Where to find ACTUAL 12x24 sized tile

[markcov]

Howdy,

I removed an outdoor fireplace from our outdoor cabana and I need to tile over the hole it left behind. I have some leftovers from the original builder, but not enough of course. I visited 4 different local tile shops last weekend and found some styles that were close enough looking. I'm not really that picky with making the exact color and style match. However, they were all the wrong size.
My tile is ACTUAL 12x24. Everything I'm finding in the store is nominal 12x24 and runs a 1/4" to a 1/2" smaller. If I tried to use those tiles I'd have a grout line that's 0.5 to 1" wide, which is going to be terrible looking!

Any suggestions on how I can go about finding tiles that are ACTUAL 12x24 dimensions.

I'm in the Houston, TX area if that matters.
I asked about the size difference at the tile stores I was at but the sales people didn't even seem to know that their own tiles were smaller than 12x24.

I figure there's some key piece of information that I'm missing here. Hopefully y'all can help me find it!

Thanks for your help.

[Tile & Stone Guild]

I would pull up the pieces you need to and figure out the manufacturer and go from there. You may have to live with the joint if you can get a good color match.

[markcov]

Thanks for the reply. Any suggestions on how to figure out the manufacturer?

Didn't get a cardboard box, just the loose leftovers.
The back is a tight grid pattern with a "Made in Spain" stamp.

[markcov]

Decided to just cut my losses. Went back to the tile shop and found the largest tiles that were "close enough" in color.

Thanks for your help.

[Davy]

Have you thought about getting some stone and building a bench across there to cover the area? Or maybe a small countertop?

[markcov]

We've got a built-in gas grill / countertop in another corner. Mostly we've been enjoying the open sight lines. We have a movable table / chairs that allows us to flexibly use the space depending if we want to be in/out of the sun.
I'm not 100% certain how we'll end up utilizing the space.

Thanks for the suggestion though! Much appreciated.