![]() ![]() The tiles are left to dry for 10 days and then hand-inspected. Molds are checked against full size drawings and tested until the pattern is correct and the lines crisp. A crisp outline in the pattern is only achieved by maintaining tightly machined tolerances between the pattern mold and the steel plate the mold sits on. At least one mold for each piece of the pattern is needed. Molds are made from steel in a machine shop. Patterned tiles are created using a mold that follows the lines of the pattern. The color layer materials are mixed in the horizontal mixerįor small batches, strike-offs, and samples, only a small amount of color is mixed in a bucket and blended with a "hand mixer."Ĭement Tile Molds Create the Tile's Pattern The large ball, shown below, is used to help achieve these manufacturing requirements. The color is mixed in a horizontal mixer that guarantees the homogenization of the mixture. The color layer is prepared in batches and every component is weighed in order to achieve color consistency. Mineral pigments are mixed to make the colors that are used in the tile ![]() Mineral pigments (such as iron, cobalt and chromium oxides).The color layer is made from a mixture of the following: The color layer is the tile's face and the part of the tile you walk on and see when installed. The color layer of handmade cement tiles is about 1/8" thick. Mixing the Color Layer of Cement TileĬalcium carbonate in these bins will be mixed to form the color layer I hope you enjoy this factory tour and walk away with a better appreciation and understanding of why handmade cement tile is truly a labor of love. ![]() Special thanks to the kindness and warmth of the factory owners for allowing me to share both the inner workings of a cement tile factory and bringing well-deserved attention to the hands that touch each and every tile they make. While visiting the factory, I met the owners and got to see the expert tile makers at their craft. These photos are from a factory I visited a several years ago. The explanations are more detailed than, How Encaustic Cement Tiles are Made, in our Cement Tile Info Center. In today's post, I provide a detailed explanation of the step-by-step process of making these unique tiles. This unique process dates to the mid-19th century. Cement tiles should really be called concrete tiles because cement is an ingredient that is used to make concrete but, there's no going back now.Ī colorful floor pattern created with handmade cement tiles The pattern found in cement tiles is created by pouring pigmented concrete into a mold. Unlike glazed ceramics tiles, these tiles aren't painted, or glazed or fired in a kiln. Once question I get a lot is, "How are cement tiles made?" It's a great question because cement tiles or encaustic cement tiles are very different from ceramic and porcelain tiles. ![]()
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