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How to produce encaustic cement tiles?
The encaustic cement tiles are handcrafted using traditional techniques and natural colours to create works of art that will embellish your home for years to come. Artisans make every tile individually with great care and expertise and each one is unique and beautiful.
How to produce handmade encaustic cement tiles?
What are encaustic cement tiles made of?
Encaustic cement tiles consist of marble powder, marble granules, cement, and natural colour pigments. These elements are carefully weighed and mixed in the exact proportions to create a durable cement tile of a rigorous standard. The natural colour pigments are weighed on highly sensitive electronic scales to ensure correct and uniform colours. Although variations in the basic pigments can lead to slightly different colours which is part of the charm of these handmade tiles.
How is the encaustic cement tile pattern created?
Pure water is used to combine the elements, which must be thoroughly mixed to remove any bubbles or clumps of solid material. When each of the required colours is ready, the mould holder is prepared with a little oil. This allows the handmade metal pattern mould to enter easily into the square mould which will form the tile. Each colour is hand-poured into the appropriate part of the mould to create the design. This is a very skilled job that requires concentration and a steady hand. The colour layer of our cement tiles is 8-mm thick, and the artist gently agitates the mould to ensure an even layer before removing the pattern mould.
How is the encaustic cement tile formed?
Dry cement with the other ingredients is added on top of the colour layer. It is evenly added up to the top of the mould. This is then placed in a heavy press machine which exerts great pressure to form the tile. The finished tile is then removed from the square mould.
How are the encaustic cement tiles finished?
The recently formed encaustic cement tiles usually take about a week to dry out completely. Then, a diamond grinding machine is used to make the surface completely smooth and resistant to water and stains. This process blocks up the pores of the tile making them impervious to dirt and easy to keep clean.
The tiles are then laid out and the surface is washed with pH-neutral soap. They are then dried thoroughly. Next, each tile is inspected to make sure of consistently high-quality. Finally, the encaustic cement tiles are carefully packed into boxes to be shipped around the world to embellish homes and businesses and to bring joy with their long-lasting hard-wearing beauty.