How Bathroom Tile is Made

Westminter Ceramics Decorating Guide

How Bathroom Tile is Manufactured

and what to look for when selecting tile


Like other building materials, ceramic tile is made in a modern process designed to produce large quantities at a reasonable price. However, there is a wide variation in the care taken in the manufacture, leading to a range in the quality of the finished tile in your bathroom. The choices the manufacturer makes directly affect the quality of the ceramic and in practice, the range of quality in bathroom tile in the marketplace can be traced to the manufacturing processes used to create them. Some companies make a batch of tile in two hours, while others take over 100 hours, and the difference shows up in the tile and how it looks and wears in your bathroom. Clay is washed, dried, molded, and dried again. Then it is "fired" in a process that squeezes out the remaining moisture, oxidizes any remaining organic material, and changes the microscopic glassy structure of the tile. Most commercial manufacturers use a single-fire process with natural gas firing. Makers of high quality and specialty tile often use a double-firing process that takes longer but results in tighter quality control. The double-firing process is arguably more traditional, as it is closer in spirit to the small craft tile production in centuries past. We produce a wide variety of ceramic tile products.
		RAW CLAY The source of the clay is important. Tile manufacturers select clay from proven clay pits that have produced good tile in the past. Even so, like all geologic materials, clay composition varies, and manufacturers must constantly test their raw material to ensure it falls within certain chemical and physical parameters. GREENWARE Hand operated presses and extruders use steel dies created on-site by skilled craftsmen. The resulting greenware is finished by hand, then inspected for smoothness and strength. HAND FINISHED GREENWARE Freshly pressed and extruded greenware is carefully placed in ceramic refractories designed to withstand the high temperatures of multiple firings. It is only when it has achieved a perfect moisture level that the tile enters the kiln. 1ST FIRING OR BISQUE FIRED The first firing transforms greenware into bisque. In high-quality manufacturing, it takes over a day for the greenware to work its way through the kiln at high temperature, maturing each piece gradually. This produces tile of high strength. Each piece is once again hand finished in preparation for glazing. 2ND FIRING OR GLOST FIRED If properly applied, glazes form an uninterrupted layer of color and protection no matter how complex the pattern. Once cooled, the ceramicware is once more inspected, then packed for shipment. Top manufacturers sift their glaze through an ultra-fine mesh, dramatically reducing the level of impurities, resulting in a vibrant sheath of color and beauty.

Smooth ceramic tile is easy to clean because particles of dirt and grime generally don't get imbedded in the material. Instead, most particles collect on top of the tile, and will wash away with detergent and water. This resistance to grime and moisture makes tile an extremely durable and easily cleaned material. This is why builders have so often used tile in bathrooms and kitchens. And with decorative, painted tile, the homeowner gets an attractive surface that is low maintenance.

Thickness is a good metric of tile quality. All other things being equal, thick tile is stronger. Most decorators also feel that thick tile produces a higher quality look.

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We also sell our catalog of ceramic tile and related products