If you’re constructing a new completely eco-friendly building and haven’t found environmentally friendly tiles yet, here is your solution. Encaustic cement tiles are completely handmade 100% natural, and completely eco-friendly.
Encaustic cement tiles or cement tiles are fully hand-made. They are manufactured from concrete and the color of the pattern on the tile is due to the natural coloring pigments that are used.
This method was developed in the 19th century and hasn't changed much since then. The pattern isn't painted and glazed like most ornamental ceramic tiles. The pattern is embedded into the body of the tile by employing a mold.
Encaustic cement tiles are thought of as a "green product" because the tiles aren't laid-off in an oven, so no toxic gases are released. It also uses locally available resources for the mass-producing method. The tiles are an excellent choice for indoor and outdoor areas that are used for daily purposes. The tiles are sturdy and you can use them anywhere, be it outdoors or indoors.
Encaustic cement tiles are handmade using a detailed and systematic process. There are three totally different layers of structure that every paint cement tile posses.
The Process
a) The first layer is the patterned side of the tile.
To create a pattern on the tile, a metal pattern of the design is embedded into the mixture of sand and cement poured into the mold.
b) Then a mixture of marble powder, white cement, and natural color pigments, is poured into each section of the metal pattern for coloring the tiles.
c) The color layer is readied in batches and each part is weighed so as to ensure color consistency. The color is mixed in a mixer.
Water is added to the color mixture.
d) If no pattern is needed then the base mixture is evenly poured into the mold. The thickness of the color layer is kept constant.
e) Two layers of white cement, grey cement, and sand are poured alternatively on the first layer.
f) The middle layer of the tile consists of cement and sand, which forms a strong bond between the first layer and the bottom layer of the tile. It helps harden the tiles.
g) The third layer of the paint tile is made by pouring alternate layers of cement, sand and marble dust.
h) Once the 3 layers are poured, every paint cement tile is hydraulically ironed into a dense, heavy tile. The hydraulic press applies heavy pressure.
i) The tile is kept in water for twenty-four hours to ensure hardening and is then left to dry or cure for ten days.
Materials Used
Materials utilized in the Color layer (Layer 1):
- Cement
- Marble powder
- Fine Sand
- Calcium carbonate
- Mineral pigments.
Materials used for layers 2 and 3:
- Cement
- Sand
- Calcium carbonate
Tiles may be inspected at twenty-eight days to check if it is completely cured. The curing/hardening process is what provides the cement tile with its strength. After twenty-eight days, the tiles would have achieved ninety-eight of their strength. And, voila, you have a perfect encaustic cement tile.
Encaustic cement tiles are the most popular tiles these days. It has proven to be sturdy enough to be used for rough and tough use, you can use it in the bathroom, in the living room or anywhere else. One of the advantages is that it is customizable. You can create your own designs, so it really is a perfect choice for tiles.
