Ceramic tile is tile made of clay which is shaped and fired in a kiln. After the clay and minerals are refined, they are ready to be shaped. The most common method for ceramic is the dust press. An almost dry mixture of clays, talc, and other ingredients are pressed into a mold at extremely high pressures. The newly formed tiles are then fired in a kiln to harden the material. After firing, they are further treated in one of two ways:
Unglazed – the pigment or natural color is there during firing and is part of the tile itself. Unglazed tile needs to be sealed for stain resistance.
Glazed – color is added to the tile after firing. The glasslike surface is bonded to the tile. Glazed tile offers more color choices than unglazed. Glazing allows brighter colors to be used and adds stain resistance. Ceramic is ideal for almost every application Ceramic tile is probably the most versatile of tile surfaces since the glaze and look of the tile is mostly man-made. Ceramic is available in an almost infinite range of colors, patterns and styles.
