Tile Manufacturing

A factor worthy of consideration when looking to acquire any type of flooring is how it is made. One should simply know if their flooring is made at the expense of a species of animal, or if their money is going to companies who have offshored jobs away from America, or if it was produced with child laborers. Although this may seem like a heavy load to bear at first, a little bit of research can glean and lot of insight into where your dollars are going. For, the truth is - we have an opportunity to positively affect the world every time we make a purchase. Or, conversely, we have a chance to negatively affect the world each time we make a purchase. In a world with a vast global economy, such a consciousness is becoming indispensable.

So how is ceramic tile made?

There are a few slight variations in the following steps depending on the company and the country in which they operate, but generally the process is the same.

The first step is acquiring the materials needed to make the clay and other building blocks of the tile. The materials are typically a blend of sands, quartzes, feldspars, clays, dolomites, and other natural substances. None of these substances are synthetic or man-made.

Second, the materials are blended with around 30% water and ground together in special mills which create what is called a "body slip." Once this tile paste is created it is propelled into a "spray dryer" and heated. This transforms the body slip into more of a powdery substance that contains only a small amount of moisture. This powder is compressed by heavy machines that place it under several hundred pounds of pressure (per square foot). This creates a clay-like substance referred to by those in the industry as "bisque."

Then the bisque which contains some moisture still is blown dry under very high temperatures. The intention is to eliminate virtually all traces of moisture from the material. Next is the glazing procedure. This process will vary considerably depending on the company as well as the specific tile design that is being created. Many tile companies purchase pre-mixed glazes and then employ them with their own unique standards. Once the glazing is doused on top of the raw tile body, it is shoveled into a kiln that may reach over 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. Then your tile is complete and ready to be placed in someone's kitchen, bathroom, or mud room.

This process is generally more environmental than the manufacturing of other flooring types, such as vinyl, laminate, or carpet.

A major difference between these types of flooring and tile is that the materials they're made of are largely synthetic. Why are synthetically produced goods so bad for the environment? Synthetically produced goods are harmful to the environment because these chemical compounds do not naturally occur, and thus have to be cajoled into forming by human hand. The process for creating these complex chemical compounds produces a considerable amount of excess chemical waste. This waste is often toxic and ends up, not too uncommonly, in local waters and air. However, even if these harmful agents were to be contained, the unwanted outputs of creating, for example, polypropylene, have to go somewhere. This is the real and continually surmounting problem. Furthermore, the people who work in these factories typically have higher rates of respiratory and other kinds of cancer as a result of being exposed to these toxins on a daily basis. By purchasing products that are comprised of largely synthetic materials, you very well may be helping fill hazardous waste facilities, expose natural habitats to deleterious agents, and in some cases, sicken factory workers.

Use your power as a consumer for the good of the planet - seriously consider tiling your bathroom or kitchen floor.