Many failures blamed on contractors are actually material-environment mismatches. Some woods swell in humidity, some tiles fade in constant sun, some paints bubble because the wall was damp. The material itself may not be bad — just wrongly used.
Before buying, consider:
Is this area exposed to rain or sun?
Is it a kitchen with heat and oil?
Is it a bathroom with steam and water?
Is it an exterior wall with harsh weather?
Outdoor materials must resist UV and rain. Bathroom materials must resist moisture and mold. Kitchen materials must tolerate heat and stains. One-material-fits-all is how renovations fail in the first year.
Choose materials according to where they will live, not where they were sold.