Tradition & Quality: How Concrete Tiles are Made
Have you ever wondered how concrete tiles are made? These traditional tiles offer a timeless and elegant design choice for any area of the home, adding vibrant pops of colour, pattern and texture. Steeped in history and tradition, these stylish tiles continue to be made by hand using techniques that have been passed down from one generation to the next. With an endless range of patterns and colours available to choose from, concrete tiles continue to be one of the most popular tiling options for any area of the home!
A Brief History of Concrete Tiles
Concrete tiles (also referred to as encaustic tiles or cement tiles) are a handmade tiling solution, suitable for use as an indoor floor or wall tile as well as an outdoor tile in covered spaces. First made in Spain in the 1850s, encaustic tiles were created to compete with the more expensive handmade ceramic tiles of the time, offering a more cost effective alternative solution that would be incredibly hard wearing and durable. Concrete tiles also popped up throughout Europe and America, once again offering a low cost alternative to traditional tile options available at the time. Concrete tiles dominated the tile industry well into the 1960s when other options started to become available such as terrazzo or porcelain tiles. Since then, machine made tiles have remained the most cost effective tiling solution while handmade ceramic or concrete tiles have become a high-end tiling option as a result of the hand-making process.
Drawing inspiration from colour palettes and patterns of the 1960s and 70s, the Beach Club range of concrete tiles offer a modern twist on the traditional encaustic tile. These elegant tiles can be used throughout your home’s interior spaces as a floor or wall tile solution to add a vibrant burst of colour in your interior design scheme.
How Concrete Tiles are Made
Concrete tiles continue to be made completely by hand by skilled Artisans in workshops around the world. Each tile is made individually ensuring its distinct qualities. A mixture of mineral pigments and cement is combined and poured into steel molds to form the luxurious patterns that these tiles are so well known for. Each individual tile will show unique imperfections as a result of the hand crafting process, ensuring a luxurious, high-end finish in the end product. Once the wet cement is poured into the mold, the tile is then passed through a hydraulic press to create a smooth and consistent surface finish. This process will almost instantly dry out the tile to create an incredibly hard and durable tiling solution. The tiles are then laid out to dry completely before being prepared for shipping to tile stores all around the world.
Greg Natale’s Cubo collection offers a stunning monochromatic palette with intricate geometric patterns. Once again suitable for use in the home as a floor or wall tile solution, the Cubo collection offers a stunning pattern tile solution that will bring any interior to life!
How to use Encaustic Tiles in the Home
Cement tiles offer an incredibly versatile option that can be used in all sorts of applications throughout the home. These tiles are a popular option as an all-over floor tile, running from the home’s front entryway right through to the kitchen and living area. You may also use concrete floor tiles in covered outdoor spaces to form a strong and long lasting floor finish for the home’s verandah or porch area. Concrete tiles are a popular kitchen and laundry tile option however, caution must be taken when specifying concrete tiles in the bathroom. Although they can be used as bathroom floor and wall tile, they are best avoided as a flooring solution within the shower area itself as ingredients found in cleansers, lotions or shampoos can cause discolouration or staining.
Exposure to pressurised water may also result in some damage and discolouration to your concrete tiles. In these sorts of applications, we would instead recommend the use of a porcelain concrete-look tile; made of porcelain instead of cement, these tiles will offer a similar look and style as a traditional concrete option. When properly cared for however, concrete tiles will offer an incredibly versatile and long lasting finish in the home! For more detailed information on caring for authentic concrete tiles, visit our Resources page.
Available in a wide selection of designer tile options, the Concreto collection offers a traditional concrete tile look. These tiles are the perfect choice when looking to add a vintage touch to modern home design or if you are revamping a period style home and are hoping to stay true to the historic architectural style.
Traditionally made cement tiles make for a stunning floor or wall tile option for any area of the home, from the kitchen or bathroom to the living area and more. Our Melbourne tiles store is full of luxurious designer tile options while our team is on hand to assist you through the tile selection process, offering expert advice at every step of the way!
