


Larger manufacturers use electric-powered hydraulic presses that produce a consistently higher quality product. Small companies employ a hand-operated hydraulic press the quality of the tiles varies due to inconsistent pressure. The primary difference between manufacturers is the hydraulic method used. There are numerous cement tile manufacturers worldwide. Cement tiles being handmade are expected to have slight imperfections, which give them character and depth. The pigment composition is a mixture of high-quality white Portland cement, marble powder, fine sand, and natural mineral colour pigments. The metal mold is handmade following specific design drawings. Manufacture and quality Cement tile mold, France, 1920Ĭement tiles are made by hand, one at a time, using mineral pigments, cement, a mold, and an hydraulic press. Eventually, the tile became so popular that she began importing the tiles from several countries and selling them to retailers throughout the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean. In the 1980s, artist and designer, Nina Long began bringing cement tiles from Mexico into Florida for her clients. Their popularity began to wane in the 1920s but spread again in the 40s primarily in California and Florida. It was used in thousands of landmark public buildings and palaces. Around the turn of the 20th century, the tiles were very popular and were considered a high-end floor covering. In the United States, several sources say the first tiles were made near the country's first Portland cement plant. They were exhibited in the Paris (France) International Exposition of 1867 by the Catalan company Garret & Rivet. The pigment layer is hydraulically pressed into the surface and becomes a part of the tile.Ĭement tiles appeared in the 1850s in Catalonia, Spain. They derive their durability from the combination of finely dehydrated ground Portland cement layer and a coarser layer of sand and cement. that did not allow for such decorative embellishment but were cheaper.Ĭement tiles are not fired there is no glaze layer on the surface of the tile. They represented a revolution in flooring in their day because they were much cheaper, more durable and easier to make than the previous handmade glazed ceramic tiles and were therefore more universally available for houses, and they allowed for profuse decorative patterns, their age of splendour being the end of the 19th to the middle of the 20th centuries, before they were gradually superseded by newer technologies as of the 1960s, such as terrazzo, salt-glazed stoneware, etc. Another origin is from Viviers, in the south of France, location of the famous ciment factory Lafarge. They appeared in Catalonia (Spain) in the 1850s, and have been widely used in Europe and America. Cement tiles or hydraulic tiles are handmade colourful tiles used as floor and wall tiling.
