Every piece of tile is made by hand in our studio by skilled artisans and we’re showing you how it’s made! Ceramic tile is a common surface choice because of its durable and long-lasting characteristics. With so many Shape and Color choices, it’s no wonder people love tiling their home with handmade ceramic tile!
Where Can You Put Ceramic Tile?
Let’s start out with all the possibilities that tile has! Our tile is perfect for withstanding water, dirty spills and is durable enough for high traffic areas. Some common areas for tile are floors, showers and kitchen backsplashes. But it doesn’t stop there, we enjoy getting creative with tile! We have tiled ceilings, table tops, fireplace surrounds and even storefronts for commercial spaces!
Tile Elves
The art of handmade tile may seem like magic but it’s actually the team work of our entire crew! From the sales person who helps you choose your tile shape and color, to the Glazer that hand brushes each and every piece of tile, to the Shipping Artist who securely packs away your tile for delivery – each of our Tile Elves handles your tile from start to finish! Now let’s take a closer look at the process!
Design & Tile Specs
Our tile is custom made for you, so before it’s even made – we work with you to decide on the perfect tile for you and your space! We help you decide on shape, color, and can help with working within a budget and can assist in how you will measure your space. Have something special in mind? We offer custom design services. If you can dream it, we can make it!
Make
Once your order is placed, our Tile Makers get to work on making your tile. Beginning with a box of solid clay cut down to your specific tile and mosaic shapes. If your designs include textured tile, this is also the point where we apply your custom texture!
Glaze
After the clay has dried, tiles are hand-brushed with glaze. Because each tile is glazed by hand, this is the point where your tile receives its unique character! Some glazes are thicker and look very similar on different clay bodies, and some react differently in the kilns and can vary on different clay bodies. Glaze affects the finish and look of your tile – learn more about glaze HERE.
Fire
After the glaze has dried, the tile is loaded into the kiln by our Kiln Master where it is fired at nearly 2000˚ – THAT’S HOT! It takes roughly 8 hours for the tiles to bake in the kiln. All that heat is what makes your tile durable and long lasting for years to come!
Layout and Shipping
Once your tiles have had time to cool down, our Layout Artists assemble the tiles onto mesh sheets to make installation easier for you! Tiles are carefully packed away and shipped by our Shipping Artist. When you receive your tile, you will be blown away by the quality and characteristic of our handmade tile!
Watch our Video
Mercury Mosaics and Tile – Our Story from Mercury Mosaics & Tile on Vimeo.
We love to hear what inspires you! Tell us more about your project for a free quote!
The post What is Handmade Tile? appeared first on Artisan Tile Company: Handmade Ceramic Tiles by Mercury Mosaics.
for a chance to be featured in our gallery.
