Cement tiles exist in the mid-nineteenth century when it was invented by a French public works contractor Etienne Larmande. Cocorico!
Evolution of the manufacturing process?
The mosaic tiles are made using a divider arranged in a mold. The divider (bronze or brass) will allow to distribute and separate the colors to create the pattern of the tile. Before the pigmentation is completely dry, the divider is removed and the sand cement tile is overlaid, then a layer of “coarse” mortar composed of gray cement and sand is added, which corresponds to the structure of the cement tile. To harden the tile, no cooking is necessary, using a press (50 to 110kg / cm3). The secret of cement tile lies in the process of hydration and chemical reactions caused by this same process.
You can find a short video on making cement tiles by following this link.
So what changes with the manufacturing process of the time? Know that the manufacture of cement tiles has remained identical since their invention. It is a know-how that preserves the authentic character of cement tiles.
Fashion and cement tiles
In their early days, the cement tiles displayed floral or geometric shapes inspired by the Middle Ages, since the neo-Gothic style prevailed in the middle of the 19th century.
Little by little, designs have evolved to follow fashion, but unfortunately, because of the relatively high cost of production, the production of cement tiles was stopped in the middle of the twentieth century. Indeed, we must not forget that a worker can produce only 5m ² per day because of the manufacturing process that has moved very little since its creation. In addition, the cost of the materials used to make a tile failed to align with other materials.
Old cement tiles
One can easily recognize an old cement tile by their warm color and floral patterns. Formerly, hexagonal red brick tiles were present on the floors of houses.
Modern cement tiles
A very trendy material, the cement tile is today revisited with current colors and shapes. We really like 3-D cement tiles like the M0031 or geometric pattern to modernize our home. We also love plain carocim with colors such as blue-green, salmon or the green of water. Discover our contemporary cement tiles.
Today, we associate the cement tile to an “old fashion” fashion wrongly because like other materials, their design is constantly evolving. This is particularly the case with the Cement Tiles Co Uk, which works with designers to offer new products that are out of the ordinary as often as possible. Discover the latest creations of our designers by clicking on the following link.
The advantage of cement tiles is that there are a multitude of different designs and it is also possible to choose different colors so that the tiles fit your room.
Discover our collections of cement tiles according to the desired style. You will discover floral motifs, ancient, geometric, modern, 3-D effect ….
