Where is tile made

All ceramic tiles are created from natural products extracted from the earth that are shaped into tiles and then fired in kilns at extremely high temperatures.

There are 2 main types of tile construction: glazed and unglazed. When you look at a glazed tile from the side you can see 2 layers. The body of the tile, or largest layer, is called the bisque. The top layer is called the glaze, as in glazed donut. Glazed tiles have a hard non-porous, impermeable surface after firing. They are more stain resistant than unglazed tile and are easy to clean. Something to consider for those more active areas of your home like the kitchen and baths.

Unglazed tiles add a whole different beauty to your home. They are solid colored all the way through and do not have a top layer of glaze. This is often referred to as through-body construction. They have no additional surface applications and are typically more dense and durable than glazed tile. Thus they are more suitable for interior and exterior applications where wearability is a concern.

There are 5 steps in the ceramic tile manufacturing process: Mining, Blending and Mixing, Pressing, Glazing, and Firing. The process begins with the mining of the raw materials, which is a mixture composed of mostly clay and minerals. Water is added to form a wet slurry or mud-like consistency. Then the slurry is pumped into a large dryer. First, the manufacturer uses roller screens to apply a design and colour.

To achieve greater design variation, a manufacturer can add an extra roller screen to the line. A manufacturer makes numerous test runs before accepting the final formulation. They need to verify the quality of the finish, trueness of the design and colour definition. A glaze is essentially a glass like substance and they apply it to the surface of a tile.

They do this by varying methods such as by spray, waterfall, screening or dry glazing methods. After the manufacturer applies a glaze, the tile gets fired in a kiln. There are different types of kilns but a Roller Hearth Kiln is by far the most efficient. This kiln has outstanding temperature uniformity, cleanliness and heat efficiency. Temperatures in this type of kiln can reach as high as degrees Celsius.

Kilning solidifies the glaze and removes all residual moisture in the ceramic. This completes the manufacturing stage for ceramic tiles. To ensure quality, the finished product goes through inspections, checking for any imperfections. It started operations in and has been constantly producing and distributing quality and reliable tiles in Kenya. It offers a complete solution for bathrooms, kitchens, tiles, tile accessories and bathroom furniture.

It is one of the largest ceramic tiles manufacturers in Kenya, boasting of state of the art and modern machines capable of producing a large volume of quality ceramic tiles. Though glazing is a typical step for ceramic tile, it's not essential. Not every tile has to be glazed to be considered ceramic. But there is one qualification that ceramic tiles do have to meet -- they all have to be baked.

Before it goes in the kiln, the product has acquired another name: green tile. Find out how the final transformation to ceramic tile occurs on the next page. Have you settled on ceramic tile for the bathroom, only to be told you should consider porcelain tiles? Porcelain tiles actually are ceramic tiles; porcelain is one type of ceramic clay.

To be considered porcelain, the tile must meet certain water absorption rates, though; the tile can't absorb more than 0.

Tiles that meet this rating are considered "impervious. After the glaze has been applied, it's time to put the tiles in the kiln to be fired. Traditionally, ceramic tile was left to bake for several hours in what's known as a periodic kiln , such as a beehive kiln.

It was the continuous kiln , however, that made the production process of ceramic tile more efficient in the last century. Continuous kilns include tunnel kilns and roller-hearth kilns. The heat inside the kiln is precisely monitored and controlled by computer. In the first half of the tile's journey, things are starting to get warm. At the center point, maximum temperature, which can be as high as 2, degrees Fahrenheit 1, The higher the temperature, the stronger the brick.

As the tile makes its way to the opposite side of the tube, it's gradually cooling down. The cooling down period isn't as passive as it might sound, though -- tiles are still changing color.

With these rolling, or continuous kilns, the process has gone from hours of stationary baking to less than an hour. That allows the manufacturers to make a lot more tile, at a reasonable price for the marketplace.

The process was also expedited by the resurgence of the monocottura method. Monocottura, an Italian term meaning "fired once," gives ceramic tile a lot more strength.