BullnoseTile and Stone Ltd.

About Terracotta Tiles

We import Saltillo terracotta pavers from the manufacturer and stock them in our warehouse. The tiles are pre-sealed at the factory and require very little maintance. They are enhanced with age and develop a patina unique to Saltillo handmade terracotta. The tiles are always obtained from the same manufacturer because they have been producing the tiles for many decades and the quality is dependable.

Bullnose Tile terracotta pavers are formed by hand. They are made from clay that is dug out of the ground, hand-formed and fired in kilns. This is done under somewhat primitive conditions. Consequently, one should expect irregularities, possibly including but not limited to: finger prints, dog prints, cat prints, coyote prints, lumps, bumps, wrinkles, dimples, blips, chips and brush marks. The clay to make the tiles is dug out of the ground in a quarry across the road from the factory. Because there are naturally occurring lime deposits in the clay, the raw material is screened to catch the larger chunks of lime. This is not an infallible process, as occasionally particles are missed or they are too small in size for the screen to catch. When this occurs and they are left in the tile, they can expand and burst when they become wet. This phenomena even has a name: "lime pops". Their presence is not indicative of a defect but is a characteristic of pavers made from this region. Generally, if they are going to appear at all, they do so immediately after the installation, because there is considerable moisture involved in setting the tiles. If, a larger "lime pop" should appear, it can be filled with a little bit of grout. Mass produced tiles try to emulate these eccentricities to try and create the character of the original.

Colour variation occurs naturally from piece to piece and batch to batch so no two tiles are exactly alike. Banding, characterized by broad stripes of colour on the surface of the tile ranging from pale orange to dark terracotta is a result of the way the tiles are stacked in the kiln.

All of the above properties are what give Bullnose Tile Saltillo terracotta tiles their vitality and charm. Although the effect of these tiles is frequently copied, the machine-made tiles don't capture the character, warmth and distinction of the real thing. Bullnose Tile terracotta is a continuation of an historic tile-making tradition. As such, it is timeless and has strength of character. It evokes the sun-drenched languor of the type of life we would all like to live.

Here are terracotta tiles being made in Mexico.