been working alongside a US based Freight Forwarder for many years. At the point of your enquiry we can request the Freight Forwarder contact you and then provide a quote for the delivery service agreed. If you are happy with the quote received and wish to use our recommended Freight Forwarder then you will receive two invoices; the first from The Antique Floor Company, in euros, for the purchase of the tiles and the second from the Freight Forwarder in USD for the delivery. He then handles all the delivery stages, from the collection of the pallet from our premises onwards.

For all other countries orders – Again we can provide the options of either you handling the complete door to door shipping via your own appointed Freight Forwarder or we can provide a) a partial service whereby, for example, we ship to your closest sea port or airport and your Freight Forwarder then takes over and expedites the delivery to you or b) we can look at providing you with a door to door delivery quote, which, once agreed we will include on the invoice along with the purchase of the tiles.

We have shipped globally for over twelve years and pride ourselves on ensuring that the delivery agreed with you happens smoothly.