What Is Ceramic Tile?

Ceramic tile is simply a mixture of clays, molded into a shape and fired at high temperatures - resulting in a hard body. This hard body may be left untreated or it may receive a glazed wear layer. All the raw materials that go into making ceramic tile come from the earth, including the colours of the glaze. While man has been successful in finding ways to improve upon many products by substituting natural materials with synthetics, ceramic tile has remained basically unchanged for thousands of years.

The clay body, which is also called "bisque," consists of various types of clay and other minerals. Combined, these raw materials give the bisque its strength and stability.

The glaze is a liquid gloss that has been sprayed or poured into the surface of the tile. It is then fused and hardened by means of tremendous heat.

This combination of natural materials has been used for thousands of years. It creates a flooring product which has performance characteristics few modern-day products can even approach.