Hexagon Gloss Sealed

Description

Saltillo tiles are sourced exclusively from Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico. They are produced of pure natural clay and are 100% handmade. Saltillo tiles are available in many shapes and sizes, ranging from 4 inch hexagons to 18” squares. Due to the handmade production process, Saltillo tiles vary in size and thickness from piece to piece. This product is also rated high in color variation. It’s an authentic terra-cotta artisanal craft-good. From kitchen backsplashes to patio floors, Saltillo tiles work well in almost any application.

The artisans stack the tiles in the cave kilns on end, slightly overlapping so that they will not fall over. Prior to firing, they seal the opening of the kiln with clay to prevent heat from escaping. Then, they start the fire at the bottom of the cave. Furthermore, they add fuel to increase the heat until the kiln reaches proper temperature. As soon as all oxygen of the cave atmosphere is used up, the flame then seeks the next available source of oxygen, which is the iron oxide in the clay tile. The flame burns it, hence flashing the exposed surfaces of the tile. Accordingly, the light buff color in the tile is the area that was flashed and the peach color in the tile is the area, which is shielded from the flame by other tiles.